Meeting Minutes May, 2001
I. Meeting was called to order at 7:05 P.M. followed by the pledge.
II. Welcome to Members: Charlie and Becky Babcock, John Tash, Mark Hild, Chad and Robyn Marshall, Bill and Nickie Blandford, Glenn McConnell, Matthew Parks, Rick and J'cie Micola, Ernie Bender, Norman Harris, Ed Lyons, Linda Luik, Jay Kopycinski, Sandee McCullen, Kip Boetel, Micah and Christina Coleman, Todd and Danielle Gleason, Don Munzer, Marty Boetel.
Guests- Fredrick Blanco, Bob Marrs, Ron Lonie, and Clay and Mary Aldrich.
III. Old Business-
a. Marty has the proof from Chuck Wells book of AZ- take a look at the book and see if his information is accurate before it is published.
b. American Sand Association works to stop land closures. Marty would like the club to join the organization to show our support. Marty made the motion and Jay seconded the motion. A check was cut for $50 to become a club member.
c. Treasury Report- $3561.65 in our account - we currently have 63 paid members.
d. ASA4WDC convention was fun- mentioned in New Times.
e. Presentation of awards- Trail Tales was given the best newsletter award! Way to go Mr. Scott Nixon! Quarterly Delegates Perfect Attendance award! Way to go Mr. Ed Lyons!
f. Calling chain needs your help. Contact Marty Boetel if you would like to be of assistance.
g. Land use and RAC activites- Sandee said that it was decided that the land would be open unless posted closed.
h. Trail Runs- John Tash- Cherry Creek wet but fun.
Sycamore Creek Cleanup- What will it take to get people to showup and participate in the cleanups? If you have any ideas on the subject contact Glenn McConnell or Marty Boetel at 480-926-3977.
All paid members need to pick up club dash plaques and membership cards.
IV. New Business
a. Hats and T-Shirts are for sale but we are not sure how much they are going for. Ted or Loren please contact Ed to let him know what we should charge. We miss you!
Kurt Loga- Chairman for Jamboree would like your help. You can contact him at 602-581-9181 or contact Mr. Ed at 602-258-4BY4.
Future Runs- Moab, Utah- June 9 - 15, 2001. Contact Scott Nixon for more information.
National Trails Day Run- June 2nd. Meet at Luv's Truck Stop at 5:30pm Miller and I10.
State Parks have hired a company to produce pro 4 wheeling informative commercials- be on the lookout for them.
Upcoming Events- Marty and Mary Boetel are expecting a baby this month. Good Luck.
New Member Voted in: Fred Blanco with his 1973 Suburban- Way to go Chevy's!
Meeting adjourned at 8:10 P.M.
Minutes Submitted by Becky Babcock
Moab Information
If you're planning on coming to Moab with us you hopefully already know where you are going to be spending the night. We will be staying at the Moab KOA, 3225 South Highway 191 Moab, Utah, USA 84532. Information & Availability: Phone: 435-259-6682, Fax: 435-259-8703, e-mail: koa@lasal.net Reservations: Phone 800-KOA-0372
There are lots of other places to stay as well as plenty of camping spots. Feel free to give me a call if you need help finding a place.
Everyone is heading up on their own, so no official meeting spot. We're planning on being at the KOA the afternoon of the ninth. Fist trail ride will probably be Sunday morning unless we get really ambitious and do a night run. If you are staying someplace else, check in with us at the KOA by 9AM on Sunday.
No concrete list of trails to run has been established. We're going to play it by ear, mostly trying to hit the famous obstacles (Golden Crack, Potato Salad Hill, Lions Back, etc). Daily trails will depend on how many vehicles show up and each drivers desired level of difficulty.
Hope to see you there!
Editors Corner
I'm almost ready. All I've got left to do is slap some tow hooks on the front, pick up a spare axle u-joint or two, and throw a half dozen pairs of shorts and a about a gallon of sunscreen in a duffel bag and I'm ready for Moab.
Getting your truck ready for a big trip is always an adventure in and of itself. It's usually the little stuff that gets you. Pulling the drive shaft to swap in a fresh set of u-joints, I noticed a coffee like substance dribbling out of the end of the transfer case. Oops, don't thing the factory calls for decaffeinated. Luckily Lynn was headed for Wal-Mart anyway. Two quarts of their second least expensive ATF please.
Let's see, lift kit? Check. New brake rotors and bleed the lines? Check. New tie rods and drag link? Check. Spare axles? Check. Freshen up the oil and hit all the zerks? Check.
Nothing like the prospect of 600 miles of desolate highway, a weeks work of 'wheeling, and 600 miles back to pry a persons butt of the couch and out into the driveway for some preventative maintenance.
Hmmm, still two weeks till we hit the road. Wonder what shape my spark plugs are in? And when was the last time I changed the air filter?
Scott Nixon,
Editor
Trip Report: Sagauro Lake
The Babcock's, the Nixon's, and the Murphy's all met out at Sagauro Lake to have some fun in the sun and test out my new lift. After dropping the girls off at Cove two we went out and played on the hills some.
We all picked a different line on the big play hill. After a few good climbs and the occasional spot to get out of a tricky situation, we headed for Cove one. All the boaters and sunbathers came running as we lined up on the big hill. Everyone made it up fine, and after enjoying the view for a bit we headed back to Cove two for lunch.
After lunch we headed back out. Climbing up the play hill Charlie had to give a quick tug to a stock Isuzu pickup with 29-inch tires. Other than that, the trip out was uneventful.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to salute the Arizona Virtual Jeep Club. Their cleanup a few weeks ago must have went well, there was practically no trash despite the heavy use this area gets. Way to go guys!
(Charlie showing how 38's climb)
(Charlie, Sean, and I all try a different line)
(Line up on the ridge between Cove 1 and 2)
(Looking down on Cove 2)
(The girls enjoying the beach)
Trip Report: Cherry Creek
Members present: John Tash and David Hinojosa, the Babcock family, Bill Blanford, Norman and Carol Harris, Ernie and Joan Binder, Blaine Lofgran, and Alan Maley and Daya Hinojosa, the Nixon's, Linda Luik.
A quick calculation subtracting the time it would take to get to Globe from North Phoenix from John's meeting time led me to the conclusion that a night in a hotel in Globe was a lot more fun than leaving my house before the sun comes up.
Waking up Saturday morning, I opened the blinds to gray skies and falling rain. A quick check of the weather channel was of little use, apparently the weather channel considers local weather for Globe to be whatever is happing in Payson. Oh well, we weren't as bad off as the Hot Rod club meeting in town that weekend. After watching someone start up a T-bucket without a hood, roof, or windshield in the rain; I was more than happy to climb into my pickup and head for meeting spot.
After a quick breakfast, we filled up the tank ($1.51 a gallon! Holy Cow I'm moving to Globe!) and parked next to the growing group of participants. By the time we pulled out onto the highway and headed for Roosevelt Lake we had nine vehicles, best turnout I've seen in a long time.
Just before the turn to Roosevelt, we headed up the Young Highway for a ways to the Cherry Creek Road turn-off. As soon as everyone made the turn, we stopped to air down. The road meandered up and down some rolling desert hills before dropping down to Cherry Creek itself. Passing a few ranches, we went through a gate to the start of the actual trail.
The road got a little rougher, with deep dried ruts in the mud giving a hint at how tough this road would be if we got a good rain. Thankfully, the gray skies never opened up, except to let in a few glimpses of blue sky and sunshine. After a gradual climb, we stopped at a grassy over look for lunch. Behind us was a steep gorge in the side of the mountain filled with fluffy clouds. In front of us was the wide valley the creek flowed through. We could just make out some caves on the opposite side, through binoculars you could see the brick walls of a cliff dwelling.
Once everyone was loaded up, we continued on the shelf road along the creek, steadily climbing. A few "Road Closed" signs preceded a deep washout. An old culvert with a foot or two of the old road stood guard next to the improvised crossing that was about as wide as a pickup and just as deep. So much for the road being closed.
As we continued to climb, the road began to get muddier. Big chunks of wet clay were flung off of our tires in all directions. Even getting out to walk left an inch of gunk on my sandals. Everyone was sliding back and forth across the trail, fishtailing in the slimy mud.
Nearing the end of the trail, we encountered a group of guys in flexy looking VW Baja Bugs. They seemed to think anybody lacking good mud tires and lockers front and rear would not make the final climb out. Rather than back track 10 miles based on the advice of somebody with mud in their teeth, we pressed on. The hill was pretty steep, and coated in four or five inches of sloppy clay. Surprisingly, everybody made it to the top unassisted.
Pulling back out onto the Young highway, we admired our fresh coats of goop, eyed the setting sun, and headed for our campsite for the evening. A dozen or so miles down the road, half the group turned towards Workman creek falls. The rest headed back towards town.
Fearing a downpour at any minute, we quickly threw up the tent and cooked dinner. Gathering under the Babcock's nifty tarp awning, we ate a leisurely dinner and reflected on the awesome day on the trail.
Once the sun went down, it got a bit colder. Alan showed off his pyromaniac abilities and started a roaring fire. Gathered around its warmth we soon noticed a red Toyota pickup blasting up and down the access road. Charlie commented that "that guy drives as crazy as Mike." Surprisingly, it turned out to actually be Mike Tutor. He and is brother were out playing in the mud too. After chatting a bit, they decided they'd rather not spend another wet night camping and headed back towards town.
Shortly after everyone turned in for the night, the skies finally opened up. A steady rain fell throughout the night. Although the sound of it made sleeping nice, nocturnal visits to trees were a bit unpleasant.
The rain quit shortly before sun up, but the trees dripped for several hours after that. Once we'd all had breakfast and packed up, we decided to take a trip up to Aztec peak while our tents dried out. Those of us that were awake headed up while Charlie stayed behind to fiddle with a broken ignition switch.
After a brief stop to admire the view at Workman Creek Falls, we drove the rest of the way up to the top of the highest point in the Sierra Anchas. The view from up top was absolutely incredible. We watched as big fluffy clouds floated far below us. A loud noise I at first attributed to a low flying plane turned out to be the Babcocks coming up in their hot-wired K5. A little bit further up the road was a fire tower. Spotting the large, rotund man with long white hair and matching beard that stood watch, Hailey exclaimed, "Look mom, its Santa Claus!"
Although he was from Alaska, it really wasn't ole St. Nick. He was friendly though, and let us climb up and visit his post, even going so far as to give a brief description of fire triangulation and some history of the recent fires the area had experienced. On the way down, he advised us to check the Yucca plants around the area for ladybugs. Sure enough, several of them were covered in hundreds if not thousands of ladybugs.
Heading back to camp, we roused the late sleepers, doused the fire one last time, and packed up our tents. A little ways down the Young Highway we had a bit of confusion, apparently there are about three or four great overlooks to Roosevelt Lake over the side of the cliff, and everyone was thinking of a different one. John headed back to find his favorite, while the rest of us headed to Superior for burritos and cheap gas.
What an awesome trip! Great job John! We had a good turnout and lots of fun playing in the mud and enjoying the incredible scenery of the Sierra Anchas.
(Clouds coming down through the gorge)
(All lined up, waiting for stragglers)
(Believe it or not, there's a Mud Terrain under there)
(Breakfast in bed)
Calendar of Events
June 9-16: MOAB! See elsewhere in this issue for details.
June 27: Monthly club meeting, 7pm at Peter Piper Pizza, Northeast corner of Alma School and Elliot.
July Trip?
July 25: Monthly club meeting, 7pm at Peter Piper Pizza, Northeast corner of Alma School and Elliot.
Classifieds
T-18 4.08 First gear, Tj stock fender flares full set $150.00, AMC 20 Axles Superior one piece narrow $ 200.00. One hi back gray reclining seat $ 50.00. AMC 20, Lockright in carrier $ 225.00, Don 480-839-9096 or E-mail: Jeepnsw@aol.com
1986 Chevy 350 engine runs but needs new heads $100. Chevy 400 engine; rebuilt 500 miles ago has rod knock $150. 285-75R16 AT on new 16X8 chrome wheel, 8 lug $40 73 K5 Rally wheels, 15X8, 6 lug with trim rings and center caps $100 Call Charlie Babcock at: 480-812-9101 or email: charles.h.babcock@intel.com
Newsletter Cover Photo
This month's cover photo is yours truly trying out his new lift kit at the Coves of Sagauro Lake. Flexes pretty good for a full size!
Joke of the Month
