Mike Knorr's '98 DTC Report

photography courtesy Paul Otto

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Pat Hegleson tries the V crack on Fullsize


Pat is just about to get over the V-crack


But he loses traction here. As the front tires are light and the rears won't climb.


Pat tries one more time but can't make it and backs down


Mark Tinovich in his old CJ-5 has a go at the Gate on Twisted.


Here Mark is driving through one of the smoother parts of Twisted. I am not kidding this trail is intense.


Mark Berger giving his friend Mark Tinovich a little help getting the Jeep up and over. Hint, look under the front bumper.


This kid from Utah found out the Rocks in South Dakota are way different then Moab Slick Rock.
Right after this picture of him was taken at the gate he had to change a tire as one of his sidewalls was ripped by a hungry rock.


Nice Jeep! Just kidding. This T****a was from New York, ran 39"Boggers and a Chevy LT1.
But he was used to playing in the mud and the South Dakota rocks and his driving style didn't mix well.


Shawn Wyse in the newly finished Bad Bowtie. Shawn is a great guy to wheel with. Good trail humor.
Although it was alleged that the first day on Fuillsize Shawn was suffering from Fresh Paint.
That dreaded disease that keeps you far away from those hungry rocks.


This well built early Bronco features front and rear steer. Something you should keep in mind if he ever asks you to guide him.


Mark Berger in his freshly painted CJ7. Mark is not one to suffer fresh paint and was putting scratches on it while the paint was practically still wet. Here is seen coming out of an obstacle that he named the year before "Spuds Revenge"


Here Mark is shown getting rid of some of that extra paint. This optional obstacle at the end of Fullsize was increadible tough. It took paint off every truck that tried it. The two trail leaders on the trailride suffered the worst damage. The one drives a fullsize Bronco, the other a K-5 Blazer. Both their trucks looked like war victims after the weekend was through. With the Bronco rolling in this obstacle and the Blazer becomming a foot narrower than Chevy intended.


Here I am seen acting as winch anchor for Mark. His driveshaft kept seperating so he opted to winch over the V Crack.


Here is a shot from the other angle of Mark entering the V crack. Mark's truck is really well set up feauturing among the many things, a fuel injected 401, T-18, on board welder, spring over suspension,Dana 44 front, Dana 60 rear, beadlock rims, and 35x15.50x15 TSL SX's.


A shot of Mark fixing that front driveshaft.


My favorite truck of the weekend. Bob from Idaho, sorry Bob didn't catch your last name. This truck was high on the cool factor. It featured a 454 big block, spring over front suspension, and 3/4 eleptical suspension in the rear, Dana 44 Front, Dana 60 rear, riding on 38.5x14.5x15 TSL SX's. This truck ran REALLY WELL.


Here Bob is showing off some of that rear flex on Twisted.


Bob even had to get out and check it out for himself. As a side note Bob was the only one to try and make this particular line.


Bob going into the optional obstacle at the end of the Fullsize trail. I am not sure what they ended up calling this but it should be called The Crusher after what it did to the trailguides trucks.


The flex on this truck was just unreal.


South Dakota is also a great place to take in some scenery.


This is the creek bed that Fullsize follows. Its smooth most of the way but has many optional obstacles that are not for the timid. It also has some none optional obstacles that require a well set up truck.



Bob demonstrating how Twisted got its name. This trail is by far the most hardcore trail I have ever been on.
If you don't take my word for it ask Glenn Wakefield.


Another view of that optional obstacle at the end of Fullsize.


Mark doing some more front driveshaft repairs.


So how old is that paint?


Another nice Jeep from Idaho. I beleive this was Mark Bergers brother-in-law. His name escapes.
Showing the tree that all of us donated paint to on Twisted.


This shows just how tight Twisted was. It was 100 degrees that day and on Twisted it was cool.
But wear long pants on this trail as Poisen Ivy is everywhere.


Yours truly trying my luck at the V crack.


The only thing keeping me from going over was my nerf bars. I was firmly wedged and couldn't go foward.
It was at this point I decided the nerf bars were history.


Playing in Spuds Revenge on the Fullsize Trail.


Trying a new line out of Spuds Revenge. Here I thought I was cool splitting the two rocks and then Bob comes along with his 38's and just drives over the big rock.


Feeling a little tippy on Twisted. If you think this trail is tough normally. Just try it without power steering. Soon after this photo was taken my power steering pump went south. I was wore out by the time we were done with this trail.

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The DTC is a limit entry event in that they only let around 115 vehicles in each year. As this event has become better and better known it has gotten tougher and tougher to get in each year. But it has also brought in more people from farther away. This year we had the good furtune of meeting up with a group called the Island Rock Crawlers. These guys came all the way from Vancouver Island, Canada. Great bunch of guys to sit around a campfire with. We also become a memeber of Team Idaho when we ran Twisted since we seemed to be a part of the group from Idaho. These guys are a great bunch of guys to hit the trail with. As always one of the best part of going to any event is the people you get to meet.

As for the trails in South Dakota. They can only be desribed as intense. They have a trail rating system that goes from 1 to 5+. To Run anything above a 4 you had better have a serious rig. The rocks in South Dakota are Hungry and have been known to eat whole trucks for lunch. The first day we ran "Fullsize". The very first obstacle has been known to wake up quite a few drivers. Last year almost saw a guy roll here, this year did. You can never ease up out there as almost any obstacle can reach out and bite you. The second day we chose to run "Twisted" as we heard it lived up to its name. It did that and more. This trail is by far the toughest trail to come along in awhile. Once your in, your in. The only way out, is to go through, or wait for everyone to squeeze buy and go back the way you came. Our trailguide lost his Bronco on one of the first obstacles and chose to pull to the side and then walk the trail. By the time we were done someone else had repaired his truck and had it waiting at the exit.This trail is great. No doubt about it.

I would like to thank the Black Hills Four Wheelers for all their hospitality and for putting on a great event. Hopefully I will see you their next year.