Elbe Fathers Day Jun 2016

Casey and I (Gary) arrived at the campground about 3pm and saw that Bruce and Debbie had already gotten there and set up their camp.
We decided we would run our camper awning opposite theirs to get more coverage because of rain. It was sprinkling lightly at this time, and as we got our camp site set up more, the rain just got heavier. We got the wood we brought unloaded and thought we would like to keep it dry so we hauled it over the central covered fire pit area, which was a ways away from us. There was another group there so they hade the side closest to us.
I thought id bring out my fire ring and make a fire right close to our camp site and just keep it small. So we hauled all the wood back from the central fire pit covered area. The girls got a real kick out of us moving the wood around and thought we might be able move the wood one more time.. NOT!!
The fire ring was kind of tall so we thought to throw some rocks in the bottom of the ring then build the fire on top of the rocks. Great Idea!!!
Once we got the fire going good and got some coals in the bottom we got a lil closer to stay warm and POW!!! What the HE!!
We all backed away… Kapow!!! Another one, what the heck is that?
Seems a few of the rocks we put in the bottom of the fire pit were getting steamy and blowing apart.
We all backed away from the fire talking about safety glasses an helmets.
It was getting to be about 9:30 by now and Steve and Jamie were just rolling in. They got things set up, and came over to join us at the fire. We didn’t say anything about the exploding rocks and it seemed by now things had settled down and the rocks were no longer throwing sharp fractures of itself upon us anymore.
We settled in for the night, and from the sounds of weather reports a wet weekend.

I awoke to an alarm clock that I really wanted to throw in the nearest creek at 8am, which is pretty early for me.
I stumbled out of the camper to get coffee going, and peered thru my blurred sleepy eyes I saw that Steve and Rudy were just pulling up in his Camo man jeep. They quickly got the tent set up and we all got aired down and ready for the trails.
By the time we left out the gate of the campsite it was right about 10 am or little after, and we figured if anyone else was coming they should have been there by then. So we headed out.

Now Casey and I have been to Elbe a few times but it seemed we always got into the Busy wild trail and never got to see other parts of the trails so we decided to head to the FAR end of the park and hit the Gotcha and Swamp trails first.

As we turned off the main 9 road onto Gotcha trail, we got hit with some little hail stones which would be precursor for things to come later in the day.

The Gotcha trail was pretty much go slow tight turns and with things being real wet n slick we did not take advantage of the small rock piles along side of trail.

On the next trail, which is called Swamp Trail.  This trail has been a nuisance in my past and today was no exception. But I thought we could get a bit of a chance and run it backwards this time. The Swamp trail was living up to its name. Wet slick slimy and once we got into the thick and deeper portions the deep puddles did not smell very good. We all worked our way around and thru the wet slimy mud till we got to the long trough. I was leading so I slipped into the puddle moving forward. I didn’t get too far and just spinning tires. I hit my locker and the ARB pump just runs and runs.. what???? I switched to my under rig cams and sure enough a huge log had been in that puddle and is now stuffed under my rig. I back out assess damaged and realize my air hose is leaking badly. We move the log over just enough and proceed on…. I had to hit my ARB rear locker again before making it all way thru the trough and that pump is pumping out enough to lock the rear and get me thru. Everyone else follows suit with almost no problems at all. And once again that stupid trail leaves it mark.

On to Rainier Vista Trail it was fairly uneventful but there were a few spots that were getting into a steep climb. It just kept climbing up and up and by my GPS I figured this was going to be the highest point of the ORV park and maybe we could get a view at the end? Sure enough at the end it was up high and of course had a big area with a big puddle in the center. I saw Casey peel off in the MissCreant. I figured I better clue her in real quick as she is backing up and up and up even more…. I poked my head in the window and said, “you don’t have any idea what is in the middle of that puddle, maybe you should go thru slowly first†She took my advice and promptly turned around on the other side and revved up that lil blown yota and Mudnadoed it thru the puddle. I think we all got pics and some video someplace of it…

We decided to get back down to do Alder Loop Trail which I was hoping would lead us to a rock garden that I did not try to get thru on a run with a fellow club that had invited us a long time ago. This trail was tight n twisty but even Steve Armentrout in his 4 door Jk was navigating his way thru the trees n trails. The weather had been pretty spotty at this point, a cloud would come over and rain then stop for a few then another. There is one spot in this trail that connects with the Main Line Trail that has been dug up, tore up, rutted out and puddle up. But we managed to stay on trail and navigate through. We had a short break in weather for a lil bit when I rounded a corner and there it was! Like I got lead to it or something. The rock pile that I wanted to conquer was dead a head.

Now I crawled up into the very beginning of it and decided to get out and assess the situation. Everyone else seems to sense what was up and got out to come up and look. Casey was like “well here it is honey now its your turnâ€. Steve Yeager is like “ you know if you can get to here then you can go there, then if you get there you can go that wayâ€. I was like†hey guys did I tell you my rear ARB is like barely workingâ€?

In the end I think they convinced me I could do it. So away I went, slip sliding gaining ground backing up, hitting again. When I backed up I would switch off the ARB trying to give the pump a break. I heard Steve Yeager and Bruce both reminding me to hit the ARB when I started forward again. The little Samurai (MissUnderstood) is crawling her way up slipping sideways gripping again more forward.. Oops the front dipping down and then grip and out and then the rear dips down and grips..HOLY CRAP she just about came up and over and im resting on my drivers nerf bar on a rock, and told not to breathe. They winch me down after a few poser shots and even a couple videos of it. And as I am making it down to earth and off the rock garden we get hit with some pretty heavy hail again. Geesh and that stupid ARB pump work flawlessly to keep enough pressure to lock that rear the whole way up the rock garden.

We take a break for lunch mostly with everyone in their rigs due to weather . And I check to make sure I didn’t leave wet spot on my seat. Cause I know a pulled a chunk of that seat out from puckering up so tight. We get moving again back onto Alder loop to get back to the main 9 road.

We head for the Sunrise trail which was a trail that was adopted by the Timber Tamers quite a number of years ago. It is a great little trail that take you onto the Main Line Trail. Sunrise Trail is a tight little twisty trail that winds up and has some good areas of good grip to climb up in elevation, nothing too drastic or tough.  But we did see 3 guys in a full size stock chevy  that was pretty new coming in opposite direction. It was kind of a weird scene, why were they there, and they made room for us to pass we checked they were alright and proceeded on.

Sunrise trail dumps out onto the Main Line Trail which we followed for a bit and when I tried to pass the long water trough Casey was all over me on the radio.. “Your not even going to look at it� I backed up and turned into the long deep Trough. Now it was pouring down rain and this puddle is known for eating rigs. I dipped into it watching my front tire disappear, all 36 inches were gone and I am sorry I wasn’t going any further. I backed out and we all made a Tamer Turn in record time.

Onward to our last goal..The Busywild. We got to the Busy turn off at about 2:15 and Im thinking this shouldn’t be too bad. I looked up into the trail and see what is expected of the BusyWild, a wet sloppy nasty rutted walls over the roof of a cut out and proceed in. Sure enough Busy Wild trail will live up to its name this day. Now keep in mind Casey and I have been down here a couple of times and when its dry it isn’t too bad.
But today was an accumulation of a weeks worth of rain, a few months of what appears to be many rigs running the trail.

The first obstacle has a nice pleasant go around but I thought it was too easy…. So here I go.. Oh wait here comes a couple quads… They report it gets worse as you go farther and we turned around.. What??? We are the Timber Tamers we don’t turn around..Hehehe. So I get in and head into the first obstacle with the quad guys watching.. I inch in and get caught by log slip slide over.. back up and do it again. Back up again and go waaay left make it past the log up into the show horn.. Slowly didn’t cut it,, so I backed up and gunned it sure enough momentum got me thru as well as rip off the last half of my drivers rear fender flare. Someone picked it up for me and we stuffed it into the MissCreant. Everyone else went thru the go around except for Steve Yeager which he followed my line and since his Samurai doesn’t wear fender flares he did just fine.

The trail was a mess and mud and deep ruts were killing us. Had to get tree savers out and winching past certain holes was pretty common for the first ¼ of the Busy Wild. At once point I heard Steve’s lil Samurai revving up high so I looked to him throwing mud high up in the air only to be stopped suddenly. Then I notice his face covered in mud and what appeared to be him in shock as he spitting out mud. It was cold it was raining and it was the Busy Wild rearing her ugly head. We made it thru though and with short lil breaks in weather at critical times we were doing alright. We made it to the end and decided to take the Easy Wild trail back to the main 9 road and even that turned into quite a little trail.

It was an EPIC adventure to Elbe that none of us will forget. MissUnderstood damaged ARB air line took both mud flaps off, half a rear fender flare. MissCreant wrinkled front fenders and fender flares and rock rail dented up to barely get door open, and dead head lost his jaw and will need to be wired back on. Steve Yeager lost a patch in his tire, just a leak. Steve Armentrout munched his rear bumper. Bruce Watson discumboobulated some body parts that don’t quite match up anymore?

We all worked together to keep all of us moving forward and it was a great day of wheeling that will be remembered.

Gary M
TT256