Chainsaw 4x4 Trail
Utah 4-Wheel Drive Association Spring Convention
by Todd Adams

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Boys and Girls, let me tell you a story about what could possibly be Utah’s toughest trail and the first ever organized run of "Chainsaw". On May First 1999 Utah Four Wheel Drive Association had their Spring Convention hosted by The Notch Peak Desert Dogs. They told us they had something special to show us and boy did they ever. Chainsaw was limited to no more than 20 vehicles with front and rear lockers. It turned out that 18 rigs showed up to do this extreme trail including the trail leader and tail gunner. The rest of the convention goers went on an easier 3+ rated run called "No Way Hill".

We traveled about an hour and a half out to the trail head. This "new" trail is what I could best describe as Utah’s version of Surprise Canyon. It was once a constructed road up to a gold mine. A number of years ago a major flash flood came down the canyon and wiped out the road down to bedrock in many places. Only faint traces of the old road exist in this now dry creek bed. It got its name from all the work done by the Notch Peak Desert Dogs, including clearing the washed down dead fall with chainsaws to make the road ‘passable’.

David in "FN YJ" trying to negotiate " The Fuel Dump"

Another look at "The Fuel Dump" as Dar and Copper give it a try

The first major obstacle and the only one that has a by pass is called the "Fuel Dump". The reason for the name became obvious when it was observed that almost every CJ that tried to go up was put on such an angle as to have gas running out of the fuel cap and every one that tried also came very close to tipping over. After I watched Craig in his built for the extreme Commando having a bit of slippage on the wet "Fuel Dump" I decided to take the easy way around.

Scott just as he gets up "The Fuel Dump"

Scott starts to go over

Up to this point only the rag top and windshield frame were hurt

The Rock Gods were not kind to our friend Scott. He maneuvered his CJ6 up and over the "Fuel Dump" but as he crested the top, the 6 went over on its side. Scott and his passenger, Josh, were OK, but then disaster struck. As Scott was climbing out he slipped and fell, breaking his arm. After righting the 6, checking its bodily fluids and doing a good clean up of what the Jeep had lost, Scott was accompanied to the hospital by friends Josh, Jeff, Wendy and Scott’s wife Lora.

The Axle Buster" is at the bottom and "The Waterfall" is at the top where Mike in his Beautiful CJ 8 are giving it a go.

The rest of the group proceeded up to the next obstacles "Axle Buster" and "The Water Fall". The "Axle Buster" lived up to it’s name and broke the tail gunners axle for the second time. The face of the Water fall is about 3 vertical feet with another step on top. These steps were spaced just right for a 93" wheelbase.

The next tough spot is named "The Gauntlet". After trying about every line I thought would work and being unsuccessful, I started taking unlikely lines being suggested by onlookers. This after letting my freaked out 9 year old out of the Jeep. One of these lines worked and ended up ‘the’ line to take for short wheelbases. Since only a couple of well built longer wheel based vehicles had ever made it this far before, correct lines on how to get up were still being worked out. I was sort of a guinea pig in RED YJ being 3rd in line behind Craigs Commando and Anthony’s Monte Carlo. I would much rather find ‘the’ line by watching someone else do it.

The author sliding the undercarrage of "RED YJ" over "The Gauntlet"

A look up "The Gauntlet"

After getting up "The Gauntlet" I took the easy way over the "Jeep Trap" and up to the old mine where we stopped to see the old gold mine and turn around for the return trip. It took about 3 1/2 hours to get fifteen vehicles from the "Fuel Dump" up to the mine, which is only about 3/4 of a mile. Could this be Utah’s toughest trail? Could be. I would at least put it over the top of say a 4+ Moab trail and put it in the realm of extreme. Just about everyone suffered breakage and or body damage on this trail.

This trail will remain a limited run trail and if you E-mail me for the location all I will do is give you information about how to get in touch with the Notch Peak Desert Dogs (maybe). This trail is in a sensitive area adjacent to an existing Wilderness Study Area and reinventory unit. The Notch Peak Desert Dogs are working closely with government agencies to make sure this and other similar roads in Utah’s western desert are kept open and not overused to cause closure as in other areas of the state. And if you do know where this trail is leave it up to the Notch Peak Desert Dogs to guide others to it.

If you have the rig and desire to do this trail, it will be waiting for you to do on another limited entry run in the near future.

Todd is the Resident Master Mechanic on 4X4EXPERTS

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