Off-Camber Crawlers Trail Report
2016 Annual New Year’s Day Trail Ride
In the George Washington National Forest to Flag Pole Knob and Meadow Knob
Participants in no particular order and most passengers not listed.
Members:
Dan Peck, 07 Wrangler JKU
John & Andrew Harvin, Wrangler LJ
Morgan Franklin, 94 Wrangler YJ
Melissa Burn, 00 VehiCROSS
Dean Rose, 15 Wrangler JKU
Chris Stewart, 10 Wrangler JKU
Alan & Melanie Staiman, 14 Wrangler Rubicon
Ryan Gilespie & Scott Gilbert, 01 Pathfinder R50
Dana Gramling, FJ Cruiser
Paul Neubert, 93 Explorer
Patrick Wilson, 12 Wrangler JKUR
DK & Natalie Stewart, Wrangler JKUR
Richard Quaye, 03 Wrangler Rubicon
Doug & Robin Masnick, 93 4Runner
Adam Folts, 94 Cherokee
Bryan & Sandy Folts, 87 Wrangler YJ
Mike Anderson, Wrangler TJ
Guests:
John Crocker, 01 Wrangler TJ
Dave Matheu, 15 Wrangler JKU
Ben DeVore, 13 Wrangler JKU
Christine Keatley, Xterra
Pete McCaughey, 83 Scrambler CJ8
Sam Stoker, 85 Bronco
Stephen Marks, 08 Wrangler JK
Stephanie Morascyzk, Wrangler JK
Ed Stiefvater, 15 Wrangler JK
Tyler Arnet, 06 Wrangler LJ
Jeff Petterew, 15 Wrangler JK
Chris Cooper, 02 Wrangler TJ
Rick Livesay, 76 Land Cruiser FJ40
** If I missed anyone please let me know!!
It all started about 9:30 AM, January 1st, 2016 at the East Market Street Sheetz in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Thirty-some rigs pretty much took over the pizza parking lot next door. There’s no way we wouldn’t have completely blocked up the Sheetz lot! Good thing the pizza place was not open yet. There was a group of three Jeeps at the Sheetz that said they would join us on the trail.We decided to keep the group all together and not split up this year. The decision was made to run up Dunkle Hollow since the long run down Rt33 and the easy run up the trail that starts at Switzer Lake would make it easy to keep the group together. Less turns.
We had a driver’s meeting and explained the basics including keeping the rig behind you in your mirror at all times. Ryan had to leave to get his dog looked at and three members, Dan, Richard, and Morgan, were running late, but we left the lot shortly after 10 AM. The large group got split into three smaller groups going through Harrisonburg, but we were all back in on big convoy headed down Rt 33, Rawley Pike, into the George Washington National Forest. After a few switchbacks the group turned left at the sign for Switzer Lake. This road is called Skidmore Fork and turns into Dunkle Hollow up the trail a way. The group pulled into the parking lot for the lake to air down tires and disconnect anti-sway bars. Melissa had some funny noises coming from the front driveline and she decided to head back home and get it looked at. Shortly after we left the lot and headed back up the trail the group of three Jeeps mentioned above caught up to and joined our group. Everything appeared to be going smooth as the group traveled up the trail. We caught up to a couple mid 90’s Cherokees that were going Very slow. About that time word came over the CB that one rig was running hot. We stopped and after a few tries on the CB I heard that the Honey Badger was the overheating rig. After waiting a while it cooled down enough and the group started moving again. About three quarters of the way up to Flag Pole Road we caught up to the two slow moving Cherokees again. They finally pulled off the trail just before the turn to Flagpole Knob witch got the group not as spread out. The Honey Badger was running hot again, so a couple rigs stayed with them while I directed the rest up to Flag Pole Knob. The group stopped there, waited for everyone to catch up, and ate lunch. Beautiful views, lots of rigs, and Alan’s flying machine was in the air! Once Team Honey Badger and the support team got to Flagpole Knob we counted 30 rigs atop the mountain! It turns out the fan clutch on the Honey Badger was freewheeling and not moving air. Ryan and Chris were talking via text messages to get Ryan back on the trail. Chris relayed directions from me to Ryan so he could come up Union Springs Road and reunite with the group. It was then time to head East towards Meadow Knob. The trail goes up and down along a ridge with several rocky areas that required slowing down and spread the group apart again, and water holes that required speeding up if you wanted to splash. At Meadow Knob there was a group of 5 or 6 Jeeps lined up already. Our group of 30 or so rigs lined up and the entire meadow was encircled with vehicles of all types! Once again, beautiful views, lots of rigs, and Alan’s flying machine was in the air! Most everyone was trying to get the panorama picture also. I heard Ryan on the CB, and he had gotten on the trail! He and I misunderstood exactly where he was and I directed him up the wrong trail. Luckily it turned out to be a dead end and he backtracked to the correct trail and we ended up meeting at the end of the mud flats. But that’s getting ahead of things. So the group got back on the trail and headed down Union Springs Road. This was another trip along a ridge with several water holes and some trickier rock sections. A big thanks to Pete for spotting everyone on the stair steps! Then came the mud flats. Not so much sloppy mud, but lots of muddy water to splash in! Ed’s JKU which was whining some back at the Sheetz was quite noisy now and smelled a little burnt. Then Christine came through the mud flats just as her clutch disc gave out. Ed’s smelly Jeep didn’t seem so smelly after the Xterra arrived! Mike volunteered to hook up a tow strap and pull Christine down the trail. As the group left the mud flats to head down the final route out, Ryan and a few other rigs went back up the trail to give Ryan some wheelin’ time. But that’s another story. As Mike and Christine made their way down the trail we kept in contact on the CB to make sure thing were going well. I kept the group at a snail’s pace so we wouldn’t get too far ahead of them. One strap did break and they got a second one hooked up. The Xterra did still run, so it had good steering and brakes. As we neared the end of the trail, a couple miles away, I got one last CB transmission from Christine that they had passed the gate, which was near Black Run. The trail then went around a mountain and we had no more communication ability. I got the group to the dam lake where pavement starts and we waited for Mike and Christine. Several people needed to head home, and too many minutes went by with still no communications with the tow. I sent those who needed to leave on their way while Adam, Dan, Paul, and I headed back up the trail to find them. It turns out that the last people to work on the Xterra did not properly tighten the lug nuts and the left front wheel had fallen off shortly after we lost communications. A couple pickup trucks with locals stopped and retrieved the wheel that had rolled down the hill. After getting it back on the rig they headed back down the trail where we reunited. Christine had to leave her rig on the paved road and Mike gave her a ride into town to secure a tow truck to retrieve it. We all headed back towards Harrisonburg and the Sheetz. In one of the neighborhoods we pass through I saw Sam underneath his Bronco on the side of the road. His rear shaft had tossed a U-joint cap and he was just tightening up the bolts so he could drive it away. So we finally got back to the Sheetz, aired up, got some food, and headed home! On the way out I saw Sam at the auto parts store. Must have been getting some new U-joints!!!
Great Run! Thanks to all who helped set it up! Thanks to all that helped others out! Thanks to all who guided on the trail! Thanks to all the members who came! And Thanks to all the new faces that joined us to celebrate the New Year Off-Roading!!!!!
Happy Motoring
Bryan Folts
Off-Camber Crawlers Member