On Sunday April 01 my buddy Ken, with his 88 Blazer, and myself (CJ5) went for a quick run up to Eagle Ridge. I had the doors off the Jeep thinking it would be a quick run to the top and back before dinner.

We took the first turn on the gravel road and I was in the lead. Ken made it about 50 feet when we heard a loud bang!! He broke his axle. I was hoping it was an April Fools' Day thing, but it was not to be. It was around 4:00pm so we had lots of time to get help and get back not too late, or so we thought!

We had a hard time getting a hold of friends that could help us and when we did they showed up around 8:00pm with the wrong parts! The axle broke off at the end, inside the member which we tried to hammer out without any luck. It is now 10:30pm and our friends went back to get the missing parts. They returned around 12:30am but we still couldn't get the broken axle piece out and we were burnt out, so we sent them home and decided to try and get some sleep and try again in the morning. I had not been on that part of the trail, so it would have been a bad idea to try it alone at night and even if I did make it I would not leave my buddy there by himself. It was going to be a long night.

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In the morning I did go up the trail and made it around (fun trail!). A few trips to town for parts and we were out of there @ 1:30pm Monday

I would like to say thanks to all that stopped and asked if we were ok and if they could help. Interesting that the ones that did were all modified. I would guess they have been wheeling longer and know what it's like. Yes, what comes around goes around and as you all know, if you wheel a lot it's not a matter of if, but when something like this will happen to you.

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