McLean Creek area suggestions for BEGINNERS.

[Xero]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this website but I've heard about the Association from a friend of a friend of a friend that told my father when he picked up his '08 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon... I've been lurking the forums here a bit scrounging all the information I can for an upcoming camping trip that I've planned with some friends, why me you ask? Well my father's letting me take his Jeep since I promised I wouldn't loose it! This is mainly going to be a camping trip for me and my friends since we're all just rutty teenagers gettin' away from the city for awhile, but I figured we could take the Jeep for a day and hit some trails!

I was out at McLean earlier in the year with my father and we took the trail that starts at "50.810214,-114.5998" (search that on Google Maps) for awhile, and I think we got through there past the "Widow Maker" hill (from what I've seen on YouTube and mentioned here)... If the trail I linked doesn't lead to the Widow Maker please let me know, because it's pretty much the only big hill that I remember from that trip... So I'm looking for a fairly long trail(s) that we can take in the Jeep for some pure recreational wheeling, just to go out and play around with the Jeep as beginners, nothing crazy please! I've been driving this Jeep off-road since we got it last year, all throughout the hunting season with my dad while hunting for deer/moose/elk so I think I've got some "decent" off-road experience... I just don't want to get stuck with nothing but lazy teenagers to help me out (though we do have a Warn 9500ti winch mounted).

I'm planning on getting the Gem Trek map of the area so we know what's what because the map I got from the store at the campground is pretty lacks apparently. I did just read this thread so it gave me some good ideas, any more suggestions?
 
Here's a picture of me playing with the Sway Bar features the other day...


Another spot...

[SOMETHING WICKED]

My advice, don't go out on trail alone.  Maybe someone here is planning a trip on the same day. If you ask nice, they may give you a chance to go with them. And clean up your danm site before you leave so we don't have to. 

[Xero]

Of course we'll clean up our site, we're not THAT rowdy of a group!!! 

[ndub]

Man I'm a sucka for white!

[JackstandJohnny]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this website but I've heard about the Association from a friend of a friend of a friend that told my father when he picked up his '08 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon... I've been lurking the forums here a bit scrounging all the information I can for an upcoming camping trip that I've planned with some friends, why me you ask? Well my father's letting me take his Jeep since I promised I wouldn't loose it! This is mainly going to be a camping trip for me and my friends since we're all just rutty teenagers gettin' away from the city for awhile, but I figured we could take the Jeep for a day and hit some trails!

if your going out to Mclean in Daddy's jeep be careful.... nothing like a parent scorned............... cause their kid swamped their 40000$ SUV in a mudhole.............
i might be out there this weekend.. if so i could possibly lead ya down some tamer trails. i'll fire you a PM later in teh week.....

[Xero]

if your going out to Mclean in Daddy's jeep be careful.... nothing like a parent scorned............... cause their kid swamped their 40000$ SUV in a mudhole.............
i might be out there this weekend.. if so i could possibly lead ya down some tamer trails. i'll fire you a PM later in teh week.....

That would be awesome if you could but we're mainly going out just to get away from the parents and have some fun camping (therefore we're probably going to be sleeping into the noon, lol), honestly that's the only thing he's worried about... That I'll get it stuck in a mudhole somewhere and not be able to get out, though I don't plan on doing any deep water crossings or deep mudholes. I generally just stick to the edge of mudholes as much as possible when we're out hunting and take a back trail, seems to work like a charm as long as I just keep the two outer tires on solid ground! Honestly though, I'm not worried about getting stuck since as I've said, there's the Warn 9500ti to get me unstuck.

[w squared]

That would be awesome if you could but we're mainly going out just to get away from the parents and have some fun camping (therefore we're probably going to be sleeping into the noon, lol), honestly that's the only thing he's worried about... That I'll get it stuck in a mudhole somewhere and not be able to get out, though I don't plan on doing any deep water crossings or deep mudholes. I generally just stick to the edge of mudholes as much as possible when we're out hunting and take a back trail, seems to work like a charm as long as I just keep the two outer tires on solid ground! Honestly though, I'm not worried about getting stuck since as I've said, there's the Warn 9500ti to get me unstuck.

Okay. Now that you've mentioned the winch, here's a question...how much experience do you have in using one? It may seem relatively simple...but vehicle recovery can be pretty dangerous if you don't do it right.

Also bear in mind that if you head down the wrong trail, there may not be a solid edge to the mudhole for you to keep two tires on.

The single most important suggestion that anyone can give you as an inexperienced wheeler is this - don't wheel alone.

[Rubi03 jef]

im lookin for a good lift kit i have a 06 rubicon whats a good one i can use i only wanna go about 4-6 inches suspension  and what all will it take to lift it and i need new front bumpers wheres a good place to look?

you only want to go 4- 6 inches .. thats pretty big on a jeep .. only would be like 2- 3 inches in my books

as for suggestions .. never wheel alone no matter how tame the trail is you never know what may happen . ask my brother if you want . he spent an entire night out in the bush . a trail that was so easy to be driven on one day got washed out and was a huge hole didnt look that way until he was mid door .

no winch and no other jeep/ truck to pull him out .. its sucks

so wheel with people be prepaired for the worse bring tools and parts food water and take your time
pick a good line and dont be afraid to get out and look at what youll be driving through or around or over . better to know then to not and get F%$ked .

[Xero]

Okay. Now that you've mentioned the winch, here's a question...how much experience do you have in using one? It may seem relatively simple...but vehicle recovery can be pretty dangerous if you don't do it right.

We've taken it out with a "seasoned" off-roader before to see how far we could go with the Jeep, got it stuck in a pretty deep muddy rut and winched it out, but that's all. Honestly, I'm probably just going to back out if there's something I'm not sure of.