Trail Report: The Ledge at Odessa Canyon

[MrBash]

On our way up Odessa, a Jeep club called the River Run 4-Wheelers from Arizona were coming back down. I approached the Head Jeep to find out they had 11 vehicles coming back down because the ledge at the end was impassable. We were told not to attempt it.
We all pulled over and let them pass. As they were passing, one member said "our President made us turn back because it is unsafe". A member from our club said "our President is going to make us go forward" lol, I thought that was kind of funny.

We continued up and finally reached the ledge....it was very narrow, much narrower than I remember in 2008. I drove through it with a little bit of momentum and so did Khoren. We had a few vehicle that were too wide for the ledge. As everyone started discussing turnign back, I made a different call. "We need to make it passable for everybody". I remember in 2008, there were a bunch of rocks stacked which were now washed out.

We widened the road and everyone made it through safely.

Our Campsite


Dangerous Ledge. This is not an obstacle, this is just plain dangerous


Let's get to work. We formed a line and the rocks were passed down hand in hand


Khoren testing the stability


Let's start moving:


Notice where the rear tire is headed...




We all made it safely although some drivers kept looking down and you can see the pucker factor


Hopefully, the rocks remain for IDTT

[RAT]

You guys realize you ruined the best obstacle on Odessa? Oh well, those rocks are all round so they'll roll out of there soon enough...

[Gary]

Last Thanksgiving I watched 2 samuri's and a jeep go through here I was up at the mine above with a few buddies. One of the samuri's pulled up to this spot from below and lowered his towbar making a bridge for the jeep and other sam to cross. We gave them razzed them some. LOL

[MrBash]

You guys realize you ruined the best obstacle on Odessa? Oh well, those rocks are all round so they'll roll out of there soon enough...

Now we'll have to go back and take those rocks out of the way ~

[NAILER341]

You guys realize you ruined the best obstacle on Odessa? Oh well, those rocks are all round so they'll roll out of there soon enough...

You are a bad boy Kurt! I'm sure the rocks will move with the first rig going up the ledge

[mywifesjeep]

I hate that ledge..... bad memories!

[MY4D9WILLYS]

I hate that ledge..... bad memories!

Yeah it'll make ya chew a hole in your seat.

[curtis]

Good job on fixing the trail Shant. Now it looks like more people can make it up Odessa. As far as Kurt and the Big Dogs, They can go up the The side of the ledge. So all is good . I need to go back to Calico. It's been over 8 years and I did the gatekeeper back then. But It looks a whole lot harder now.

[mywifesjeep]

Yeah it'll make ya chew a hole in your seat.

Absolutely!!!

[MrBash]

Good job on fixing the trail Shant. Now it looks like more people can make it up Odessa. As far as Kurt and the Big Dogs, They can go up the The side of the ledge. So all is good . I need to go back to Calico. It's been over 8 years and I did the gatekeeper back then. But It looks a whole lot harder now.

Thanks Curtis. I've seen 4-door JK's climb the side of the ledge and I thought about it but realistically speaking, that would not be possible for most Jeeps. That ledge is too risky. You had to see the look on some of the Jeepers as they were passing it. They kept looking down with a look of horror on their face instead of looking at their guide.

No thank you, no time to flop

[aw12345]

With front and rear lockers it will make it up that ledge where the rock are stacked. I have done it so has Freddy, kinda hairy but doable, the downside of it is that it kicks all the rocks out and erodes it even further, still it's a heck of a kick in the pants when you turn one wheel up on the wall and looking down the big hole.

[Jeeperator]

I have done that ledge twice recently(without rocks stacked) and its was heart pumper each time. Fred(flatout) did it first with his now wider longer wheelbase tj. Then he spoted me through when I had my doubts. I did it again with the samauri group gadzuks earlier this year also with a good spotter. Those narrow samis squeze through no problem. I also have gone across it back in the day when it was wider withoout a second thought but now it is definatly a pucker factor obstacle.

[Roger]

Hey Schmo! What's your thoughts on this?? ( I spotted him through there a few years ago )

[sarah]

Sweet pics! Can't wait to get out there this year.

[troyboy162]

those rocks were in that spot for quite along time. did taking that line suddenly become popular? it is a sick line but blowing out the rocks so that Odessa (easy trail) has a scary spot for new wheelers stinks. the line just to the left of the rock stack is quite a bit more extreme but doable