CasterTroy
Faster'N You
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
- Location
- Wallburg
So July-October was truly hell for me. Deadlines, inlaws with health issues, my middle child getting married Oct 1. I mean, it was a nightmare of stress and anxiety. In the midst of all that I DID fly out to Sand Hallow with PT, Derek and Queeta at the special request of his daughter and her birthday. I felt honored SHE wanted me to join them. It was smack dab in the middle of my deadline hell but was planned and booked and PAID for many months prior so no way I was backing out. When I returned from Sand Hollow my wife told me she didn't want to be away from me that long again, and I agreed. (Actually this was the REASON I dipped my toe in the RV would in the first place, was so she would have a nice place to chill while I hit trails that I thought she wouldn't like. Little did I know I had fish guts and blood on my toe and I dipped it into shark and piranha infested water and drew back a stump 
Holy shit....did it REALLY liquefy the damn battery terminal when we hooked up the new battery @Joe J. brought me?) And the NEXT time I went out...SHE wanted to go 
Outside of Sand Hollow (a WELL NEEDED break) I knew I was booked solid for the summer/fall and couldn't do any of the planned rides with my Misfit buds or CTB, so I axed @BigClay what dates he had free between mid-oct and Christmas. The boy had ONE WEEKEND
So I txt amy to see if she had a few cabins available. She said James had the big HO-tel booked with his whole "secret virginia CJ off-road club" but that she would hold individual cabins for us
We booked Smokerise because PT had stayed there back in march with the fam and dogs it worked great. My wife also wanted to bring the dogs so this was a perfect cabin. Clay brought his whole family and dog as well and stayed next to us in the 2 story cabin. Derek and Queeta were in the last cabin because Dereks last trip to the ranch ended in a blown turbo/intercooler/knee and he was town a tow rig with gooseneck so he and queeta had to cabin it as well.
We set out friday morning and I set Shaniqua up in the "Princess Uber" which was the middle captains chairs in the suburban so she could kick back, and nap with the furry creatures
As you can see she wore her OLD walking shoes because she didn't want to mess up her good ones
Anyway, we picked up Derek and Queeta at the sheets on university en route to Clay and Alan at the Grande. But Clay rolled up on us at the light near North point so we just rolled out. Alan heard us on the GMRS and pulled out to the road just as we were passing the Grande and fell right in line.
We rolled up 52 and 77 without incident. Derek falling in love with the 10speed ford with the 6.7 and Alan showing us what a turbo vacuum cleaner motor can do with the same 6 speed bolted to it. Our dualing 6.0 LS motors in 2500 twining suburbans had nothing for those guys (once again)
We stopped between the tunnels for a break then continued on to the ranch. Arriving about 12:30pm
We signed in, got our keys and all unloaded. Once settled we met up at the Honey hole where Rod was already at and started playing
This was Shaniquas FIRST time really being on the trails since I introduced her to offroading in 2015. Where I took her on a CTB ride at URE and she HATED it. So I wasn't hopeful. We left out and saw everyone at Alans so we stopped.
We rolled down to the Honey hole and to mess with her, I followed Derek to the big rock. Of course Derek rolled over it with ease, and Shaniqua thought nothing of it. I truly thought I'd freak her out rolling up right to the face of this rock that was taller than the jeep right outta the gate, but she tightened her harness and crossed her arms like I taught her, then looked at me and said "what are you waiting for?"
I was rather shocked. And..to be honest I've attempted this rock 4 trips in the past and never gotten up it. So I said, "Well allrightythen" and crawled right up to the point that I'd gotten to 4 times prior.
At first I had the same result, but decided to let the tires warm up. This was the result
She never once wavered, nor acted afraid. In fact..she said she LOVED it
We continued around and wen to the top. Once again, she said she really loved it. She told me when she went to URE it was boring and trail riding like that was not at all interesting to her. And here I thought I would take it easy on her and not scare her....shesh...I'd introduced her to it all wrong.
She really DID love the honey hole and I couldn't wipe the smile off her face
Next it was Alans time to try. I clicked my camera to take a video but apparently it didn't take....but he ALMOST made it
Clays turn at the rock is below, and just imagine Alan's Jeep doing pretty much the same thing.
From there we rolled over to Chadilack where we all enjoyed a great ride till Derek broke a valve stem.
We winched him out and drug him back to the cabin.
Meanwhile Clay had set up a HORSEBACK ride for the girls to enjoy (that's the great thing about the ranch) while the ASE certified (Ask Someone Else) mechanics tore into Derek's issue. Derek and I removed the beadlock ring and derek fished in a new valve stem. I yanged it thru and we replaced the ring and pumped the tire back up.
Meanwhile, 40ft away @rcalexander105 was experiencing similar electrical demons. Once we fixed Derek we ran over and recovered Rod and he figured out it was a ground issue.
Once all repairs were made we went and prepared for dinner.
Derek had Brisket for us
Alan made Pillow Chicken
The rest of us brought sides and desserts and we pigged out by a great campfire right outside Clays cabin as the kids played
Speaking of kids...Holy moly what a turnout. And these kids played their asses off!!
Dinner and campfire drinks lasted WAY into the night (I think Clay said we were all gone by 9:50 PM and he was alone at the fire being told "it's time to come in")
The next morning after breakfast we headed back to the Honey hole, then Rubicon, then Foxhole
Then over to Cripple Creek
Where Clay FINALLY got to put his Jeep in and see what all the talk was about.
We were having an amazeballs time, until....Derek broke
Holy shit....did it REALLY liquefy the damn battery terminal when we hooked up the new battery @Joe J. brought me?) And the NEXT time I went out...SHE wanted to go Outside of Sand Hollow (a WELL NEEDED break) I knew I was booked solid for the summer/fall and couldn't do any of the planned rides with my Misfit buds or CTB, so I axed @BigClay what dates he had free between mid-oct and Christmas. The boy had ONE WEEKEND
So I txt amy to see if she had a few cabins available. She said James had the big HO-tel booked with his whole "secret virginia CJ off-road club" but that she would hold individual cabins for us
We booked Smokerise because PT had stayed there back in march with the fam and dogs it worked great. My wife also wanted to bring the dogs so this was a perfect cabin. Clay brought his whole family and dog as well and stayed next to us in the 2 story cabin. Derek and Queeta were in the last cabin because Dereks last trip to the ranch ended in a blown turbo/intercooler/knee and he was town a tow rig with gooseneck so he and queeta had to cabin it as well.
We set out friday morning and I set Shaniqua up in the "Princess Uber" which was the middle captains chairs in the suburban so she could kick back, and nap with the furry creatures
As you can see she wore her OLD walking shoes because she didn't want to mess up her good ones
Anyway, we picked up Derek and Queeta at the sheets on university en route to Clay and Alan at the Grande. But Clay rolled up on us at the light near North point so we just rolled out. Alan heard us on the GMRS and pulled out to the road just as we were passing the Grande and fell right in line.
We rolled up 52 and 77 without incident. Derek falling in love with the 10speed ford with the 6.7 and Alan showing us what a turbo vacuum cleaner motor can do with the same 6 speed bolted to it. Our dualing 6.0 LS motors in 2500 twining suburbans had nothing for those guys (once again)
We stopped between the tunnels for a break then continued on to the ranch. Arriving about 12:30pm
We signed in, got our keys and all unloaded. Once settled we met up at the Honey hole where Rod was already at and started playing
This was Shaniquas FIRST time really being on the trails since I introduced her to offroading in 2015. Where I took her on a CTB ride at URE and she HATED it. So I wasn't hopeful. We left out and saw everyone at Alans so we stopped.
We rolled down to the Honey hole and to mess with her, I followed Derek to the big rock. Of course Derek rolled over it with ease, and Shaniqua thought nothing of it. I truly thought I'd freak her out rolling up right to the face of this rock that was taller than the jeep right outta the gate, but she tightened her harness and crossed her arms like I taught her, then looked at me and said "what are you waiting for?"
I was rather shocked. And..to be honest I've attempted this rock 4 trips in the past and never gotten up it. So I said, "Well allrightythen" and crawled right up to the point that I'd gotten to 4 times prior.
At first I had the same result, but decided to let the tires warm up. This was the result
She never once wavered, nor acted afraid. In fact..she said she LOVED it
We continued around and wen to the top. Once again, she said she really loved it. She told me when she went to URE it was boring and trail riding like that was not at all interesting to her. And here I thought I would take it easy on her and not scare her....shesh...I'd introduced her to it all wrong.
She really DID love the honey hole and I couldn't wipe the smile off her face
Next it was Alans time to try. I clicked my camera to take a video but apparently it didn't take....but he ALMOST made it
Clays turn at the rock is below, and just imagine Alan's Jeep doing pretty much the same thing.
From there we rolled over to Chadilack where we all enjoyed a great ride till Derek broke a valve stem.
We winched him out and drug him back to the cabin.
Meanwhile Clay had set up a HORSEBACK ride for the girls to enjoy (that's the great thing about the ranch) while the ASE certified (Ask Someone Else) mechanics tore into Derek's issue. Derek and I removed the beadlock ring and derek fished in a new valve stem. I yanged it thru and we replaced the ring and pumped the tire back up.
Meanwhile, 40ft away @rcalexander105 was experiencing similar electrical demons. Once we fixed Derek we ran over and recovered Rod and he figured out it was a ground issue.
Once all repairs were made we went and prepared for dinner.
Derek had Brisket for us
Alan made Pillow Chicken
The rest of us brought sides and desserts and we pigged out by a great campfire right outside Clays cabin as the kids played
Speaking of kids...Holy moly what a turnout. And these kids played their asses off!!
Dinner and campfire drinks lasted WAY into the night (I think Clay said we were all gone by 9:50 PM and he was alone at the fire being told "it's time to come in")
The next morning after breakfast we headed back to the Honey hole, then Rubicon, then Foxhole
Then over to Cripple Creek
Where Clay FINALLY got to put his Jeep in and see what all the talk was about.
We were having an amazeballs time, until....Derek broke
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so we had to continue on.
