Scott Brady and Mike Hancock (from Alaska)- 2001 Land Rover Discovery II
John Pearson and Daughter- 1999 Land Rover Discovery II
John Shotts- 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser UZJ100

Note: Route finding can be difficult on this trail. I have included more detailed files than usual. The .MPS detailed file has the entire track and over 100 waypoints. You won't get lost as long as your GPS is working...

Mapsource: .mps detailed / .mps standard, /
Additional GPS Files: .txt Track, / .gpx file
Maps: AREA / 100k Topo

We met at the Bartlett Lake pay station at 9:30 and headed down north lake road for 2.7 miles before turning west on FR42. We aired down shortly after entering the trail, and handed out FRS radios. Soon, we were on the trail, enjoying the narrow washouts and cross axles holes. We settled into a rhythm of wheel lifts and traction control. The two Rovers took one of the optional routes, resulting in a major rear wheel lift by John, causing Mike to nearly drop the video camera. The rear bumpers on both vehicles received minor scratches. We made quick time and enjoyed watching the different vehicles perform on the trail. In some cases the Discovery's shorter wheelbase performed better than the Land Cruiser, and in other situations the extra 12 inches of wheelbase and the 315/75 R16 tires on the Land Cruiser made short work of the challenges. The two Discovery's where nearly identical in modifications, with center differential locks, HD OME springs, and 265 tires.

All of the vehicles descended the "edge of the earth", which looks much more intimidating than it is to drive. One of the narrow sections of the trail after "the edge" makes for a great wheel stand. The right rear tire drops into a large hole, shifting the vehicle weight rearward. The traction control systems exaggerate the wheel lift, as the power shifts to the firmly planted left rear tire. All three vehicles had great "air time". I took advantage of the relative safety of the obstacle to make a good show for the video.

We ended the trail playing on the optional hill climbs near the road. We all had a great time, and enjoyed the cooler weather and challenges for lightly modified vehicles.

Trail Rating: 3 (1-5 scale)