Meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by President Boetel. The pledge of allegiance directly followed. Several guest were welcomed; Clay and Diane Forrester and Bill and Lisa Mish were among those recognized.

Old Business

Treasury Report- Ed was unavailable for comment.

Newsletter- Make sure to get any address changes to Scott so that he can get your copy of Trail Tales to you, without any delay.

Trip Reports-

John Tash- Mingus Mountain- beautiful, loaded with wildlife- easy narrow road- we had the camp site to ourselves. We then proceeded to get belted with rain, hail, lightening, cold winds and what have you. Lynn and Scott Nixon chose to bail for and head for dryer accommodations.

Marty- Jawbreaker on Sunday with Jay Kopycinski. Full size vehicles won’t fit. The trail was shaded with lots of trees. There was some discussion as to the change in meeting place.

Jamboree Information-

The Lo-Rangers have volunteered to be in charge of the Tech Inspection.

Future Runs-

• July- The Garcia and Boetel family will be at the Cinders the Week of July 4^th . Everyone is invited to come join these families for fun in the sun. There are usually Quads, Motorcycles, ‘Wheelin, and camping. The area is described as not as bad as the dunes because the material is larger chunks. 13,000 acres of play.
• July 15, 2000 - (Saturday) Lower Terminator Cleanup- meet at the parking lot just off Table Mesa Road at 5:00 p.m. bring your cutting torch, large lights, and plenty of muscles. Gordon Grotts mentioned that there is an abandoned Grand Cherokee that is a real eyesore and needs to be removed. Sandee will contact Tammy at the Game and Fish office to get clearance to remove the Cherokee. It was mentioned that we should be able to come down from the top of the trail to get the vehicle. It is important that we keep our trails clean and absent of any such debris so that the trails don’t get closed down.
• August 19, 2000 Linda Luik - night run in White Tanks on Tax Collector.
• August 19, 2000 Rick Micola - night run to Predator and Terminator. Meet at the parking lot at 6:30 p.m.
• September 1 - 8, 2000- Marty will be in Moab, Utah for anyone interested.
• Sunday, September 17 - 23, 2000- John Tash - North rim of the Grand Canyon near Nevada and Utah.

BLM Meeting- July 18^th at La Quinta Inn at 2510 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We really need to make a statement about how important the BLM land is to 4 Wheelin’! Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this meeting. GET INVOLVED and be PROACTIVE! There will also be meetings held, July 19, 2000 in Tucson and July 20, 2000 in Safford.

Intermission - 40/40/20 Raffle - Ed was not at the meeting so we were unable to do a raffle for this month.

New Business

Motion made and seconded to vote Mika in as a new member.

October runs? Jamboree pre-runs

November runs?

December runs? Christmas tree hunt and Christmas Party.

Ted- Web Master- wanted to make sure that everyone knew that there had been some changes made to the Web page. Take a look!

Motion was made to close the meeting. Seconded. Michael Boetel pounded the hammer on his father’s head to bring the meeting to a close.

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Babcock

June17-18, by Scott Nixon

People in attendance:

Trip Leader John Tash Jeep Cherokee

Babcock family, Chevy Blazer

Linda Luik, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Nixon family, Chevy Crew Cab

We all met up at Sunset Point, and headed north hoping it would cool down. After a quick stop in Cottonwood for fuel

(some of us don't use gas) we headed on to Jerome. Just before climbing the hill up into town, we took an obscure turn off between a couple of houses. Everyone aired down, and we started climbing.

A short distance after the houses ended, we turned the corner for a great view of the San Francisco Mountains, framed by some ominous looking clouds. The road was a bit bumpy in spots and narrow the entire way up. Lunch was held at a small shady spot near the road. After everyone had eaten, we explored a few old mines in the area. Apparently there was lots of ore near the surface, few of the tunnels went in more than twenty feet.

Everyone loaded up, and we kept climbing. The combination of the altitude and a few clouds cooled it off nicely. Each corner seemed to bring an even more impressive panoramic view, reminding me of some of the mountain shelf roads Colorado is so famous for.

Towards mid afternoon the rough stuff was behind us as we began to encounter RV's. Charlie had to lend his four-way to a group in a Jeep; their fancy new chrome wheels came with larger lugs than the factory wrench could handle and they had a flat.

A few miles after the stranded Jeep we reached camp. Everyone spread out to set up their tents, and then came back together to share the meager shelter of a leaky tarp as a thunderstorm blew through. Luckily it was a short one, as it was time for dinner. We all enjoyed various grilled meats, sweet corn, and watermelon.

Unfortunately, after dinner the storms returned with a vengeance. Driving rain, crackling thunder, and enough hail to turn the ground white made things a bit unpleasant. Lynn and Sydney hid in the truck, the Babcocks retreated to their spacious tent, and the rest of us huddled under the tarp. Eventually, everyone cried uncle. John climbed into his tent; Linda found hers flooded and slept in the back of the Jeep. Lynn and I, faced with the prospect of spending the night in a water logged tent with two dripping wet dogs decided to head for home. Consequently, the rest of this report is based on secondhand accounts.

June 30 - July 4, by Scott Nixon

People in attendance:

Trip Leaders Gersztyn family, Suzuki

Samuri

Linda Luik, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Nixon family, Chevy Crew Cab

Adcock family, Jeep CJ, Blazer, Bronco,

Backhoe.

Headed south Friday night on I10, a slight rumbling sound soon became a loud thumping as the steering wheel jerked to the right. The HOV lane is no place for a blowout at rush hour. As the tires had less than 5k miles on them, the spare was hidden under a mound of camping gear. After a bit of effort and quite a bit of sweat the tire was replaced and we were once again on our way.

We stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Iron Skillet in Casa Grande. About the time we were done eating, the Gersztyn's showed up. Deciding that waiting for them to finish eating would mean I'd fall asleep a half-hour or so before we actually arrived in McNeal, we headed out.

Fortunately the rest of the trip down was uneventful. We set up the tent as soon as we arrived at the Adcock ranch and quickly fell asleep. All too soon, the sun was back up. The glorious rainbow over the mountains to the west made up for the early hour. As everyone was still recovering from the long drive down, we spent a relaxing day sitting around talking, watching Ted and Oran rebuild a Suzuki motor, and getting to work on a keg of beer purchased to celebrate Loran's brother Jesse's birthday.

Just after dinner, Jesse left to drive the 100 yards or so over to his place. An early morning rain shower had made the backyard mud hole deep, soupy, and irresistible. A short while later he sent his son Tyler in to ask for help. A quick tug from the backhoe and the big Blazer was free.

The next morning everyone set out for Rock Creek. Ted rode with Linda, as the engine in the Suzuki was on its last leg and the new one was still on the engine stand. After a quick stop to swap fuel pumps on the Bronco we hit the trailhead. Recent rains had filled the creek. Bouncing along the scenic trail we crossed back for forth nine times or so. Reaching the "Turkey Pen", we broke out lunch while Tyler and his cousin splashed in the frigid water.

An hour or so later, we headed back down the trail. Everyone else took a quick side trip to try a hill; Lynn, Sydney and I stayed back just before a creek crossing the approximate length of the Crew Cab. Visions of me suspended by my bumpers over the water made a short nap sound more appealing.

Back at the ranch it was time to give the mud pit another shot. I took an easier path up the middle, surprised that the long wheel-based truck didn't high center. Ted attacked the harder right side with the gusto of a man whose new engine is within walking distance. Rocking back and forth, refusing to get stuck, and belching white smoke like a steam engine, he managed to get his front tire up on the climb out before progress halted. Backing up, his rear tire dropped into a soupy rut. Spectators groaned, thinking he was done. One even went so far as to get out the strap. More throttle, more rocking, and more white smoke and he worked himself free to the cheers of the crowd.

Linda was up next. Her 33" tires dug big ruts, but she was unable to match Ted's progress. Continued attempts just buried her Jeep to the point where Jesse had to tug her out in the Blazer. After a few passes down from the top to level out the deep ruts, Jesse lined up on the pit again. A first pass brought him close to the bank, but not quite where Ted had made it. Backing up, he put his foot deep into the big block, launching the big truck into the wall at the end. A metal ping, barely audible over the roar of the engine, signaled a front axle giving up. With just the rear axle spinning, the Blazer was again mired in the pit. Linda tried pulling it free, but only managed to spin her four tires. With a bit more weight on its tires, the Crew Cab slowly yanked it free.

The next morning we said our good byes and headed back to Phoenix via the "Ghost Town Trail". This 2wd dirt road winds it's way from Elfrida up to Pearce and passes many old ghost towns, mining camps, and crumbling adobe buildings. A trip over to I10 from Pearce via the Dragoon road was also quite scenic.

Everyone else stayed for the Bisbee Fourth of July festivities. Loran was competing in the hard rock drilling contest; Linda offers this eye witness account:

"She drilled 2 11/16 and had the whole crowd cheering. The local radio station also interviewed her. The top 4 drilled 9+ (Matt Decker), 7+, and 2 in the 6" range. Learned that Matt Decker is the 4th place world champion hard rock driller

She teamed up with Josie (local resident, nurse at the Bisbee Hospital) in the mucking contest and finished in 3:43. The other women's team finished in 5:10."

Way to go Loran!

For those of you that subscribe to Petersen's 4wheel & Off-road, the August issue features two of our very own on page 15. Drew Digrazia's heavily modified Ranger and Bud Deegan's Lincoln-locked Toyota are both featured. Way to go guys!

Looking around at the last meeting, I noticed the looks on the faces of some of our guests. It took me back to a noisy room at the Second Home restaurant five years ago when I attended my first meeting. Walking into a room full of strangers can be quite intimidating, especially when they all seem to know each other and nobody knows you.

Although it took awhile, that room full of strangers eventually turned into a room full of friends. Showing up to meetings helped, but I got to know people better by wheeling with them. Overnight trips were the best; sitting around the campfire or just out under the stars talking is a great way to learn about someone.

So, if you're new to the club, or thinking about joining, I would encourage you to come on as many club trips as you can. Guests are welcome to come on up to two trips before joining. Trip difficulty varies from month to month, this months trip was doable in any rig with little risk of damage, next months trips are geared towards those looking for more of a challenge. If you're wondering about a trail's rating or whether or not your rig will make it, feel free to ask me or any of the other club officers, that's what were here for.

And if you've been a member for a while and notice somebody looking lost at the next meeting, walk up and introduce yourself. Unlike some awkward social situations, small talk with 'wheelers is easy, just ask him or her what they drive.

Scott Nixon,

Editor

July 15: Terminator clean up. Meet at dirt "parking lot" west of I17 at the Table Mesa road exit at 5:00PM. Bring anything you thing might be useful to dismantle a burned out Jeep.

July 18: BLM meeting 7-9PM at the La Quinta Inn, 2510 W Greenway. The eco-nuts will be there, literally by the busload. Show up or risk being locked out!

August 19: Night run of the "Tax Collector" in the White Tanks area, trip leader is Linda Luik.

August 19: Night run to Terminator, trip leader is Rick Micola. Meet at dirt "parking lot" west off I17 at Table Mesa road exit at 6:30PM.

August 19: ASA4WDC Quaterly.

September 2-9: Marty will be in Moab, let him know if you want to come along or meet up there.

September 17-23: Week long trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Trip leader is John Tash.

October: Jamboree pre-runs.

October 18-22: Jamboree!!!

November:???

December: Possible Christmas tree hunt and/or snow run?

December: Club Christmas Party.

Got a question about the club? Wondering where or when the next club meeting or run is? Planning a wildcat or pre-run and looking for company? Call Marty! He welcomes calls at home during the day while he plays Mr. Mom. Give him a ring at (480)-926-3977.

There is now a link to recent issues of the newsletter; additional issues will be added as I write them.

By Martin Griffith Associated Press

RENO, Nev. - Nevada's top two Republican elected officials have urged restraint at next week's citizens' rally aimed at reclaiming a remote dirt road in Elko County.

Gov. Kenny Guinn and Rep. Jim Gibbons urged Shovel Brigade members to avoid violence or confrontation, when they gather over the Fourth of July holiday near Jarbidge to reopen the washed-out road with shovels.

The 1.5-mile road leading to a wilderness trailhead near the Idaho border has come to symbolize some rural Westerners' tensions over federal control of public land.

The road has been closed since 1995 when floods washed it out. Federal authorities have refused efforts to reopen it, fearing the work will damage the nearby stream that is home to the threatened bull trout.

I would ask people to use their good judgment and not go against the government," Guinn said. "I hope people let the process with the federal government work."

Guinn said he's optimistic the road will be reopened by the Forest Service under a tentative settlement reached between the agency and Elko County commissioners.

Gibbons also urged support of the settlement, calling it "a win-win situation."

He said the Shovel Brigade has a right to protest but urged members not to break federal environmental laws.

"I would not want the government to overreact to their presence or the Shovel Brigade to incur any punitive federal action against them on the basis of anything they might do," Gibbons said.

Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they fear rocks and debris removed by protesters from the road will end up in the adjacent Jarbidge River.

The agencies think the project could cause irreparable harm to the bull trout.

Even though a federal judge rejected the government's attempt to halt the event, protesters still can be prosecuted for any legal violations, federal officials warned.

"The judge says they have a right to go there, but if they break the, law they have a right to be punished," said Wildlife Service spokeswoman Randi, Thompson.

But Shovel Brigade spokesman Ed Dahl said the protest is largely symbolic and protesters do not intend to violate federal laws by placing material W. the river or harming the bull trout.

"I don't see any confrontation," he said. "It will be just people power."

In a letter sent to Shovel Brigade trustees this week, group president Demar Dahl said he intends to reopen the road with as little environmental impact as possible.

"The brigade will remove the dirt, rocks, trees and debris put there by the Forest Service to make the road impassable," he wrote.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing a new manual and handbook for preparing land use plans and is extending by 30 days the time period for the public to review the proposed guidance and
provide comments.

DATES: Send your comments on the draft land use planning manual and
handbook to reach BLM by August 9, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Mail your comments to:

Bureau of Land Management (WO210), Attention: Ted Milesnick,

1849 C Street NW. (LS-1050),
Washington, DC, 20240-0001

The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it.

The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories. Kathy said, "My father's a farmer and we have a lot of egg-laying hens. One time we were taking our eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the pickup when we hit a bump in the road and all the eggs went flying and broke and made a mess."

"And what's the moral of the story?" Asked the teacher.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket!"

"Very good, " said the teacher. "Now, Lucy?"

"Our family are farmers too. But we raise chickens for the meat market. We had a dozen eggs one time, but when they hatched we only got ten live chicks. And the moral to this story is, don't count your chickens until they're hatched."

"That was a fine story Lucy. Leroy, do you have a story to share?"

"Yes, ma'am, my daddy told me this story about my Aunt Karen. Aunt Karen was a flight engineer in Desert Storm and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a bottle of whiskey, a machine gun and a machete. She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn't break and then she landed right in the middle of 100 enemy troops. She killed seventy of them with the machine gun until she ran out of bullets, then she killed twenty more with the machete till the blade broke and then she killed the last ten with her bare hands."

"Good heavens," said the horrified teacher, "what kind of moral did your daddy tell you from that horrible story?"

"Don't mess with Aunt Karen when she's been drinking!"