infamous Axle Breaker Trail, one of the most challenging and popular trails in the area, and our trail of choice for the day.

As our group of (mostly) Jeeps lumbered uphill on the blacktop road toward the trailhead, I thought about the day ahead. I knew most of these guys very wellÉ experienced Ôwheelers with stout rigs, all with lockers front and rear. Most rigs sported 35 or 36 inch tall tires, mostly Super Swampers. Yes, we were well equipped for what lay ahead. Axle Breaker Trail is an old seismograph trailÉ that is, it was created by detonating a series of explosive charges and recording the echoes for the purpose of oil and gas exploration. The remaining route weathered and eroded over the years, providing some fantastic four-wheeling. The first really tough climb on this trail (and the section that earned this trail its name) starts out not-too-steep, but passes through a section of large, loose boulders. Judicious use of throttle, maintaining steady momentum, is

required here. Beyond the boulder section, the trail becomes a steep, rutted climb up a clay hillside with a lot of loose rock. Near the top of the trail each vehicle encounters a rock ledgeÉ the axle breaker. No axles were broken here on this day, but several Jeeps got major air under the front tires as they bounced at the ledge with their throttles on the floor! Soon we reached the second tough section on Axle Breaker. This section also began with a boulder section, then zigzag around a big rock, more boulders, then finished with a steep climb uphill with more protruding ledges. What a trail! When the trail is wet it is near impossible to get up Axle Breaker without a winch.

Sunday morning Tim took us to nearby Poteau Mountain for more extreme trail rides. Poteau Mountain is located near Havener, OK. The first trail on Sunday was "Snowball". Snowball is a fairly short, but steep, climb up a deeply rutted clay hillside. Engines screamed as tires searched in vain for traction. Only two