George Washington National Forest
Off Camber Crawlers trip to
Meadow Knob & Flagpole Knob

Attendees:
OCC Members:
Bryan and Matthew Folts in a 1987 Wrangler YJ (Virginia)
Patrick Delaney in a 1999 Cherokee XJ (?)
Doug and Robin Masnick in a 1993 4Runner (Honey Badger)
Guests:
Robert Barlow & Taylor Rowland in a 2012 Wrangler JK (Silvia)
Jason and Katie Blackwell in a 1999 Wrangler TJ (Bessie)

Everyone arrived at the Sheetz in Harrisonburg between 7:30 (Patrick like to
be early) and 9:30. We had a short drivers meeting and headed to the trails.
Union Springs was our entry point to FR85. We stopped to air down, remove
doors (Jason and Patrick), and fold the windshield (Bryan) eriacta 100mg tablets. After heading up
the long climb, we took another quick break after the switchbacks, then
headed on to the muddy area. Doug took movies of the dirty fun, and others
took pictures. From there we headed down to the stair step rocks. Again,
Doug took movies. We went down and some went back up the rocks. Onward to
the steep climb with the rocks at the top. Taylor got worried when Robert
got close to the tree at the top, but all made it up. We passed a JK on the
trail as we got to the bigger rock that Jason did drive down. Took a couple
pics of the rock house near there and headed to Meadow Knob for lunch. After
eating our lunches and throwing the Frisbee we headed on. Along the ridges
were many small mud puddles to splash in, and several climbs with larger
rocks and loose rocks to navigate. Along one of these uphill sections we
came upon a group going the opposite way. After a quick greet we had to
climb up the side of the trail where the rocks were even looser. There was a
group doing some Ham radio stuff at Flagpole Knob. Doug stopped to talk to a
guy driving an FJ40. Nice rig. We then continued to the end of the trail,
but stopped for one more movie splash in a larger puddle. Some of us aired
up at the trail end, then we all drove back to Sheetz to finish airing up,
fueling up, and to say good byes. It was a beautiful day to be out side
wheeling!
Pics and vids:
http://tinyurl.com/c9mzcjz
http://tinyurl.com/cyhygr4
http://tinyurl.com/cdjov38

Happy Motoring,
Bryan Folts
OCC Member @ Large
05 May 2012 - Off-Camber Crawlers Spring Trip To Rausch Creek
Here is my trip report for the weekend.

Friday Afternoon

Jeff Huff, Peter, D90
Jason Lavender, Jared Kurtz, D90
Charles Galpin, Pedro Luina, D90
Doug Masnick, passenger Name?, 93 4Runner SR5

Jeff and I drove up Friday afternoon and met up with the group of guys who had ben there all day and were dying to get a run in, so we did. Best $35 I spent all week! Played on comp course, then 1C, 1, winch hill, 1a, then first half of 2 and got stuck in water next to the power line. Towed Jeff to camp. Jeff's truck started a little later, and we ate too much burgers and brats. Had a few beers around the camp fire and hit the sack. Ed Kang showed up after we had gone to bed.

Saturday

Jeff Huff, Leo, D90
Jason Lavender, D90
Charles Galpin, Pedro Luina, D90
Ed Kang, D90
Rich Martinez, Maggie, CJ-5
Kevin Patterson, passenger name?, XJ
Preston, YJ

Brief drivers meeting and split into 2 groups. My group took 12C to 12-B, back around 12-B to 20. Took 20 to 13A. Preston pretzled his steering so he went to drop off his truck while we had lunch. Took 13A until one of the crossings and crossed the creek on trail XX? to 10B. Did the blue loop, then got onto 18b, through 18a where we ran into Jeff Jurgrau and a few XJs at pizza rock. Ran into Doug's group at 11B. Tool 11B to 11 to do the gully, then back down to 23, where we ran into Doug's group again at the small rock garden. Took 11 to 19b, then 19a, then part of 15 then back to camp. Had dinner at the Red Lion Cafe, had a few beers around the camp fire and hit the sack.

Sunday

Jeff Huff, Leo, D90
Jason Lavender, D90
Charles Galpin, Pedro Luina, D90
Ed Kang, D90
Rich Martinez, Maggie, CJ-5

Trail 4 backwards, skipping yellow jacket except back section. Did snakebite. Jeff went back to camp to straighten his drag link, the rest took B to E to S down to lake Cristy. Played there for a bit and then headed back to camp around noon. Straightened Jeff's drag link with forked tree and winch. Packed up, gassed up and ate, removed mangled steering guard thingy and straightened Ed's drag link and headed home.

It was an awesome weekend.

Here are some links to pictures and videos people took

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59052329@N07/sets/72157629988066793/
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7c246g87xkutbbb/LjpuHdL9kf
https://plus.google.com/photos/109267041288614882420/albums/5739598026375103345?banner=pwa&authkey=CKKQk6Hx8KDZPw

charles

In my group were

Ed Miller (OCC, TJ 35's, locked/locked)
Jonathan Kalmes (OCC, LJ, 35's, locked/locked)
Rob (Guest, LJ, 35's, locked/locked)
Gene, Claudia (NVJA '07JK Rubicon, 35's, locked/locked)
Chip Woods (OCC, TJ, 33's, open/open)
Charles Galpin, Joe Edwards, Sam (OCC, '94 D90, 33's, rear locker)

This was a great sized group and all the vehicles where nicely setup for blues. There were 3 blue groups and we made a rough agreement on which route's we'd take so we didn't end up in traffic on the same trail, and our group was going to start with the u-turns.

We had a slow start. On the way to the trail we saw extreme, and after a brief discussion it was decided we'd give it a shot - someone mentioned they recalled it not living up to it's name. As the trail progressed it got harder and I was running a new [to me] set of tires and wasn't getting traction so I stopped to check my air pressure. It looks like I need to adjust my deflators as they were all high in the low twenties. Chip offered up his deflators set at 12 psi so I aired down to 12 which improved traction. However it was getting tougher for Chip and I and we walked the trail a bit and decided it wasn't getting any easier and there was no end in sight so the smart move was to turn around and head for the trails we knew. Whilst turning around I managed to lose the bead on my right front tire. It was of course a very steep rocky section so we hooked up Ed's winch via a snatch block on a tree to prevent the truck falling downhill and I jacked the right front up with my hi-lift. We then put a ratchet strap around the tire to help seat the bead and used my air tank to inflate the tire. Some smart-ass comments were made as to how far I'd make it without breaking again and fortunately for me it was uneventful from that point forward.

So once back on middle road we went up u-turn hard, and I believe stopped for lunch at this point. During lunch we cut the end of Rob's exhaust off which he had manage to bend on extreme and was pressing up against his right rear shock which was also bleeding out. Later I found out this was a bad move as the exhaust heated the rubber boot on the drive hope and sprayed the rubber into his brakes. Then we went down u-turn easy, and went all the way down to the very start of trickle and road it all the way to the end. We crossed over middle road and took cobra up, came back down winch-only. My memory is fading already but we ended up taking some other trail up and then came down cobra, but I can't remember which trail :( Chip needed to get back to camp so he split when we took wahoo before heading back to camp.

Despite the slow start we covered a lot of ground and had a great day. I want to thank everyone in my group for being patient and helpful which we futzed around with my tire. I am thinking the skinny tires were not a good choice but will setup my deflators and give them at least one more chance :)

I also want to thank everyone who helped organize the event, and especially Chip for cooking a great dinner on Saturday night!

charles

2012 Spring Colossal Canines Trail Report Saturday Blue Group 1

 

Trail Leader: Bryan Folts (OCC) – 99 XJ – passenger Matthew Folts (OCC)

Patrick Delaney (OCC) – 99 XJ – passenger Brian Sherman (OCC)

Charles Sutton, (NVJA) – 00 XJ – passenger Gary Dawson

Preston Crum (NVJA) – YJ

Kevin Patterson (NVJA) – 94 XJ

Chris Collison (NVJA) – 05 TJ Rubicon - passenger Cristal

Tail Gunner: Doug Masnick (OCC) – 94 4Runner – passenger Robin Masnick

 

We had a driver meeting to check for safety equipment and discuss trail etiquette. We set our CB’s to channel 4, and changed channels several times during the day due to too many other users. 9:52- We followed Blue Group #3 up to Middle Road and continued to the North end after they went down Wahoo!. We took a quick break at the bottom of Trickle before heading up the trail. About this time Preston stopped to replace the first of many fan fuses in his YJ. A little further up the trail, Charles pushed the bead off his right front tire. We replaced the valve stem, damaged by a rock, reseated and aired up his tire. Preston replaced another fuse. Every rig made it through Trickle with no tugs, stacking, or winching. 11:53- A quick lunch break was taken at the end of the trail. After lunch ad a short drive on Middle Road we dropped onto the bottom of Wahoo!. Preston replaced another fuse. Wahoo presented some challenges for the three rigs with open differentials. I turned around at point to possibly winch Patrick over a log. But with some good spotting and a little stacking he made it over. Preston replaced another fuse. Doug had taken bypass #1 and rejoined at bypass #2. At bypass #3 we noticed Charles had a cut sidewall, Patrick’s XJ fan wasn’t working and a misfire developed, and the trail was a little much for Doug’s 4Runner. Preston replaced another fuse. So we took the #3 bypass and headed back to Camp 2 to assess the rigs. Kevin’s tire cut was small and not leaking. Doug and Robin decided to call it a day, aired up, and headed home. Patrick’s fan fuse had blown; Preston’s YJ was rubbing off on the XJ. 2:03- About a half hour later we headed out for some easier trails and the quest some had for mud! So we went to the 101 area. At Camp 6 Preston replaced another fuse. Then it was up Timber Trail and after a couple loops through the 101 area Preston replaced another fuse. A quick photo was taken at an overlook and we headed to the trails around Loop 10. We dropped down Dynamite to Loop 10. A couple drivers have a fear of heights, so the long steep downhill was a challenge for them. 3:18- Several rigs did the quick/steep up and down near the bottom, and then we headed back to the trail intersections with the mud holes. Patrick quickly sunk his XJ into a deep sloppy hole! After hooking up a strap and before being pulled out he spun his tires to get his rig very muddy. Kevin, with his larger tires and lift on his XJ decided to give the hole a try. He made it further than Patrick, but had to be pulled out by Charles. We bypassed the large mud holes at Camp 8 and headed back towards Camp 2. 4:01- Everyone took a turn on the RTI ramp in the field before we went back to Camp 2 and prepared for dinner. 4:25

 

Happy Motoring,

Bryan Folts

Off Camber Crawlers Member at Large

Colossal Canines - Blue Group #3 Saturday Trip Report

Attendees:
Alexander Mendez & Passenger (NVJA member, '07 JKU)
Chris Kann (NVJA, '03 TJ Rubicon)
Ed Salas (OCC, TJ)
Jim Stowers (NVJA member, '87 YJ)
John Young (NVJA, '92 XJ)
Joshua Sprinkle & Wes Lunsford (OCC, Scott's Red YJ)
Pete Soski & Melissa Burn (OCC, '94 YJ)
Wayne Lau & Randy Wood (OCC, '01 TJ)

I led one of the three Blue Groups for Saturday's run. After a brief driver's meeting we lined up and headed out. We headed over to Middle Road and I turned onto Wahoo, unfortunately it wasn't. After backing out and taking the next turn, we headed down Wahoo. We make quick work of Wahoo and went up Corbra next. We stopped at the top of Winch Hill to check the drop-off off the rock. The drop-off was still there, but it was dug out on both sides of the rock. I drove to the right of the rock and fit snuggly through. I had Alex go to the left side, but he slide sideways (due to the loose dirt/rocks) until hitting the rock which straighten him up. John took a nice line to the right by coming off the rock on the driver's side instead of going to the right of the rock.

We took lunch further down Winch Hill and then headed down Middle Road towards the beginning of Trickle. On the way, we did the Funnel which I usually like doing it the other way, but it was still fun. We picked up Trickle near the end where Middle road crosses Trickle. Trickle was pretty uneventful except for the bugs out there. At the end of Trickle, we ran into the Green Group lead by Alan which was about to start it.

We headed up Sissy and Nasty next. It's been a while since I've done these trails and I enjoyed them. Just as I was saying to myself how quickly we were going through the trails, we ran into some trouble. Nasty has a couple large rocks between two (2) trees on a hill climb. Alex got a little high centered. After a little rock stacking, hi-lifting, and winching he was free. Joshua had a little wheel spin and the rear driver's side tire caught the rock and he lost the rear driveshaft and driver's side center pin. After about 2.5 to 3 hours we were able to re-attach the driveshaft and replace the center pin. Thanks to everyone in getting Scott's jeep rolling again. We finished Nasty and headed back to camp.

We had great weather, great bunch of folks and great wheeling. Couldn't ask for a better day. Hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

Btw. I hope I got all the names right. If not I apologize.

Later...

- Wayne

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