Riffel Canyon was born a little less than a year ago. It was built by the Men In Black. There's no one person who stands out alone. Finishing this trail was a group effort. The end result of those efforts is the Riffel Canyon trail.
To the Men In Black: what can I say? You did it again. You, my friends, never fail me, nor fail to amaze me. The efforts given to this adventure will not be forgotten. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With that, I give you Riffel Canyon. Buckle up. Be safe. Have a good time."
Steve Riffel is gone, but he's far from forgotten. The Fissure Mountain monument and the Riffel Canyon Trail stand as living tributes to his memory. They're there for all to enjoy thanks to the Men in Black.
How do you "build" a rockcrawling trail? After all, there aren't any bushes to clear, and the route already follows the bottom of the canyon. The idea is to establish a beaten path, and to fill in just enough holes to make the trail passable, albeit passable with substantial difficulty. Shovels are useful for filling in small holes with fine-grained gravel. Moving big rocks requires hefty crowbars, cooperated muscle power, and sometimes a winch. Safety is paramount: Everyone needs to be warned when a big rock is about to be moved. | 
It's a long way to the top, which means if your winch cable snaps, you've got a lot of tumbling to do back down the slope. Brian's Jeep boasts a locked and narrowed 14-bolt rearend, a CTM and Warn-fortified Dana 44 frontend (also locked), a high-steer steering linkage, an SM 465 tranny with a granny-Lo First gear, flexy Alcan leaf springs, and 39-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claws, and it still wasn't going to make this climb without a winch. Bring a winch. |
No bears were spotted in the area, but the Bear Cave is still a good name for this spot. Getting past the Cave means winching up the slope to the Cave's right. | 
Where's the good line? There isn't one. Brian had already ascended this drop-off, but the trip back down was just as pucker-filled. No camera-tilting here either. Skilled driving, a well-built Jeep, and a healthy dose of luck kept the shiny side up. Change of underwear, anyone? |
It's good at the top. From the Bear Cave, Riffel Canyon users can either descend the way they came or continue on around, making a huge U-turn and exiting through the mouth of an adjoining canyon. The complete route hadn't been built at the time of this trail-building session, so out and back it was. | 
One of Al's sidewalls fell prey to the Riffel Canyon rocks. He was prepared with a tire plug kit and a good attitude. Al's Toy' is licensed for the street, but he wisely trailered it between home and basecamp. We suggest you do the same. |
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