Trail Overview
Mason Jar is one of the staples of Black Mountain. It begins at what is arguably the most scenic spot in the entire park, in a large clearing on top of the ridgeline with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. This challenging trail takes you up the ridgeback of the mountain with steep elevation climbs and large ledge play areas with winding tight wooded trails in between. There are two "main" obstacle sections, with one at the beginning of the trail and the second near the halfway point. This trail will test your appetite for steep ledge climbs, your willingness to use wheel speed, and, if it is wet, the durability of your winch. The beginning has a newly created bypass up the first hill, the second ledge area does not have a true bypass, only the smallest side of the ledge, which is about 4 feet tall.
Difficulty
There are two main obstacle areas, one at the start of the trail and one near the middle. The beginning area has a newly created bypass on the main climb that is now probably the easiest option. The other 3 climbs have either small ledges or decent-sized rocks in one of the ruts that make crawling them possibly challenging. If the trail is wet, winching may be required regardless of choice. The middle ledge area has one ledge with various levels of challenge. Roll-overs are highly likely on the far right side even in extreme builds. There is no true "bypass" for this area, just the smallest ledge, which is about 4 feet tall. There are plenty of options for winching. Near the exit of the trail, there is a very steep and rutted drop with protruding rocks that may be tricky for small to mid-sized tire builds. The bypass option is a tight weave through trees that is also off-camber and may induce damage to jeeps with hard tops. When dry, the trail is probably a 7; if wet, it is probably a 9 and will likely require a lot of winching. Do not run this trail without an operable winch.
