We are going to eliminate one of my brother's items on his bucket list.

[Chatham125]

I am 71 and my brother will be 75 next month. He has blood cancer.
His son owns a cabin and land upstate NY. The two of them have been trying to reach the top of the mountain in their side by side. It requires scaling almost vertical areas and downed trees, washouts, you name it. They have been unsuccessful so far. My brother said the mountain won't win because it's in his bucket list. Next month my nephew has put together a team of 9 folks willing to make it happen. ATV's , chain saws, winches and muscle power. I asked him if I could join them with my 40 year old Honda CT110 dual range transmission. He said bring it on. So I will be loading my old girl into the bed of my 5.5foot Ford ranger and bring the dreaded loading ramps with me. Drive 750 miles and help make it happen.I would take the 125 but she is not set up and ready for such a feat yet. I will most likely be in low range 1st or 2nd gear the whole way up the mountain.

 

[Mag162]

You guys are doing a great thing. Good luck and please post pics! Fuck Cancer

 

[Chatham125]

Well back In NC. The trip was worth it. 620 miles one way. Mt CT110 did not make the trip. I broke off the nipple on the fuel shut off valve while loading it. The Trail 125 was not yet set up for a big climb, I had not mounted the Golden Boy tires yet and it was time to go. The troops consisted of 9 of us. The vehicles were a Yamaha Wolverine 4 seater side by side , a Polaris Tusk 2 seater side by side. a Yamaha 4 wheeler, and a 110 CC Chinese dirt bike and one Honda CRF125. The motorcycles were driven by 15 year old boys. The Wolverine took the point with my nephew driving . my brother in the front passenger seat and Myself and another adult in the back seats. The first 1/8 of a mile up the mountain was OK, but then it got real serious fast. The two motor cycles could not make the incline. The kids parents had to get up and push the bikes with the kids helping up the hill. Everyone was sweating from exertion.The logging trail was 40 years old and laced with down trees. The wolverine was able to pull the front wheels over a lot of them but then it was chain saw time. We reached a point that the rocks were as big as refrigerators scattered across what was left of the trail. It was time to start winching the vehicles over the large rocks blocking the way. This was bad. I could only imagine at this point trying to come down. Two dads were 50 yards down the incline pushing their kids bikes up foot by foot. The kids were experienced riders but never in conditions like this. While they were winching the side by sides over the large rocks I started up the trail on foot with a walking stick. It was slow going and I had to stop every 50 feet to catch my breath. It was incredible steep at this point. I made it up at least another 1/8 mile maybe more before I came to a place on the trail that I knew it was Game over for the vehicles. I sat alone waiting to hear their engines for about a half hour. I was getting worried that either they had a medical emergency or they gave up and thought I had gone back down the mountain. Neither was a good thought. I sat on a large moss covered rock looking out for bears. We had seen some this morning at the cabin. About 30 minutes later I hear a voice calling my name. They had made it over the winched rocks and were heading this way. They had to leave the motorcycles behind. I showed the team the path forward up the steep steep rock littered way. I took them up to the largest rock yet in the middle of the trail, it was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. They had a pow wow. They didn't want to quit now. We were 3oo feet from the summit. They all agreed that this was the end of the line for any vehicles. My brother was way to weak to walk up the almost strait up and down finale. We decide to pull out the grill and cook hot dogs and burgers and call it good. The way down was not any easier. Going down off the rocks that the vehicles were winched up was frighting. At times we were tipping on one wheel with me hanging off the Wolverine to make balance. We all arrived saftley back at the cabin abd my brother said he couldn't have asked for more even from a US ranger assault team. Happy ending.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I think this pretty much nailed it for me:

We all arrived safely back at the cabin and my brother said he couldn't have asked for more even from a US ranger assault team.

(spelling adjusted)

What a finale. 10/10 would read again.