Doh Run Jul 2004

The “DOH”! run was initially suggested by Tom (moose) James (and helped to be named by Rick) as a pre-Doe run. Patrice and I met up with the group at the Highway 410 café in Buckley at about 9:30am. It was a beautiful 70+ degree morning and promising to get warmer as the day went on. Tom and Eileen had gone to Mike Robinson’s place to drop off Tom’s truck and trailer. Upon their return we made our way to Greenwater / Forest service road 70 and on up to the trail head.

Apparently Robert Lee and his friend Duncan had left the 410 café prior to our arrival. They joined up with our group again as we approached Greenwater. We stopped to air down, meet and greet and up the trial we went. I must confess this was my first time on the actual Naches trail so it was all new to me. The initial hill climb was interesting. Challenging? Well, not really but, it is summer after all. From what I understand this trail gets much more difficult in fall and winter when conditions are much muddier and/or there is significant snow on the ground.

Shortly before lunch, Rick had some trouble with his starter. Some quick & friendly help from Tamers and nearby wheelers from the Faith Wheelers along with a few individual PNW members had him up and running in no time. We stopped at Government Camp for Lunch and continued down the trial with no major problems except Robert Lee having the side wall on his right front tire pierced. Don’t know the exact how and why of it but, he put on his spare and off we went again.

A brief stop was initiated by the local law checking rigs for glass packs and then on to the end of the trail. A stop at Whistlin’ Jacks for fuel and farewells found the group divided into the “let’s head home” and the “lingering lounge” groups. We chose to “linger” enjoying great company even as we caravanned back over scenic Chinook pass. Another great Timber Tamers Club Run!

Lonnie

Members present:
Tom James (Tail Boss) with Friend Ed
Robert Lee & Family
Duncan
Scott and Laura Cousins
Alonzo and Patrice Del Villar
Eileen Levering
Jana Camacho
Rick and Carol Krogg

 

Homer’s DOH!!! Run………

Of course – before running the Naches trail for real, since it only opened up the previous weekend to motorized traffic, we figured that we should run it for unreal. Thus the gathering of the faithful for the DOH!!! Run.

In truth – while the latter Naches Doe run had more DOH!!! Attributes than this one did, we were still happy to tempt fate – as a slightly different bunch of wheelers assembled than the usual suspects. Lonnie and Patrice showed their faces at the 410 Café in Buckley, for once getting their schedules synced with both each other and the rest of the Tamers. Moosenstein showed up on a trailer behind Moose and the ever faithful ‘Burb, with the Bow-chicka-bow-bow Ilene flat towing Mudtilda, and Jana driving the lovely Corvette purple Chickup to the trailhead. Scott and Laura were in his screaming yellow Land Rover, and of great note, Robb Lee and clan showed up in the new and improved FJ-40 Land Cruiser, which has spent the last 2 years getting a makeover in Robb’s garage. It was good to see his most significant other Laurie – and their little one, Allison has obviously been taking her vitamins – as she has proportionally grown bigger over the last 2 years than the Cruiser did. Looks better too – (probably because Robb hasn’t been doing her makeup with a rattle can…..) Also of the Toyota persuasion was Duncan Hoke and his son Andrew – with whom the last time I wheeled jointly with him must have been 2 years ago or more. Guinness, the above standard – standard poodle brought his mom and dad along (Rick and Carol) and looked very stylin’ in his shades.

So after dropping tow rigs at Mike and Staci’s place, it was like a gathering of old home week, catching up with long lost friends, going on the trail again. The trail? Actually uneventful – which is not necessarily a bad thing. This year the snow left early. There was no snow, and in fact, almost no water or mud on the trail. It was dry – but the soil had not yet been beaten into talcum powder. Lonnie and Patrice delivered a guardian spirit to watch over Moosenstein – a Moose angel with wings and a halo – and so far, that little talisman seems to be doing the trick. Lonnie was said to have created 3 verses of a song “Mooseangel” (I’m sure done to the 50’s tune, “Earth Angel”) but did not get around to singing any of them (yet!) CB chatter was ribald on occasion, but good spirited, and after about 5 hours or so of going over hill, over dale, up and down the dusty trail, Tamers turned their attention to the cool dark respite of Whistlin’ Jack’s saloon over in Cliffdell. Some folks got some quick sodas and then headed for home on the asphalt, but a few more of us decided to more closely honor the Homer Simpson in all of us, and sat down to enjoy the cool darkness of the bar, complete with appetizers, and beer. Homer would have been proud. (Oh yeah – and some girly looking mixed drinks were consumed too. DOH!!!!!)

6:00PM seemed like a good time to pay the tab, and head back to Enumclaw on the asphalt. The Germans have a word for the type of day it became – a day of Gemutlichkeit – kinda without trying – for a little while – everything was right with the world. Such is a good day wheeling with Tamer friends on the trail……

Moose