Day Two
We woke and met in front of the hotel to find our trail leader Mr. Ed and quite a gathering of locals to make the run over Upper Ajax. We drove to the trailhead to find even more vehicles waiting to make the run with us.
Local Rick Hanse separated a steering shaft just minutes before Tom snapped his first axleshaft. A little wrenching got them both back on the trail in no time. Upper Ajax was the perfect trail for us to start this adventure: difficult, but not impossible. The fullsizes didn't struggle too badly, and the Toyotas made quick work of the trail...in air-conditioned comfort.
We made it back to the hotel before sundown to wrench on our rides, gather parts, and share expectations for the rest of the trip.
Jon Bundrant chose an incredible line through one obstacle that required the 4Runner to climb up and over a 4-foot-tall boulder while Jon listened to the stereo and enjoyed the cool breeze flowing from the vents. | 
Mr. Ed had his son Keith lead our group in the family CJ-5. Keith kept the rather large group moving right along, and we were all very happy with our great trail hosts. | 
Upper Ajax offers a few cool boulders to climb, fun waterfalls, and these bumpy off-camber sections. It's a great trail that proved to be a wonderful warmup for the Ultimate Adventure. |