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Barnwell Blast Off Road Trails in TexasEast Texas Trail Action From the June, 2009 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Ali Mansour Photography by Ali Mansour
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Showing the boys that girls... Showing the boys that girls can get it done too is Shelby Gilstrap and her highlighter yellow Bruiser chassis. Using a set of 42-inch Iroks tao grab the sticky clay, she conquered the Twister trail with ease.
Friends, family, great trails, having fun. That's what four-wheeling is all about. While the blistering cold and windy weather might keep some bundled up by the fire, we found a group of die-hard wheeling enthusiasts that can't be scared away by bad weather. Meeting up on the red clay hills of Barnwell Mountain OHV Area, we jumped in line in East Texas as the kind and fun-loving locals locked in their hubs, aired down their tires, and--for those lucky enough to have them--turned up their heaters all the way. Part of the Texas Motorized Trail Coalition, Barnwell is host to some of the area's most challenging trails and is filled with 4x paths to test every level of rig. Filled with undercut ledges, steep hillclimbs, and tight valleys, these Texas-sized trails will keep you on your toes and leave a smile on your face. For more info on the trails and the park's schedule, be sure to check out www.barnwellmountainra.com.  If there was a big ledge to...  If there was a big ledge to be climbed you could bet that Shelby's older brother Clay was going to give it his all. An absolute blast to watch, he consistently pushed his buggy to the extremes it was designed for.  Joel McLeroy and his heavily...  Joel McLeroy and his heavily modified Suzuki Samurai is no stranger to the big rock ledges of Barnwell Mountain. Using the rig's 102-inch wheelbase to its advantage, the camo ninja made light work of one obstacle after the next.  Rear steer seemed to be one...  Rear steer seemed to be one of the most popular modifications for the Lone Star trails, and for good reason. After getting a little twisted and bounced around, John Wright's rear-engine buggy used a little turn in the rear to avoid a big tumble.  Putting the 47-inch LTBs and...  Putting the 47-inch LTBs and rear steer to good use, Billy Gilstrap got a piece of the action with his modified '04 Jeep Wrangler. Still sporting the I-6, this great white crawler was one of the most well working and functional Rockwelled Wranglers we've seen.  Hitting the trail with a custom...  Hitting the trail with a custom paintjob and 17-inch chrome wheels, Clint and Angie Taylor's TJ proved that there was still plenty of go to complement the show. The TJ is equipped with a 4-inch lift and open differentials, and the Taylors relied on line choice and good spotting to get them through the tougher sections.  Given that some of the mountain...  Given that some of the mountain trails can be a bit extreme and narrow at times, a tube buggy is a popular choice for many of the East Texas locals. Though you definitely have an advantage with a purpose-built buggy, it's not exactly a cake walk. Tim Taylor chose a more difficult line that gave us a peek at his custom Toyota's underside.  It doesn't get much more fullsized...  It doesn't get much more fullsized than an F-250 on 2 1/2-ton axles. Coming in at 96 inches wide, Doc Houston's '01 Ford was a tight squeeze through some of the East Texas trails. While we're not huge exo-cage fans, upon closer inspection of the orange bars, we found that if the outside protection wasn't there, the body may have been scrap a long while ago.  Big tires, a healthy engine,...  Big tires, a healthy engine, and a low center of gravity are key ingredients for conquering the East Texas trails. Getting it done with style was Mike and Barbara Barham in their super-clean '94 YJ. Mixing old technology with new, their squared-eyed Jeep incorporated a spring-over axle front and four-link rear suspension that worked with their 44-inch TSLs to soak up the massive rocks.  For Preston Simpson, four-wheeling...  For Preston Simpson, four-wheeling is a family affair. Just one of a few fathers who opted to bring along their families for the weekend wheeling trip, he did an excellent job of keeping up with the high-powered rigs in his custom chopped '97 Cherokee. Part of the crew at Old Town Customs, Preston's no stranger to turning a wrench and is one of the nicest and most helpful guys to have on a trail ride.
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