This year saw me and my co-pilot Paul Otto pulling into the campground around 4:30 AM after pulling an all night driving session from Minneapolis. We pulled up and climbed inside the camper for a couple of hours of shut eye. We awoke before 8:00Am to register for the challenge and have a look at the trails that would be offered this year. After talking with Scott Wrigglesworth, this years Challenge director, we found out that Kong wasn’t going to be offered. He said we were welcome to run it as we were familiar with the trails location and he knew we had the required equipment to do this trail. So we gathered up a small group that included Hanz Archer in his Flatty, Mark Berger in his CJ7, Noel Kimball in his m-38, and myself in my CJ7.
We headed off to the trail but we didn’t make it far when I felt my Jeep jerk hard right for a moment. We pulled over on an approach and proceeded to change out a toasted wheel bearing. Mark was kind enough to run back to camp and get some bearings that he carries in his camper. So after that small delay we were back on the road and heading toward the trail. We arrived at the trail and the weather looked bad with a slight mist already hanging in the air. I heard the trail was tight so I ditched the soft top and put on a jacket. The first obstacle into Kong keeps out those they aren’t properly prepared. It is the first of many ledges that must be climbed. With the proper wheel placement you scamper right up. Without it be prepared to do some rock moving. We all make it up this first obstacle fairly easily and the trail goes fairly quickly for awhile. We are all being challenge but with most of the vehicles set up similarly if the first one makes it the others soon follow.
Then we hit the second big ledge and it is soon apparent that the winch cables are going to be strung. Mark is leading with his CJ7 and his 38’s are proving to small for the ledge. The slick conditions are causing Mark to slide off the only line that looks possible and into a spot were his tires just can’t climb. The best spot to winch off is a tree about 50 yards up the slope so up goes a strap and the winch cable. We soon have Mark on top and it is my turn. I try a few lines but it is repeat of the winch process. Now if memory serves me correct Hanz then comes along in his flatty and scoots right up. Then Noel is up and he manages to roll his left rear tire off the bead. So then we decide we will winch him up to a better spot to reseat it but then his winch decide to go south for the day. So we end up finally fighting with it and getting it off the truck and putting the spare on. Then we managed to get him to the top as well.
Mark was soon at the next major obstacle and it was a tough one. You came up the narrow trail to a rock ledge that had to be climbed, and then a quick right turn around a huge rock, then up a large ledge, followed by a hard left which then put you off camber, this was followed by a hard right back down hill, then through a narrow chasm while turning hard right up the ravine. Mark, Hanz, and Noel all managed to get through this with varying degrees of difficulty. My lower control arms were hanging in the middle and required me to winch to get past this part. I also donated large amounts of paint off my rollbar while trying to get through the chasm as you had to lean it that far over to make it through. The smaller flatfenders had a much easier time in this section.
The trail then continues up the ravine through a series of switchbacks and rocky climbs. This trail is narrow and intense. Did I mention that somewhere along in here the mist turned to a steady down pour. Traction was now at a premium and tires had a tough time holding on to the rocks. The next obstacle was tough for me and Mark as it involved climbing the edge of a rocky drop and then making a hard right turn around a rock fin and then making a quick left once on the other side of the fin. The sevens were to long to get the rear ends up and not hit the fin so both of us took the cable to avoid rolling off the ledge. Both Flatty’s scooted right by, with Noels slightly stretched m-38 just barely squeezing by.
That was the last major obstacle and the rest of the way out was just challenging trail. Not to say it was easy it was just a series of steady obstacles. But then the luck went bad as Noel got stuck trying to negate a tough turning climb over a rock. Hanz got out of his Jeep to go lend assistance and he slipped in the steady rain. In that one misstep he managed to snap both bones in his lower leg. Luckily they didn’t break the skin. Well from were we were we had no choice but to complete the trail and get him back as quickly as possible. We splinted Hanz’s leg up as best as possible and wrapped it in duct tape. We wrapped him in a poncho and put him in the passenger seat of his flatty. Marks wife took over driving their seven and Mark drove Hanz flatty the rest of the trail.
After this we exited the trail as quickly as possible. Once back on top we moved Hanz over to Mark’s CJ7 and they took off for camp to seek medical attention. Paul then took over driving Hanz flatty and the rest of us headed back to camp at a much slower pace. Once back at camp a doctor was rewrapping his leg in duct tape and they were preparing to take him Rapid City to the hospital. Hanz underwent surgery that night and was back in camp the next day. He spent the rest of the weekend being a passenger. But then in an ironic twist of fate on Sunday night at the big drawing he won a return trip to DTC. To say the least he was extremely happy.
Aside from the unfortunate incident the trail was great. Doing Kong in the rain has to be one of the most challenging experience out there. This trail goes on my list as one of the best.
