Light was fading in Pritchett...
Light was fading in Pritchett Canyon as the group winched up the rock pile. Breakage and a long, bumpy exit road resulted in a 10-p.m. arrival back at camp.
Saturday brought the toughest challenge of the weekend: Pritchett Canyon. A small group of vehicles headed to Pritchett while the rest of the 'Runners ran Metal Masher. The Pritchett Canyon participants were all equipped with front and rear lockers as well as winches and an abundance of trail armor and spare parts. Mike Caskey from Off Road Solutions led the group in his awesome '92 4Runner buggy (would that make it a ruggy?) and helped with wrenching and extraction when necessary. Progress was steady until the group reached Rocker Knocker, 3-1/2 miles into the 4-1/2-mile trail.
From there, things turned from bad to worse with front axleshafts, air compressors, and steering components failing on multiple vehicles. Fortunately, everyone in the group was well prepared and equipped with the most important tool of all: a positive attitude. Each participant was willing to lend a hand and ensure that no one was left behind. Broken axles were replaced, and the group continued. By 9 p.m., all of the vehicles had completed Pritchett Canyon under their own power. When the group returned to camp at around 10 at night, Mike Nevitt and his crew had prepared a delicious barbecue feast to refresh the weary wheelers and properly conclude three days of camaraderie.
It is clear that you don't have to pilot a trail-only vehicle in order to wheel tough terrain - just witness the large number of Jeep Wranglers found on any given trail - and most of us don't have the resources to park a tube buggy, trailer, and tow rig in the driveway. Heck, the staff of Off-Road wouldn't even have the room to fit all of the rigs in front of our place even if someone gave them to us. Although they do not offer the light weight and Spartan appointments of the original Toyota SUV, late-model 4Runners provide more power than their predecessors while still retaining the size and wheelbase so well suited to a wide variety of trails. So, don't be surprised next time you see one in the rough stuff.
 Adrian Flygtenstien drives...  Adrian Flygtenstien drives a '95 (second-gen) 4Runner, but he gained acceptance from the later-model guys with his swapped-in 3.4L motor and willingness to take crazy lines through obstacles. |  Last we heard, Michael Brooks...  Last we heard, Michael Brooks was still in Moab trying to replace the ring-and-pinion in his rear diff. He handled the breakage with a good attitude and made the best of his time in Moab by pointing his '03 4Runner at everything the trails had to offer. After the breakage, he spent the rest of the weekend spotting and riding with others. |  One of the nicest 4Runners...  One of the nicest 4Runners on the trail belonged to Bruce Choat. Details such as the Total Chaos long-travel front suspension, Marlin Crawler dual transfer cases, and OMF beadlocks (on stock Toyota wheels) set this rig apart from the rest. |
 On Saturday, six of the most...  On Saturday, six of the most modified vehicles in the group tackled Pritchett Canyon with the help of the staff from Off Road Solutions. The trail starts innocently enough and lulls some drivers into a false sense of security, only to punish them later. |  Steve Schaefer was the first...  Steve Schaefer was the first third-gen 4Runner owner to add Marlin Crawler dual transfer cases to his vehicle. The extra gears came in handy on Pritchett Canyon, where Steve crawled through technical sections that others had to use momentum to conquer. |  Jeff Bathke led the way on...  Jeff Bathke led the way on the Gold Bar Rim Trail on Friday. Here, he can be seen sneaking his '00 4Runner past the aptly named Body Snatcher. |
 Mike Nevitt acted as camp...  Mike Nevitt acted as camp cook for the Foray, hauling a huge barbecue behind his 4Runner all the way from Phoenix. When he wasn't behind the grill, Mike found time to take out his clean '98 4Runner to tackle some of Moab's tougher terrain. |  |  |
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