Day 4
Day 4 started like the previous two but on this day we let the rest of the gang in on the secret. RJ, Ash, Frank, Fred, Mark, Brandon, Jason, and I all went to partake of the pancake goodness. This was a mistake, I think it was RJ's great idea, but as Brandon, Frank, Fred, and I finished up our pancake goodness, The others left while Milli Vanilli, and other atrocious melodies played over the juke box. They had pulled the ol' "Drop a few quarters in the slot, pick out some crappy songs and run" trick. I know it all too well, because I invented it back in the day a CCCC. The waitresses thought it was pretty darn funny, but the old men of the town didn't quite catch the humor. After breakfast we cruised around town looking for various parts to get the piles of parts running again, for another day of wheeling. Scout sat this day out. The driveshaft was toast, so we rode along with everyone else. This is a good deal, because you get to have fun and you don't have to break your stuff. The second reason this is good is because, riders can have a few beers. We would never condone drinking and driving, but riding and drinking is a whole different story. The wheeling part of our day started well into the afternoon, by the time everyone got their parts back together. After sitting outside the gas station for 15 minutes while the lady inside gave us a play by play of what Brandon was doing inside over the Truck stop PA system, we set out for Off Broadway, a Hard trail. Evidently Troys Crack smoking habit has gotten worse. He led us on an hour long goose chase all over the New Mexican DD ranch looking for this trail. A whole line of vehicles following Troy, I know, we were asking for it. After driving for three days, we stopped at the second dead end to turn around. This was the spot of a very significant event in TAMOR histroy. We were undecided on what to do so right then and there Mark Shipman held the very first meeting ever conducted by parlimentary procedure. The minutes are as follows. The meeting started off late in the afternoon, Mark made the motion that we go back to camp, regroup and go play on the trails we had previously conquered. This motion passed unanimously. He then made a motion that we find someone that knew where that particular trial was the following morning and attempt it at that point, once again unanimous approval only after a second was heard. I made the last motion by jumping up and down while hanging on to Troys rollbar with my Bubba teeth in while loudly shouting a motion that we should "drink cold beer" This was immediatly seconded, and then the meeting was adjourned. It was quite impressive that we could hold a meeting of this caliber over CB's in the middle of nowhere, I thought it would take a room in Rudder to get those type of results. The rest of the day was spent attempting "Pikachu's revenge" or some crap. This was classified as an extreme trail and it was only for nutjobs or Troy. The fun didn't end until 10:00 at which point everyone was ready to crash. The next day we returned to Texas without a hitch, to cap and end to a great Spring Break
Brandon cruising throught the river bed where I first banged my dif.
An eye in the sky view of Troy and RJ cruising through the canyon to make it to the first really tough obstacle in th trail.
Troy makes this look easy.
Up and over, cakewalk.
RJ was so close to making it, but then Mrs. Radiator had a conjugal visit with Mr. Fan and she started to leak, wait a minute, I mean....
Steaming up the canyon...
Here is Troy giving us a lesson in "Bashing it like you built it" This is the wall and Troy says the only peron he ever saw drive up it was a Unimog, A full size Blazer with 38's didn't make it that same day. Troy also would not make it, but he did give it one hell of a run.
Jason rode shotgun for the event and earns my respect.
This was the second time that Troy had trapped a rock in his quarter panel like this on this obstacle, probably the same rock...
Pictured (from left to right) Sparky, Ash, Mason, RJ
The tire was NOT debeaded at this point, but RJ would soon remedy that... And replace the tire with Brian's spare.
Frank on sitting rock kicking back on Mr. Soco. (He was not driving)
As we decended through the trail it got dark. The lights played cool tricks in the camera.
Sparky and "just finished" Landcruiser coming down off a few boulders. Does that landcruiser have a nickname besides "just finished"? It definitely needs one.
This might be my favorite picture of the trip, I like the way the headlights look and everything. I should have probably paid less attention to my camera and redneck boilermaker (Soco and Natrual Light) and more attention to helping Troy and Frank spot, because RJ debeaded number two. Could have been the tires, but more likely it was the 6psi they were running in them.
This time they had to run back to camp to get Sparky's spare to get them going again, and Mark "McGyver" Shipman fixed Sparkys leak with a pocketknife, what a stud.
All gave some, Some gave all, RIP little buddy. He gave all for the common good and will be remembered for it. We took him back to camp and gave him a proper burial, I just wish his family could have been there, mostly to help comfort me in my time of sorrow.
Hard to see here, But Kollins dented this deep enough that we were concerned that a ring might drag. When asked what he thought he said,"@#$% @#$% $%$@$% @#$%ing you piece of @$%*!!"
Time to drink beer and tell lies right? Wrong, Brain got a flat and this time we were fresh out of spares. So Sparky had to limp all the way back to camp, then Brandon returned with the Spare to get us out of there.
The tire changing gave us plenty of time to shoot the perverbial sh!t, and hang out, but it was getting cold and dark, and the redneck boilermaker was wearing off, I wanted to get back to camp to sleep, and we finally did around 10:30 pm.
This was my first genuine Off-Road experience, it was a lot of fun. Driving a four wheel drive is almost as much fun as hauling butt in a really fast car. The testament to how much fun this was, was when Fred said he would like to build up a trail Scout. This is coming from a guy who had no former interest in this type of area. I feel that the trip was a success, lots of fun, Scout surprised me and didn't let me down. We had a lot of fun with minimal breakage, I think that was the goal of this trip since we were playing with my daily driver and sole means of transportation between Dallas and College Station. There will be a day soon when I can bash it like I built it and not care because I will have a different car to drive everyday and Scout will be my toy. Until that day comes, we will just do what we can. Man am I tired of commenting on these pics....Jimmy, over and out.
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