Camping and wheeling this weekend 7/22 - 7/24

[Woodscaper]

First just let me say that I hope the link to the photos works! I know how guys are about Pic's. I'm no computer wiz.

This trip was a much needed break from the daily grind. It did not come easy for me, but I sure did have a good time once I got there.

My daughter and I drove up to the West Creek area on Friday mornning at 5:00 am and picked out our camp site. She helped me get our pop up set up and dropped off our gear and firewood. We then headed back to reality as I had work do get done.
Greg (Hockeydad) and his two sons were set to leave town early afternoon on Friday as were another set of my friends. My wife left with my daughter and her friend about 3, All while I was slaving away at work thinking of nothing but getting up there.
Finaly, I'm done with work and heading home to get my Bronco and my dog, totally stoked. I get home to find my dog acting real uncomfortable and strange. I call the vet to get him checked out, lucky for me they can see him as soon as I can get there. We just went through this a couple monthes ago when he was throwing up blood and peeing out of is butt, if you know what i mean. The vet tells me "Its not a good idea to take him to the hills....." No way, I'm thinking. Vet says "keep an eye on him for the next 24 hours, make sure he poops tonight and again in the mornning" bla bla bla. You bet your ass as soon as he pinches the mornning loaf I was in the Bronco and hitting the road. Thanks to my neighbors, I left all 3 of dogs home for them to look after.
So, Saturday mornning I meet up with another buddy of mine and his girlfriend (they are the JEEP peep's) on the way to the camp site. We hit camp a little after 10:00 am. Unload the rigs, he sets up his tent, we are greeted by all the happy campers who were already there.
Its now time to hit the trail, Its Hockeydad and his son Drew in there Bronco, Hockey's other son Dan in his Ranger, My friend Eric in his Jeep, and My Bronco. Metberry Gulch was to be the first trail of the trip and then decide to check out Longwater or Hacket Gulch trails if all was going well. Once again my fuel system was giving me fits and I had to make a few adjustments along the way. Everybody elses rigs were doing great. Im ganno let Hockeydad tell the story about the "TRAIL TECH" on his rear leaf spring shackle. We ended up having to transfer gas from my Bronco into little water bottles one at a time to get our butts of the trail thanks to a baddly dry rotted vent hose on Drews Bronco. It was hot and dry and it was a fantastic day of wheeling and hanging out. Thanks to Eric and his jeep for bringing us something cold to on the way back to camp, we really needed that at the time.
I know im not telling the whole story but I have already typed my word quotta for the month. Greg, please feel free to tell the rest of the story.

Greg- My wife and I think You and your boys are great people and are glad to have spent the weekend with the three of you, and your hounds (that BUDDY of yours cool old boy). Thanks for joining us.

http://s1130.photobucket.com/albums/m538/jtsbronc/

[Woodscaper]

OOHHH DAMN, THE LINK DOES NOT WORK FOR THE PICS. i WILL KEEP TRYING.

I THINK IT WORKS NOW

[hockeydad4-22]

Thanks Justin:

Pictures and video will follow. We did actually start to learn how to use the GO-Pro camera we won at the memorial day event and there are some pretty good videos but first I need to open a photo bucket account and learn how to edit them some (I am no booger but hope to someday be almost as good as him...)

To start out - Justin you know how to pick an amazing camp site, and when it comes to camp fires, you and your friends really know how to enjoy a fire. The only thing missing on this trip - and I mean the only thing... more bronco's. All those of you who chose to stay home and do yard work or other chores really missed out on a very good time and some really fun and scenic wheeling. Just wish I could have done more wheeling.

Lets see - Trail tech: Justin already has given some of the details on his carb issues. But he has only scratched the surface on the tech issues for Drew's little pony. First of all, for some reason it will not pick up the second half of the fuel in the tank. I mean there is a half tank, gauge reads 1/2 tank but we run out. This is why we were transferring fuel from one rig to the other. It is also when we discovered the badly rotted vent line. I mean as in when I reached up and squeezed it, it almost came apart in my hand, and that led to trail fix #1. Vice grips on the line and removing the gas cap to vent the tank. We did put a towel over the filler secured with a zip tie to prevent excessive dust from entering the tank.

Then about a mile further down the trail, a loud bang was heard followed by some constant rubbing. Crawl under the truck... search and search.... more fuel leaking so more fix there... duct tape, some heater hose and a t-fitting that Justin just happened to have along with him. Just before crawling back into the truck - I see it... broken passenger rear shackle... No I kn ow that there are folks here in the club (viper for instance) who could Mcgyver up some awesome repair by using a q tip, some part of a nearby Yucca plant and the tension spring from seat adjuster or something. But when left to Justin and I... Well all we could come up with was the photographed "tie it together with a ratchet strap" temporary trail repair. We have determined that a "trail repairs tech day" would be awesome. Unfortunately how do you schedule that?. Well it took less than 1/2 mile for the ratchet strap to tear and at this point we just decided to creep to camp in slow motion, hoping the spring does not wear a hole in the floor of the tub. After an extraordinarily long time (or at least it seemed that way) the Ranger and Jeep that we sent back to camp for the 12 gallons of fuel that I had brought and left in camp arrived just as Free Bird sputtered and stalled again... And the highlight of the return trip home -The jeep - he remembered to load up a cooler with and water. Let me tell you - that was one of the tastiest most refreshing s I have ever partaken in. (not to worry folks, all alcoholic beverages were consumed while Drew was loading fuel into his bronco. Funny thing - it would not take much, at about 2.5 gallons - major spillage... the temporary fixes to the vents - not holding for squat...

No worries there is enough to get back to camp and worry about it tomorrow. I guess we will not be running Hacket today anyway...

The following morning, after yet another feed hosted by Justin and Rachel and their awesome friends, it was back under the bronco. Between Justin and I, we are able to pretty much fix the leaks on the vent lines and Justin handed me a small cable - the type you could use to tie up your dog. Hmmm - wonder if I can use this to hold the shackle together. Yup- and it made it all the way to the shop where it sits waiting real repairs.


Justin, without your help - this weekend would have been impossible. I mean I would have driven back to town in the ranger and purchased the pieces to fix the bronco and then back up there to put it together today. Fortunately we had you. Your lovely wife who instantly made me feel comfortable when I knew no one else and your daughter and her friends are awesome. I am really glad that your dog is doing much better. Your friends are great as well. Making sure that my boys and I did not go hungry or thirsty the whole trip and welcoming us as one of the group like old friends was incredible.

And yes, I will get some pictures and videos up later (tomorrow when I have the camera and I can set up a photo bucket account).

Thanks again.

[Woodscaper]

Still waiting for your pic's. I was not in charge of my camara so my pic's were few and far between. My video of drew comming over those rocks probly sucked too. ha ha ha!

[hockeydad4-22]

Well I have a few videos but have to get some editing software and learn to use it. The pictures I took with the go pro camera I was not actually taking. I will have to read the directions again.

I will try to spend some time with it by the weekend