Open Ride - Ben Franklin Range (12/15/24) - Part 1 of 4

Ben Franklin Range (12/15/24) - Part 1 of 4
ride day with Wheelin Up-Right Western PA.
A good time, with great people!
The day started off cold and frozen, with ice on the trails and mud holes. A mid-day rain turned the trails into slippery fun.
In part one, a steep slick hill gave the TJ some trouble. It probably wouldn’t have been a problem had I aired the tires down a little more, but the lack of power from the 2.5L didn’t help either.
In part four, it was my turn on the struggle bus. When entering a slippery downhill section, my rear end decided that it didn’t want to wait its turn to descend. With each axle in a separate set of ruts, I eventually had the sliders sitting on the ground between. Although it doesn’t seem that severe in the video, the hill was steep enough that the Gladiator was leaning a good bit to the driver’s side. Had I released my seatbelt and opened the door, I would have fallen out. To avoid the unnecessary risk of a flop, we used a winch and snatch block to pull me back onto the trail.
If you’re in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area, look up Wheelin Up-Right Western PA on Facebook. They are regularly going on rides and other events.