Opinions on Daniel (The Trail)

DRaider90

DRaider90

Uwharrie Off-Road Volunteering
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Location
Weddington, NC
This is a 2 part post, so it is semi-lengthy.

Part 1: Tellico's Effect on Daniel

At the beginning of the year there was a lot of talk about the Forest Service letting Daniel go so it would live up to its "Extremely Difficult" name now that Tellico is closed. Part of this was the trees that were blocking the bypass on the hill climb to eliminate any "easy" paths.

But now the trees are gone, and the bypass is open again. Does the bypass really take away from the difficulty of the trail? Or is it a necessity in case breakage happens etc? (The infamous stories of the Suburban being double winched up the bypass come to mind).

Part 2: The progression of the difficult of the Ledge

Back when I started wheeling at Uwharrie on my 2nd trip I was taken out on Daniel in my stock truck on 235s (I was told we were doing Rocky Mnt Loop, which I had done my first trip back when the left hand line was still the bypass on Kodak). I got up the little ledge, but then a Yota cracked an axle trying to pull me up the ledge.

Later that year I did the ledge on 31"s in the same truck. The next year in my "new" truck I did the ledge again on 31"s. Then another year(s) on 34"s, and again this year. But this year it was different, I don't know if it was just a fluke bad experience but we spent hours on the ledge. Every year we have done it we have gotten every truck in our group up it, but this year we had one that couldn't make it. Not to mention even the trucks with lockers and gearing had some issues. It was wet, and there was a stream running down the hill above the ledge, and then down the center of the ledge itself.

But has the ledge really gotten that hard? I see pictures/videos since my April run of Daniel and it seems no one is really having any issues. Now I can't get our groups (in the past 6 trips) to run Daniel because of the 4 hour horror stories of April sitting on the ledge half a day almost. So we have went from getting stock trucks up it, to having people not be able to make it. I just don't get it.
 
The problem isn't with bypasses lowering the difficulty level of the trails, it is that people going off trail to create these bypasses in the first place can(DO) contribute to the closing of the trails we enjoy.
 
I've never had any issues with running it, but I've never done URE at all when it was wet. Everyone says the rain makes it a totally different set of trails. . .
 
I wasn't able to run Daniel this year because the guys in my group chickened out on me. When I took my four wheeler up there in Sept. of 08, I rolled it on the ledge. It was unbelieveable how bad it was compared to the first trip up there years ago.

Kodak rock has become relatively simple, while the ledges GETTING to it have become steeper.
 
Uwharrie period is a totaly different world wet. Depending on the size of the group spending 4 hours on the ledge in wet conditions isnt that bad imho. I was there when we double winched a blazer up the bypass, and that was a long drawn out affair that Im sure going through the hard lines would have made almost impossible. I was also there when a suburban rolled on Daniel on the bypass, so its not a walk in the park itself.

As far as the difficulty, yes it is getting harder. Like many here I ran Daniel bone stock open/open on some small street meats years ago. I honestly dont know if I could take a stock RC up the ledge now. But, thats part of the game. As the trails get harder your driving and rig should improve.

Duane
 
We drove up to Uwharrie 2 weekends ago from Clemson. First time there and we had a blast, it was real dry and we were able to run everything no problem at all. One guy in our group was open/open and he made it up everything with the exception of one part on some trail (I forget the name, it was when you were in a huge dug out part that was going uphill. The dirt was above your head walking through it. Passed over some log bridges to get there and after you left)

Overall though I loved it and would definitely want to go back when its wet and see how much rev limiter you hit :flipoff2:
 
UTChavok said:
We drove up to Uwharrie 2 weekends ago from Clemson. First time there and we had a blast, it was real dry and we were able to run everything no problem at all. One guy in our group was open/open and he made it up everything with the exception of one part on some trail (I forget the name, it was when you were in a huge dug out part that was going uphill. The dirt was above your head walking through it. Passed over some log bridges to get there and after you left)
Overall though I loved it and would definitely want to go back when its wet and see how much rev limiter you hit :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

sounds like the Dutch John hillclimb

I havent been yet this year, and only twice last year (once was just the UREcross). I was riding quite frequenlty when Daniel was opened, it was no problem in my stock height CJ open/open on 31's. Over the years the climb to the top has been getting interesting and the ledges have definitely been getting more difficult.
 
I'm just happy that sections are getting more challenging. This also means that some people that haven't been to Uwharrie in a while are going to take underbuilt rigs on trails or lines that they conquered in the past, then end up in an all day extraction.

whitneyj said:
I've never had any issues with running it, but I've never done URE at all when it was wet. Everyone says the rain makes it a totally different set of trails. . .
Click to expand...
Some of the best times I've had wheeling were at Uwharrie after or during a good rain. It totally transforms.

UTChavok said:
One guy in our group was open/open and he made it up everything with the exception of one part on some trail (I forget the name, it was when you were in a huge dug out part that was going uphill. The dirt was above your head walking through it. Passed over some log bridges to get there and after you left)
Click to expand...
Dutch John. Like everything else, crazy when it's slick.
 
Back in June I made it up the ledge in 2 or 3 tries, 2 weekends ago, I made it up without even spinning the tires on the first try. TJ on 35's with stock wheelbase. My wheelin buddy was on 31's with lockers and also walked right up with a little bumping and spinning. I've had more problems in the past, but it has been very dry the last 2 times.

I've only been twice when it was raining, and everything was challenging, and it was a blast.
 
The funny thing about the Dutch John hill climb on my past Saturday trip (25th) was the entire hill climb was dry except the turn where the rut is. I mean everything was bone dry except for that one spot where it counts.

But back on Daniel. I haven't done it again since April because most people I wheel with are frightened off by the ledges. Can't even get people to run going down it till the bottom of the hill climb (before the ledges if you are coming down Daniel). In April everyone kept sliding into the 2 ruts carved out of the rock in the ledge which made for a very annoying day. Supposedly the next day a smaller group split off and did Daniel and hugged the left hand side and had no issues. Hopefully I will get back out on Daniel before October rolls around when I know for sure I will get to run it on the big Halowharrie trip.
 
we'll, i would assume ure is going to get alot more traffic and alot more wear since tellico is closed.

i would expect things to keep getting harder.

now is when opening new trails and maintaining the existing ones becomes really important.
 
BigRedB2 said:
now is when opening new trails and maintaining the existing ones becomes really important.
Click to expand...

Good point to bring to the FS attention!

On Daniel, yes, the first ledge has gotten much harder in the last year especially! When wet it can present quite a challenge even for built rigs. Last time I was there with The Krawler it required all the throttle I could give it and a running start to get it up!

If wet, I would recommend each rig have a winch to speed things along both for your group and the ones behind you.

Stock rigs, tackle at your own risk, again being aware of those behind you. We had one rig that turned around the last time, just didn't want to risk it, and sometimes that's a prudent call!
 
Daniel is a constantly changing trail.
 
Rain makes a huge difference there. Most trails are a blast when wet, but I wouldn't attempt Daniel when wet. I can get up it just fine dry in my stock longbed, but something about wet clay and old A/T's just doesn't seem to cut it.
 
Daniel is indeed getting harder, and that's a good thing. Personally I'm really happy to read all of these posts about guys steering clear of it due to the increased difficulty, because that is just smart wheeling. Sure, we've all seen a rig that is way under built for a given trail get drug through it, but that's really not a lot of fun for anyone, especially the built rigs stuck behind him. IMO Uwharrie has been sorely lacking some trails of serious difficulty, so this is a step in the right direction. Of course as many have mentioned here, rain changes everything. A couple years ago I took my locked/locked Bronco up Daniel right after a big rain and ended up breaking every single plug weld out of the 8.8, and while I was winching up the left line a Jeep flopped and locked up his motor on the right line. Good stuff.
 
JThomas said:
You are the only one that uses a real pic of themself in their avitar.:fuck-you:
Click to expand...
I've got a foot print gas pedal in my Sami now too!
awww.jegs.com_images_photos_700_720_720_9644_5_1.jpg
 
Did URE a couple weeks ago with some friends.
Jon made it look easy. Found the perfect line on the first try.
I was not so lucky. Took a few tries. Made for some fun video by my 13 year old son.
if you care to the different results check it out on my YT channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/fishgutzy

My wife almost killed me when she saw the "not quite" video and my front wheels coming off the rocks then slowly go back down. I had a blast. Son shooting and my daughter in the back seat. That Master craft Rubicon seat held up really well.

The by pass is needed and does not take away the difficulty. It gives a way around for ATVs that would flip/roll on that lip. Bypass is safer than trying to turn some vehicles around on a trail to go back.
 
chromerunner said:
In my opinion the ledge is all wheelbase...Ive seen some try and try and others just go right up.
Click to expand...
bingo.
I think jeeps with 33's look better going over than I do because I am that much longer.

When we did the poker run, I was trail-leading and I got a little sideways on the 2nd ledge because the wall is coming closer on the left side...not really letting you take a wide turn without 3-wheeling it bad...

Well I got crooked and stuck. Second time ever there. And eventually broke free with some rock stacking.

Rob went up in his sammi easy and then a Cherokee behind us was going. The Cherokee's wheelbase is about the same as me, had a rear locker like me and had the exact same issue getting over. So we just pulled the winch from the sammi and I hooked to the sammi so he wouldn't get drug.

Daniel IS getting different. But still the best trail there.

Eli can remember we have gotten plenty of stock open/open Isuzu's on 235's up there - BUT that was last year!
 
Yeah I remember we got the stock open/open trooper on 235s up it. A big part of that was time and JoeD spotting. But like you said that was last year. This year we had a trooper with a slight lift not make it (Peter's Brother), it wasn't like we tried for about an hour if not longer but it just wasn't going to happen.

I plan on hitting Daniel again before the October trip hopefully and resolve my issues from April. Instead of just blindly taking the middle/left line (April) I am going to take the right hand line that has done me better in the past years.

Daniel is my favorite trail, and will stay that way until the time comes that I can't run it anymore due to difficulty.:driver:
 
URE in the rain is a lot more fun, w/o any dust downs & nearly every trail is challenging.
 
Back
Top