The Kinta/Robbers Cave area had always been a good area for the Trailchasers to wheel. Most areas we have wheeled there have been moderate. However, the topo maps show there should be some very interesting and challenging wheeling. And, the Robbers Cave state park is a plus for 4-wheeling. The park offers good camping, cabins, a lodge, restaurant, and other recreational activities including hiking, fishing, and kayaking. So, with all this in mind, and a topo map and GPS in hand, a group of Trailchasers took off a recent Saturday and went exploring.
After breakfast in McAlester, Alex Flatt with passenger Robert Jones set out to find a way to enter the wheeling area through the park or close. The rest of us drove the 25 miles to Kinta to unload. With Don Weiser and Big Mike in the lead, (we’re in trouble now!!) we all drove up to the oil lease to unload. We hadn’t gone ¼ mile until Phil ran over a dead tree and ruined a front brake line. Being our trusty “safety coordinator,” he judged the Toy safe, and he cut the tree out, and we continued to Chris’ rock. That trail is steep, full of loose rocks, big and small, and very muddy. Neither Phil or Tom and Jan made it all the way to the top. They both got stuck on one spot that didn’t look that bad, but when it is wet, you can’t get traction to get up. They decided not to try to winch up, and now the problem was to get turned around. Phil had to fight another dead tree, and Tom and Jan almost rolled, but Marc put a little weight on their tipping Toy, and all made it down safely.
We continued on that trail, cutting trees for about ½ mile. After cutting and trimming about 10 trees, the men decided this wasn’t much fun, and we finally backed out and went back to the main road.
We went on the waterfall. Tom and Don drove in the deep water until they were about to float, and then backed out. Then they chose easier routes to climb out. Phil, with Big Mike hanging on tight, made the climb look easy. By this time Phil was beginning to grin a little bit. I think he thought the area was looking promising.
We continued on past the waterfall to the NE to Twin Lakes. The trail there was too blocked by downed trees to try it.
Robert and Alex had met up with us by then, and were in great spirits. They had found the route from the campground to the wheeling area south of Kinta. And, had talked to the land owner and had access to cross to the good wheeling area.
We visited for a while, (a must for Trailchasers,) then we looped around and made our way slowly back to the Blue Mt. pipeline. That was a great trail, with a steep rocky decline, and an even steeper incline with downed trees over hanging the whole area. Phil was grinning big by now. Hard Core!!
We all gunned motors, slung mud, slipped and slid, and worked on that trail. It was great. We almost all made it to the top until ---
On the last steep climb, Robert was “shot gun” for Alex. Alex took the hill real hard, stood his Sami up on end, turned it around in mid air, the laid it over on the passenger side. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the group worked together and soon up righted the Sami.
By this time, it was nearly dark and time to call it a day. Per the GPS, the climb was over 700 feet. By the time all of had made it, we felt like we had for sure climbed 700 feet! We loaded up and went down to Wilburton to eat at Adelita’s, before making the long trip home.
The wheeling was good that day. Thanks to Rick Mosley and Marc Davidson for driving all day. I enjoyed the trails and I think Richard Jurey, as passenger, got some good trails mapped on his computer. Pat Scott and her sister Tawana, were judged the muddiest of all the vehicles. I’m sure they had to hit the car wash before even seeing out the windshield to drive home. I think Kinta has some great wheeling, and we should continue to search for the “good stuff.”