EVENTS i HWY 4 RUN Thurs 9/9 - Sunday 9/12 Trailboss: Al J. i FRIGHT NITE 10/23, 24/99- Trailboss: Brian T. No on sight registration..Must Pre-register to go on Night Run, Vehicle Costume Contest.... Hotel Reserv: Flying J 805-248-2700 i San Luis Obispo CHRISTMAS PARADE 12/03/99 Trailboss Judy J. Decorate your vehicle, Party at Al & Judy's afterwards i SLO 4-Wheelers CHRISTMAS PARTY 12/0/99 Trailboss: Christy M. William Cody's Steakhouse & Saloon Grover Beach Gift Exchange, Raffle Drawing, Toys for Tots donations, Can donations,
EVENTS |
This years SLO 4-Wheeler Coyote Lake Run was like those of past years - a glorious success! With one huge exception: there were NO mosquitoes! Several groups of SLO 4-Wheelers traveled the trail. Most drove in Friday morning, one came in Friday night and the remainder arrived Saturday. All in all there were 38 adults & 12 kids which totaled 50 happy campers in 21 rigs. As there were four groups traveling in, there are at least that many trail tales to be told. The trail, a bit rougher this year, was unable to thwart any of the SLO 4-Wheelers who attempted the route. A few places required spotters and the winch was uses sparingly. But all who tried drove into Coyote Lake! This was a first. We usually lose one or two to breakage. Ther was some big rocks, tight squeezes and some deep holes, yet to my knowledge no one suffered any major damage or mishap. The scenery along the trail is simply beautiful. Once at camp fishing, canoeing, hiking and snoozing was in order. The weather was absolutely gorgeous although it was a bit cool in the evening. Great roaring campfires kept the bodies warm and spirits high during the evenings. Debbie and Richard treated us all Friday and Saturday evenings to Dutch oven cobbler. Yummy! The main group campfire was the place to be -great company, food, and jokes; stories and greater lies. Ahhh. Now I cant imagine anyone having more fun than me-wheeling into Coyote,-It was GREAT! But at camp, between the fishing & canoeing, the kids were having a blast! I hope next year some of the few missing moms will make it to share in their kids joy.(hint hint). Cant be much righter than kids & camping. I know its good for just one of the parents to take the kids on an outing,-but of all the wheeling memories, well when the kids were in the back seat & running free at camp-oh my. Yep,-still feel the sparkle in their eyes. Saturday we enjoyed the company of the area OHV Ranger, Andrew. He shared some of his adventures and we ours. He sat with us a couple of hours and then went back to work. He issued fire permits to those who wanted one. .Also Saturday, several 4-Wheelers assisted a group from LA that had managed to drive in a CJ-7 that had torn, almost in 2, his frame. He wasn't going anywhere. With some grinding and some serious welding we put him in back on the trail. Some grateful wheelers who wont soon forget what kind of folks are SLO 4-Wheelers. They cut and split us 2 nights worth of firewood! Sunday most headed out, a few stayed over an extra night. Sunday evening campfire we were all treated to the fine art of Smore cooking (graham crackers, toasted marshmallows and chocolate). Tom C introduced us to his official home made Smore cooker. And hey -BBQ'ed on the Weber is pretty good too! At the meeting, I'm sure some lively story telling will be had, plus videos to share some of the trail action and camp fun. I'm not going to say , if you missed this years Coyote Run, you missed one of the better ones, but, Its not to late! Start planning for this trip Next year! Serious trail-serious fun. Thanks to all who participated for a Great weekend!
Ya Mule! Submitted By Mark B. Trailboss for the '99 SLO
4-Wheelers Run: Todd P. |
Hello Wheelers, We started our trip Thursday night, 7/15/99. The plan was to meet at my house, Leave at 4:30 PM Thurs. afternoon. Drive to Sacramento, & half the group head to Georgetown. Friday morning meet in Georgetown, have breakfast at local grill, and head out to Loon Lake trail head. Georgetown to Lake Tahoe Via the "Devil's Playground", known as the Rubicon Trail. Like I said, the plan WAS, and I admit we did pretty good, but we just plain fell behind schedule. Everyone showed up around 4:15 at my house, but we were short one rig. Then we hit our first delay, Brent & Kristie got hung up, that darn WORK thing, it always gets in the way of a good time! They were going to be a hour late. It just did not feel right to start off one rig down. Brent arrived and we left Atascadero, we split off before Sacramento with the plan of meeting at Georgetown Friday morning. Well, this seemed like a good plan, but we arrived in Sacramento late, I was in denial that I would have to hack my Jeep up to fit the new 33 BFG's. Guess what, they did not fit. Even with the extremely light load I usually carry, they were rubbing on the highway!!! For those of you who know me, you probably caught the sarcasm, and the little joke of extremely "light load". My Jeep looked like Jed and the Atascadero Hill Billies gone Wheeling. To put it bluntly, it was a toad with new BFG's. Yes, I do think there was a kitchen sink on board, yes we could have brought less, but we Didn't!!!! Well for those who are still reading, we were extremely late to Georgetown, the Toyota-Boys were very understanding. To make it shorter I will skip the Harbor Freight Shopping-Spree / Nightmare. Yes, it did involve blood, all of it mine !!!! Pressure and letting, I cut a big chunk of skin off my hand and bled all over the sales counter, And came out with nothing but lost time and less blood. Lets skip closer to the trail, we meet in Georgetown , had some food, we are a couple hours late. Then one of my favorites, Major intentional body damage. Inflicted with hand tools and a scissors jack, to my Jeep. The Jack and the Hammer seemed most effective to move fender sheet metal away from the new tires. All of this in the parking lot of the restaurant, in Georgetown. Breakfast Burrito in hand, whacking my Jeep with a B. A. H. that's short for Big AMC Hammer. And Jacking the fender against the tire with the scissors jack. I was getting strange looks from people walking by, the only thing missing was a "Dueling Banjos" CD and that I still have my front teeth! Where the heck am I at, this trail report stuff really sucks. I just took a break for a smoke. Now I am lost too. I think I am gonna go have another, then I will try to wrap this whole thing up. I bought these new fangled cigarettes with filters on the end. It works really good, now I smoke two instead of one. Hold on I will be right back. We aired down and finally were on the rock, it had to be around 11:30 AM, not to bad a few hours later than planned, but we were there. We pulled over the hill and hit the granite. This is where the fun begins and where a good trail boss really pays off. We proceeded down the granite and I knew the trail head was on the right just a little way over the hill. So I proceeded to drive right past it, down to another trail on the right. It was cool it had this big rock "V" thing and climbed up over then down over some pretty good sized rocks toward some trees. Ahh Yes, we have made it! We are on the trail! Wrong, we followed it through the trees across a creek. I got the feeling I missed the trail, no rock turn thing that I beat up my Jeep last year? Maybe it is just a little further? I don't remember this vertical climb last year? What the heck is this "Y" though the Mud !!! Dear, call those guys on the C.B. Tell them to hold up, I just sunk up to the frame in the mud, I am Stuck and there is no other way to go. Well After about an hour of winch and mud bog, I was free, my little jaunt through the mud and trees brought us to about 3:00 PM. Now we were heading back to the start of the trail. This was the turning point could we find the trail? Then it rang across the C.B. "Hey Ray", "What are those little Yellow/Orange Markers between the rocks?" "Do You Think those are trail markers"? You Mean the ones I drove right past on the right ? The ones that head up over the hill like I remember the trail should be? You mean those orange ribbons that maybe someone set up for the Jeepers Jamboree? Ahh yes that's what we need, trail markers, being I forgot the really cool maps I borrowed of the whole area on the kitchen table, markers good idea. Well we drove quite a way in, then I had a little engine B.S. and we made it to the Little Sluice Box. We watched and helped Brent drive the mighty Ford though. Life was good, we were wheeling, on to Buck Island. This proved to be a bad idea, with all the problems, wrong trail, stopping at the Little Sluice, it was starting to get late, and to make things a little more challenging, they stopped the little yellow orange markers! So to end Friday we pulled into Buck Island set up camp, it was around midnight. It had been a full day. I Crashed... everyone seemed a little on edge, we should have stopped by Spider Lake or somewhere before dark. But on the positive side, it was quite the adventure. Heading down the granite face, not quite sure if it was the right way, and then finding the trees and a familiar rock pile at the bottom. We sent out scouts with flash lights looking for clues on the granite to find the right trail, it was a long day. It might sound like it was not much fun,but it sure beat working, and the weather was beautiful it could not have been a nicer day. Well I guess I could have wrote we left, we returned, and we were the baddest on the trail and every thing was the greatest, and that would not be too far from the truth. But it was a great adventure. We headed in to Rubicon Springs Saturday, and found the trail exciting. And to my amazement the springs empty. We got a great site, relaxed all day Sunday, ate food, swam, got some fish, Great Campfire. Then it was time to go on Monday. I was sitting here trying to recap all the things that happened, the anticipation of the trip. the shortcomings, and to some it up, I had a great time. I would be lucky to have another trip that was as much fun. We had a good group, and I will never forget it, time just slips away so fast. It is August and Coyote Lake is next week. I do hope it goes a little smoother, but if not at least I gave it a try, and hell that's what it is all about, quest for life. To get back to the simple things. I start to remember when I was down in Orange County, Block walls, trash, Traffic, Smog, and then I really don't mind driving all day, no food lost in the middle of the Rubicon, but I guess I just have a small brain, I can't wait to go back! After all the work, planning, waiting, it was here and gone. I Just can't get the words out on this stupid computer, But it made me glad to be alive.
Ray M., Trailboss '99 Rubicon Trail |
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----SLO County 4WD Club Board of Directors Meeting---
(thats an hour earlier than the general meeting :-)
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----SLO County 4WD Club General MeetingWednesday Oct. 6, 1999 7:00 PM
PLAYERS RESTAURANT
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SLO 4-WHEELERS SAFTEY TIP OF THE MONTHSNAKEBITESIt is best to consider all snakebites to be from poisonous snakes. The patient or bystander may indicate weather or not the snake is believed to be poisonous. If you see the live snake stay away from it, don't become another victim.
The emergency care for a snakebite victim includes:
Only apply ice or suction if directed by a physician submitted by Brad J.-Safety Chairman SLO 4-Wheelers |