Alright, question for you all that have been there. I was watching some videos on the net with a DS (Looked and sounded stock) attempting to climb Choke Cherry. Well the vids I saw this guy could not make it and seemed to be (from my point of view) a smaller rider. Question is, how much does it take to get the DS to the top of that thing? I am hoping to go this year, and want to make sure I can top that hill!!!

 

I could not make it stock 03 baja, but with pipe, intake ported, cdi and 20 9paddle haulers I made it slowly.

A stock 05 DS made it with 9 paddle 20 inch extremes holding second gear. One thing to remember is the sand changes with moisture and some days it is a lot harder to make it than others.

 

I really dont understand all the fuss with choke cherry! Before we went there this summer all of us were all freaking out thinking it would be steeper than anyone wanted to climb. Prior to the trip we had been to little sahara utah the year before, and went up the fingers (were were thinking it was a LOT worse than that from the way people talk).

Anyway, we got to the dunes a bit early, and it was still a couple hours before dark ,so we all pulled our machines out (nobody had really jetted yet) and ran around for a little while. We all made it up choke no problem. At the time I was running my 03 baja with hmf pipe/ported intake/KN filter (in box, lid on) and thats IT! I climbed it no problem in the top of second gear. (geared I beleive 14/38 running 22inch sand stars).

Needless to say, a stock ds should have no problems on that hill as long as it has paddles, and the gearing isnt too high to pull 2nd. (worse comes to worse you should be able to keep enough speed in 1st to crawl up it).

Apparently the 3 days we were at choke the sand was easy to ride...lol I wasnt exactly hauling up the hill, but the stock 05x with 22inch sand stars scooted up in second without issues.

 

I wouldn't lie........Stock TRX wont make it up the hill on tough days. When I was stock I would hold 1st gear at the rev limiter and it would come to a stop 3/4 of the way up the hill. The fingers at LS utah are just as steep in my opinion. 05 baja X is definitely stronger running than the older DS's. Like I said we have a stock 05 in the group and it has always held 2nd up choke although bogging towards the top.

The moral of the story is the hill changes depending on wind and the moisture involved in previous days. Glad you made it up without problem Roost.

 

When we go back in june (equipped with my new toy, the 730) I will make sure to lay waist to the yfzs in my group on behalf of the ds riders [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Now that I say that ^ I better HOPE I dont have any issues...lol The big pig in the sand really gets the shaft, as all that weight plays a huge roll. On flat ground with my old ds I am perfectly even with one of my buddies yfz's... but last year in the dunes He could fly by me like I was standing still.

 

The main run at chokecherry was pretty easy to climb. Try to climb on either side of it where the sand hasen't been pushed down the hill and it is a little tuffer.

The steepest run I did at St. A's is about 100 yards to the right of chokecherry when you are standing at the bottom looking up at it. It is a rush and you don't want to have to stop or shift at all on that run. If you have to back down that hill, when your wife washes your shorts, she will think you must have hit a dear!

The front side of Devils Dune is really steep for the first 100 feet or so (steeper than chokecherry, at least it was this last Sept.). The worst and best thing about St. A's is the price of failure is so high. If you roll your quad down one of those dunes, you will be receiving a check from the insurance company that is close to the value of your quad!

Ron

 

Roost,

What time in June will you be there? I will be there the last week in June.

Ron

 

I am not sure what part of june we are leaving. Last I heard we were leaving the 12th or something? I will try to find out.

Ya my yfz buddies hit the side of choke (right) and it looked pretty steep, I didnt even try it though.

I agree ,devils dune was crazy, MUCH more exciting to hit than choke was. I am still a big fan of little sahara though [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] I dont think we got to see all of the good spots in idaho, as everyone else swears st.A's is better than lil sahara.

 

Let us know when you have a date set. I would love to show you around. I told Duneme the same thing and drove around like a lost puppy looking for the bowl behind choke cherry. I don't think I ever found it for him. Luckily he had a full week to find it on his own.

 

Ya we rode over a good bit of the place but never found the big bowl behind choke (deadhorse bowl I think its called?) or any really big bowls for that matter [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

I will probably make a thread once we know for sure, try to get a few ds guys together.