This time Tyler joined in the fun, he has his new tires now.  Mickey Thompson Baja Claws, they're big and tear up the mud.  This time I brought my friend, John Mercer, along.  We tore up the pit this time, it was all thick and chunks just flew through the air.  It was great.

But of course I tried to go back through he same ditch and made it through the first few times then my bumper dug right into the mud and I couldn't pull out of it.  So I went out in my boots and gloves and tried to get to at least one Tow Eye but it was just too deep in the mud.  After about 10 minutes of digging and searching in freezing, muddy water, I took a tow strap and just wrapped it around my bumper.  Tyler's winch pulled me right out.

It was a snowy day, and I was on my way over to Tyler's to play in the mud after a 2 hour drive home from my beach house.  At least 2 inches of snow had fallen already but the mud pit was just soaking it up and getting muddier and softer and deeper.  Well then it was time to hit the pit.  Tyler didn't go in because he didn't have his new tires on yet.

I was driving back and forth through the pit getting muddy and kept going in a out of this one ditch making it deeper with my tires each time I went through.  So eventually I got stuck when my bumper bottomed out in the mud.  So Tyler winched me out and I kept on going.

It was fun for a while then we called up another friend, Carter Membrino, and he came over with his Jeep Wrangler.  There we played for a while when I went through the ditch again, except instaed of getting stuck my muffler ripped off.  Yes, ripped off, and getting compacted with mud.  So I was just tearing around then with just an open cat.  It was loud.

Carter almost got stuck a few times but managed to get out after many reverse to forward to reverse etc... attempts.  It was comical to watch that.  The best part was his face when he thought he was stuck.  Haha.

Do yourself a favor and don't go slow through ruts to deep for you suspension...you will get stuck, as I did.  Here's the low down...

       I was playing around in the mud with 2 of my friends in the car, and I decided to go through one side of the deep ruts a hummer left and have the other side of my jeep on the higher-non muddy ground.  Well, little did I know the ruts had gotten deeper.  I bottomed out my cross member and now my jeep was using it as a pivot point, raising my drive tires off of the ground, WHAT FUN!!

       What to do, what to do?  Made a few phone calls, no one could help, so I had no other choice but to hand-winch myself out.  Using my 15 foot tow strap and a 5 foot come-a-long it took about 20 minutes to final pull the jeep forward enough for it to slide down the mud on the cross member and re-plant my tires on the ground.  4WD-LO time baby!!  WHOOOO!!!  Forward to reverse to forward at redlining rpms got me out.  Damn, I was freaking out for a while, but it was all good when I got out all on my own with the help of my friends who were with me.  Thanks Ben and Sufi!

In the woods down the street from Iceline, right behind the airports landing strip, are two large mud pits.  One has ruts so deep, it's impossible for me to make it through...even though I tried and almost got stuck.  The second one holds lots of water for a huge splash....very nice. 

       Now to get started.  Driving back and forth, getting so muddy there wasn't a hint of green showing on the jeep.  As I tried to get through the ruts, I missed a shift (I'm embarrased about that) and the jeep stopped dead.  I tired to go foreward but my rear axle was push all the way up lodging my tires in the wheel wells.  Well I threw it into reverse and luckily my front tires where able to push me out.  It's on video tape.  Really funny now to see it.

       Next I went to the second pit, and just splashed around for a few minutes.  I didn't stay long in this spot due to the time of night, but further trips to this spot will be made.  Seeya later

It's about 12am now and I'm at my friend, Tyler Meade's house.  We've decided to fix the front drive shaft on his '99 Jeep Wrangler.  After a short period of time, since things were going smoothly, we finished and decided to test it out in a local construction site where it's all dirt and when mixed with rain you get lots of mud!  So, taking both of our jeeps, we headed to the site.

       We arrived shortly after leaving, only about 5 minutes to find a few trails where the other construction vehicles were driving.  I took the lead, driving over a 6-inch drop of a curb right into the soft, sweet mud.  My 4wd High is actually working correctly!!  Now the back wheels are in and I'm off, throwing mud up and right after me came Tyler.  Tearing through this part of the job site was awesome, the mud was nice and deep and throwing clumps everywhere.

       Tyler was pulling the back, his tires aren't really suited for the soft mud, they're only all-terrains.  But anyway, we hoped back over another curb and took off down the road about 100 feet and found another drive way opening.  A softer, less dramatic drop this time, perhaps 3-4 inches.  The mud though, still soft.  Clawing my way through and then finally ending up on the street where then Tyler pulled beside me.  We talked briefly and headed home for a break incase anyone woke up near by.

       The time by now was around 1:20.  Back at the house we reviewed our jeeps, checking how muddy we were.  Tyler and I went back upstairs, looked through some magazines and chatted online and then the decision was made to go back.  Now, at 3 am we were getting back into our jeeps to head back.  Down the driveway, out on the street, all the way back to the site.  We went back on the same path as before, except this time Tyler decided to go over to the other side of the street, into the mud there.  Uh oh

       While going along he tried to get out over one of the driveway curbs, except his front wheel didnt grab and his car going forward pushed him sideways.  Now, he tried to reverse it and got stuck.  He was stuck in about 15 inches of mud.

      SHIT! he screamed, Im screwed dude, we gotta get my brother.

       I drove very fast, back to his house only to find that his mom has woken up.  Ehnot good  But instead of doing anything we ran upstairs to get Tylers older brother, Ryan.  Ryan, now awake and somewhat angry, was willing to aid Tyler.  Outside we hooked up Ryans winch to his Cherokee, did a quick test and drove off.  At the site Ryan looked at the Wrangler trapped up to its rear axle in mud, and then decided to drive into the same area and pull it from there.  After hooking up the tow straps to the 8000lb winch, Ryan proceeded to pull out the stuck Wrangler.  Noteits now a little after 4am  it took a few tries but finally Tyler was freed and we got out of that place fast as shit.

       I just wished I could have video taped it

Well it started off at school, where my friends Pat and Brian (they are brothers), told me about a mud trail in their woods that can be used for off-roading.  Of course, wanting to get into some real mudding adventures, I agreed to go and check out this trail.  After driving home to get changed and grab some food, I made my way over to Pat and Brian's house and picked them up.

       As we left, Pat directed which way to go and soon after we left (30 seconds) the trail came into view. 

       "Shit!" said Pat, "That car needs to leave before we go in there, make a right here and turn around at the end of the street."

       "Alright," I answered.

        I drove up the street and sure enough, the car had left, so we made one pass by to make sure the coast was clear.  Here we go....

       Going and going on this first part of the trail trying not to turf anything.... hahaha, yeah I was still leaving ruts going 5mph in first gear.  Then here it was, the trail, but one small obstacle still stood in our way...a creek.

       Pat said to me, "it's only a few inches deep, go through it!"

       "Sounds good to me," I replied with a slight laugh.

       I drove though it, clawing at the earth with my tires ripping into the soft mud and tearing apart all that laid beneath them.  As I made the first turn I notices a tree had fallen across the path.  Yeah, like a tree's really going to stop me.  I asked Brian to hand me my tow strap.

       I hoped out, and wrapped the strap around the tree then hooked it up to my frame on the Jeep, and then pulled it out of the way.  That was funny to do.  Now that that little obstacle was tackled, we made out way through the rest of the trail into a little baseball field.  Uh oh...  Well, since it was a baseball field and they are generally flat, what do you think I did?!?!

         Round and round she goes, where she goes is obvious.  You have to love donuts, especially since I had a roster tail of mud about 7 feet high.  After doing this, I went over to where a large dirt mound was placed.  Thinking I could get up it, I tried, but failed for it was too soft to climb.  Leaving that area I went back across the field and on further down the path.  And very soon it opened up a little to a drain basin to the right, and trees to my left...well don't you know that a little ol' swamp appears after those trees.  You're damn right I went down into it!  Driving through this giant mud pit, all of sudden *WAAAAM!!!!*

       Holy shit, what the hell was that?!, Yelled Pat.

       I don't know man, but my tires fine, so who cares? I said back to him.

       My fault dude, I didnt know that was there, we should get you a better suspension incase of that shit.  Pat said.

        I didnt really care much, just as long as my tire was fine, which it is.  We didnt stay in the swamp for too long, I turned around and tried to get out, but since the hill was steep and muddy it was a battle.  It took three tries, but we finally made it out.  Id say that the steepness of the hill was about a 60-degree angle.  Nothin too shabby.  Making our way back down the trail, there was the baseball field againbut instead of going up to it I went back into the covered portion of the trail and ripped it up back there.  Back and forth on this trail I went and each time turning around I made a small patch of grass get smaller and smaller and a mud pit get bigger and bigger. 

       After playing around for a good hour, and totally covered my jeep with mud, the three of us decided to head inside to relax and let the 4WD beast take a break.  On the road home, a girl saw me pull out of the woods and had a look of amazement on her face; it was very funny to see.  I guess you had to see it.  We sat around the house for about 30 minutes until a decision was made to go back out to the trail.  This time armed with a video camera.

       The coast was clear, so no drive by was needed and we went right back there.  Crossing the creek and into the already chewed up path.  Continuing with the same thing, of back and forth I went up to the baseball field once again to do donuts for the camera, this time though I went a little crazier.  Not only turfing the outfield, but I decided to run the bases as well.  And pitch a few balls of flying mud too.  Oops..ah heh heh. did I do that?

      Flying back and forth in this trail was so much fun, by time I emerged again the jeep was covered with mud, even the windows (all of them) along with the roof and hood.  Remember that girl I was talking about?  Well this time she had a camera, and was waiting for me to come out.  When I did she snapped a picture.  I dropped Pat and Brian off at their house, took a look at the damage, and then headed home for dinner. 

       At home I grabbed my camera and snapped four pictures, one of each side.  Thats all the pictures I had left so oh well.  The pictures will be posted within the next couple of days.  This adventure was awesome, and Ill be going back to the path soon after the rain stops and the mud will stick even more.  Till thencatch ya later.