Another Great Weekend of Wheelin' !!

It was a weekend of several first. We made our first trip to Hot Springs Superlift ORV Park and our first wheelin' trip with the Lone Star Jeep Club. They were both awesome experiences.

We set out Thursday around noon and arrived around 5pm. We checked in to the hotel and then headed to the ORV park to unload the jeep and park the trailer. When we arrived at the park there weren't many vehicles...YET. That would all change in the next 24 hours. We pulled up in the parking area next to a couple of other LSJC members unloading their rigs, James and Larry. After spending some time chatting, looking over the other guys rigs and watching James and Larry trying to get Larry's CJ8's transfer case out of low range, we headed out to get some dinner.

Friday morning we arrive at the wet park around 8am. We got enough rain during the night to wet things down pretty well. The parking lot was starting to fill up with all kinds of rigs, I could tell it was going to be a busy weekend of wheelin'. We had a pretty good turn out of LSJC members that made the trip. We had around 10 Jeeps in our Friday morning group. We left out around 9am on some easy level 2's and 3's to get a feel for how slick things were going to be. The first couple of trails were just that... slick and muddy!! You couldn't count on anything holding for ya. I was on an off camber down hill drop when I started sliding. There was nothing I could do to stop it. My driver side rear went up in the air and everything was coming down on my passenger front. I slide all the way down until the right side of my jeep slammed into the ridge wall. I was a good thing the wall was there because that all that kept me from ending up on my lid! Fortunately, things got better. Everything started to dry up a little and we found some trails that had more rock and less mud.

In the afternoon we crossed paths with some other LSJC members that drove in late. The afternoon was much better wheeling. The sun came out and things just got better and better. The trails were still pretty tuff from the previous rain, lots of washouts and a lot of loose rock but at least it was somewhat dry rock!

Saturday we arrived again at the ORV park around 8am. You could tell today was going to be a beautiful day! Doors and tops were coming off of everyones jeeps. Once everyone got their jeeps stripped down we took off for another day of awesome wheeling and it was just that... Awesome!! I really lucked out this trip we had several experienced people with the trails. Our trail leader, Brian lead us over some great trails. We were able to jump on several level 4 trails today and we ended the day with a short level 5 that was just a blast!

It was amazing how the Superlift park transformed into this crazy 4wheel mecca. There were all kinds of jeeps and buggy's EVERYWHERE! It was a blast just walking around the parking lot looking at all the rigs. Did you see "The Short Bus" above? You name it they were there. I can't wait to go back again and I look forward to wheelin' with my new LSJC friends again sometime soon!

My mechanics!















Good help is hard to find!

My Bear Encounter

I took this video on my last vacation to Ouray, Co. back in October 2007.

This bear came down from the mountain behind this old mine every afternoon to eat apples. You can see in the video there is a very large 100 year old apple tree. The bear would climb up the tree, go out on a limb and jump up and down on the limb shaking the tree limb so hard the apples would fall out of the tree onto the ground. Then the bear would climb back down the tree and eat all the apples off the ground.

It was awesome watching this bear!

The Jeep Wave

Definition:

The Jeep Wave: An honor bestowed upon those drivers with the superior intelligence, taste, class, and discomfort tolerance to own the ultimate vehicle - the Jeep. Generally consists of vigorous side-to-side motion of one or both hands, but may be modified to suit circumstances and locally accepted etiquette. Examples of commonly accepted modifications:

• Top off: One handed wave above windshield or outside body tub
• Top off during blizzard: Shiver and nod, hands may remain frozen to steering wheel
• Southern/rural locations: Raise fingers from steering wheel, nod

In keeping with this cardinal rule of Jeeping, categories have been established to account for each part of the equation.

These categories are:

• The Jeep Waving Hierarchy: Based on the vehicle itself. Takes into account the nostalgia factor, the discomfort tolerance quotient, and the amount of owner dedication required to maintain the steed.
• The Modifying Sub-categories: Based on what you do with your Jeep.
• Equipment Adjustments: What you build.

General Rules:

1. All Jeepers are responsible for upholding the tradition of the Wave. Upon contact with a higher scoring Jeep, a Jeeper is required to initiate the Wave, and continue the Wave until:
   
1. The Wave is returned
2. The Wave is blatantly disregarded
3. The higher scoring vehicle has passed by and is out of sight
   
   
2. All Jeepers are required to return the Wave, unless the initiating vehicle is clearly has a negative (below 0) score.
   
   
3. All Jeepers are encouraged, but not required, to return the Wave to negative balance vehicles, and take any opportunity presented to guide and mentor them about their responsibilities to their Jeeps in the hopes that they can correct the error of their ways.
   
   
4. When unsure of status or wave requirements of a particular encounter or unable to completely assess the other Jeep's score quickly enough to ensure that the proper Jeep Wave Etiquette rules are followed, immediately initiate wave.

"When in doubt, WHIP IT OUT!"

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First, the Jeep Waving Hierarchy (JWH):

Pre-CJ: +30
Pre-AMC CJ: +27
Other CJ: +25
Commando: +20
Rubicon TJ +20
Standard TJ: +15
Cherokee: +10
2 Door JK: +10
4 Door JK (Soccer Mom Jeep): -5
YJ: +3
All other Jeeps: +5
All other 4WD vehicles EXCEPT yuppie Explorers: 0

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The Modifying Sub-Categories (MSCs):
(What you do with it)

MSC Guidelines:

Top off; vehicle, driver, and all occupants covered with mud: +30
Top partially off; vehicle and some occupants covered with Mud: +20
Top on; vehicle covered with mud: +10
Top off during snow, sleet, hail, or heavy rain: +5
Somewhat dirty: +0
Obviously recently washed, but immediately re-muddied a little: -10
Clean, dry, unscratched, untested: -30

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Equipment Adjustments
(What you build)

Consideration must be given to the current mechanical condition of the vehicle, including all modifications for trailworthiness, comfort, appearance, and spouse-appeasal. These are known as Equipment Adjustments (EAs). EAs are a complicated category, and often difficult to appraise under certain conditions (passing head-to-head at 60 mph, when covered with mud, etc) but must be used to modify score when feasible. If a vehicle is so covered with mud that you are unable to ascertain any of the EAs, you MUST assume that the EAs, when combined with the MSC adjustment, would place the vehicle in a higher scoring position than any non-MSC Jeep, and immediately initiate the wave. Otherwise, EAs will adjust score as follows:

Tires:

Stock or unremarkable: 0
Original Tires on Pre-CJ: +2
Slightly oversized (up to 31"): +1
Oversized 33", with other appropriate mods: +2
Oversized 35", with other appropriate mods: +3
Any size over 35", with other appropriate mods: +5
Any size, currently covered with mud: +2
Working tires > 31" with original donut spare: -2
Low-profile: -10

Suspension:

Stock, Pre-CJ: +2
1" Body lift: +1
Body lift more than 1": -1/inch
Suspension lift: +2/inch
Spring-Over Lift: +3
High-quality shocks: +2
Lowered: -20

Other accessories/conditions:

Winch, heavy-duty, obviously used: +2
Winch, heavy-duty, use unclear: +1
Other winch, obviously used: +1
Little, chrome-covered, toy winch: -1
Each chrome accessory currently shiny: -1
Each neon accessory: -2
Fire extinguishers: +1
Block and Tackle, anchors, etc: +2
Ropes, straps, tow chains: +1
Tow Hooks: +1
Rock Rails, used and scarred: +2
Nerf Bars, shiny, no scars: -1
Girly, shiny chrome center caps: -1
Krylon home-made paint job: +1 (for realizing it's just going to happen again)
Blackout Headlight Covers: -1
Any little flippy interior vanity mirrors: -1
Children in vehicle: +2 if muddy
Windshield down: +1 (+2 if raining/snowing)
Hi-Lift Jack: +2
Dogs as passengers, properly secured: +1 (sharing the joy of Jeeping)
Homemade roll cage: +1
Duct Tape currently in use: +1 per yard
Top on and windows up, warm day: -2
Grenade Hood Ornament: +1
P.A. - used to harass drivers of lesser vehicles: +1
Storage boxes from solid steel or ammo cans: +1
Waving while fighting the older Jeeps' natural urge to wander: +1
Plastic headlight covers/accessories: -1
Bra (on a Jeep - how could you??): -1
Snorkel: -1

Battle Scars:

Mashed hood, top, etc., obviously from roll-over: +3
Holes above glove box where passenger ripped grab-bar out: +3
Heavily gouged rocker panels: +2
V-bent front bumper from being pulled out of that REALLY bad one: +2
Scarred sides from those mis-judged rocks: +1
Fire Damage (bubbled paint, singed seats, etc): +2
Limbs, Shrubs, etc attached well enough to remain at highway speed: +1/each


Source: Emerald Coast Jeepers

Cowboy Hill

Here's one of my hill climbs on Hell's Revenge. It got a little exciting toward the top. :)