Second Climb
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We
got moving again about 12:50pm. The trail got icy again
and we hung to the left on the shoulder where there was dirt and
snow for traction. For the most part, we moved along
pretty well. At one point, Geoff got a little out of
shape and had to do some work getting back on track.
    
   
Fairly soon we came to the second level of difficulty on the
trail. There is a switchback that turns hard left
and immediately travels steeply up hill to get onto the ridge.
This section isn't normally cause for concern. Though it
is narrow and steep, it is not rutted or damaged in a way that
prevents easy driving. Today there were two problems.
First off, in order to start climbing, we had to switch sides of
the trail to get our wheels on the right, inside ditch, which
meant crossing a patch of ice that was almost wider than our
vehicles.
This momentary surrender of traction was only slightly risky and
everyone made it with no complications. But the main
problem was the climb itself. Traction was marginal, and
the ditch was not very wide so driving up the hill was no cake
walk. The vehicle had to remain on the ditch and edge
against the uphill side, and there wasn't much of that to stay
on...
I went up
without much trouble, though I did get a little anxiety from the
nearness of the edge to my left. Again I thought of
the consequences of getting off the little patch of traction.
Once we got to the top, I saw some hunters and waved, then put
the Jeep off on the side and asked my Dad to stay with the kids
while I spotted people up the hill. I wanted to make sure
that everybody kept a wheel on the ditch and stayed away from
the edge.
       
           
            
One by one, people came up the hill. Everyone did it
without drama - except Jim C. At one point, he got out of
the ditch a little bit. He started sliding backwards
uncontrollably. I though he was a goner... But he
kept his wheels steered straight, didn't panic or brake.
And miraculously, his Jeep stopped on its own 10 feet from where
it started moving. What a relief! He got back in the
ditch and made the rest of the climb without any more trouble.
I counted him very lucky!
Carl was the last to come. When he neared the top,
he stopped and I got on his rear bumper and rode to the top on
his back. It really was very hard to walk without falling.
I told him that if he went off the edge, I was going to jump off
and he'd be on his own...
With everyone on the top, I got in the Jeep and moved to the
front of the group again. We headed for the next level
where the trail branches off at Chestnut Ridge.
Continue to Third Climb...
Way
Points
Prologue and Muster |
Trail/First Climb
| Lunch | Second Climb
| Third Climb |
Fourth Climb | Bump in the Road | Meadow Knob | Last Hurrah!
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Jeep Toys and Books | See the
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