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Keystone Dam Trail Report
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
9/26/2003
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After work on Friday, 9/26/03, Jimmy
and I took our Jeeps to the Keystone Dam area to go off roading. I brought my
sister Marci along in case both our Jeeps got
stuck at the same time because it's easier to hitch a ride if you got a chick with
you. Our expectation was to have fun which means we're going to get stuck and break
things. We started on what appeared to be an area well suited for motorcycles. Dozens and dozens of wash board style burms for cycles to jump between. I took it straight on with high throttle in 2nd gear, 4WD-low just because I am stupid. Jimmy said my wheels were airborne. I just knew something was going to break but it didn't (or at least I haven't found out yet). I concluded that little run by taking a high banking turn in a burm around a tree which was a blast. |
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Next up was the Hill of Lore that Jimmy once saw a Bronco climb. I tried it but lost traction about half way to the first ledge. How embarassing. I have All-Terrain's on the front and Mud-Terrain's on the back. Jimmy said the Bronco had some big mudders so that must have been the difference. Yeah, must have been that. |
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I got stuck first when I went through a little puddle that Jimmy went around (he had been there before). I thought this puddle was just going to be a few inches deep and I started in very slowly. I was bogged down right away. I may have made it had I realized how deep it would be and hit it with some speed. Oh well. The beer was still cold. |
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A quick pull from Jimmy's Wrangler and I was out. |
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Jimmy was the first to break something. Going over a bluff he dragged his muffler and pulled it out. We had a tool box with a modest assortment of basic tools and Jimmy was able to get things fixed up. |
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Jimmy's stuck! Look how shallow. he he he. |
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Jimmy thinks he got stuck because his four wheel drive was not locking in. |
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We took a short break to have a drink and check for damage. |
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Jimmy figured his 4 wheel drive was not locking in because of a vacuum leak and with a little digging around we found where the vacuum line controlling the four wheel drive came unplugged. Fixed. |
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Jimmy got stuck, again. Had to pull him out backwards. |
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Jimmy found a terrific gumbo mud bock for us to play in. He let me go first to see how deep it was. I got stuck the first time but managed to wiggle my way back out. I gunned it harder the second time. I bogged down pretty good but managed to plow all the way through. I backed up and went again so Jimmy could snap this picture. Nice chocolate color! |
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Jimmy's turn! |
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He made it through the mud bog but then he got stuck in the mother of all rutted mud holes. We got him pulled out and figured it would be a dumb idea for me to try it. But I did anyways. Of course. |
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I don't think I got any further than he did but I did put the end to the festivities for the weekend. My engine died after I got out to affixed the tow rope. The water was grounding out the starter so I couldn't re-start the engine on battery power alone. Jimmy tried to pull me out dead weight without my engine assisting. That snapped the tow rope like it was nothing. |
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Buried and loving it! Jimmy borrowed some jumper cables from some four wheeler guys and after some long moments finally got my engine started again. With my Jeep digging and his pulling I got pulled out. Once out I killed the engine to check for damage. While in the hole the Jeep was tilted to the left so much that no or little fuel was getting to the right bank. Everything looked ok but when I restarted the engine we all heard a distinct clank. I hit the starter again and it started ok. We heard some sounds like the lifters were sticking and it seemed to smoke a bit on the left side. We killed it and checked the oil and there was definitely water in it. Dirty water. We took his Jeep into Sand Springs and picked up enough oil to do an on the spot oil change. With the new oil in and wiping the mud off both sides of the windshield we exited the park just minutes before the rangers closed the gates for the night. Close! I drove it a few miles and noticed the oil pressure gauge was showing only 20 pounds and it normally runs between 45 to 55. Concerned about this I pulled over at the Quick Trip in Sand Springs to check things out. After I killed the engine the gauge still read 20 pounds! The 20 pounds mark is straight down so something is broken and gravity is just pulling the need down. I removed the oil gauge pressure tube from the elbow connector on the engine block and had Jimmy turn the engine over. There was just a tiny squirt of muddy oil then nothing else. This is a bad sign to say the least. I definitely was not going to drive the Jeep any further and risk doing more damage. It was late on a Friday night and the distance was too great to risk towing so we pulled it around the corner to the Wal-Mart parking lot and left it for the night. Jimmy gave Marci and me a ride back to her car and that was it for the night. |
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The next morning Dad and I loaded the Jeep on a trailer and brought it home without event. I hosed the mud off so I could see what I was working on. |
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Here is a good look at the oil
that we drained out the night before. Keep in mind that I changed my oil Thursday
night so this oil was only in the Jeep for 24
hours! Read the log. |
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Jimmy did something I have never done after four wheeling. Drive his Jeep home. |
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