JKOwners.com Invades the Tin Bender Jamboree by Lance Clifford
Back in December, I was sitting at my computer kicking over what trail to take the JKOwners crew on for our very first run. There are a lot of trails to choose from at Johnson Valley OHV Park aka: "The Hammers". However most of the trails are intended for very experienced rock junkies with very well setup rock buggies.
The line of JKs amongst the Toyota pickups, rock buggies, and other various Jeeps.
I felt that we needed to give these guys a run they wouldn't soon forget, so we decided on "Clawhammer". According to the Tin Bender Jamboree requirements, you must have the following:Lockers Front and Rear, 35"+ tires and a winch is mandatory.
Well I knew that only 50% or better of our group would meet the minimum requirements, but I felt with proper spotting, some good driving, and a little bit of luck we could get everyone through Clawhammer dent and carnage free.
"Marshin" breaking in his JK on the rocks of Clawhammer
Outlaw Offroad showing off their new JK suspension
Signups were a little slow at first, but as we enticed JKO members with the promise of prizes, t-shirts, and good fun, the signups began to come in. The Tin Benders were skeptical and wondered how many guys we could actually con into coming out to the middle of the Mojave Desert in their daily drivers that they were probably still making payments on. When it was time to hit the trail, there were 17 JKs, 1 4Runner, and 2 buggies in the 1st JKOwners official trail run.
Poly Dave doing what he does best - fully getting it.
We cruised through the desert en-route to the trailhead, as the wind blew ferociously. We hoped like hell the wind would be a little calmer in Clawhammer canyon, but alas, it wasn't much better. There are a few things you can always expect from a trip to Johnson Valley; a whole lot of rocks, a lot of fun, and unpredictable weather!
Did I mention that "Puddlz" likes to peel out?
The trail started off mild, and some of the guys were a little antsy wanting to try some of the optional more difficult lines. I cautioned them not to go too crazy as there was going to be plenty of opportunity for some very challenging sections up the trail. We slowly made our way up the canyon, and I made sure that every JK made it through without breaking or smashing anything. This group drove amazingly well considering the fact that many of them had never been on a trail even close to this difficulty before. There were plenty of challenges for both the novice and experienced drivers.
One of two buggies that joined the run in case a JK needed to be extracted
Out of 17 JKs, there was zero body damage all day, and only one fender flare fell victim to the rocks
At the very end of the trail we had a small raffle where everyone went home with a prize. The grand prize was a set of 4 37" Nitto Terra Grapplers mounted on 18" Pro Comp rims. Other prizes included an 8,000lb. Smittybuilt winch, gift certificates from 4Wheel Parts Wholesalers ranging from $25-$250, gift certificates from Advance Adapters and Poly Performance, Smittybuilt front seat G.E.A.R covers, and of course ammo cans from 100 Dollarman.
Larry and Cheri McRae, the new owners of Poison Spyder Customs were out in their bad azz JK
All in all it was an epic day on the trail. After the mini raffle, some of the adventurous guys in the group went the long way back to camp and ran the "Fissure Mountain" trail, which rides along the highest peaks in JV with a fun "ride" down the Sledgehammer return sand hill. Talk about pucker factor!
As the sun went down the bon fire was lit, the videos were played on the big screen, dinner was provided by the Tin Bender crew, and the Tin Bender raffle began. There were tons of prizes, and lots of people went home with great swag.
I had a great time helping everyone out, and I can't wait till the next run!
