Trail Report: The Badlands 3/5/2010

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 06:36 PM

The Badlands Offroad Park, Attica IN

So the plan was to head down to the badlands for a weekend trip (Fri & Sat) w/ a few of my hardcore wheelin buddies and also meet up and wheel with Jeffery from Rough Country Friday by noon. Well... things didn't seem to go as planned and by Thurs night all my guys backed out last minute and I ended up heading down with a local JF member near my area (Josh). The plan was still to meet Jeffrey around noon next day.

Even with the cancellations, I wasn't going to let that get in the way of us still having a great time... cause really, who goes to the Badlands and doesn't have a kickass time???

So after the long drive and minimal sleep Thurs night, I got up as early as I could and went to meet josh at the park for registration and get our rigs aired down and ready to wheel. Little to my surprise, A guy from my jeep club (George) was waiting there at the park and happened to joined us for the day. I had yet to wheel with any of these guys but we all got along pretty well from the begining and were all eager to hit the trails... poor Jeffrey was still on the road with about 3 more hours of driving lol.

So those of us that wheeled together this trip were as follows...

- Blue TJ (Josh)
- Silver LJ (George)
- Red TJ (Jeffery from RC)
- Silver TJ (Dina and me)

This week the Badlands was hosting the NAXJA (North American XJ Association) which meant that us TJs would definately become the minority at the park that weekend. My plans changed and I only wheeled for Friday, however Jeffery and Josh stayed for the rest of the weekend.

This trail report only contains some pics and vids from Friday... hope you enjoy them!

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 06:48 PM

Before we started wheelin, George and I wrestled my new CB antenna for quite some time trying to get it grounded... The antenna definately won the battle.

We gave up on the antenna and decided to start on the orange trail knowing that Jeffery would want to hit the quarry as soon as he arrived. So we made way following a group of XJs through the orange trails learning really quick that the warm weather had definately set some traps for us...

And then of course this happened...

George pulled me out backwards to prevent breaking anything with those broken up 6" solid ice chunks. Then continued to move along...

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 07:09 PM

And then it wasn't much longer that Josh got burried...

Finally pulled Josh out just so we could continue farther into the mess LOL! We had two paths to choose from here... I chose the messy one.

Even from this distance, I was nailing Josh with some mud spray haha! Took a few back and forth motions but I was able to power through no probs!

George and Josh took the less messy way...

Got back in our rigs and took off for the lot to go out and grab gas and food. Jeffery was only about 20 miles out so we waited for him to arrive before hitting the trails again.

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 07:19 PM

After getting back to the park, we happened to see a huge lifted pickup with "Rough Country" written all over it so I assumed that was Jeffery and his buddy lol

Jeffery's 1st time wheeling his rig with the 2.5" RC LA kit and new fenders. His rig was looking really good!

Enough droolin over Jeffery's rig already!! Geez lets get back to wheeling ya'll hahaha.

Made our way over to the rock quarry... time to have some fun!

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 07:30 PM

We ran behind the quarry over to the creek bed side...

Jeffery took off to the right and attempted to climb the rock side of this hill...

Seems that Jeffery's power steering reservoir broke off it's mount so he had to tie it up w/ some zips

Getting back on the trail... we hit the creek down below.

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 07:52 PM

Unfortunately not too many creek pics this time but we were able to snap a couple group shots once we got out of the creek and in the dunes.

After the dunes we headed over to green to end the day with some steep climbs. The green trails are an awesome time! Here's the only pic we got from the green section

Only b/c George was long and low so he would get caught up at each hill peek so we have a few mins to grab a pic LOL

And then we headed back to the parking lot to go our separate ways. Jeff and Josh wheeled the rest of the weekend, George headed home, and as always.... I ended my day at the power washer. No trail glory for me!

Even though this was a shorter trail report, I hope you enjoyed some of the pics and vids. I'll be sure to head out there again sometime soon this year so keep posted

**B2CARPEN** · 03-10-2010, 07:55 PM

Josh / Jeffrey... Feel free to add any additional pics or vids from the rest of your weekend if you want.

**underpowered** · 03-10-2010, 08:59 PM

looks like you had a blast.

question, is the quarry no longer truck only? last time i was there it was a truck only area, but in the vid of jeffry on the rocks i head a 2 stroke bike in teh backgroud.

i am heading up there the 20th, can't wait to go after seeing the pics/vids

**ocTJ** · 03-10-2010, 09:04 PM

Hope they, what Flares is the RC test jeep using? Looks like more than one of you are using the Cepek Crushers how are they? I'm curious what front and rear bumpers and flares that jeep is rocking.. carpin your jeep flexing with the best of em Love your trail reports

89eliminator · 03-10-2010, 09:07 PM

we saw the RC guys beating on that TJ pretty hard saturday afternoon. you could tell it was a "test" vehicle haha.

**B2CARPEN** · 03-11-2010, 12:30 AM

I really don't think jeff's rig is rough country's "test rig"... Although he sure drives it like one LOL! His fenders are genright and both front and rear bumpers are RC however I don't believe they make that stinger anymore. I wish I could have stayed saturday and sunday too

Octj - thanks! Glad someone likes my reports lol. Yeah my rig does pretty well out there I gotta admit. Can't wait to regear though... my jeep bounces all over the place on the rocks cause I can't slow crawl w/out applying clutch right now.

**B2CARPEN** · 03-11-2010, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by underpowered

looks like you had a blast.

question, is the quarry no longer truck only? last time i was there it was a truck only area, but in the vid of jeffry on the rocks i head a 2 stroke bike in teh backgroud.

i am heading up there the 20th, can't wait to go after seeing the pics/vids

The quarry is still ORV only and I didn't see any quads or bikes there. The sound you might have heard was prob Jeffery's 4 squirrels lol...

**RCXTREME** · 03-11-2010, 11:05 AM

That is the Gen-Right hi-lines front and rear. The rear bumper is killing me on anything real vertical just sticks out way too far. I had a great time as always at the Badlands and look foward to it every year. Some of you guys need to travel down here to the south for some good southern wheeling. We have a few parks within a couple of hours that has alot of different terrain. Brad I didnt really get any pics. I never really have time too b.c I am always driving and as you can tell by looking my co-pilot only gets out for food

**B2CARPEN** · 03-11-2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCXTREME

Brad I didnt really get any pics. I never really have time too b.c I am always driving and as you can tell by looking my co-pilot only gets out for food

HAHAHA too funny Jeff! Had a blast as well and would definately be interested in wheelin down south w/ ya'll hillbillys lol. Just need to find myself a trailer and rig to pull my jeep down there... don't really like racking up the miles on the TJ.

I think the pics we got turned out alright... hard to be the driver and photographer at the same time ya know...

**RCXTREME** · 03-11-2010, 11:16 AM

We have a few parks about 3 hrs away. Check out Wheeling in the Country. Here is a link. I am gonna try to make it there within the next few months for some more wheeling. Welcome to Wheelin in the Country!