Sierra Trek Stories, lets hear em

[broncdawg]

Couldn't make Trek this year, so dying to hear about the carnage and how the new camp layout was?

[randii]

Camp worked well -- there was a good location for the bar (hallelujah, they brought back the bar!!!!) a ways away from the kitchen, and good seating on the shuffleboard courts in between (though I tripped over the ?concrete? horseshoe pits all weekend.

Trail Committee really needs to improve comms, though. We had yet another avoidable dinner-not-there situation for folks who came in late, since the trail users were trusted when they said "this is the last Jeep." It is a bummer, since Friday Night Dinner Crew had extra food prepared and set aside, but communications weren't made to connect it with the late folks off the trail.

Watching BFG award $4000 dollars on Saturday was a high point -- it really shows how well Friends of Fordyce and the Adopt-a-Trail clubs (WEBILT, Sacramento Jeepers, and Four Dice) have engaged over the years.

Randii

[Brothergrim]

Had a great time. My club, NorCal4Wheelers, did the staging for the SWB Fri. and Sat. runs and helped with staging for the LWB run Sat. I think everyone was happy they didn’t have to make the early morning run down from Meadow Lake this year, 0500 is early enough. After staging I went down to see the new committee by-pass that FOF and WeBuilt built and wow what a nice new addition to the trail. Nice and technical, with a few good climbs. Plus I was able to run the new by-pass from Cisco Grove campgrounds to Eagle Lakes Rd. Although none of the trail run ran the by-pass, dew to concerns of time, I was able to run it, along with one other club member in about hour. Not bad for a brand new trail. The first and third climb were the worst, lose shale rock and none compacted duff made traction hard to find on the climbs. Big thanks to the camp ground along with Trek and FOF for the foresight to put the by-pass in. Should be nice in a year or two.

I think the big issues this year was attendance, it was down from past years (IMO). I don’t know the real numbers, but the Fri. and Sat. SWB runs had approx 90 rigs total each day. So everyone needs to put next years Trek on their calendars and come out and see what FOF have done to make an outstanding trail even better.

[Blue Devil Toyota]

I had fun. The numbers seemed like they were way down from last year. I wish the trail committee people when they are dealing with a broke rig would move them to the side and let the rest of the group through rather than holding everyone up. We had it happen a few times to us Friday morning. They say to do it in the drivers meeting, but it doesn't seem to happen. Also I don't personally like it when the committee decides to stop the flow of rigs to stack an area like a highway. If you need to stack rocks for a stuck vehicle or one having issues then fine. Don't stack just to stack.

On a second note, I think Cal needs to really re-think Trek in order to secure its future. I know the economy has an impact on the numbers there, but almost everyone you talk to liked Meadow Lake so much more. I understand the logistics behind having it at Cisco (I have been to the Trek meetings in the past), but if the numbers continue to fall how much longer will Trek exist?

Thanks to all the clubs and individuals for their time and effort in making Trek happen. Thanks for bringing back the bar. Thanks FOF for all your hard work in making things happen on the trail. Thanks to Webilt the off camber area looked great.

And finally A big Thanks to BFG for it's donation to FOF.

I now have my flame hat on

Bernie

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by Blue Devil Toyota

I had fun. The numbers seemed like they were way down from last year. I wish the trail committee people when they are dealing with a broke rig would move them to the side and let the rest of the group through rather than holding everyone up. We had it happen a few times to us Friday morning. They say to do it in the drivers meeting, but it doesn't seem to happen. Also I don't personally like it when the committee decides to stop the flow of rigs to stack an area like a highway. If you need to stack rocks for a stuck vehicle or one having issues then fine. Don't stack just to stack.

On a second note, I think Cal needs to really re-think Trek in order to secure its future. I know the economy has an impact on the numbers there, but almost everyone you talk to liked Meadow Lake so much more. I understand the logistics behind having it at Cisco (I have been to the Trek meetings in the past), but if the numbers continue to fall how much longer will Trek exist?

Thanks to all the clubs and individuals for their time and effort in making Trek happen. Thanks for bringing back the bar. Thanks FOF for all your hard work in making things happen on the trail. Thanks to Webilt the off camber area looked great.

And finally A big Thanks to BFG for it's donation to FOF.

I now have my flame hat on

Bernie

I see no reason for a flame hat...all good points and your first hand observations as a participant.

[Blue Devil Toyota]

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

I see no reason for a flame hat...all good points and your first hand observations as a participant.

I know, but this is the Pirate board

[rockinfive+2]

Dixon 4wheelers did WH4 again this year and it seemed we had better rigs coming thur and didnt have the normal break down rigs, One thing we notice was the committee rigs where together more this year, Sat run the first 6 rigs, 5 where committee rigs.But other then that it seem to moved along

[jethrodeg]

My favorite was the IFS white truck that hit EVERY rock on the trail...but made it through our hill, WH3, with no help.

[renolaw]

where are the pix? we want pix! Missed it this year but have my vote for meadow lake. also, as far as communications, what is used? Gotta be a solution to have radio coverage for the entire trail. Ham is iffy due to the commercial nature of the event, but hams can help to an extent...

maybe MURS system w/ a repeater on a ridge top?

mb

[broncdawg]

How did the hummers do this year Randii, just to stir it up a bit?

[Blue Devil Toyota]

Originally Posted by renolaw

where are the pix? we want pix!

mb

They have radio coverage on the trail, it just seemed the trail committee once on the trail make their own decisions. For instance on Sat morning at the drivers meeting (Larry) Fool's Gold asked the group if we wanted to run the new section of trail on the committee trail. We all said yes and he said to go for it. When we got there I was third in line and the two rigs in front of me went down the old, I turned onto the new, and the committee person behind me told the Webilt guy to rope it off because it is too hard. So I was the only person to go down that route. When I popped out onto the trail I only lost one position. The Webilt crew was pissed because they all got up early for nothing.

I don't want this to sound like I'm turning this into a roast, I'm just pointing out some things to look at for improvement. I have enjoyed both working at Sierra Trek and also being a participant. I want to see it succeed for years.

Bernie

[JDunn]

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

My favorite was the IFS white truck that hit EVERY rock on the trail...but made it through our hill, WH3, with no help.

I spotted him down the new trail down to the committee crossing before he got to you and he also hit every rock but looked like he would make it. Good to hear he went up WH3. I didn't see him come through on Sat. I think he went with the long wheel base group up signal peak.

I tried to help spot for your club going up the new trail on Saturday but none of you would follow my line . Just kidding I stood on the same rock for two day pointing left and right. I didn't relies it was your club until the first vehicle was next to me.

JDunn

[randii]

Originally Posted by renolaw

Missed it this year but have my vote for meadow lake. also, as far as communications, what is used? Gotta be a solution to have radio coverage for the entire trail. Ham is iffy due to the commercial nature of the event, but hams can help to an extent...
....maybe MURS system w/ a repeater on a ridge top?

I miss Meadow Lake, too, but like Cisco Grove... indecision. FWIW, if any of you want to bring it back to Meadow, then STEP UP and say so -- and the most meaningful way to do this is to attend every darn Trek meeting as a Committee Chair: you'll have a louder voice if you are backed by volunteers willing to make it happen. Comments from the cheap seats are also welcome, but if you really want to be heard, step up and participate to make it happen. (Mark, FYI,this is not a shot at you, I just wanted to get out in front of everyone who is thinking that same thought...)
Trek has in the past run CB and relayed off of Signal Peak, but I'm not sure if that happened this year.
I'd love to see Sierra Trek run HAM rigs and a commercial channel -- I'd bet they could come to an agreement with Jamboree to share their channel, since they are working in acoustically separate bowls in the Sierra. Getting folks certified is really pretty easy -- RTF has done almost 200 thus far! -- but running a commercial channel negates the need for full certification. Handsets can be had as cheap as $100 for single-band and $200 for dual-band... this is a cheap and incredibly effective solution without a repeater, and is still pretty cheap and even more effective with a portable repeater. Mark, would you be willing to volunteer to set up a temporary repeater if it got approved (I happen to know where an 'extra' one is collecting dust, and have some fairly motivating blackmail against its owner. )

Originally Posted by broncdawg

How did the hummers do this year Randii, just to stir it up a bit?

Sadly, I receive no hummers in camp.

Oh, that's probably not what you meant. I don't know that any hummers ran this year, but the FJ Cruiser that I saw that was WIDER than a late-model Hummer... he seemed to have done pretty well!

From what I heard third-hand, the biggest hold-ups on the trail came from broken Jeeps, so I think we should consider outlawing Jeeps. Ormaybe anything with Dana axles?

Randii (tongue so firmly in cheek that I may sprain my jaw)

[randii]

Originally Posted by Blue Devil Toyota

I have enjoyed both working at Sierra Trek and also being a participant. I want to see it succeed for years.

Quoted for truth! Good words, Bernie!

Randii

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by Blue Devil Toyota

the committee person behind me told the Webilt guy to rope it off because it is too hard.

Too hard??? I believe Webuilt had to winch only one rig all weekend.
Sound about right Jason?

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by JDunn

I tried to help spot for your club going up the new trail on Saturday but none of you would follow my line . Just kidding I stood on the same rock for two day pointing left and right. I didn't relies it was your club until the first vehicle was next to me.

JDunn

My bad...next time I will turn my lights on.

[1lilrasz]

Originally Posted by randii

the biggest hold-ups on the trail came from broken Jeeps, so I think we should consider outlawing Jeeps.

Randii (tongue so firmly in cheek that I may sprain my jaw)

I'm sure I could get some people together to support this, if you want to take the lead on this.

[Blue Devil Toyota]

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

Too hard??? I believe Webuilt had to winch only one rig all weekend.
Sound about right Jason?

The new part is great. It has a couple of technical spots, but nothing any harder than the trail itself. At what point is the old section going to get blocked off for good?

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by Blue Devil Toyota

At what point is the old section going to get blocked off for good?

Undetermined at this point.

[JDunn]

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

Too hard??? I believe Webilt had to winch only one rig all weekend.
Sound about right Jason?

We did have to winch 1 rig but after we got him to the top he remembered his ARB was not engaged He was one of the last ten rigs and broke our perfect record of not having to winch anyone.

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

My bad...next time I will turn my lights on.

Ya ya, we all know you needed help so you left them off.

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by JDunn

Ya ya, we all know you needed help so you left them off.

I have seen your spotting AND driving skills.....lights are coming on fo-show

[pepe]

Attendance was down considerably this year but I would attribute it to the economy more than to hurt feelings. I for one liked it at Cisco Grove. It shaved about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs off my drive. I ran Star Trek and come to find out I was the only paid participant. Usually there is anywhere from 6 to 15 paid rigs on Star Trek. Oh well we still had a great time. Oh and it was great to meet you Tinman.

[jethrodeg]

Pepe..I think you passed us right at the Y for the new committee reroute. I was backed up into the new route while you guys were going up the old way.

That is disappointing that more people did not run Star Trek this year. I think it is one of the coolest runs during Trek. (no pun intended)

[RCKRATZ]

Yeah he stopped and talked to me for a bit when they were going by...

I would like to see Trek go back to Meadow Lake, hoping I can make it to the follow up meeting. Cisco Grove is nice but it just isn't the same for me.

All in all I still had a great time.

[Bebe]

Originally Posted by broncdawg

How did the hummers do this year Randii, just to stir it up a bit?

Originally Posted by randii

Sadly, I receive no hummers in camp.

Oh, that's probably not what you meant. I don't know that any hummers ran this year, but the FJ Cruiser that I saw that was WIDER than a late-model Hummer

I had my Hummer at Trek!!!, I ran it all the way through the WH3 Squeeze