This was also our first outing of the year and my first run in my '00 Cherokee. I wanted to take it out and see what it could do and to get some good photos for "before and after" comparisons.

We ran this trail for the first time back in October of '04. It's a really fun trail - lots of water crossings, plenty of mud holes and some pretty challenging climbs. There's one really tough hill on the trail that we didn't get up the last time we went. Luckily then, we were able to go around it by following the stream to the other side of the hill. No luck this time. The heavy rains and flooding that we got here in California in winter '04-'05 washed out a bunch of trees that all jammed up in the stream, right next to this hill. None of us had on-board air, so airing down the tires wasn't an option. And since we couldn't air down, there was no point in disconnecting sway bars either (for those of us who had disconnects). So, we were forced to head back.

We still had a great run, and it was a fun beginning for the new year of Jeepin'. And as the "maiden voyage" of my Cherokee, I learned just how capable a stock XJ is - even with no-name street tires. In fact, I was even able to tackle an obstacle that caused two Wrangler owners to head home early. It all really says a lot for Jeep and the little Cherokee.

Photos:

	We stopped just short of the trail head for a short break.
	Our Jeeps are eager to get dirty! This was my first outing with my Cherokee.
	We stopped at a big clearing - the last spot to turn around before the trail gets nasty. It's a popular spot for swimmers because there's a 20 foot waterfall and jump into a big swimmin' hole.
	Justine's and Brett's Jeeps parked in the shade before getting dirty.
	My Jeep parked on a little hill.
	The first time we came out here, this little waterfall was bone dry. With all the rain we'd had over the winter, it was still flowing.
	We took the opportunity to get a few good snaps before hitting the trail again.
	This was a great spot for a break and a little snack. But I was itchin' to get my XJ stuck!
	Since my Jeep was by far the least capable, I took the lead. We all figured that if I could make it, everyone else should be able to make it too. Well, as it turns out, a couple of our Wrangler buds turned back instead of coming down this hill! So from here, it was just the three of us - Justine, Brett and me.
	Nice shot of Justine's Jeep coming up the stream.
	Justine parked here while we waited for the other two Wranglers (the ones that turned back). We thought they were coming. We wasted about half an hour trying to figure out whether or not they were going to continue.
	Brett and I moved up the trail just a little further while we waited. We didn't feel like standing in the water.
	There were plenty of nice places to take pictures along the way. All the rain we got over the winter made it lush and green, with little waterfalls like this everywhere.
	We found this good mud hole for Justine to get dirty in. Aspen really loves doing the "mud puddles."
	They love doing it so much, in fact, that Justine actually backed up and went through again... twice. "Do it again, Mommy!"
	The hill from hell. Brett was the first to make an attempt.
	This is an excellent picture to show how bad this hill is. You've gotta have good flex and traction to make it up.
	Brett's final attempt. He didn't make it up.
	I figured I'd give it a shot, just for grins. I brought a tow strap in case I high-centered.
	I actually got my back tires over the first hump, but I didn't go much further than that.
	While Brett and I tried to get up the hill, Justine checked the stream to see if we could go around it. That's how we circumvented this hill the last time we were here.
	Unfortunately, all the flooding we had over the winter washed out a bunch of trees. They all decided to jam up in the stream next to this hill. So, we couldn't get around it. We would either have to get over the hill, or head home.
	Since none of us could get up that hill, we had to turn back. There were a few spots that challenged the stock Cherokee.
	These pictures really don't do a good job of showing the severity of the terrain. Take a look at my left front tire, in the foreground of this picture. You can see how much it's flexing under the strain. My tires weren't aired down. They just look like they are!
	Another relatively tough little climb. None of this would be even moderately difficult in an even mildly modified rig. Brett and Justine had no problems at all. I was really surprised at how well my Cherokee performed. I never had any problems on any of these either.
	Brett made it up this climb easily, and gave us a good opportunity to get a shot of his suspension doing its job.
	Nice flex shot for the stock XJ. On the way out, this obstacle had me teetering on two tires on opposite corners. Coming back up didn't bring any tires off the ground, but it did flex my suspension to its max.
	Great shot of Brett's Wrangler following me up the rock ledge.
	Brett's rig approaching the rock ledge.
	Another great shot of Brett's Jeep.
	Since I had the camera on the way out and took pictures of Justine getting dirty, it was my turn on the way back! I hit this mud hole as hard as I could! Of course, making the big mud splash was fun, but I really did it to make sure I made it through! I did not want to get stuck in this mess. It stinks terribly. And when you get stuck, the stuckee does the hookin' up. The tower gets to sit, watch and laugh at the stuckee!
	Brett doesn't like to get dirty. Wimp! He says it stinks too bad. We know the truth, Brett. You just don't want to mess up your manicure when you wash your Jeep when you get home!
	Cool picture in Justine's rear view mirror.
	Another good mud hole.
	Brett keeping it as clean as possible again.
	Nice shot of Brett and me approaching another obstacle.
	Brett crossing the stream.
	This is the hill that caused our other two Wrangler buds to head home. To their credit, it is a pretty tough section. They both had big tires on, but one of them didn't have a lift on. So tire rub kept their Jeep from flexing as much as it would have had to in order to make it up this hill.
	You can see my Jeep getting a work out coming up the climb. Since I couldn't disconnect my sway bar and the stock suspension is pretty stiff, I couldn't flex nearly as much as I would have liked. If you look, my right-front tire is actually off the ground a bit.
	Brett made it up easily in his lifted Wrangler.
	Nice yellow suspension and drivetrain components. Good lookin' rig!
	On the way out, I took the opportunity to get some vanity shots.
	Not a bad backdrop for a photo!
	Classic picture. We passed this sign early on the trail. "Road Closed" ... Yeah right!
	This has to be one of our all time favorite photos. Beautiful scenery, good friends, good fun. The sign says it all. This is why we Jeep!
	The easiest way to clean off some of that mud is to use high-pressure water blasts. High-speed stream crossings are just the ticket.
	Back at home, crusty and happy.
	Having tires that stick out from your flares sure slings the mud! The tires are nice and clean from all the water crossings on the way off the trail.