BIG BOULDER, Pennsylvania

Big Boulder is a 4-wheel area in the Pocono Mountains and is owned by the local ski resort. They hosted the Jeep Jamboree in 2002 and are going to have one this year as well. Unfortunately, it is not open for the public. Clubs with proper insurance can work out a deal with them, though.
Since we meet with the North Jersey Jeep Club all the formalities are taken care of by our trail leader Jim Oostdyk from OK Auto 4WD & Tire. As mentioned before we have the least modified rig but nevertheless everybody is very interested in our trip and our truck. There is a surprising number of Cherokees on this run. A total of 17 rigs is ready to tackle the trail.
With the kind of set-up all the other Jeeps feature we expect some challenging trails. It has begun to snow early this morning and by the time we are at the meeting spot it starts to cover the ground with a thin layer of white.

After everybody airs down and disconnects the sway bars we drive to the actual trails which consist of fairly short loops accessible from a graded dirt road. There is about one inch of snow on the ground now and that makes the terrain even more difficult. The trails consist mostly of big boulders (guess where the name comes from) and dirt in between. We snake through the dense forest along the sometimes narrow trail with a few off-chamber spots. The wet rocks are pretty slippery and the size of the boulders is the limit for our truck. The drivers work their way through the 'rock garden', depending on their mood and modification of the Jeep choosing very difficult lines. I have to stick to the easiest pass possible. Although I try to manouver the vehicle through the trail smoothly, I have a hard time with the size of the boulders and bang up the underside of the rig.
Everyone is busy driving, spotting, helping out stuck rigs and video taping and photographing. At the first loop a dead tree protrudes into the trail and has to be cut with the chain saw to allow the vehicles to pass. Some segments are so narrow that we can just barely fit through. Especially when the truck is leaning it is hard to stay away from the trees and due to the conditions there is the danger of sliding on the rocks. One driver pops a tire towards the end of the first trail and we stop for lunch.
The second loop has a similar terrain and the challenge goes on. Making the way through the christmas-like landscape nobody really breaks down, but another flat tire causes a short delay. Regardless of the cold this is a fun-filled day.

On our expedition truck the frame, skid plate, rear bumper, tie rod and the drive shaft get some pretty good hits. None of the damages affects our run and we find them inspecting the vehicle after this adventure. The rod is okay but the drive shaft needs to be fixed. I cannot feel any vibrations but when we visit Jim at his store on Tuesday they recommend fixing the shaft. While they are at it they take a look at the axle too and what a surprise... it does leak again. The team of OK Auto 4WD & Tire is very helpful and Jim helps us out as much as he can.
(for more details to the repair click here)

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