EC4WDA Region D


Paragon Adventure Park
August 23-25, 2002
Reported by Doug Abrams
Photos by Bob Coco

Well, I would like to say it was an unqualified success, and though it was an almost perfect weekend, it wasn’t quite perfect. Let’s see, it rained pretty good Saturday afternoon, and the days only had 24 hours in them so there was only a limited amount of ‘wheeling that could be squeezed in. Aside from that it was perfect. Best Western’s Genetti Lodge turned out to be a great place for us. The rooms were comfortable, there was a nice pool and the back lot made for a great area to show off our trucks, do our registrations and safety inspections and generally get noisy and greasy. The event began with registration on Thursday night, August 22. A number of LIOR-ers who were there helped out with registration, and then we headed out to get dinner in the bustling metropolis of Hazleton. After an adequate dinner we mostly retired to the Genetti Lodge and their little bar for a few drinks and then off to bed. Friday morning began early in the parking lot with more registration activities and then we all headed over to Paragon Park for our rides. Paragon is a stupendous place, with trails for all levels of expertise. I guided the “easy trails”, which we kept at the upper end of what might be called stock trails by some, but really weren’t. On the second day, even on the “easy trails” the carnage eliminated three trucks. Loads of fun. Some of our guys went after the hardcore trails, which to me don’t look like trails at all, but like long winding piles of sofa-sized boulders in the woods. During the entire event, I heard no one complain about the trails at all, and the guides overall did a great job helping everyone get from starting point to ending point. Saturday night we had the great banquet. This was no “vat of spaghetti in ketchup” trail dinner, let me tell you. The food was great, the service was commendable, the venue attractive. We even had a big Polish wedding in the next room over! (Deer Hunter, anyone?) Erika Smith, Region D chair, and member of Eastern 4-Wheelers, did a hell of a job organizing the whole thing, and she put together a nice little raffle as well. Your president and devoted servant was voted most popular trail guide of the event (got a little mag-lite for it) and Bob Two-Jeeps got his tires deflated for all his efforts. Ted the Fed, Rich K. and Rainier were there, but didn’t make the banquet for some reason. And in the morning, Rich had sparkles stuck in his eyebrows . . . where DID you guys have dinner? Other members of LIOR who were there: Poobah Doug (with Bark the Jeep-dog, of course), Bob Two-Jeeps, Scoutmaster Bob and Red, Joe “Spare-parts” Badgely, Thrasher Blair, Mark Silverback, the Holton Gang (Jim and Shawn), Eric the Red, Keith D., Danny the K., and Magic Chen. That makes 16 of us, if my high school math still holds up, making LIOR a major contingent at the event. If I left you out, let me know, please. The event slowly wound down on Sunday with yet another trail ride, where I cut my second tire of the weekend. Yeesh, those Pennsylvania rocks are hard on tires (and wallets). In the afternoon, I headed back to the hotel for a nap, had a nice dinner with the Blair family Sunday night and then limped home on my patched tire Monday. All in all, I had a great time, and feel that this event was as close to an unqualified success as one can get. Just wait for next year, now that we’ve done it once we can iron out the wrinkles and really do it right!