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2000 - Fourth of July
Please send your photos and/or stories to webmaster@trjc.com  What
a blast! While the other trails had an average of 25 or so Jeeps, there
were only ten of us on Tall Dog for the 4th of July run. I remember when
it was mandatory for everybody to winch up at the beginning of the trail,
a spot they call the Guardian. This time we all just drove right up. Then
around the deep slalom trenches of mud, and through the creek, we were on
a roll. We slowed it down to wait for Junior to catch us, since he'd been
helping folks on another trail. Tom looked back at our Jeep and commented
on the condition of our tie rod. Sure enough, we'd bent it. So Rongway hooked
it to Tom's winch and pulled it back. Onward to the next obstacle! Well,
then we couldn't make right turns. No problem, just bungee that stabilizer
down…. and onward to the next obstacle! I can see why they named this
trail Tall Dog. We were dog deep in the muck and muddy trenches most of
the day.
I think the next casualty was on the Cannonball Climb. Tim got so deep
into the muck that he pulled apart the drive shaft and broke the main
spring. It was a good opportunity for lunch (for the rest of us). At about
this time, Tom and Debbie left to get ready for the evening's hog roast.
After we all came through the creek, Dave told the disabled Jeeps to go around to the left of the hill. Then he proceeded to do a great pinball imitation. He bounced off one tree, gassed on it, and bounced off a few more before his front end lifted way too high for the angle he was climbing. We all held our breath, mumbled some prayers and other words. He kept it on the trail, more or less. Once he was at the top he explained that he thought it was greasy, and needed more power. What a show!
Back at Tom and Debbie's there was a great hog roast waiting for the
crowd. All the trimmings, and Amish cookies we kept wrestling for. And
oh, yes, that dunk tank. After O.R. gave us
the moon (don't worry Pat, it was only a half moon), the kids lined up
to throw the ball in the basket and dunk him. Everyone was a great sport
about getting wet. Rick Schultz was ready with his snorkel, myself with
the mermaid fins, and the rest of the guides with their shorts. We even
raffled off the host, Tom, to be dunked. Our members donated $544 to the
Pleasant Hill Fire Department this year. Thanks everyone, for being so
generous. And thanks to Tom and Debbie Wombles for hosting a great trail
party! |
Tim
did trail repairs and the rest of the group made their attempts at the
hill. Morger will undoubtedly have sold his rims by now, real cheap. He
popped a tire off the rim four times that day. While the front end of
the trail was busy winching Jeeps up the hill, Denise was busy winching
Mike's Jeep up a tree (sort of like a high lift jack) so he could reseat
the tire.
We
split up at the pasture and some Jeeps limped back to town; Frankie Smith
with a broken outer axle, Tim with his spring, Mike with his wheels, and
Fuzzy… why did you leave? The rest of us headed on to the part of
the trail dubbed Brain Fart. Craig dragged his winch cable along, keeping
it handy, maybe? Rongway took out a stump, a really big stump, as he winched
himself up. This was the greasy part Dave must have been thinking about.
Garry (GDS) just kept going and going and going.