Hot, Hot Heat and Rocks: Phoenix to Table Mesa! Part 1 - Ultimate Adventure 2017

Part 1 of Ultimate Adventure 2017. Ever hear of a day when it’s literally too hot for airplanes to fly? That was the top news story across the country the day Ultimate Adventure 2017 began in Phoenix, Arizona. And epic heat wave or not, the event must go on. After all, Ultimate Adventure is always an extreme test of both man and machine. With the thermometer hovering around 127 degrees the group pulled out with trial leader Trent McGee leading the way and Editor Christian Hazel putting the very first miles on the newly finished Cummins-powered UACJ-6D Ultimate Adventure Jeep. With the Table Mesa trail in its crosshairs the group got out of the city as fast as it could, locked the hubs, aired down the tires, and go to ‘wheeling. The terrain features razor sharp rocks and sketchy ledge climbs which the served as a perfect introduction to what the rest of the week would hold. Before the day would end we’d have plenty of near-vertical waterfall climbs, big-throttle attacks, trail repairs, welding, body damage, and some fun pranks. And as always, Day One was just a warm-up for more challenges to come. Unlike UA2016, the heat didn’t claim any victims and nobody wound up in a hospital emergency room. But as for the machines, let’s just say UA2017 won’t prove as forgiving. For more action, videos, pictures check out fourwheeler.com/ultimate-adventure/.



Part 2 of Ultimate Adventure 2017. The standard Ultimate Adventure formula has typically been one hardcore off-road day followed by a long, slogging road day to get to the next trail system. However, for UA2017 even our road days required low-range. With another incredibly hot day in store, we began Day Two high-tailing it out of Phoenix, Arizona, into the outlying mountains and began climbing in elevation. As the trail continued the scenery got better, the terrain got a bit more challenging, and mechanical issues began to manifest themselves. By the time we got to our camp that night, we had plenty of repairs to make from rebuilding a steering box to bending suspension links back into shape, welding stuff back together, and more. Day Three began early and promised an equally slim amount of pavement as Day Two as we hopped on the DeSoto Mine Trail. With rocky ledges, steep switcbacks, and killer scenery, the hot, dusty trail continued until many of the vehicles were on vapors. After a quick fuel stop, we were back on dirt and more overlanding, taking the Great Western Trail to our final destination for the day. In the end, this would the longest off-road day in Ultimate Adventure history. But it’s not over and the rest of UA2017 would see more firsts for this event.