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Cruzer vs. Coyote Lake Trail (& Red Lake Trail)

Discussion in 'Trip Reports' started by Cruzer, Aug 2, 2022.

  1. Aug 2, 2022 at 10:53 AM
    #1
    Cruzer

    Cruzer [OP] Wheeling Full Size

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2020
    Member:
    #53461
    Messages:
    3,125
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Cruz
    Sunnyvale, CA
    Vehicle:
    Build Page: Cruzer's Re-Build for the Rubicon
    https://www.tundras.com/threads/cruzer-vs-mirror-lake-trail.110787/#post-2859280

    After climbing out of Mirror Lake Trail and doing Strawberry Lake Trail we head back out to the intersection.

    upload_2022-8-2_6-39-13.jpg

    Although the sign says it right there I didn't realize it until we got to Red Lake that Red Lake was a trail in and of itself and that you had to take Red Lake to get to the Coyote Lake trailhead. Both trails are an out and back.

    Red Lake Trail

    It's 2.38 miles from the trailhead to Red Lake, so a little under 5 miles round trip. It starts off very easy, which was making me wonder...where is that monster gatekeeper that Coyote Lake has?

    We get to this little rock section, which I later find out that it was the gatekeeper for Red Lake. I saw older photos of this gatekeeper and it looks like it's been filled in a bit. After doing the easier Strawberry Lake trail I was itching for bigger rocks.

    upload_2022-8-2_8-9-23.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-8-14.jpg

    You wind through some trees and slabs and hit a little rocky section before you get to this optional obstacle that has a big crack in the middle. With our long wheelbase I was just getting turtled. It took me several attempts to finally find the right line.

    upload_2022-8-2_10-9-26.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-10-3.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-12-31.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-10-33.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-13-8.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-11-31.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-14-12.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-14-48.jpg

    Soon after the obstacle came a small boulder field

    upload_2022-8-2_10-22-57.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-17-9.jpg

    This was followed by a bigger boulder field

    upload_2022-8-2_10-25-18.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-25-59.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-26-37.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-27-14.jpg

    The boulder field was then followed by a two choice split in the trail.
    Option 1 was a sharp hairpin turn with a huge boulder on the inside of the turn.

    upload_2022-8-2_10-31-7.jpg

    Or option 2 a squeezy between two boulders. Of course I decide to squeeze through option 2.

    upload_2022-8-2_10-33-18.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-33-56.jpg

    At this point my driver front tire can't go up that rock (4Lo torque issue again) so I have to bump it.
    upload_2022-8-2_10-34-40.jpg

    The bump gets me over but at the cost of sliding towards the driver side boulders. Now the front of my sliders is wedged behind the boulder. Also, at this point my 4Lo & 4Hi are blinking on the dash. Only my rear is spinning :eek2:

    upload_2022-8-2_10-37-54.jpg

    So I get winched forward so that I can get a look underneath the truck. I had a feeling that my front ADD actuator plug came loose as I had been working on the front diff over the weekend. Took the skid plate off and used zip ties to keep the plug on securely. 4Lo / 4Hi blinking went away and I was back in business.

    At this point it was 6:30pm and we still had few miles to get to Coyote Lake, where we were planning to camp at. So I only get out of my truck to film the other guys. This lumpy section was right after the split.

    upload_2022-8-2_10-47-57.jpg

    upload_2022-8-2_10-49-0.jpg

    It starts to smoothen out a little so we start to go a little bit faster. We reach Red Lake and find several groups of people camping - seems quite popular. We reach the end of Red Lake and get to the gate and gatekeeper of Coyote Lake. That's when I realized oh shit we haven't even started Coyote Lake trail yet. So we back track to a campsite along Red Lake and set up camp.

    To be continued...
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
  2. Aug 2, 2022 at 11:13 AM
    #2
    reywcms

    reywcms New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2021
    Member:
    #72040
    Messages:
    5,071
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Rey
    Beaverton,Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tundra Platnium
    Too many mods to come
    Epic man absolutely epic. Interesting issue with that 4wheel drive engagement.
     
    Cruzer[OP] and AZBoatHauler like this.
  3. Aug 15, 2022 at 11:19 AM
    #3
    Cruzer

    Cruzer [OP] Wheeling Full Size

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2020
    Member:
    #53461
    Messages:
    3,125
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Cruz
    Sunnyvale, CA
    Vehicle:
    Build Page: Cruzer's Re-Build for the Rubicon
    Page 2

    Been pretty busy...let's get back to the story.
    Red Lake is an awesome place to camp. There is a huge campsite at the end of the lake, near the Coyote Lake gatekeeper, which has its own little beach area on the lake. I was covered in the fine dust/dirt that is so easy to kick up on the trails out here so I put on my shorts and bathed in the lake. Cold AF!!!!!!

    View near my campsite.

    upload_2022-8-15_10-39-38.jpg

    upload_2022-8-15_10-39-6.jpg

    The plan was to go home the next day. While we ate dinner and talked about the wheeling we did that day over the campfire we agreed that we would pack up early in the morning and head home. The morning came, we skipped breakfast, loaded up our rigs.... but it was only 7am... hmmm.... maybe we can squeeze in Coyote Lake :monocle:
    Fuck it! Let's go! We slowly drive down to the gatekeeper as to not disturb the other campsites. A large group of Jeeps and a SASd out Taco that were camped out near the gatekeeper walked over to watch us take on the gatekeeper.

    The gatekeeper is a beast! Pictures never do it justice.

    upload_2022-8-15_10-51-27.jpg

    The line options where:
    1) Go straight in RED
    2) Go to the right and do a driver side hairpin turn where you have boulders on either side of you and it's narrow
    3) Take the BLUE line

    Couldn't do #2 cuz it was too narrow and I would've hit the boulders.
    Couldn't do #3 cuz I would not have been able to line up properly and the face of that boulder would've given me the 4Lo torque issue,

    upload_2022-8-15_11-6-47.jpg

    Line #1 it is then. I knew that the boulders were gonna eat up my rear diff and that I would get turtled.

    upload_2022-8-15_10-56-55.jpg

    upload_2022-8-15_10-57-50.jpg

    Here my front wheels are in the air or barely making contact with the ground. I made several attempts to bump it but there was just a huge boulder stopping me at the diff.

    upload_2022-8-15_10-59-36.jpg

    We stacked a rock under the passenger rear tire, which was enough to clear the rear diff.

    upload_2022-8-15_11-1-7.jpg

    Check out that diff eater.

    upload_2022-8-15_11-1-56.jpg

    upload_2022-8-15_11-2-23.jpg

    Once I made it I guess the spectators down below saw what they wanted to see and headed back to their camp :hattip:

    To be continued...
     

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    beehivetundra and dittothat like this.

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