Ok, if you got time to sit up late playing on the 'puter, maybe you got time to type up some of your favorite stories of stuff that happened on the trail. Good stucks with pics, the time the bear tried to eat your winch cable, ya know - all those "remember the time..." kinda stories you trade around the fire with fellow off-roaders. Pics would be nice.
I don't wanna seem too mysterious, but I don't wanna say much more than that I'm compiling for POSSIBLE publication. I'm not lookin' to buy stories and pics, and whoever submits will be credited.
If you're interested, you can PM me with specific questions.
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1. Kev's first ride, and the spring centering pin he broke.
I wasn't there, but he talks about it to this day. You may be able to so a search for this one.
2. Donnie's entire steering broke off on Manchu 1. Ready-welder saves the day.
3. SammiMike being recovered by an ATV on Banner Creek. IIRC, this was the same night his 'case got stuck in Lowrange, and Suzuki Dave had a fender-bender with Lawson at the trail-head.
4. NBM and Lawson's winch-fest on Manchu, lasted nearly 24 hours, and burnt up 1 winch, 1 cable, and several nerves.
5. Jon and Leni's last ride, a 16 hour winch-less fest on Manchu
6. My numerous failed attempts at the slate-hill on 55-mile trail. First time I backed into the guy behind me, who happened to be my troop. The second time I backed into a tree and mangled my tailgate.
7. Kevin's trail-fires at Fairbanks Creek, Manchu 1.5, and others
8. Great-white's floating super-duty on 55-mile.
9. Nate's black-ops missions to Mullins pit
10. Eric's impromptu recovery-submarine at Husky. Oh wait, that wasn't his rig.
Great!!!!
Anyone care to sit down and type out the whole things with or without pics?!
Nope thats to much work. How about we find someone to write it down for us while we have some beers and the storys get better?
Hey, that works for me!!!!!!!!:beer:
55 Mile "Sven" run when I busted both driveshafts and almost slid off a cliff with both boys in the Blazer!:eek: all 4 tires were locked up and I was sliding on gravel - a small berm beside the trail before a large cliff type drop - one tire was up and over the berm, seeing as it was on a curve 2 other tires were at the top of that berm before it stopped - a few small birch trees were bent at about a 40 degree angle under my rear bumper. Once the boys were out Kael chucked a rock under the one tire left on the trail and I was ready to bail as I let go of the brake pedal and steering wheel but wshe only moved another 1/4 inch to that rock and stayed put. I grabbed my winch line to go secure my rig to a tree and the cable bolt had sheered and unspooled in a tangled mess, rendered useless. Martin brings his 2 week old rubicon down with a strap to secure my Blazer and I asked "What, you want mine to pull yours over the edge too?" Eric poked his nose into a tree up the trail and used his winch line to Martin, who was strapped to the Blazer. STOMPR chained to the Eric for further stabilization and Eric winched Martin who was in low gear and got the Blazzer over the berm, where we stopped and fixed the rear drive shaft. (The front wasn't fixable) We then all moved in gear, pointed different directions and connected with cahins, winch cables (a no no, I know) and strap to get me to where my rear would grab instead of bounce. I turned around and headed down, with STOPMR in front who said - if you need to just run into me (now that's a friend!) I was never happier to see level ground!
Then, we went to see Great white sink!
Check out the 05 gallery for pics.
Let me tell you a little story about a winter Manchu run.
A year or so ago, LawsonEOD and I headed out to Manchu for a little run around 11 am. We made it to the half way point at about 12:30. Things were going well, a few pictures here and there, nothing to write home about. Then around 1pm we started having trouble. We would drive for 50 feet and get stuck. We would winch through a snow drift and move on. Then it started getting more prevelant. Then to complicate matters, it started to warm up from -10 to about +15 which made the trail loose and soft. Then Lawson got stuck and I got stuck at the same time which took some creative winching. By this time it was getting on to 5 or 6 pm and things werent getting any better. At about 8 pm I tried to make a phone call to April to et her know that things weren't going well. Lawson was ahead of me in line, and his synthetic line came off of his winch drum, which left us dead in the water as there was no way for me to winch around him. April got the choppy broken up phone call and all she could make out was "stuck bad".
April called ChevyKev, who called Ja Make It Jon, who called HandyAndy, who brought a friend...so as Lawson and I are preparing to make a hike out of there sans Jeeps, ChevyKev pulls up on a snow machine with sandwiches and hot cocoa and say that Jon and Andy are on their way down the far side of the trail.
Then began the cold difficult ordeal of respooling Lawson's winch and winching both heeps out, 1 at a time, for over 3/4 mile, hence the name the great Manchu winchfest, also known as Manchu Madness. Lawson, Kevin, Jon, Andy, friend, and I all took turns towing out the winch line, wading through the waist deep snow to hook it to a tree, and re connecting. It almost seemed like an impossible task as I was sure one of the winches was going to burn up or a winch line break, or a rig overheat, but we packed the winch motor with snow and just kept going.
By the time we got out of Manchu and back onto driveable surface, it had been 14 total hours, 1 tank of gas, frostbitten feet and it was 4:50 am.
I will start another Manchu Madness story and try to finish it later today or tomorrow...
Jon and Leni's going away Manchu run...well, where do I begin?
12 rigs started out on this Manchu run, to include Leni's XJ, Jon's Yetti YJ, XtremeXterra, Chief's TJ, Martin and Kyra in their Rubi, ChevyKev in his Sherman tank Blazer, Sevenslats in his TJ, me and Forrest in the Lil' T, the John Deere Ford truck, HandyAndy in his Toyota, Donnie, and a few others I dont remember who else.
Anyway, several rigs turn around right after the first mud hole because it looks to be a long trail. Those left were me and Forrest, Jon, Leni, Geoff and George, Andy, and Donnie Sciscia. Then things started getting real interesting. A branch came up and severed my serpentine belt about 10 minutes after the first group broke off. Lucky I had another one in my trail box. Then Leni sheared off some paint in an off camber situation and drove through laughing, no worries. Then we all started getting stuck. Time and time again we got stuck. Time and again we winched out, using the club's pull pal, anchoring to each other and to trees, etc. We winched so much that I quit spooling the cable back up. I just spooled into a coila nd had Forrest hold onto it.
At about 2 am, Jon and Leni and to go ahead of us because their children got too tired to ride along easily and were getitng hungry an dcold.
With those 2 rigs gone, things went along slower with Donnie leading the way, Geoff next, then andy, then me. Winch Geoff, winch andy, winch me, repeat. Then Geoff got stuck worse than anything I have ever seen. Donnie hooked to him and anchored himself with the pull pal but the pull pal bottomed out at about 6 feet down
naturalbornmudder Wrote:Let me tell you a little story about a winter Manchu run.
as Lawson and I are preparing to make a hike out of there sans Jeeps, ChevyKev pulls up on a snow machine
You forgot the best part of the story. In the prior months we had some ugly run-ins with snow machiners on the trail threatening to burnour rigs. I don't own a snow machine, and had borrowed a friends to quickly assess the situation. As I pull up with coverals, coat, and full face shielded helmet I turned off the machine and yelled
"You idiots are ruining my trail!" lol
I won't type the response I heard on this website! :oops:
Man, what a good time!
And the sandwiches and coacoa were compliments of Mrs. Chevy Kev. I wouldn't of thought of that.
sevenslats Wrote:1. Kev's first ride, and the spring centering pin he broke.
I wasn't there, but he talks about it to this day. You may be able to so a search for this one.
That was good times! A/O doing what we do best... someone breaks something, and the wheeling stops. We had some going for replacement parts (Kory Green), some running back to BK for burgers (Lawson), some making a fire so we all can stay warm (Rubicon Scott), a few watching the little ones, and the rest trying to get the axle back in place so the new center pin can be installed (me and Ervin).
I've run with others since, and the vibe is nowhere the same. You may have a few offering some help, but most say 'good luck' and continue on wheeling.
The A/O 'family' is like no other. Always there for each other, whether it's a mod or repair. Always there to wheel, but willing to stop once one goes down.
It's one of the few things we miss about AK.
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ChevyKev Wrote:You forgot the best part of the story. In the prior months we had some ugly run-ins with snow machiners on the trail threatening to burnour rigs.
Really. How about some more on this?
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Just today, on my way home from Paxson with AKX, I see this rusty, mangled Toy on the side of the road. I screeched to a stop, and sure enough, it was a prospective member. About 1/2 way between Paxson and Delta Junction, or 40 miles from a parts store. I lent tools, donated hand wipes, and BS'd for a while. Once he was road-worthy again, I pressed on with my own journey.
Good on ya Geoff! It's the way it should be - society that is, unfortunately....
So I get back from the mountaineering course the other day and go pick up Robert. He says, "Let's go offroading, Dad." Now how can I deny a birthday boy that wish?! Well, there we were on Ft Wainwright I was wearing sandals and didn't even have the winch controller. I figure we'll just do a little playing around by Birch Hill, nothing serious.
Had some fun for about an hour until I came an inch or two from laying the Jeep on it's side 1/2 way down Sage Hill. That crack didn't look that steep... It's really hard to work a clutch with any finesse when your adrenaline charged leg is shaking a mile a minute. All my kid could talk about is how we almost flipped the Jeep like we did the kayak a few weeks ago.
sevenslats Wrote:Just today, on my way home from Paxson with AKX, I see this rusty, mangled Toy on the side of the road. I screeched to a stop, and sure enough, it was a prospective member. About 1/2 way between Paxson and Delta Junction, or 40 miles from a parts store. I lent tools, donated hand wipes, and BS'd for a while. Once he was road-worthy again, I pressed on with my own journey.
man I wonder who you are talking about. LOL
thanks for the helping hand on that.
I had two others stop and ask if I had a gun on me and when I told them yes they left. Then I had a coulple stop and tried to help but all he had on him was standerd tool and bolts. Snowman came back and beleive it or not he had the right bolts in his tool box and we fixed my Taco and It made it home without a problem. also that was the same day Snowman broke his winch but I'll let him tell you that story
how about a 3 day event thet cemented the club as family !
i think one of my favorite stories of this year is how the club pulled together on the skitzo . and we still got a locker done on a taco welded the 14 bolt on the skitzo got her running and even got to wheel and have BBQ for a 100 people !
i think for the rest of my days ,i will always compare other clubs and functions to that weekend ..
and what ever happend to the guy with the sammy and pick up h1 ?
you know the guy who got wedged on the water fall on fairbanks creek and blew up his tcase ? i have those pics on my living room wall !
Wayne, I swear I saw that sammy last weekend on teh Rich.
No word on the H1, though.