Trail Report Trask…Nov 2

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Well where do you start with a report like this? Yesterdays wheeling trip to the trask was not what anyone expected at all. What started out as a small trip to check out and break in oregongirlscout’s new gears? Turned into one of the largest gatherings of 4x4s for a trail run that I have seen. The trip was set up my monty at my request. Monty then talked to a couple of his club members who must have talked to a few more. That coupled with 9 pages on this board and we had a huge turnout. Most of the rigs gathered at coyote joes for breakfast. I got there at 7:15 and the lot was full. A few more straggled in and after breakfast we were ready to hit the road by 8:15. As with any group this large there were a few “want to be” leaders. The local club was anxious to get on the trail. We new guys were just happy to be learning a new trail. Monty was caught in the middle as translator between the locals and the Scout guys. Some of the locals took off and were going to just meet us on the trail. A few people still needed fuel so we waited at coyote joes until all were ready. Once under way we headed to grassy flats to unload the scouts for those of us that had trailered. The trail boss for the local club was very accommodating and patient with us new guys. We arrived at grassy flats where terry and jenn and “short Scout dan” were waiting for us. We all unload with the exception of “binderbound dan” who had evidently left his seat heaters on in his Scout :icon_eek: and the battery was dead. So we mess with that for a while and then get on the road. Now in even more of a hurry to meet up with the guys that had left coyote joes ahead of us. This is where oregongirlscout gets left behind. I look back on the day now and see that this was way too many rigs to try to wheel as one group. We should have split into 2 or 3 groups. We also should have had a sweeper rig in the rear of the line that knew the trails and would not have let jenn get behind him. Once we figured out she was not with us dan turned around to look for her. Not knowing any of the trails or where we were headed there was no way for them to catch back up. This left 2 of my favorite wheelers out of the run…………………..:icon_sad: the day went on we all met up at a giant mud puddle. Where there were about 10 rigs waiting for us. I tried a couple of hills and discovered the front locker wasn’t locking. So I worked my magic on the solenoid and we were thrashing on it again in no time. Sticky mud kept me from making it up the hill but we did put on a show for a bit.. :winky: later on I laid the Scout on its side in a deep v notch. I also got to pull out a ramcharger! The rest of the scouts ran great! We made a good showing. Michael’s rig ran great! He followed us right along. Could this run have been better? Absolutely! Did I or we learn anything absoutly! When you bring two groups together with such different philosophies about wheeling there are bound to be conflicts. Some of the locals have been wheeling these trails since high school. A lot has changed in the wheeling world since the 80s. When the day was done I’d like to thank monte for trying to put this together. I know it was hard to be in the middle. I’d like to thank Jeff the local trail boss for being so even tempered and easy going. A great quality in a trail boss. I did meet some great new guys too. Can’t remember any of the names. I think they were all named chris…..:dita:
 
The only good pictures I took yesterday...
Waiting at grassy flats.
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Discovering we had lost jenn and terry.
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Broken Jeep…
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Proof that mayben wheels..
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Michael and his Scout.
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The short Scout hill climb.
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The fwb’s represent!!! Actually they we trying to hump a log here I think..:dita:
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Got to test the Scout out, and it was good that I was wearing rain gear, as coolant ended up spraying onto my lap when the lower radiator hose blew!:nono: :icon_eh: had some fun but didn't get many pics as I was driving.

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Before and all perty!

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After

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Good write up Mike. Its tough to take pictures in that kind of weather.almost need a water proof camera. I think terry had his on him.

Glad your rig did so well michael. At least your hose blew while you were wheeling. I had mine let go once when I was idleing.
 
Its tough to take pictures in that kind of weather.almost need a water proof camera. I think terry had his on him.


One more reason it sucks that they were left behind. A trip like this just reinforces how great our wheeling trips are normally. Nobody left behind all broken rigs fixed and off the mountain. Even when plans change on the fly. The "stock rig" run that we had where we hit all the snow come to mind as an unexpected think on the fly kind of a run. But yet when you talk to people on that run they all had fun. What's the difference? Attitude? Better trail boss? More than one well prepared rig? A tread lightly/tread friendly presence on the trails? Fewer rigs? Probably all of the above. Or maybe it’s because we all have the same IH induced sickness. Plus we don't invite jeeps....:dita:
 
Mike sums things up pretty well. I was sick to my stomach when I found terry and jenn were missing. After every turn I would call back to make sure everyone was still with us. I kept hearing "all here". I didn't know they were gone until dan was asking about them on the radio. I should have asked Mike to bring up the rear (I was riding shotgun with him) but I didn't. Things were hectic, with unexpected delays, when we left grassy flats and I wasn't driving so I assumed the job of radio man. I never heard jenn calling for help and nobody reported anything wrong. We left grassy flats with 9 vehicles, a very easy group to manage. Most all the locals had gone ahead, they didn't want to be bothered by out of towners who didn't know there way around. I had asked my buddy Jeff to hang loose that day and lead the smaller group around. He was just as pissed about the loss of t & j as I was, he felt very responsable for there loss. If I had been driving I would have gone back to get them but the situation was out of my hands by then. Maybe I should have went back down the road with dan to find them, but I couldn't leave all the others behind and we were already late for our rondezvous with the others. I am very sorry and regret what happened.

Truth be told did I have any fun on Sunday? Not much, I was stuck in the middle of a big cluster #$&^*#@ and was powerless to do anything about it. I feel I let terry down, a person I have come to respect and proud to call a friend.

Mike roth did lay uber on it's side not once but twice and nobody saw it but him and I. That part was fun.:dita:

I still would like to thank everyone for coming and mayben did go wheeling. We didn't get to do much of it but maybe in a few years people will look back on this trip and remember more good than bad.
 
The fwb's made it home safe and sound today after a layover at binder u last night. Hooty followed behind big red like a loyal puppy. Average mpg was 14.5 pulling hoot's lard azz around. I want to thank you monte for putting this run together and extending the invitation. Don't beat yourself up so much about this deal. The whole thang got too big and unwieldy for any one person to control. I also want to extend an appology to terry, jen and dan for not being more vigilant about watching my six as we left the staging area. I'm sorry guys. This was a learning experience for a lot of folks, myself included. It won't happen again. As far as regrets go, that's the only one. While the wheeling trip didn't quite meet my expectations, I got the chance to meet some great people, eat some gud grub, and have the healing hands of the carb king laid upon hooty's mixer. Speakin' uh mayben, he don't reckamember too much about the wheelin' trip ona count uh he wuz tryin' tuh git some much needed byootee sleep in the back seat. I'm sorry tuh break it to ya, mm, but it didn't take!:dita:
cambo and I agree, it was worth the trip. That's it for now, I've gotta tweez some slivers outta my p**k*r. A little word of advice...if'n yer gunna hump a log, don't wear a dam kilt!:dita:
 
Maybe I can help shed some light on everything. Monte, you couldn't have gone back for them, even with your own rig because you were the translator between the 2 groups. You needed to have a local guy with a good radio in the back. The newbs and out of towners needed to be up front since they need the most hand holding. The knowledge of the area is paramount. Your the go to guy when things need leader ship. You need to be able to get the group in and out as best as possible. Who ever is in charge needs to be the bad guy. If that means telling your friends to pound sand in the name of keeping it fun and safe for the rest of the group, so be it. That's why I don't have a lot of friends I guess. I'm just a dick all the time. The leader needs to lead but they also need to be a shepherd and a baby sitter.

All these trips are learning experiences that you put toward the next outing.
 
If that means telling your friends to pound sand in the name of keeping it fun and safe for the rest of the group, so be it. That's why I don't have a lot of friends I guess. I'm just a dick all the time. The leader needs to lead but they also need to be a shepherd and a baby sitter.

.
You have friends... :d
I think this is why we don't mix your wheeling buddies with the IHSTO crowd though...


Too bad the day ended up being crappy -- it is stuff like this that makes me sick to my stomach and totally turned off to something. I had a day like this duck hunting and I have only hunted 5-6 times over the past 3 years since... A real shitter if you ask me.
 
Monte, don't beat yourself up over this, shit happens!
We just couldn't keep up on the pavement, with 10#s air in the tires.
We had no idea where to turn off, and after going miles down the dirt road we just gave up.
At least we had the brains not to go looking for the group by ourselves in unfamiliar territory. We didn't want the trip to turn into a search and rescue event.

So, we all learned a little for next time.
 
I say it all the time...shit like this is fate!

If tha mikee and monte clusterfook had'nt been proposed...we'd all know nuthin' about manskirts and manpurses, so this was likka tech training session. That right there made it all worthwhile. And next time manskirts in goretex will be required, that will definitely set the IHSTO contingent "apart".

Fook all this shit...I need more brisket!
 
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