Oregon Trophy Challenge 2015

Oregon Trophy Challenge 2015​

Tillamook State Forest, Oregon​

June 6-7, 2015​

This year's Oregon Trophy Challenge snuck up on us with an early June event date. Without a doubt though, Team 6, aka Team was in for another year. After all, we had to defend our title as 2014 Oregon Trophy Challenge champions.​

With the Jeep loaded for all possibilities, I left Vancouver after work Friday afternoon. Forecast was calling for 90 degree weather, it was going to be a hot dusty weekend for sure.​

After getting to camp and getting settled in we took the rigs over to tech inspection, and check-in. That's when we received news we'd be shoving off from Little Browns at 3:24 AM. Applied some decals, and got satans blessing.​

Discussed some strategy for a bit, and called it an early night hoping to get a few hours of sleep.​

Half awake, but packed and ready for the day we piled in the Jeeps and headed to Little Browns. We were greeted by Gary Kipp, this year's event organizer, who handed us a sheet with a list of five trails needing completed within six hours.​

After reading the list I was in complete denial Gary would make us run pretty much the hardest trails in all of TSF right off the bat at 3AM. Surely there had to be a catch... nope. Expect the unexpected!​

We rallied up to Crushers a bit more awake, and ready start wheeling. After a winter down for some extensive upgrades on my rig, it was selected to be the rig to run. I began crawling through the filter, and easing on up into the Upper Loop. The Jeep was climbing well, when all the sudden we heard a pop. Not loud, but evident something happened. After that I lost drive to the front passenger tire. I pulled the hub suspecting I had somehow broke it, but we found everything intact. Upon closer inspection though it had appeared I had installed the drive gear backwards a few days before during some maintenance, so it only had a sliver of engagement... oops.​

With the hub fixed the Jeep was crawling along well again. We had time to make up (~10 minutes) so Nick went into spotter overdrive and had me rock bouncing through the rest of the loop. We finished strong, and now running on adrenaline we moved onto the next trail.​

Josh coming through the Airplane Hill lower filter just before sunrise.​

At the main obstacle mid way up the trail there was another check point. My rig was again elected to complete the obstacle. Josh and Nick gave me some eyes, and the Jeep crawled up the boulders pretty easily. Everything was working really well, and the team was in high spirits.​

After I was free of the main obstacle we rallied up and out of the top filter just as the sun was beginning to rise.​

From Airplane Hill we ran over the ridge, and down to Can Opener. This was the one trail I dreaded the most as it's matured into a monster obstacle over the years. We walked up to the ledges and tried to pick a line. Once again my rig was elected to run it. Josh spotted me through the lower filter, and I was on my way up to the obstacle. I crawled around for a bit, but knew it wasn't going to happen on it's own. Warn was called in, and rope was pulled. With some creative spotting, and some patience the Jeep slowly crawled it's way to the top of the trail. It was pretty brutal, but all in all I felt like it was a good run.​

At this point we learned it was a bonus if the other rig completed the trail. We weighed our options, and decided to go for half the bonus points by getting Josh's rig up to the obstacle, and back down.​

After getting Josh up and down, we peeled out and headed up to Ample & Alluring. This wasn't a tough trail by any means, but it's pretty narrow and climbs really quickly. By the time we rached the top, Scott and I were smelling a very hot floor. Little bit of smoke from some fresh paint, but nothing too bad. We got our score from Bubba who was still in his sleeping bag, and headed down to Waterfall to complete our last trail of the morning.​

Both rigs needed to run Waterfall, so we agreed to do what we knew best, and that was the right side corner line. However, before we could get to the obstacle I had to be tugged out of the filter, and then needed to tug Josh through the filter. Something has changed with that thing! Once through we cruised up to the obstacle and both walked right up.​

We BS'd with the check point guys for a bit (really good people out there this year), and headed back to Lyda for the finish. With a total of eight teams this year, the first trail each team had to run was mixed amongst the teams. Shortly after 7:00, we pulled into Lyda being the first team there. With two hours to kill until the next phase began Josh and Nick cruised back to Browns to pick up some spare gas.​

Did a quick fuel dump topping off for the next portion. Josh is a docking specialist.​

As 0900 approached teams began to fill in. We completed our task, received a pack of directions, and were on our way. The directions consisted of some drawings of turns we needed to make, and a estimated mileage to be looking for one in particular. We obviously interpreted that particular one wrong as we got a bit off course. However, we somehow made it to CP3 thinking it was CP2. We completed CP3's task, and headed out for CP4 (which was really CP3).​

Saddle-Up.​

Heading up the rocky hill climb. We had a good pace going, and were feeling good about our progress.​

Eventually we ended up back at CP3 where the guys there were surprised to see us again. That's when we figured out we missed CP2. After a little team meeting, we agreed we had to back track and try and find CP2. We definitely racked up some miles cruising all over the forest trying to figure out where we went wrong. It's times like these were it's very easy to get frustrated and want to give up. The team stuck with it though, and before too long we were back on track.​

CP2's winching task.​

After having to back track we lost a few positions in the running. Even though it's not a race Team 6 pushes to lead the pack, which meant the hunt was on!​

Got to CP4, where Josh and I had to watch silently as Nick and Scott pulled a tire off each rig during a time challenge. Flamboyance!​

Onward to CP5. This will likely only make sense to those who were there.​

After a very metric CP6 and textbook CP7, there was some downtime until the next portion of the event started. Teams slowly filed in behind us. We knew Team 17 Piston's Wild were ahead of us, but we were surprised to see the second NWC team, Team Elusive, leading the pack.​

Beginning the next portion we had a long time trial event to complete. Josh and I were busy driving as Scott and Nick confirmed upcoming turns with one another.​

Eventually we dropped down across Jordan Creek, and rallied up Stick-in-the-Nose. We were definitely hammering down on the Jeep pretty hard, and it was clear when Scott said we were on fire... I looked over and saw smoke rising from his floor (edge of the carpet was smoldering). I didn't see flames, so I grabbed the water jug from the back and started dumping it below his feet. It stopped the smoke, but fried my CB. By this time Josh was setting a record pace up the trail, so all we could do was try and catch him. Needless to say Stick-in-the-Nose and the climb up the ridge was pretty intense. Once up top, we caught up to Josh and Nick who were waiting, touched bases with them, fired up our secondary radio's and continued on. Looking over the valley where Stick-in-the-Nose climbs up the ridge.​

We continued on with the course keeping pace, found Team Elusive hiding in the bushes, bombed down Roger's Road, and then started the assault back up the ridge side. Easily topping 5000lb loaded for this trip, my pig wasn't thrilled with the climb. Engine temps remained in check, but my passenger floor started pouring out the heat on Scott. Ditching the carpet, and running my upper through the floor probably wasn't the best idea for creature comforts. Again, we were on a time challenge so there was no stopping, I told Scott to just open the door. There we were flying up Portland Mills road with the passenger door propped open.​

We made it back, checked in to log our return time, and were handed the next portion of the challenge. Another list of trails needing completed by 2:00 AM.​

We stood there in awe, cursing Gary, but accepting the challenges at hand. Both Jeep's were just above a 1/4 tank, and we would need to head to all the corners of TSF. Rather than risk it and run out, or have to skip a trail we chose to head to Gales Creek for fuel. It was a bit of a detour, but the peace of mind was worth it. We stocked up on snacks and energy drinks, and headed back for a long night of some intense trails.​

We got to Little Rubicon just before sunset.​

Team 17 Piston's Wild was already on trail working on getting Paul's CJ7 up it. With a blown bead, Tom brought out the pyrotechnics.​

Once they were clear my rig was elected to run it. I haven't ran the trail in years, but knew the original line from back in the day. I got the front end up to the left side ledge, and Nick as already ready to hook up the rope and snatch. I just remember the Jeep tipping into the rock as the front driver tire shot to the sky. The team kept coaching me on so I stayed with it, and eventually the Jeep popped right up. Scott and I finished off the trail as Josh and Nick met us at the top. One trail down.​

Waterfall was the odd trail out at the corner of the forest so we decided to go drop down it next. Team Bronco was already there, but had a mechanical problem. We went around them, and drove right down the left side ledges. "You're golden like a shower!"​

After driving down Waterfall spirits were high, and we felt pretty good about being able to finish this thing. We were then off to Airplane Hill again. It was really interesting to see how much better we navigated the trails at night. It was almost as if the lack of visibility helped boost your awareness to the situation and setting.​

We got up to Airplane's main obstacle and found nobody there. The sheet clearly stated one rig must run the trail, so I cruised up it again for the hell of it. We finished off the upper filter, and then headed for FB5.​

We stormed up the first section pretty easily. Josh got pinned on the last hill climb just before the checkpoint. A quick tug and he was free. We found Bubba in his sleeping bag in his truck again, BS'd for a bit, and then headed for Lower Crushers. While I knew it was going to happen, I couldn't comprehend running Lower Crushers at 12:30 AM after being awake 22 hours.​

It did happen. One rig had to run the trail from the bottom to the top, and mine was once again elected to run the trail. Josh and Nick took it rock by rock, and got me through the whole trail without an issue. The Jeep just seemed to be in its element. We pulled rope a few times just to be safe and be quick on time. I crawled out of the upper filter just before 1:30 AM. We were done.​

After all the excitement was over it was a pretty quiet drive back to camp. We dropped off our score sheet in Gary's truck, and headed for camp. I think seven words might have been exchanged amongst the four of us before we were all passed out in our tents.​

The next morning I awoke to a chipmunk getting into the food on the table at 5:30. I was so pissed at it for waking me up, but so tired I couldn't do anything about it as I watched it steal a package of something tasty. Dozed on and off for the next hour or two, and eventually got up wondering if all we had done the day before would be enough.​

9:00AM: All teams gathered at the event site, and Kyle read the point results. Starting with 8th place, the stress and anticipation grew with each team read. When fourth place was read and it wasn't our team we all knew we made the finals.​

3rd place: Team Elusive​

2nd place: Team ​

1rst place: Team Pistion's Wild​

We were ready for what the final challenge had to bring.​

We were the first team selected to compete in the final challenge. We drove the rigs over to Little Browns, and received our instructions for the tasks.​

I feel like we rocked the Scavenger hunt. Both rigs seemed to be very well organized, and after three years competing even our co-drivers know our rigs. We had a quick pace on the barrels, but ended up circling two extra barrels. Finally the tire challenge seemed to go fairly quick as well. We definitely gave it a 100%, and everyone pulled their weight. Freightliner!​

The nice thing is we got to watch the other two teams compete. Here's Team 17 on the tire task. They knocked out the barrel race very quickly, and had me sweating our time. Solid team for sure, and always fun to BS with.​

Bandon on Team Elusive retrieving some items for the scavenger hunt.​

The guys had a good run overall. What caught everyone by surprise was when Ryan lifted Brandon's 33" spare onto his should and began sprinting around the first few course markers. "Now that boy was corn fed!"​

We all returned to Browns, enjoyed some tasty lunch, shared some stories from the event, and then gathered for the final results. I honestly felt it was so close it could be any of the teams.​

1rst Place: Team ​

2nd Place: Team Piston's Wild​

3rd Place: Team Elusive​

Victory. The NWC holds the trophy another year.​

This year's event was completely different from past years as it was more based on wheeling. However, all of the previous years were different in their own sense too. You never really know what to expect, and that's what we love about this event. I really hope OTC continues on another year, and more teams will consider running it. Great job organizing the event this year Gary, and thanks to all the volunteers!​

Too hot?​