I was truly surprised by the turn out for our last run of the season. I won't say millennium sick of hearing that and Y2K. Anyhow we had around 20 rigs with 4-5 new people checking out the club. We all aired down and after a short drivers meeting we decided that it is best to enter this trail from the backside. For those of you who remember the Ringwood trail, we enter the new trail on the same road that we used to leave the Ringwood trail. The new trail is off of this road.

A few of us went down this area once before a few years ago and it has changed a lot since then, for the better. It now is a lot more rutted and has a few nice articulation spots to play on along with a mammoth water/mud hole that nearly swallowed up Atilla and Scott's furniture wagon. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The first obstacle to deal with is right at the turn off for the trail. You have a rutted section on your left or a rocky section to your right. You then proceed up to Jay's hole. This is a dip down hole that has water in it and depending on what line you take will cause the vehicle to get some air on one side. Most people tried this obstacle out and we had a bit of trouble with the tail end of the group. First Willie lost a brake line just looking at the obstacle. Then former LIOR member (hint-hint time to rejoin Eric) in his newly modified CJ7 with full width axles out of a 3/4 ton was playing around on this section when his steering drag link decided it had enough.                 Not to be outdone and trying to overtake Bob in the points race for most damage in one season, Jay the Breaker lost another front axle shaft, or was it the inner axle CV joint this time. Hmmm that solid front axle might just be in the works now for the new year.     After the second half of the group caught up to the first we continued on down the trail. There are a few small rocky sections and a little berm that has a rocky/watery opening in it that you drop down into and crawl out of and it was a little trickier then it first looked, it took me 3 tries to get past it. After lunch we came to the black hole of death. This watery goo had no bottom and after talking to one of the locals on a quad, he said that one of his friends made the ruts in the goo with his 44's. So it didn't surprise me when we saw the furniture wagon go deep into the abyss. After their first attempt at submarineing they made a hasty retreat and tried a different line and it just wasn't in the cards for them. As the nose when down the water was well over the 38's and there was a good foot of water in the cab.

In fact Atilla's brownie that he had left on the floor was floating around inside the cab. After they were pulled back out and opened the doors the water just poured out. Most people used the go around except for a few brave souls that just had to play in the mud. It was here that Eric broke his right rear leaf spring either from trying to save Keith from the black death or when he himself was winched out from the pit. It took a bit of de-grundging to just find the leaf spring with all the mud and slit weeds that had become attached to the CJ. At this point the majority of us continued on and Jay, Keith and Eric decided to turn back around and head for home.

We then came upon our last rocky section and it consists of a drop off ledge that most of us did and then turned around and assaulted as a climb. It was here that the furniture wagon's starter solenoid gave up the ghost and Bob in the Scout gave the big Chevy his spare. It was also here that we had our close encounter with a projectile. Bob was trying to help pull the burban up the rocky ledge and when he started to pull the beast the tow hook on the wagon gave way and it hit the back of Bob's Scout and bounced off. Luckily no one was hurt but this is prompting me to let everyone know not to weld the bolts that secure the tow hooks onto your rig. It should just be bolted on or the hook itself welded on. Bolting is the preferred method, using at least 1/2" grade 5 bolts & nuts. I am issuing a presidential decree. Safety day 2000. We will have an inspection day and people will have to have their trucks up to snuff or else they won't be allowed to go on the next run. For those who can't make the safety day they will have to pass inspection at the next run they attend. Hopefully we can organize this along with a ramp day sometime this April.

As we proceeded back out the trail we had a couple more sliced tires. I believe it was 3 to be exact, Willie, new member Joe in the fullsize bronco and the fellow in the TJ with the new ARB locker, I believe Ken was his name. After getting back to the gas station we aired up and planed to head to dinner but we thought that Fudruckers was on rt17 but we found out its on rt4. Well we lost Bob as he was getting gas and we told him we would meet up with him there. Sorry about that Bob, you know we still love you man. So until next season, this is your newly re-elected president saying happy holidays and try not to get too stressed out. The $$$ holiday season will soon be over.

-Jim Guld

Dive	ed ojpg	ed o	erik.jpg	erik willie	evan	fun
GMC	jim g	mark	mark s	mike	mike c	playtime
scoutsrule	smokin	tj	Wet Willie	Mike C.	yank	yaron

Even more photos