Silver Lake Michigan

[curatchko]

Whoo Hoo!!!!!!



Don't who here is familiar with Silver Lake in Michigan but there is a MONSTEROUS 1st dune on the course there... . I couldn't make it up with my yamaha blaster no sand tires... . either that or my driving so I got my trusty Cummins, cranked the fueling box up and she went up like it was nothing!!!! Lots of trucks even with the big tires had to back down the hill but that cummins torque pushed her up hard and quick!!!! transmission got a little hot though...



WHAT A FEELING!!!! Freaked the wife out too



Anyone who likes LOTS of sweet modified trucks diesels and gassers, I would recommend a weekend trip to this place..... TRUCK HEAVEN and all the bolony on who's got what stops on the first large dune!!!



Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[klenger]

When I was a kid I worked a sumer at a camp a few miles from Silver Lake (on Upper Silver Lake). Did a few of the dune rides and hiked to Lake Michigan too. Neat place. Steve St Largent spends some time there too.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I've been going there for over 10 years. Taken my Dodge out there a number of times. That first hill is called test hill. Depending on wind conditions the dunes can vary greatly but I've always been able to get up everything with the Dodge - and surprised a lot of people doing it! I can climb test hill starting about 40 feet from the beginning of the climb. The best trucks can start ON the climb and blast over it (have several friends able to do that - takes about 400 hp in a 3000 lb truck minimum). BTW, the far right side of test hill is quite a bit steeper than the middle or left side if you want more of a challenge. Also, there are smaller hills that are steeper elsewhere on the dunes that are actually harder than test hill in a heavy truck. Here is a picture of me and John West at the top of test hill:



#ad

 

[apkole]

I grew up about 40 minutes south east of there, so that was our summer stomping grounds in the mid 60's to early 70's.



For some real excitement, try to make it to the Mount Baldy hill climb, usually in April and again toward the end of the season.



My son took his LT1 powered '89 Wrangler up on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. He said the back side of test hill dropped off quite steep for about 50 ft and then sloped out nicely from there. He commented that it felt alot like a roller coaster at Cedar Point dropping of like that. He also said that he had never seen so many people by the drag strip out back.



My son and a friend drove their jeeps up early saturday morning, by 8:30 had their pass to get on the dunes at 3 pm. They headed for Ludington and bummed around the state park up there for a few hours to pass some time.



Spoke with another sand dune addict on Sunday, and he said all of the water holes by the lake were dry!! Haven't seen that in a few years, but lake levels are down so that is probably why.



So Steve, how many times you are you going to try to get up there this summer? We got the 304 rebuilt in my plow jeep (CJ7) so I think I'll try to get up there a few times. The engine was still tired last summer, so I didn't get up there for any fun to speak of.



Andy

 

[klenger]

I grew up about 40 minutes south west of there

Wouldn't that be about 15 miles out in Lake Michigan?

 

[apkole]

Yeah, umm. Long day on the roof, too much sun on the brain. That would be south east, ya ha.



Andy.