Not enough traction to make it up the hill

Sunday, December 15th, 2024, at 6:55 a.m. (PT), we received a request for help with an offroad recovery in California. The requester, David Leonard, submitted the following information: “Was following a friend on a trail that ended up being way steeper and rocky than anticipated my friend got out but I’ve been unable to retrieve my vehicle, I have a 89 chevy 2×4 I had 2 flats but I changed them since then i just don’t have enough traction to make it up the hill it’s very steep, I’m guessing a jeep with a winch would help pull me out but open to any suggestions / I’m not with the vehicle / I can help cover the cost of fuel.“

Our administrator, Al Fontan, contacted the requester and verified the contact information provided, GPS location, and current situation before sending the request to local volunteers. In this particular recovery, we contacted volunteers within a 35-mile radius.

From the group of contacted volunteers, Frank Purdy and Justin Morgan took over the request. They teamed up and arranged the recovery for the following day, as the vehicle had been there for a few days already, and there was no immediate rush to remove it.

A few days later, we gathered notes and photos from Justin and Frank, which we are sharing below, along with some additional photos.

From Frank

“On 12/15/24, I received a recovery request through the Portal. I contacted the requester, David, and we discussed the job and his work schedule.

On 12/17/24 at 1100, my daughter and I met David and three of his friends, and we drove out to assess the vehicle’s situation. The photo David had uploaded to the Portal did not accurately depict the vehicle’s predicament.

I spent about an hour exploring several trail options, all of which were in poor condition. Most trails had large boulders, making it difficult to pull the vehicle through. The two trails we considered had a 30-35 degree incline, with powdery dirt, rocks, and deep ruts.

The biggest challenge was securing my own vehicle. It kept sliding while I was preparing the winch. There were no trees available, so we used tree-saver straps around manzanita bushes. Fortunately, this helped, along with blocking my tires with rocks.

After some effort, we managed to move the vehicle to a long, straight section of the trail leading up the mountain. However, I still didn’t have solid anchor points. I contacted the Portal for additional support.

Justin arrived with his brand-new F250 4×4, still with paper plates, and provided an anchor point. We had enough straps, kinetic ropes, and soft shackles for a 100-foot winch pull. Eventually, with Justin’s help, we managed to pull the vehicle to the top, finishing the recovery at around 1430.”

A few takeaways from the experience:

• Bring more than two radios.
• Carry extra straps for long downhill pulls.
• Have a separate rope to assist with climbing up and down the mountain.

From Justin

“I’m glad I was able to help out. In this particular situation, having a large vehicle to anchor to was crucial. Frank was just pulling himself down the hill and didn’t have anything to anchor to. After this recovery, I’m going to add large wheel chocks and winch line extensions to my recovery kit.“

We want to thank Frank and Justin, for an amazing job. You guys did amazing.

If you would like to receive a text message when we get a request near you, create your account here: offroadportal.org/signup