2013 Oregon Trophy Challenge

The Oregon Trophy Challenge, which was once known as the Team Trophy Challenge is back for its second consecutive year.  The organizers of the original Team Trophy Challenge took a break a few years ago.  Teresa and her team of volunteers decided to bring it back as the Oregon Trophy Challenge. It was a HUGE success during its first year back and this year it is will be held on September 21^st and 22^nd

The Oregon Trophy Challenge is not your everyday off-road event. This two day, one night event, that is made up of teams of 2 rigs and 4 people, will challenge your skills in and out of your rig.  Using a map and your thinking skills, you will navigate a course that is pre-determined with check points. Each check point will test your skills in different areas. Anything from basic off-roading skills to just down-right fun challenges. This is an elimination event; the Top four Teams will compete for the Grand Prize on the second day.  

Do you work well with others? Do you have three buddies that will have your back? Are you ready to prove you got what it takes to make it through this event?  Then get on over to the sign up page and get your registration in.  Click here to register

Mom’s chat with Teresa:

MOM: Did you ever run in the original Team Trophy Challenge?

TERESA: The original Team Trophy Challenge was put on by Doug Shipman. Unfortunately, I did not have the privilege of running the event. I had not heard of it in until the last year it was held.


MOM: How did you get the idea to bring back the Trophy Challenge?

TERESA: Really it was the disappointment that I had missed it when it was still going on. I thought it sounded like a fun event and was sad that I did not get to experience it. Since I couldn’t compete in it, I wanted to bring it back for others.


MOM: Tell the readers how you got into off-roading. Is it something you have done all your life, or is it a sport you took up as an adult?

TERESA: I started working in the parts department of Gresham Chrysler Jeep in 1997. One of the technicians had a really nice CJ5. He signed up for a Flat Broke n 4 wheelin’ poker run and needed a co-pilot. He invited me and the parts manager. We found out after we were all there that neither of us was good at reading in a moving vehicle, LOL. That was my first trip to the Tillamook State Forest. I found myself in need of a new vehicle the next year and bought from the dealership the 1990 Wrangler that I still have. I began driving it off road in 2000 and learned and grew slowly with my rig.

MOM: Who was your biggest influence in learning to off-road?

TERESA: Originally, Shane Fay, the Jeep tech from my dealership taught me quite a lot. My husband and I have really taught ourselves a lot. Driving is a learning experience. You find out what doesn’t work and change it till it does. We decided to drive to White River to camp out one year. The connecting road 43, is not plowed for snow and was still very full of it. We had just barely left the pavement when my husband sank in and got stuck. We hooked up a strap and I gave him a tug. Of course that buried my rig with the strap tight between us. That was our first learning experience of ‘airing down in the snow’.


MOM: What is your favorite type of terrain to off-road on?

TERESA: I really like trails with a combination of rocks, a little mud, and trees. Something that takes a little skill is always a good challenge. I live near Mt. Hood, so I see some snow. It can be fun to have to ‘four wheel’ to get to work. I can drive in the sand only once a year and be perfectly happy. I don’t care for it getting into seals and chewing things up.


MOM: What do you drive most often when you are off-roading? Give us all the dirty details of your ride year, make, model and modifications. And Name if it has one.

TERESA: Between my husband and I, we have three Jeeps and one early Bronco. My favorite and most often driven is my 90 Wrangler. Being what I learned on, it is the most comfortable for me. I would say that I drive by braille. I like to feel what I am stuck on. I can’t do that as well in my coil sprung JK. It started out stock with a 2.5L.

• It now has a built (by Shane Fay) 4.0L

• on board air

• Tera-low 4:1 t-case

• Dana 44 front and rear with ARB’s and 4.88’s

• Sprung over with reverse shackles and buggy springs

• Locking hubs

• 35” Goodyear MTR’s

• ‘good luck mud’ on the inside of the windshield.

I have never given my Jeep a ‘name’ but my license plate is JP CHIC. :-)

Teresa and her YJ getting it on.

Play Safe and Tread Lightly
A  4 Wheeling Mom

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

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

Off Roading Ethically

We all started out as a newbie at some point in our wheeling careers and had to learn things as we went. Even those who have been around a while learn new things from time to time. Not to mention a lot of things have changed over the years. What was “O.K.” for our fathers, may not be considered ethical today. Another thing that has an impact on what is considered appropriate or not is the area you live in. Wheeling in the South is way different than wheeling in the Dessert regions and that again is different than wheeling in The Pacific Northwest. Culture can have a lot to do with the ethics of wheeling in your area. With that being said I’m going to focus on the Pacific Northwest as this is my stomping grounds. So what I say may or may not be true for you area, but no matter what, always wheel safely and ethically.


If you don’t know what Tread Lightly! is I encourage you to follow the link and educate yourself. There are other site out there as well like, The Blue Ribbon Coalition, and Leave No Trace. By following the guidelines set forth by places like these we will help to insure the recreational area’s we play in will remain open. People that don’t respected our environment or laws only make it harder for those of use that do. Off road parks and forest service roads get closed down all the time because people have chosen to ignore road closure signs, go around gates, go around road blocks, or  “trail blaze” a.k.a make their own trail.

This is not even close to a full list of things that should be considered, but these are some of the things I see the most often when it comes to some wheelers giving a bad name to the rest of us.

* means this action could lead to fines and/or jail time.

1) Off Road Ethically and Legally

a) Stay on Marked trails, NO Trail Blazing *

b) If  you are unsure if a trail is OK, go to the office of whoever manages the land and get a current Vehicle use maps. You should have one anyway. Never rely 100% on GPS or Internet based maps.
           A few web sites to help you find maps
           The Bureau of Land Management                 Oregon State Forest 
           Us Forest Service ( National Forest)             Washington State DNR
         


c) If it is not a clearly marked trail don’t go, if there is a road block has been placed in the way i.e. boulders, gates or it is obvious that a tree did not fall there, but was placed there don’t go.*

d) If you become stuck, assess the situation then determine what would be the easiest way to get out with the least amount of damage to your rig and the environment.

e) When doing a recovery, be sure to use tree savers and fill in any holes you may have to dig. Don’t spin tires so long you dig big holes.

f) No water crossing if there is a bridge available to use. If you have to cross a stream, river, or creek do it with care and as slow as possible to protect what is living in the body of water and to prevent as much erosion on the banks as possible.

g) Be sure to have any or all passes for the area you are in.*

h) Be sure to know what you need to carry for what area you are in i.e. Fire extinguisher, water, shovel ( all things you should have anyway) *

i) Don’t drive through meadows, wetlands and the like just for the hell of it stay on the road/trails. *

j) Before crossing private land you should always get permission. If you have to open any gates close them behind you! Again they are there for a reason. Being respectful of private land keeps the land owner happy and willing to say yes the next time someone asks for permission.

k) Pack out what you pack in. DO NOT LITTER! *



2) Stop and think before posting photos and video on line. How do they make you look as an off roader?

a) Could someone mistake what you are doing as unethical or illegal?

b) Does it look like you are tearing up the environment? Driving up hills that are not part of the road or trail? Disturbing the plant life by driving over it? Yes this includes grass.

c) Are you in a body of water that you didn’t need to go in to or through to get down the trail? I’m not talking mud puddles here, I’m talking lakes, streams, ponds, rivers ect.

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may want to think about your approach to wheeling.


I know this all sounds redundant and probably over the top, but keep in mind because of people doing just these things many places have been closed to off road use. As well as making it extremely difficult to get new places opened up. When in doubt DON’T do it!

Please post up Ethics you may think of I have missed. :-)

Click Here

Play Safe and Tread Lightly

A 4 Wheeling Mom

4 Wheel To Heal: Giving Back to Those That Gave Their All!

I'm excited to have had the opportunity to talk with 4 Wheel To Heal. As the daughter of a father who retired from the military, I support our troops 100% and love that groups like this are popping up all over the place. These men and women give all they have to serve our country. Some ( far to many) come home damaged in one way or another. People like these fine young men, are doing what they can to help our Wounded Hero's heal from their battle scares. Please take the time to show them a little love. You can make donation directly to the cause, or you can buy some pretty cool merchandise to help support what they are doing.  http://www.4w2h.org/ 

4 Wheel to Heal's Mission statement 

4 Wheel to Heal (4W2H) is dedicated to taking Wounded Veterans from all branches of service to off-roading events. These events involve four wheeling, rock crawling, mud bogging, and camping. Our mission is to boost moral for these veterans and give them an experience they will never forget.

Mom:  Tells us a little about each of the board members. (I am only giving a short bio on each of these Awesome People to save space for the meat of the post, but PLEASE take the time to visit the bio page on 4w2h.org's website to learn more.) 

John Purser – President / Co-Founder

John Purser is a Staff Sergeant in the Air National Guard. He served as a crew chief on A-10 Warthogs for six years for the United States Air Force. He joined the guard after leaving active duty and cross-trained to become a Command Post Controller.

John Griffin – Vice President / Co-Founder

John “Hannah” Griffin entered the Air Force in 1997 right out of high school. Originally from a small town in North Carolina, he has traveled a good part of the world and has deployed several time in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). He currently works as a maintainer on fighter aircraft at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. 

Nathan Ramos – Executive Director / Co-Founder

Nathan “Nate” Ramos entered the Air Force in Jan of 2000. After graduating from Tech School, he was assigned to the 23rd Maintenance Squadron/23rd Fighter Group at Pope Air Force Base, NC, a 4th Fighter Wing Tenant Group.  

Mark Schultz – Treasurer / Communications Director / Co-Founder

Mass Communications Specialist Chief Petty Officer Mark Schultz joined the United States Navy in 1999 and has served at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla.; aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1) out of Norfolk, Va.; Defense Media Activity in Washington DC; and is currently serving at Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific in San Diego, Calif


- Nathan and John P. live here in the local DC area (Annapolis / Crofton). Mark is currently deployed and has just moved out to San Diego after being stationed there for the Navy. John Griffin just moved to Florida after being stationed at Homestead AFB with the Air Force Reserve.



Mom:  How did this idea come about?

4W2H:  We started as 4 Wheel enthusiasts and wanted to start our own Four Wheeling Club. We did not like the idea of paying club dues and had a good group of people that really loved four wheeling together. So we formed Country Boy Crawlers as a four wheeling club. We had the desire as a club once we became big enough to give back to the community.

Mom:  What prompted you guys to create this group to get Wounded Warriors out wheeling, camping and having a good time outdoors?

4W2H: Through our work in the Air National Guard we were put in contact with Operation Ward 57 and made a trip to Walter Reed Military Hospital. We met several warriors and were touched by what positive attitudes they had and wanted to do anything we could to help them. From there we made the decision to form 4 Wheel to Heal and start as a Non-Profit Organization. We did not want to obligate our club members and knew we would not be able to raise funds unless we went Non-Profit.

 Four Wheeling is what we love. It centers on getting out in the elements in a competitive environment that is full of camaraderie. It presents challenges and obstacles that are fun to tackle. This reminds us a lot of our time spent in the military and being part of a team. We always have smiles on our faces when doing it and wanted to introduce these Warriors to our sport.


Mom: Organizations like yours survive on the hard work and dedication of volunteers. The easiest way for those of us that can’t volunteer, to help is by donations or purchasing of your merchandise at 4W2H.org. For those that have the time to with your volunteer organization, what type of person are you looking for?

4W2H:  We are looking for emotionally strong individuals who have integrity, and are compassionate towards our cause. The individual should be able to work as a team, and in team environments. Having prior experience in customer service is also important in working events and being able to hold a conversation with customers.


Mom:  Do they need any specific set of skills?

4W2H:  Particular skills could involve handling money, event setup and tear downs, and hospitality.
 Four Wheeling experience is highly encouraged, as well as knowledge of the sport.


Mom: Do they need a back ground in working with Wounded Warriors?

4W2H: With every outing and visit to the ward we learn something new. We would expect this from any volunteer that we bring on. They just need to be able to learn and be respectful of the Warriors needs.


Mom: I know passion would be a must. Tell us what your ideal volunteer would be.

4W2H: Passion is what keeps us going! Being passionate about the Warriors and four wheeling is the most important thing to us. Passion is infectious and we hope that our volunteers can make an impact and touch others’ lives. Integrity and values are also desired. Someone who can embrace these ideals would be considered our perfect volunteer.


Mom:  Right now you are located in MD. Do you have any future plans to open chapters in other areas?

4W2H:  In theory if we can get some solid donations under our organizations belt and have the opportunity to expand we will. We have some awesome ideas for the future and are holding those ideas pretty close to the hilt. There will be great things to come and the name 4 Wheel to Heal is so broad that later down the road we can move into more areas of support. Cancer, make a wish, and a number of other things that we could push into in the future.


Mom: Is there anything you want to say to the readers?

4W2H:  Our hats are off to those who gave all. Remembering the fallen and working with the Wounded is what drives us. We just ask for support anyway someone can give it. Whether that be a donation, purchase of merchandise, word of mouth, or volunteering it is all important. We cannot thank all of you enough for your support for 4 Wheel to Heal.

I talked briefly with a Wounded Warrior about his experience with the Organization. I would have loved to spent more time getting stories from these Warriors. 

Mom: Can you tell me a bit about your experience with 4W2H?

John: I went to ice breakers at Big Dogs. The best part was spending the entire day on the trails. 4W2H is an excellent organization that helped me to relax and get out of the normal routine of recovery.

Here are a few Photo's from the Ice Breakers event.

I want to thank all the men and women that have served in our military and for those that are working hard to support them! THANK  YOU!

Play Safe and Tread Lightly

A 4 Wheeling Mom

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

Be Prepared

Even when Dad and I go out to play just for the day, with a group of people, we still take all our survival gear. It is better to be overly prepared than lost in the woods and no equipment. Maybe it's because Dad did Search and Rescue in his younger years, and both our boys gave 4 years to our local Search and Rescue team that I'm anal about being prepared.

   



We always carry with us:

1. Fire starting material:  flint and steel, wind proof matches, hatchet, and lint from our dryer ( works great as tender if you can't find anything near by. Some people I know use cotton balls dipped in wax)
2. First Aid Kit
3. Tarps for making shelter
4. Ropes 
5. 6 gallons of water. Water is good for drinking, cleansing, and putting out unwanted fires.
6. Water filtration system.
7. Food for several days per person. ( yes even if we are planning just a few hour trip I load the cooler up and toss it in) 
8. Hand and foot warmers
9. Several different weight jackets. I live in the Pacific Northwest. Weather can change quickly. 
10. Dry socks. 
11. Hat
12. If  Dad and I are going out alone we toss the chain saw in. We use this for clearing trails and for fire wood for the camp fire. 
13.  I NEVER leave home with out my Spot Locator device. I have the basic device with basic plan. Makes my family feel much better about Dad and I playing in the woods. 
14. Survival Knife
15. Shovel
16. and stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting several things that are always in the rigs

This list does not include tools and other such gear we carry all the time.

4 days of gear for 4 people

Another big thing is making sure someone knows where you are going to be. So if you are not home by X time or day they can send out the Calvary to find you.  Again Spot serves me well. I check in when I start my journey and it post on facebook we are OK and our location. I check in several times during the day and again one last time when we get home or back to camp for the night. That way there is always record of our last know GPS location.  Spot also has a 911 button so if we do have an emergency like being lost or injured so badly we can't make it out of the woods we can get help to us. I never want to have to look the SAR people in the face and say I'm sorry I wasn't prepared! I also don't want to be "that" story on the news. 

OH and NEVER rely 100% on your GPS. Get maps of the area. Look them over and get somewhat familiar with where you are and where you are going! 

Because we carry all that and more we can go to places like this and not worry so much about the what if's while we are there! We took care of the worrying while packing our bags! 

Play Safe and Tread Lightly
Mom

Southern Oregon Jeeps 2011 Rock Crawl and Mud Drags



Travis from Creepingrocks





OJO's own Phillip Bender



How's it going guys and gals. Just wanted to talk about last years rock crawl and mud drags I put on last year. Kyle Young and I got the idea hanging out. We pretty much put it together in about a month and it went awesome. We had 3 different events with different classes. First event was the rock crawl with mod stock, pro mod, and unlimited classes. We ran WEROC rules and with help from Brent Bradshaw of Team Trail Tough, 2009, 2010, 2011 unlimted class WEROC, CAL NEVA, and CAL ROCKS Champs, it was awesome.We had some major carnage and smoking tires, but all in all it was great. Next up was the obstacle course with mod stock, and pro mod class. It was the highlight of the day with 37 rigs competing. OjO's own Phillip Bender came in 11th place with a great run. We had a great course through the woods, with some mud, water and log crossings. Last but not least we did a mud drag with 2 classes. They where up to 35 inch tires and 36 and up. The mud pit was awesome and nasty. Lots of rigs stuck and a few rear diffs blown up.:-) In the end Travis Proudfit from Creepingrocks took top honors. The day turned out better then expected and for our first one it was a huge sucess. I spent a lot of time working with sponsors and had some awesome prizes and giveaways. The turnout was about 200 spectators and 37 rigs. This coming year we plan on bigger and better with more prizes and giveaways. Hope to get a few big sponsors. So all you Northen boys and girls wanna give it a shot, come on down. I will post the date at a later time as it still is in the works.

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

Shout Out To The Guys at The Shop

Dad injured his back on the job about 15 + years ago. He was a mechanic when I met him, and then moved on to metal fabrication. Oh the things we could do if only... We are lucky we found a shop in our neighborhood that we are very comfortable with, and the employees all live in our neighborhood.  I love supporting the local economy when possible! I'm sure we have made a couple vacation possible over the last year! :-) I love my shop so much the guys have become friends. They wheel with us from time to time. Not as often as I would like, but when you are an empty nester you can do things a little more often than those with kids at home still. Such is the nature of the beast of life.

I just wanted to say thanks to the guys for helping us get the stuff done we can't do ourselves these days. If you are ever in the Beaverton area and need work done to your off road vehicle or want to add some accessories to your car look up Patrick and Brian at Accessory OutFitters   Or look them up on Facebook 

Be Responsible On Your Adventures.

Part of what I want to do with my Blog and Facebook page is promote legal and ethical wheeling. The first step for people that want to play off road  and who use the great outdoors need to educate themselves and others about what is legal and ethical off roading. In general when I post about off roading I'm usually talking about 4x4 vehicles because that is what I know and what I do. But this topic is much bigger than that. We are talking Hikers, bikers, motorcycle riders, horseback riders,atv's and 4 wheel drive vehicles. If I missed anything It was not intentional.

The best way to learn is by research and talking to those in the business. Here are a couple places to start with.
Tread Lightly
BlueRibbon Coalition 

Also if you have any questions about the area's you use for your off road adventures please take the time to talk to the organization that oversee's it's use. I have contacted the BLM in the past to clarify use legality's.
The more we educate ourselves and other the less damage to our environment will happen and the less trail closure will  happen.

I sent an email off to Jahmaal Rebb OHV Specialist from the Tillamook State forest. He over sees Browns Camp where Dad and I do the majority of our playing. He was nice enough to answer some of the questions I had in regards to what he saw as the worst issues and what he would like to see more of. Here is what he had to say.



Mr. Rebb:  Being in the management side of the motorized recreation world I tend to see things a little different than those who are just out to recreate. There are two main aspects of managing motorized recreation on public land that become somewhat of a balancing act. On one side you have a very dedicated, passionate motorized community that values the opportunities we provide and the other there is the natural environmental resource that is our responsibility to manage appropriately. Having a good understanding of the nature of motorized recreation I feel the only way to have a successful OHV area is to have the support and commitment from the user community to recreate responsibly. We rely heavily on our local clubs, organizations, partners and individual volunteers to preserve and improve the motorized recreation opportunities that exist. Having said that, I feel everything revolves around respect. Respect for each other and respect for our environment.

Mom:  Some people may unknowingly do tings that can be harmful to the environment, or be destructive to the trails. Ultimately these actions could get trails closed down. What do you see as the number one thing that people do that they shouldn't?

Mr. Rebb: The number one thing that I see that could close trails is off- trail travel. Proper planning, design, and layout allows us to build trails in areas that are sustainable and can accommodate the use it is designated for. Off-trail travel results in activity in undesirable locations and can lead to serious environmental issues. Second to that I would say, littering is a big problem. When you find trash on trail, in campgrounds and along roads it reflects upon the people that recreate in that area and the respect that they have toward that area. Although it may only be a small percentage of the use community that litters it reflects on the public use as a whole.

Mom:  Some of us belong to groups that have adopted trails at Browns Camp OHV park. But not all those that play belong to groups that do such things. What would you like to see more of from independent drivers when they come to play?

Mr. Rebb: I would like to see all motorized users take a more responsible approach to their activity that they engage in, not only for their own actions but to stand up to those whose actions negatively impact the perception of motorized recreation.


Mom: When someone says "hey lets go wheeling this weekend" word tends to spread fast. Next thing you know the trip you think you planned for four or five buddies blooms into 20 rigs. ( this has happened to me a couple times) Is there a limit to the size of groups that run around together? Is it best to split larger groups like that up in to smaller groups?


Mr. Rebb: Group size has always been an issue that has an impact on the trail system in various ways. Congestion is one that affects user enjoyment and also can result in trail widening or (trail creep). Public trail opportunities are shared. Respect toward other groups and use types need to be honored to maintain a strong unified OHV community and ensure enjoyment. We prefer to see smaller groups rather than larger groups to minimize the potential conflicts with other trail users and through dispersion reduce trail tread impact.

Play Safe, Be Prepared and Tread Lightly! 

Mom