Wipe-Out Hill
Before we got started we had a discussion about the weather. We could see very dark clouds moving in that were carrying a lot of rain. We'd be down in a wash at the beginning of the trail and we'd have Wipe-Out Hill to contend with at the end of the trail, so we were a bit concerned. However, we decided to risk it in the end and we headed off down the trail.
The beginning of the trail is easy and fun, driving through sand and soft dirt. There are fun, banked curves that would be a lot of fun in an ATV or on a dirt bike. We didn't see anyone else, though.
It wasn't raining with any gusto yet while we were in the wash, but we were working our way out of it and to Determination Towers when it really started raining. There is a fun climb in sand and slickrock near the towers, and only Bob tried the rough section. It was wet and getting muddy, but Bob didn't have any issues.
The skies were looking menacing when we got to Wipe-Out Hill. Most of the group had been up the obstacle, down the obstacle or both when we were at it earlier. It was sunny and the rock was dry earlier in the day, but now it was soaking wet. We all worked our way down it, and no one thought that the rain made a difference in traction. It looked like it was going to be really slippery, but it was fine.
No one had any issues on Wipe-Out Hill, and Jeffrey did a barefoot jig at the bottom of the obstacle to show how much fun he was having. We were all enjoying the obstacle, like always. It definitely gets your heart racing.
No one did any playing, and when we were at the bottom we headed out across the sand and slickrock patches. It wasn't long before we were out. Even though it was raining and a bit chilly, some people stayed at the staging area at the end to air up while others went into town.
We all met for dinner before sundown. After dinner, everyone went to the condo and had a wrenching party fixing Bill's Jeep. He had two broken axle shafts and a bent tie rod, all from getting really stuck in the Riff Raff obstacle on Rusty Nail. With almost the entire group helping, it didn't take long to get everything changed and get Bill fixed up again. It was too bad that we couldn't fix Gary's transmission.
Report from a Different Day
