1st anual Jeep Jamboree Tillamook Oregon. 2015

WOW what an experience!

Welcome

David and I have never been to a Jeep Jamboree.  We got lucky enough to be friends with a man and his wife who have been to many and trail guide on several.  They decided they wanted to have a Jeep Jamboree in the Pacific Northwest and set out to make it happen.  And boy did it happen!   They invited David and me to be trail guides, I was beyond excited.

Day 1,  July 11

Bushwacker

Our long weekend started on Thursday at the Bushwhacker facility in N Portland Oregon.   They did an awesome job.  They had Donuts and coffee in the morning and BBQ pulled pork and beef for lunch.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos on the tour. So I have none to offer. BUT it was really cool to see how they designed flares and then walk through the process from creating the mold to producing the final product.  I’m surprised by how much of it was still done by hand.  Not sure why but that gave me a comforting feeling. Bushwackers has been a sponsor for years, but this is the first time they have been able to host a factory tour. They were very excited about having us come and hang out with them. 

Air Down Station

 After the tour of Bushwackers, the trail guides headed to Tillamook Oregon to set up and prepare for the participants to arrive.  We had vehicle evaluations, registration and trail sign ups.  I ran the “Air Down Station”.  I had props and information on why airing down off road is a good idea.   When you can show someone the difference between the foot print of a full tire and that of a lower PSI it makes it more real to them.

On the The Trails, Day 2, July 12th

Friday Line up

We arrived at the fairgrounds around 6:30 am. No I was not fully awake! Heck I couldn't even figure out how to get off the elevator when someone wanted to get on after me getting off LOL. You had to be there, I was not fully awake at that point. 

We got everyone lined up for the trail they had chosen the night before, then off to breakfast. 

I have to say that the Tillamook Fairgrounds did an awesome job of feeding us.  I ate better there than I do at home. They provided hot breakfast, a sack lunch and dinners each day, the meals were fantastic. Friday night they did Tri Tip, OH MY! It melted in your mouth! David who mostly eats childlike foods thought it was wonderful. I was shocked. I give HUGE Props to the Tillamook County Fairgrounds staff and the 4H club for all their hard work. 

John has owned this Jeep for 38 years

 After Breakfast we headed out to the trails.  What an awesome line up of Jeeps we had. We had everything from a 1977 CJ7 all the way up to a 2015 JK. Each body style of wrangler between the two was represented by at least 1 rig. We even had an XJ. One of the Gentlemen in our group has been on 25 Jamborees.  One of the Cjs had a fuel issue  before we really got started so he had to head back to home base, but he was able to get it fixed and go out on Saturday.  The other CJ lost his water recovery cap on the trail. They thought they maybe out for the day too. BUT WAIT another participant found his cap on the trail. After a little duct tape and zipties he was back on the trail with us and was able to finish the day.

Fox Glove

The Green of Jones Creek Road

Our Group ran Jones Creek Rd, Truck Dent, Ample and Alluring, and Bates Rd. Not only was it a fun day of moderate trails, but the forest was in full bloom.  The Pacific Northwest is so Beautiful in the spring with all its fresh greens and colors of our wonderful wild flowers.

Beginning of Truck Dent

                                                       
The trail Truck Dent was featured in a  2012 Jeep
Wrangler Rubicon review video.  Click here to watch the video.  That makes it a special trail to drive for Jeep owners, and  especially during a Jeep event.  

Going back up the end of Truck Dent

Kris learned she could do more than she thought! way to go Girl!

We had a few newbies in our group on Friday. I love working with newbies.  My favorite thing to do as a trail guide is to teach someone they can do things they think they can't. As well as watch their self confidence grow by leaps and bounds throughout the day.  I got to see a lot of that on Friday.  Those smile at the end of the day just make the whole thing worth it to me.  Hearing things like "I had no idea my Jeep could do that" or "I almost didn't do that but I'm glad I did" thrill me to no end.

Day 3 July 13th 

At the fairgrounds waiting to leave

Day three started out a bit slower than Day 1 and 2.  The breakfast crowd dwindled in, instead of stampeding.  We still arrived at the fairgrounds around 6:30ish to make sure we were ready for the participants.

Originally we only had 3 Jeeps signed up for the day, by the time we rolled out we had 8 participants plus the 3 of us trail guides.  

The driver's meeting went a bit faster on this day. Everyone had been on the trails now, and the newbies were not such newbies anymore, they had graduated to novice.  They didn't need as much help getting ready as well as on the trails. Places we did a lot of spotting the day before we didn't have to on Saturday. We ran about an hour ahead of schedule all day. Even though this group was a bit quieter than the day before we still had a lot of fun.

Day two's group.

On Saturday we had the pleasure of the Bushwacker team joining use. We had Ken and Dan from Bushwacker and from GA,  James with Lund International the parent company of Bushwackers. 

Dan and the Bushwacker Jeep

James  had never been off road before so Ken let him drive the Jeep. I think we have created another monster. He seemed to really enjoy himself. 

We got done about an hour earlier than we planned, but it worked out. Everyone took off and hit the Ice Creamery before dinner.


It is hard to put this experience into words. It was so cool seeing the people that have been into Jeeping for many years, welcome all the newbies into the lifestyle. The comradery is unbelievable. 


I want to thank Mark and Terry for all the effort they put in to make this a wonderful event! I don't think it would have been the same without them. 

Relay for Life 4x4 Run pre-run

This Saturday June 15th will be the 1st Annual Relay for life 4x4 Run.  It will be a great day to support a great cause. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. It should be lots of fun, with lots of cool prizes from some awesome sponsors. Click here to see sponsors and raffle prizes.




This evening I hit the trails with one of the Trail Guides for the event to pre-run a couple trails. It was a much needed break from finals week!

We started with Stick in the Nose. 

The view of the rock crawl 

We ended our night on Bates Road trail. No photos of that trail. I don't have enough hands to hold a camera and navigate a hill climb LOL 

Play Safe and Tread Lightly! 

A 4 Wheeling Mom

Mom's first outing in a long time

The day started out like any other normal wheeling trip. I had not been on the trail in about 4 months. I was itching to go big time!  We headed to the Tillamook State Forest to a trail I had ridden on but never driven.

We stopped at the view point at the pass for a few photo's :-)  We had never stopped there before but I thought with the snow it would make for a nice holiday photo :-)

We kept on going over the pass and down the other side.We stopped at the  Diamond Mill day use area to use the last actual bathroom before hitting the trail we had set out to drive. The day use area was a winter wonderland.

We headed up Fox Creek Ridge Road and explored for a bit. 

After playing on Fox Creek Ridge road for a while we headed back over to Jordan Creek Road and  for Stick in the Nose, trail number 37. 

 The rock garden was fun. The only other  time I was on the trail I was the designated photographer so I didn't get to drive it. 

Most of Stick in the Nose is steep, narrow and off camber. Not a difficult trail but just enough tilt in area's to make it fun.  But when you add snow and ice to a trail that slopes one way or the other and is not much wider than a Jeep it can make for some interesting trail riding. 

At some point along our journey my ass end decided it wanted to go one way while the front went the other, and the harder I tried to get straight the more I slipped sideways to the trail. *disclaimer the photo's of our mishaps do not do justice to the steepness of the trail nor the depth of the ditches or hill sides. 

This photo doesn't show the 4 foot hole behind me filled with icy water. My son who has never been off-roading got a crash course in winching and recovery.  We finally got Baby Doll parallel to the road again and off we went up the hill to see what other kinds of trouble we could get in to.

We were driving along enjoying the view of the snowy countryside. I look up just as Dad and the boy go around a bend in he trail and all of a sudden I see them again as they are sliding off the hillside toward the canyon below. Then just as suddenly as they came in to my view they stopped in mid slide. I seriously thought they were about to start barrel rolling down the mountain! To our luck the ODF had placed some logs in the area to prevent drivers from creating an unauthorized trail and the top one was dug into the side of the hill well enough it stopped Dad's slide.

I get on the CB and ask if they are ok, and my son tells me simply "NO",  at the time I didn't know he just meant they were not on the trail any more so I panicked. I yanked on the e-brake and took my foot of the clutch killing Baby Doll.  I was about 2 blocks behind them down the hill. I rushed up the hill in the snow and ice as quickly as my little feet and hiking boots would let me.  As I tried to catch my breath and assess the situation my son dropped out of the passenger door and Dad unzips his window and starts talking as if he parks like this all the time. OY!  He asks me to get his recovery stuff out of the back of his jeep. Yeah that's not gonna work, the tail gate opens to the passenger side that is on the down hill side. All I could think about is the weight of it would shift the Jeep enough that it would push them on over the log.

Again this doesn't show the steepness of the trail. We are NOT on flat ground here.  I went back and got Baby Doll and inched past Dad, we tied Baby Doll off to a stump, then chalked my rear tires.  We then used her as an anchor point for The Ugly Duckling, and very slowly winched her up off the side of the mountain. I have to say, there is something very disconcerting about watching your husband and oldest child sliding, and you have no control over what is about to happen. Scarred the ever living hell out of me!

After talking for a bit about what had lead to them sliding off the trail, we realized Dad was not wearing his glasses at that time. He had taken them off to defog and dry them, and had forgotten to put them back on before we started out again. Now Dad has no depth perception with out his glasses. So when he had touch the bank on the drivers side and corrected to prevent rubbing again he went to far to the right.

We got the Ugly Duckling back on the trail and she showed no damage from her experience. We decided to travel up the trail a bit farther to a place Dad knows is wide enough to turn around. So we can go back down as we have decided that even though the snow is not deep it is slick enough we are done for the day.

I got about 50 feet up the hill and my ass deiced it wants to go off the trail again. OY! my nerves are rattled from the last 2 incidents. This time the ditch is about 6 or so feet deep. I would not have gone over the mountain at this point as there was a large wall built up, but I would have done some damage and been stuck hard core if I had slid into it.  After winching me up and up and to the left to get the Jeep away from the right side of the trail and gave me more wiggle/ slide room.We took a break and talked about our best course of action.  I actually broke down and handed the control's over to Dad. I have NEVER given up on a trail and had someone else get me out of a stuck, but I just couldn't do it this time.

We decided instead of continuing up we would just take our time and turn around there on the trail. We did just that. Our boy was a spotter on one side of the trail and I spotted the other and we got the Jeeps turned around with out indecent. Gravity and ice played a large part in the turn around. As we headed back down the trail we had no further issues. Thank goodness I may have had to walk  home from there haha




On our way home as we crested the top of the pass and started down, we saw a little car high centered on the snow that the plow had pushed off the highway.  He was in such a spot that we didn't want to use the winch to get him out as we would have been sitting on the freeway in a curve. So we decided to do a little digging and had him rock back and forth until he was able to break free and hit dry pavement.

It kind of pisses me off that he had been sitting there with his 4 way blinkers on and not one person had stopped to see if he and his daughter where ok. It was dark, wet and cold out. Even if they could not have helped get him free they could have offered to call for help as we where in a dead cell zone.  Please take the time to make sure people are ok. Not everyone is an expert in all driving conditions.

Play safe and Tread Lightly! 
A 4 Wheeling Mom

A Date With Dad

Dad and I have spent so much time between school and homework we have not gotten to do many one on one things. So this last week we had finals week, and after my last final I decided I was taking Dad out for the day to celebrate decompressing from finals and an early Fathers day present.

What do you need to have a good date in our house?

• A picnic lunch
• 2 full tanks of gas
• 2 Jeeps ( if one we only argue over who will drive) 
• Junk food
• A Map of  the Tillamook State Forest OHV park. 

We have found for the price of a movie and dinner we can spend a full day on the trails! Friday we spent 10 hours in the woods. If we go to a movie and dinner we get what maybe 3 hours of entertainment? 

We headed up to the Tillamook State Forest for a day on the trails. 

We ran 

1. Bates Road # 24
2. Power line b,c, #4
3. University Fire power (both sections) #10
4. Cedar Tree  #13
5. Hogs Back  #18
6. Played at the bottom of Little Rubicon Power line E  # 4
7. Power line b,c,d  #4

The Day's starting point. 

Dad and I are to tall to drive under the Cedar Tree so we backed up so we could at least have some Tree photos LOL 

Mom drove up Hogs Back for the first time! WOOHOOO

Dad sitting at the bottom of Little Rubicon Day dreaming about trying it :-) 

 It was an awesome day, just what we both needed! We both came home relaxed and with huge smiles on our faces! 

For more photo's click here 

Play Safe and Tread Lightly

A 4 Wheeling Mom

Helping on The Tail

I love that the off road community helps each other out. I have received help in the past and have given it.

Today while taking a break , two motorcyclist past us. Nothing unusual there we are in an OHV park after all.  A few minutes later a loan rider returned. He asked if we had any tools with us. His friend had popped the bead on his rear tire.  After a bit of talking, and trying to figure out what tools he would need we decided just to drive up to where he was.

We had what he needed to get his tire back on and re-inflated. They both where thankful as they where on the opposite side of the park as their camp and tools. Would have been a long walk.  Their thank yous where more than enough payment for our help. I was glad to be able to pay it forward so to speak.

As I was putting stuff away in the back of my rig and Dad was in the back of his, one of the kids yelled  from where he was something about my drink. I figured he was telling me not to forget it as it was on the fender of  Dad's Jeep. When I walked up there, they had placed a $5 bill under my cup. I grabbed it and said Oh no you don't need to pay us. As I walked forward to hand it back they both speed off so I could not give it back.  Those little stinkers!!!

When I stopped to think about it, that is a testament to the fine young men they must be, and to their parents for raising such thoughtful children.  The thought of payment for our help NEVER crossed my mind, If they had asked I would have told them to pay it forward to someone else on the trails. I don't help others for payment of any kind, well ok a thank you is nice to hear :-) but I do it because it's the right thing to do, and I know I appreciate it so much with others help us.

I just had to share this story of these 2 young men so if they ever see this, I want to thank them for being so thoughtful and appreciative of our help.




Play Safe and Tread Lightly
A 4 Wheeling Mom

Mom and Dad Have a Different Sort of Adventure

Cooking Pot

We went to dinner at the home of some good friends of our. They introduced us to a traditional winter dish from China. They called it Hot Pot.  This dish is an ongoing meal you eat as food is cooked adding different things along the way such as beef, fish, tofu, pot stickers, leafy veggies, mushrooms and other goodies. It last for a couple of hours. It made for a great way to gather around the table and have a great conversation with friends.

I did not  tell Dad what was for dinner until just before leaving. HAHA Dad has a  little picky eating issue and doesn't like to try new things.

When we walked in the dinner table was set and each spot had chopsticks. One look at Dad's face and they offered him a fork :-) In the 20 + years we have been together I don't think I have ever seen Dad use chopsticks, and last night was no different :-)  I admit it had been a while since I had used chopsticks but after a few fumbles and bits of dropped food I was proficient enough I was in no danger of starving :-)  Dad ended up enjoying the meats they had :-) See what happens when you try new foods :-) I still can't get him to eat his veggies!  HAHA

After we ate our fill we sipped on blooming tea while we finished our conversation. 

It was an awesome night, we stayed way longer than we planed LOL did you know the freeway is empty at 1:00 am ?

Mom and Dads first experience with Browns Camp

Adventures have been few and far between for Mom and Dad. Well, unless you count the approaching end of winter term in school. Dad in panicking about finals, Mom is in denial that they are coming up. So here I sit typing a blog instead of studying or doing house work.

If you have not noticed I have added a slide show at the top of the page. I'm going to try and change it out periodically.

I figured to fill in on my lack of adventures and interviews. ( I am waiting on several interviews to come in) I would share some of our adventures from last year with you guys and gals.


Our very first tip out  was to Browns camp but before we met any other  off roaders in person . One of the guys on Wranglerforum.com told us about the Powerline Trail at Browns camp. He told us it was a nice easy drive and a great place to have a picnic lunch. So we packed up our lunch and our SAR trained son and his girlfriend ( Mom was a bit worried about getting lost)  Both the boy and  his gal pal are proficient at reading maps and wilderness survival. Mom was afraid dad's skills at SAR and wilderness survival where a bit outdated and rusty. Shhhhhh Don't tell him that!

We knew nothing about sway bars and disconnecting them.  Ok we had read about them but where not confident enough to play with them the first time out with no one else with us.  YES, yes shame on Mom and Dad for going out in one vehicle alone. I had no idea just how much difference there was in  being disconnected in ride quality and flex. I disconnect and air down now just on gravels roads LOL oh the ride is so much nicers!  And yes I did learn first hand why we reconnect before hitting the freeway at high speeds LOL can you say body rollllllllll

Baby Dolls first photo off road. AWW how young  she looks there.

This is where I learned what I missed most about the F-250 I traded in for Baby Doll. THE TAIL GATE!   We have had trucks for so many years I took for granted I had a built in table for picnics
We now have a small roll up table we carry with us or we use the hood.

Mom panicked and made Dad leave before it got completely dark. Now  we hardly ever get out of there before dark. Oh how quickly things change when you have fun LOL
I did make the kids double check each others mapping though. They did as I asked even if they did roll their eyes at me every time I asked! Dad just ignored me after 20 years he is use to it :-)




We all have to start somewhere!
Play Safe and Tread Lightly
Mom

Newbie run to TSF

What an awesome trip! total 180 degrees  from the last trip you can read about it here "Epic Adventure: The Trails Bit Back"  We ended up with about 24 Wranglers.  We split into four groups. This group went off to play on the what I like to call the Big Boy trails. They headed out first. From all reports they had a really good day except for the run in with a group of less then desirable wheelers. But they didn't let it ruin their day.


The other three groups where made up of beginners, novices and experiences drivers.  We picked 3 moderate trails to use to break the newbies in. I was put outside my comfort zone. Dad and I have never been split up on a trail before. If I lead, which i don't do often, Dad is tail gunner if Dad leads someone is tail gunner, but frequently it is me. LOL Group one was headed up by yours truly, group two was headed up by Dad, and Group 3 was headed up by Jeff.

I led a small rag tag group in to the forest. Hoping against hope that I would not loose anyone. Oh wait to late! I left one at the meet up point! Crud there goes my perfect record. BUT you can't blame me. I was leading like 24 jeeps at 55mph. How could I keep track of them all?? At least I didn't leave her in the woods :-)  She had a small family emergency and had to cut out. But I didn't find this out until later. I worried about her but I did console myself with the fact I lost her in town and not on the trail. Next time Shannon.

Dad led group number two. Poor Dad his Jeep decided it didn't need to start right away when we left the gathering place. She then stalled a few times during the trip. BUT he got home under his own power this trip! We are thinking fuel filter. OY! I'm not sure what we did to make the Ugly Duckling so mad at us, but we did it good! Dad also found a few roads with tree's fallen across them as it had been storming up there the last few days. So his group also got to take a nice little tour of the area.

Now Group 3 had the most adventurous day of all. First Jeff lost his tail gunner ( not his fault tail gunner left with the wrong group but had a wonderful day anyway). They then got chased down by Ranger. (OK not Jeff's fault one of his guys forgot to put his OHV permit on oops!) Then Jeff got directions from the Ranger to a trial. Either Jeff didn't catch all the directions or the Ranger didn't give him the correct directions because they never found the trail.

On their travels around Browns camp to find the trail they came upon a truck in distress. Jeff held a recovery class on the spot. None of the other newbie groups got that privileged. They get back on the road looking for trails and a group of unsavory type wheelers, crowd the road and push Jeff off in to the ditch. They now get to hold recovery class number two :-) Poor Jeff. In the end they got to play on snow covered roads, and did make it to a couple trails. Everyone had a good time.


All in all it was a great day with lots of lessons learned for all. I lowered my tire pressure lower than last trips and it made a world of difference in the snow!  Only time I really had any issues was because of my own miss handling of the situation LOL no slamming on brakes in the snow LOL  Well unless you want to LOL
Every one says  they had an awesome day and all left with a smile on their face.

I'm working on a slide show of all the photo's I have stolen errr I mean asked permission to use from all the participants. As soon as I get it done I will toss it up.  I had to make this post short and sweet as I have a tone of home work to catch up on since I spent the day playing :-)

Play Safe and Tread Lightly! Mom