Dakota Territory Challenge

Rocks, woods, water, and mud make for some of the best Jeep territory around, and the 16th Annual Dakota Territory Challenge, held last Labor Day weekend, had it all and more. Located just west of Rapid City, South Dakota, the Black Hills 4 Wheelers have access to some of the toughest trails around, deep in the heart of the Black Hills National Forest.

When you hear trail names like Twisted and Kong, you get the feeling that stock vehicles should stay away, and, in fact, lockers, winches, and 33-inch-or-better tires are required for these 5-plus-rated runs. We went on the truly tough rides, but other runs range from purely scenic to mild to really wild, with something for everyone's ability.

The Black Hills 4 Wheelers put on a great event and expect to provide an even better time next year. But if you must drink on the trail or bring a pet, don't even bother to register for the 100 spots that are available. The rules are tough but mandatory for the skill level needed on these trails. This year, over 750 entries were received for the 100 spots, so write immediately to the Black Hills 4 Wheelers, Dept. Jp, P.O. Box 1354, Rapid City, SD 57709.

Trusting your spotter is what Jason's Rock is all about. As his 1976 Mangler conversion hangs its 36-inch Swampers over the edge of this boulder, John Toumbs sees nothing but air and a cliff. This slow-go technical obstacle at the end of the Iceman is sure to induce the pucker factor. John's Jeep thang sports a crate Chevy 350, SM465 tranny, Dana 300 transfer case, and 4.56 gears in the Detroit locked axles.	The last waterfall on Iceman can be driven on the right with relative ease, or on the left side to get a lift out of life. Tim Miller takes his 1977 CJ-5 up the fall. It's powered by a 360 coupled to a T-18, with a Scout 300 transfer, Scout II Dana 44 front axles, and a Summers filled 20 rear behind them. The bead-locked Boggers clawed the rock and air, while the custom flat fenders and olive-drab paint scheme made for styling photos.	Many may try for the Iceman obstacles, but few make it, and the rest have to take the still-tough bypass. After twisting down a narrow limestone cliff, this first boulder drew in Richard Champion and his 1979 CJ-7. The Jeep 401 engine powered the Boggered beast with the help of its T-18, Dana 20 transfer case, 9-inch spooled rear, and ARB air-locked 44 front. Once a Jeep falls sideways into this crack, only side driving can pull it out.
With their CJ-2A looking more stock than it really is, Clyde Goin spots his wife Kate up the last fall. The Flattie sits on a custom frame with spring-over-axle Wrangler springs and dual Dana 44 axles fitted with 5.38 gears, a Detroit Locker in the rear, and a Lock-Right up front. The Q-jet-powered Chevy 350 is hooked to the venerable SM420 tranny, with a Dana 300 transfer case on the backside. With a crawl ratio around 100:1, this flexy Flattie crept with ease over the toughest parts of the Iceman.	The waterfall on Twister has a tree on the right side that catches the windshield frame and body of most Jeeps. Mike Sullivan removed his windshield and let the cage rub the tree, while his Vortec-4.3-injected V-6 scooted his 1976 CJ-5 on up.	One nasty spot on Twister is the waterfall. a slick limestone slab that rarely gets scaled without the aid of a winch. Rod Pepper powered his 340 V-8, Mopar-stuffed CJ-5 up the steep angle, finally roostering his way to the top.
We admit that Billy Douglas' 1982 CJ-8 was inspired by our own David Freiburger and his bobbed Scrambler, and Billy uses the long wheelbase to elegantly walk over the Iceman's boulders. The 1982 model is shortened in the rear by 13 inches and sports stock axles with 4.56 gears Detroit Lockers and a Terra-Low gear kit in the 300 transfer case. National springs provide the flex while the 36-12.50 Super Swampers do their thing.	Here's why Kong has a width restriction of 79 inches, as shown by our cover boy John Van Flack. This obstacle is named Gremillions Gremlin in honor of Pat and Jan Gremillion of Premier Welder and Pull- Pal fame. Though we didn't get to witness the incident, the story is that three winches--pulling from the front, rear, and side at the same time--were needed to extricate Pat's early Bronco from the slot.	The newly opened Twisted trail is aptly named, since a twisted mind made it, and only twisted folks can drive it. An hour's drive from camp and a 12-hour run over a mere mile or two means this is a brutal trail. Body damage is guaranteed, and the description states, "This is a killer old road that has a lot of obstacles for all four sides of your vehicle." Our Sept. 1998 cover boy Dewy takes his CJ-5 up the first water hole, which claimed at least three tires on the next Jeep.
Near the end of Twister is a narrow off-camber spot that winds around a tree. Most Jeeps need to be winched sideways to prevent damage, or need to be slid around on the driver's side. Out of 10 rigs on the trail, all got dinged and used winches or straps to escapes the obstacles.	Careful planning and driving is needed in Twister, a narrow old mining road that winds through a creek bed full of stumps, rocks, and trees, with slick green moss and poison ivy waiting for those on foot.	Getting air on Twisted is common and expected, but too much can throw your grille into the fallen trees. Lane Hone has some help with his 1948 CJ-2A in the form of Jeep surfing to get under the limbs. The Chevy 350 in the Flattie powers a T-18 and a Dana 20 case with Bronco gears, along with 4.10-geared axles from a 1978 CJ-5.