PresidentialRovings
Crank It Up!
Hello fellow Roverphiles! The season has gotten off to an early and great start this year. As you will see in this edition of the Xchange, club members have been spending a lot of time in Moab having fun this winter and spring. But there has also been a lot of time spent working out the kinks of our recent merger and making the new club something to be proud of. Evidence of this is now readily available in the form of the new SolihullSociety.org website as well as the great new look of the Rover Xchange. Kudos to webmaster Josh White and newsletter editor Nathan Hindman for their efforts to make sure we have strong and professional looking forums for distributing info to our club members and showing the Rover community how much fun we have here in Rocky Mountains. Your rally committee has been making a lot of progress on this year’s National Rally planning and we are very excited for another great show in the Moab desert on September 14-18. Pat Bickford and Pam Haigh have been working hard to iron out all the details while Norman Hall has done a great job of signing up numerous vendor sponsors this year to ensure the expanded vendor day is chock full of expertise on Rover equipment and 4WD adventures for all. This year’s rally will be full of great Moab trail rides and all the Rover camaraderie you can stand, so send in your Rally Registration forms as soon as you can. (forms are in this newsletter and on the website) As a note to all planning to attend, the lodging and Saturday night BBQ will be held at the Aarchway Inn this year (special rate for rally attendees), so please make sure you book your reservations early! In other news, the club sponsored a trail-leader training event in March led by Bill Burke and 4WheelingAmerica. This was a 3-day course in Moab designed to enlighten its students on the finer points of off-road safety, good spotting techniques, safe recovery techniques, and tips on helping the neophyte off-roader feel comfortable and confident on the trails. You will see several of Bill’s graduates leading trails throughout the summer and during the rally and we are all very appreciative of the time devoted by Bill and the students to improve the off-road experience. During the May Executive Committee meeting, we were paid a visit by Park County Commissioner, Don Staples (out of Fairplay), who asked for our help and involvement in an effort that could greatly affect trail access in that area. More and more public land parcels are being bought by private parties, and in some cases existing roads and trails cross through these now private properties. In many cases, easements to grant through access to these roads and trails do not exist. A private citizen has approached Park County for financial assistance and approval in purchasing these easements (one of which is for our new adopt-a-trail – Mosquito Pass). The problem is that this person has written the proposal for the easements such that it would eliminate motorized access, but luckily, the Park Co. commission has told her that they will not consider the proposal without inclusion and involvement of the motorized off-road community. That’s where we come in. So, Pat Bickford is trying
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to work with both the proposal owner as well as the Colorado Association of 4WD Clubs to ensure we have representation in this process so that the overall result of the proposal ends up being a win-win situation for all involved. We’ll keep you posted on our progress. One item of business that we need your help with concerns the ratification of the new Solihull Society’s bylaws. Bylaws serve as the club’s outline for its rules and procedures and are a necessary administrative evil. A sub-committee was formed to create a new and updated version of bylaws that utilized both of the old clubs’ documents as well as included changes that better reflect our new club. We have included a copy of the proposed bylaws for review as well as a self-addressed and stamped ballot card for your vote to approve the new bylaws. It is important that you send us the ballot card with your vote as our rules require at least 51% of member ballots to be returned in order to make the vote official. Even if you don’t care about the bylaws, please at least mark the ‘Proxy’ box on the ballot card and SEND IT IN which tells us that you are good with what the majority decides to do with the bylaws. (Look at it this way, if we don’t get your participation, we will be doing this again and again until we do, so please help us out! ) One last organizational announcement… There are a lot of great things happening within the club today that demand and command a considerable amount of time in order to produce the end product that we all want in the Solihull Society - a club that is the envy of all. Between the Rally planning and increased exposure of that event, the extra work brought on by the merger (newsletter, website, bylaws, accounting, membership, etc), a spurt of land issues work, and the fact that none of us wants our new 4wd club to be viewed as a halfhearted effort - the role of the president, at least for now, can’t be done by one person alone. All of us are busy professionals that have limited time to devote to our club efforts. So, Pat Bickford and I have talked about and agree upon sharing the role of president through the rest of 2004 to ensure proper focus can be placed on getting the Solihull Society rolling gracefully in the direction we all want. If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please feel free to contact either of us. Now for the fun stuff! The event calendar is packed with fun trail rides of all levels and the trips have been fun and well attended so far this year. So pick some trails you want to do, pack a picnic lunch, crank your Rover up and come out and play. And don’t forget to mark your calendar for the club’s annual summer BBQ to be held on Saturday August 7th at Matt and Cat Schulze’s farm in Parker – details will be mailed out this summer. I hope to see you on the trails soon! Cheers, Marc 303-733-7169 marcrrr@msn.com
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
RoverXchange The Rover Xchange is a quarterly publication of the Solihull Society 4-Wheel Drive Club, Inc. All material in Rover Xchange, unless otherwise noted, is the property of Solihull Society and may not be reproduced without permission. SOLIHULL SOCIETY CONTACTS Co-President – Pat Bickford (303) 526-0780 Co-President – Marc Richardson (303) 733-7169, marcrrr@msn.com VP – Mark Stolte marks@alliancecp.com Secretary – John Alden Membership – Carl Padgett (303) 932-7090 Treasurer – Pam Haigh chaigh@boulder.net Event Coordinator – Ali Vali avali@mho.com Newsletter – Nathan Hindman nathan@pangaea-expeditions.com Website – Joshua White webmaster@roverriders.org Website – www.solihullsociety.org Newsletter Articles and Photos – The preferred format for articles to be submitted is in either Word (.doc) or text (.txt) format. The preferred format for photos is for a digital picture to be emailed or maild on CD in either a JPEG, TIFF or EPS files. The articles can be submitted either via email (webmaster@roverriders.org) or mailed on a CD to Nathan Hindman at the following address: Nathan Hindman, 3800 Pike Rd, #3-203, Longmont, CO 80503. Materials will be returned upon request Advertising – $25/issue or $100/year (4 issues– get 1 add’l issue free) for 1/4 page ads. Payment must accompany all camera-ready ads. Make check payable to Solihull Society; mail it to the address at the bottom of this column. Free classified ads to members. $5/issue to non-members. Club Membership – $60/year includes membership in the Colorado Association of 4-Wheel Drive Club, their newsletter, the Rover Xchange newsletter, and all the trail rides you can take! Make check payable to Solihull Society and mail it to the following address: Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864
RoverXchange
In this Issue
Volume 9, Issue 2
Presidential Rovings
Spring 2004
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The club ramps up for a busy summer of wheeling activities.
Trip Report: Snowmobiling in Grand Lake
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Wintertime Off-Roading using a different form of transportation.
Trip Report: Moab Training Session
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Bill Burke teaches Solihull members on the finer points of trail leadership.
Trip Report: Springtime in Moab
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The club kicks off the 2004 wheeling season with a pilgrimage to Moab.
National Rally: Registration
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Schedule of events and Registration for the 2004 National Rally
Event Report: Wolf Day at the Java Jungle
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Jim and Mary Molter hold a fund raising event for the club’s beneficiary..
Event Report: Winter Wheeling in Moab
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A winter trip to Moab yields surreal landscapes,
Trip Report: Maze District
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Pat Bickford takes a trip tot the rarely visited Maze District of Canyonlands, NP.
Classifieds
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Parts and accessories for sale by club members
2004 Event Schedule
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Front cover: Charlie Haigh descends a steep hill, Hole in the Rock trail, Utah. Photo by Hans Schulze Back cover: A blanket of fog covers Castle Valley and Fisher Towers, Moab UT. Photo by Jim Molter Below: Hans Schulze’s Defender 90 tackles an obstacle, Old Chinaman’s Gulch. Photo by Josh White
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TripReport
by Norman Hall
Grand Lake Snowmobiling
Ali Vali organized a snow mobiling trip on the 29th February this year. This is something that many of us had been looking forward to for quite some time. Given the time commitments of many of us we chose to set our sights on Grand Lake. Grand lake is approximately 125 miles from Denver on the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. To steal from their official website “Grand Lake is Natural Colorado! Its majestic mountains, miles of lakes and rivers, abundant wildlife, quaint shops, delicious dining, entertaining nightlife and a multitude of activities and events, make Grand Lake the ideal year round family vacation destination. Larry Grubbs and I did not want to endure a very early morning start so we set out for Grand Lake on the Saturday afternoon. The idea was to get there early, book in at our motel and then find the nearest watering hole and have a liquid dinner away from wives and family. Ali Vali and Dave Thomas chose to come up on the Sunday morning due to work commitments on the Saturday.
Above: Snowmobiling in Grand Lake. Below: Getting some air with the “sled.” Photos by Ali Vali
Well Larry and I achieved our goal, had a great night in Grand Lake full of Elk Steaks, lots of beer and friendly conversation with some of the locals at the bar of the pub come steak house. The plan for the next morning was to meet the others at the snow mobile rental place. We were prepared, Mapqwest map and directions, a drive past the day before and we were set, or so we thought. Unfortunately the hire place had not updated their website; we went to the designated address. Our answer, sorry guys they have moved. Shit! Hold on, wasn’t there another place in the middle of town with a similar name? Off we went. Bugger, similar name but wrong again. Where to????? Eventually we got some directions to the new business address and yes, 3rd time lucky. All four of us hired our irons horses for the day, got brief instructions on how to operate the machine and repair minor items that sometimes go wrong and we were off with the help of a map supplied
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
and marked up for us. Now here is where things got fun. Ali and Dave had been on Snow mobiles before, Larry and I had not. As a results Ali and Dave took off madly whilst we struggled behind trying to get used to these new machines. There had been a lot of snow fall in the week leading up to our trip so we were fortunate. The first person to get stuck was Dave. Out came the shovel, a tow rope to try and tow him out backwards and of course some cameras. It probably took a good 15 – 20 minutes to extricate him as he was well and truly sunken in the snow. The next to make a mistake was Ali. No he did not get stuck but he did get us lost. He had the map, he was leading the way, he had been here before and yes he got us lost. Fortunately a few miles back tracking put us back on the correct path and we were off again. A little later much to my embarrassment I got stuck. Most of you know that when I do something I do it in style. So when I got stuck it was with style. Who would guess that a person could get stuck on a 45 degree hill facing up hill. I was so stuck I could not go forwards or even backwards. The snow was probably 3 foot deep so all that our digging seemed to do was to create a deeper hole for the sled to drop into. Anyway with a lot of huffing and puffing [and swearing on my part] we eventually got me out.
Riding through one of the many trails on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Ali Vali
In the end we all had a great time. Ali must be commended to organizing the
trip. Let do it again next year with a lot more participants.
We then found a little hill that allowed us to show off some. We could race along then up a small 6 foot high incline then launch ourselves fully into the air. We stopped when we got overly enthusiastic and nearly started wiping ourselves out. Our adrenalin hit for the day over. On our return to the rental place I somehow lost my bag. In it I had my wallet, glasses, camera, GPS and assorted other items. When I noticed it the other 3 were well ahead of me so I had no choice but to turn around and search by myself and hope they discovered me missing. Well they did come after me but my bag was nowhere to be found. It was eventually turned in and it took me 4 days to get the bag back. A very frustrating 4 days of having nothing but sunglasses to wear to see things both day and night. Not fun. I now have a spare set of glasses in case it ever happens again.
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TripReport
by Hans Schulze
Bill Burke Training Session
Several years ago my son remarked that he’s thinking about attending a Bill Burke off-road training session. I asked why he would even consider it since he’s been driving for years. What was he going to learn? Well…this is what I learned. Who is Bill Burke? Bill Burke is an 4x4 trainer who teaches back country driving techniques, winching and extrication methods, vehicle preparation and maintenance, land navigation and woods’ skills through classes, private training, trainer courses and back country trips. Environmental awareness and trail etiquette are taught on every outing. Bill also serves as a technical consultant in the areas of 4-wheeling expertise and environmental concerns to various businesses, the media, 4-wheel drive manufacturers, dealerships and government organizations.
Above: Not a bad way to spend a winter morning. The Rover convoy is dwarfed by the La Sal Mountains near Moab. Below: “No, we’re not lost” Bill Burke demonstrates map reading skills. Photos by Hans Schulze
Friday Evening Jim Hall, Ralph Bradt, and Keith Tanner camped with Bill Burke while Rich and Carrie Dekkard, Craig and Jacque Davis, Tim Clair, and Hans Schulze camped at the KOA. Having always camped without running water or flushing facilities, the personal hygiene area at the KOA was a pleasant, clean, and warm surprise. There’s something said for not carrying loads of sand and dirt on your body for weeks. The corral style campsites, however, were just acceptable. Those that finished setting up camp early were able to observe marriage interaction while performing simple tasks in the wild and.determined that a marriage counselor would have been helpful. While the Davis’ ate their yuppie food… seeds, grass, mulch…Rich, Carrie, Tim and Hans had a chicken, each. The boys finished their fowl, but Carrie offered some left overs to the dogs. Then we sat around the propane grill, [no fires allowed in the camp ground], and imbibed in drinks and pleasantries. After discussing amenities that we brought, the French press challenged the espresso machine to a Saturday morning caffeine duel. The late evening scene was
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Rockwellish. [An “Americana” scene for the Brits that never heard of Norman or never have seen his Saturday Evening Post artwork]. All were had by a good time until the discussions drifted to driving theories, vehicle accessories, energy solutions [Carrie had an unmentionable solution], and politics that lasted much too long. Then the company was only tolerable. [I understand a similar discussion on politics took place at the Burke campsite. Saturday We met at the Moab Valley Inn in the town of Moab, Utah. There was a mix-up
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
on the availability of a conference room and we ended up in their banquet room where we occupied three tables in the rear, overwhelmed by the long dinning tables and chairs that occupied the rest of the hall. The classroom session covered somewhat the following subjects that were included in his hand out: Responsible Trail Leading, Trail Leader Trip Considerations, Driving Hazards, Convoy Driving Tips, Basic Trail Communications, Wilderness First Aid, Pre and Post-Trip Vehicle Checklist, BugOut Bag Contents. Our classroom in the afternoon was the
Strike Ravine trail south of town on the east side of highway 191. This was a get-yourfeet-wet endeavor, a confidence builder for novices and a reminder for the experienced. After we dropped some provisions at Bill’s camp and restarted Richards truck, the first teaching ground was a hill climb, with an off camber rise and differential eating boulders that provided Tim a spotting assignment. It also allowed Bill to impart pointers to drivers on how to follow a spotter, and how to traverse a rocky rise. For the novice among us, Bill assumed the spotting and teaching mantel. In the classroom Bill told us that as trail leaders we should be familiar with the trail we are leading, therefore knowing all the ancillary spurs and all exits in case of vehicle or injury emergencies. Additionally, make it interesting for the participants by knowing the geography and interesting historical sites. In that vein, Bill stopped at an abandoned silver mine with its dilapidated loading structure and partially caved in cavern. Rusted cart rails were strewn about. Scenic it was with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the background while some of us were traipsing in shorts and shortsleeved shirts, kicking up the red dirt. For those familiar with the area, you know that Strike Ravine runs tangent to Lower Helldorado trail at one point. And yes, it’s closed including the exit trail that heads southwest off of Strike Ravine. From the end of Lower Helldorado, Strike Ravine heads southeast, uphill towards Upper Helldorado. In the first section we defined three lines with slight variations, ranging in degrees of difficulty. All three were utilized and successfully completed. I would describe Ralph Bradt as Clark Kent, unassuming Forest Ranger by trade, super offroader by hobby. He doesn’t say much but lets his driving do the talking. When Jacquelyne conquered her chosen line, she screamed in victory. Before leaving this section Jacque and Richard took their turn to spot. One of the interesting exercises was roleplaying in order to solicit a reaction from the then trail leader. Roles included the timid, the boastful, the know-it-all, the want-to-be leader, the complainer, the sightseer, and the one late-for-an-appointment. It seemed our group reveled in their roles with enthusiasm. The day’s session lasted into darkness,
RoverXchange
Above: Richard Dekkard’s Discovery travels through the Onion Creek narrows. Photo by Hans Schulze
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We are Land Rover Specialists Defender, Discovery , and Range Rover Custom Fabrication – Welding Services Bumpers, Skid Plates, Accessories, & Suspension Systems Walk in service or mail order
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during which time Ralph had a chance to spot also. The day ended with critique of the day’s events. Sunday Steel Bender Trail, once part of a wagon road, was our classroom for the day and part of the night. Once we got to a clearing near the river, Bill gave us lessons in properly emptying a gun and the proper use of a high lift jack including the use of the high lift for winching purposes. Bill feels as trail leader you may encounter people with guns and you may request that the weapon be safe. He demonstrated the proper clearing of a gun, and safety factors involved. The high lift class included two hints for any problems--patience, plan, practice and work smart, not hard. He utilized various fittings now manufactured to ease the winching process on Land Rover vehicles. He demonstrated the safe stance when lifting to prevent the handle from snapping up, possibly causing major injury, and where the handle should be placed when not in active use. Some not familiar with the lift, had an opportunity to use the equipment. The high lift as a winch was especially educational to most of us. Bill demonstrated how to rig the high lift using recovery straps, chains and an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber called Amsteel Blue. If the line is too long, loop it through itself to shorten it. Once connected to a fixed object, start jacking the horizontal high lift.
At the first crossing, we had to travel up river about 30 yards and then turn right. Richard reversed quickly after missing the turn and experienced hood high water on the driver’s side. Once on the other side, Bill demonstrated how certain kerplunk sounds, made by throwing rocks into the river, could give an indication of the river’s depth. Shadow, the Davis’ black lab, also found interest in Bill’s motions. Yep, Shadow flew out of the vehicle and dove into the river, attempting to retrieve the “toy”. She loves to retrieve, especially water thrown items. The second crossing required a longer trek up river, which was dramatized by the rocky rise on both sides. While this crossing was uneventful, Ralph’s Series II sputtered to a halt on the other side. Evidently trained not to die while in the river, it was revived with the gentle coaxing of its owner. After an orientation stop and a photography stop, the next attention grabber was Rose Garden Hill, a downhill section of trail made up of boulders, loose rock and dirt, that required deft maneuvering to avoid undercarriage damage and to avoid sliding uncontrollably. This gave participants another chance to practice spotting. At 4pm, Bill found an outdoor classroom setting that was going to be the site of a demonstration of proper winching techniques. He surprised most of us when he instructed us to run out most of the line when winching, and to double up the line when possible to lessen the load on the winch. Bill also asked if we knew the load
limit of our D ring shackles and did we know the tensile strength of our recovery straps. Do our chains have a grab hook or a slip hook? We all drove away with some new bit of information. To get back to highway 128, Bill led us along Cottonwood Canyon Trail that connected to Fisher Valley Road that connected to Onion Creek Road. Many western movies incorporated scenes from nearby areas and climbers utilize the ragged terrain to satiate their hunger for height. Since the area has been fairly arid, we were able to drive through Onion Creek Narrows, an awe inspiring, nature cut chasm, with Dali-ish formations colored in devilish red pigments that converted all participants into paparazzi. No one minded the meandering water flow and soft, wet dirt when prancing in the gorge to find the perfect picture. Goodbyes and Summary Ralph Bradt, Jim Hall, John Alden and Keith Tanner were packed and ready to return home from the end of Onion Creek Trail. Bill Burke gave the last analysis and summarized the training session. He also presented Jacquelyne Davis with the grand prize for persistency, insistency, and eventually, consistency. It was a Warn recovery gear package, and she was thrilled. In an evaluation filled out after their return, the participants gave Bill high marks for the items covered and commended him for his teaching ability in the outdoors, and his enthusiasm. All rated the training session highly.
The rest of the day included more role playing, spotting and experiencing the ability of the vehicle to perform the unexpected. Mountain bikers were amused and surprised at the ability of the unpretentious looking vehicles. The day ended with the day’s critique. Monday The last day was another fascinating adventure made interesting by Bill Burke’s knowledge of the area, spiced with historic and geographic points of interest. It was a full day that included an outdoor classroom session. We started at the celebrated Dewey Bridge, then followed the Estrada Bluffs Road, which also forms part of the Kokopelli Bike Trail. After 1.2 miles, Bill headed northeast toward the Delores River, which we crossed twice.
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Above: Bill Burke teaches the group preper Hi-lift recovery techniques. Photo by Hans Schulze
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
TripReport The Solihull Society kicked off the official 2004 4-wheeling season with its annual spring trip to Moab, Utah During the weekend of April 16th. This trip was a special trip for the Vali’s as Ali and Kirsten had their 21month old son (Peyton) with them for the first time in Moab and boy did he have a good and safe time. The spring trip participants were the Vali’s in the green camel Rangie, Mark Stolte in his very clean D-90, Larry Grubbs in the monster Rangie, Mark Handlovitch, Jim and Mary Molter in their D-90, Yousef Hamzeh and family in their Series II Discovery and Brian in his Series II Discovery. It was beautiful Friday Morning in Moab. Breakfast was served at the Moab Diner and we headed to the City Market to meet people. We were greeted by Jim Molter who along with Mary spend some months out of the year in Moab. As a group we decided to run a moderate and scenic trail that none of us had done before. We decided on Klondike Bluffs. Jim Molter was our trail leader for the day. He was joined by the Vali’s, Mark Stolte, Larry Grubbs and Mark Handlovitch. Klondike Bluff trail is known for the Dinosaur tracks and markings and crosses interesting, varied terrain, which climbs to a high point overlooking Arches National Park. One also sees relics of an old copper mine near the end of the trail. The trail is located north of Moab off of hwy 191 a little bit past the airport. Halfway through the trail we stopped for lunch under beautiful blue skies and very comfortable temperatures. After lunch we headed back towards Highway 191 and to town for couple of Coldies at Jim and Mary Molters.
by Ali Vali
Springtime in Moab
some of the longer wheeled vehicles could drag the back bumpers, etc. We managed to get through the day with just a little bodywork to the two stock disco’s which decided to come anyway. This trail is rated a moderate trail with couple
of difficult sections. With the excellent spotting and leadership of Jim Molter we all had a good time and managed to get through the rough spots. Sunday was the day to drive back home to Colorado. Hope to see you all on the trails soon.
Above: Ali Vali descends a rock obstacle. Above: Larry Grubbs maxes out the articulation on his Range Rover. Photos by Ali Vali
Another beautiful Moab morning brought us to the City Market. We were greeted by Mark Stolte, Jim and Mary Molter, Larry Grubbs, Mark Handlovitch, Yousef and family, and Brian and his wife (sorry forgot the name). We had decided to run the S&M trail north of Moab. Jim Molter had offered to lead this trail for us. Again none of us had run this trail before so were excited. Jim had warned us that
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2004 Land Rover National Rally Moab, Utah September 14-18, 2004
Cost
Contact Info
Solihull Society Club Members - $125 (1 vehicle and driver) Non-members - $150 (1 vehicle and driver) Passengers - $75 each Children under 12 - free
Pat Bickford Rally Coordinator
Norman Hall Sponsorship Coordinator
Official Lodging and Banquet BBQ Archway Inn 1151 North Highway 191 Moab, UT 84532 Phone: (435) 259-2599 Fax: (435) 259-2270 Toll: (800) 341-9359
Tentative Schedule
Tuesday: Rally Registration Wednesday-Saturday: Trail Events Thursday: Vendor Day Saturday: Banquet Night A detailed schedule of events will be mailed to participants upon receipt of registration form.
Mention that you are with the Solihull Society Land Rover Club Rally to ensure you get the special rate of $75/night
Whether you’re taking your vehicle to the remote corners of Central America, exploring the vast game-filled savannahs of southern Africa, or simply outfitting your truck with gear to make weekend outings a bit easier, Pangaea has the gear, the advice and knowhow to make your journeys possible. Let Pangaea Expeditions help you discover the world. Pangaea Expeditions sells ARB, Hannibal Safari Equipment, Mantec, Old Man Emu, Optima, Pelican, Warn and more.
http://www.pangaea-expeditions.com •
(303) 772-7207
2004NationalRally Moab, UT
Sept 14-18, 2004
Name__________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________ City ________________________State ___________ Zip_________________________ Phone _________________________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________________ What kind of Land Rover will you drive ___________________________________________ License Plate__________________________________________________________State What day will you arrive?_____________________________________________________ Cost:
Solihull Society Club Members $125 (1 vehicle and driver) x 1 = __________________ Non-members $150 (1 vehicle and driver) x 1 = __________________ Passengers $75 each x_____ = __________________ Children under 12 years (free) #_____= __________________
T-shirt sizes needed - S M L XL XXL Please include your completed application and a check payable to the Solihull Society to: Solihull Society P.O. Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248 What is your level of back-country driving skill? (circle one)
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Is your Land Rover fitted with special equipment? (circle all that apply) Winch CB radio Recover Rings Welder Air Compressor Locking (or limited slip) differentials
GPS
Upon reciept of registration, we will send you a packet by mail with details about locations, schedules, trails and local facilities. Be sure to watch for rally updates on the club website, www.solihullsociety.org Signature ____________________________________________________________ Date Accepted by: ____________________ AMT PD ____________ PMT TYPE _____________ Registration Deadline Aug 15, 2004
Waiver/Release of Liability I/we, in consideration of my/our participation in the 2004 Solihull Society National Rover Rally, do hearby release Solihull Society, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns from any and all responsibility or liability for any and all claims, arising from or related to the activities and my/our participation in the above-referenced event. I/we understand and acknowledge off-highway driving is a hazardous activity with inherent dangers, which can result in severe property damage, serious bodily injury and/or death. With full knowledge of such risks, hazards and potential for damage, injury or death, I/we voluntarily and knowingly assume such risks and hazards and agree, Solihull Society, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns shall not be liable in any way, to me/us for any claims for damages, injuries or death resulting from my/our participation in the forgoing event. I/we acknowledge my/our vehicle is in good mechanical condition, and said vehicle is insured for bodily injury liability insurance and personal injury protection insurance and/or medical payment coverage, as required by its’ State of Registration. I/we further acknowledge the driver/operator of the vehicle is licensed to operate a motor vehicle and is not under suspension. This waiver/release of liability is binding on our heirs, insurers, personal representatives or assigns Vehicle Registration Number & State Participant (Signature)
Date
Print Name Address Participant (Signature)* Print Name Address *If participant is a minor, parent or guardian signature is required.
Date
TripReport
by Jim Molter
Wolf Day at the Java Jungle
On Sunday, Feb. 8 Jim and Mary Molter hosted the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center for a fund raiser at the Java Jungle in Breckenridge, Colorado. Darlene Kobobel, the director, brought two wolves, Shunka and Mika to interact with the public. The event was covered by the Summit County Daily News. It’s one thing to tell people about the plight of the wolf but to see and touch one in person leaves a lasting impression. The Rover Riders presented Darlene with a $500 check and told her that next year the supporting club will be the Solihull Society. You can visit the Wolf and Wildlife Center near Divide, CO, telephone 719-748-8683. In the past years Rover Riders have donated their time and effort to work at the Center building enclosures, etc. Club support for this worthwile organization will continue in the future through the Solihull Society.
Jim Molter hands over a check to the Wolf Rescue Center. Photo by Mary Molter
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TripReport
by Jim Molter
Winter Wheeling in Moab
On Jan. 6th Mary and I were tired of the tourists and cold so we packed up the cats and headed to our place in Moab. It had snowed a couple of days here before we left but the roads were clear and we made good time. The trip only took 41/2 hours. Utah had received some snow from the last storm and the snow on the red rocks was spectacular. A weird inversion layer had settled over most of Utah causing fog to gather in all the low lying areas including Moab. The fog froze at night causing Hoar frost to build up on all the vegetation. The temperature was not bad, cold at night and 30’s in the daytime. When the fog lifted the temperature was in the 40’s. Mary and I went out wheeling about every other day. The views were great, especially when you drove up out of the valleys and looked down at the rocks poking up from the fog. View from Top of the World trail was fantastic. Winter wheeling in Moab is great with few people and fewer jeeps. A club trip might be fun then.
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The Molters travel across the snow covered trails of Moab. Photo by Mary Molter
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
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TripReport
by Pat Bickford
The Maze District, Canyonlands NP
The Maze trip was a four wheeling adventure trip lead by Bill Burke through the Maze District of Canyonlands This area is across the river from the Needles District on the west side of the Green River. Along on the trip were Brian and Carolyn Laferno, Sam Porter, Izzy from Manhattan, Bill and his son Dan and Christy Jensen and myself. This was a six-day trip. The Maze District is the remotest area in the lower forty-eight. We started off in Green River, Utah at the John Wesley Powell Museum. We immediately started driving on a dirt road and went approximately 70 miles to a Ranger station at Hans Flats, Utah. We had to make reservations for the campsites and register at Hans Flats to be able to use them. There are 15 primitive sites with 2-3 campsites at each site. We were required to bring in chemical toilets so we unloaded all the gear we brought in.
Above: Ancient pitcographs abound in Canyonlands, NP. Photo by Pat Bickford
The first two days we camped out by the Western Entrance of Horseshoe Canyon. We were on BLM land so we did not require the campsites that we would use in the Maze. The day between the two nights we camped there, we hiked down into Horseshoe Canyon. Horseshoe Canyon has four archeological sites that date between 500 BC and 1 AD. The largest of these are life-sized paintings at a site called the Great Gallery. We hiked 1,000 feet from the top of the Canyon to the wash at the bottom of the Canyon then approximately six and one half miles to visit the various sites. It was a very interesting day and something I would recommend everyone see. The next two nights were at the Maze Overlook. To get there you go from Hans Flats down the Flint Trail then, about 20 miles out to an overlook. From the overlook it was possible to see the entire Maze District. There were two campsites there, which held 5 campsites. They were literally on the edge of a precipitous, which was 1,000 feet from the canyon floor. We had very strong winds and some of the tents had to be secured to the vehicles. The next day part of the group hiked
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to the bottom of the canyon to see the Harvest Scene. This was another archeological site. The hike down there was fairly difficult requiring some ropes and a lot of bouldering. The people who went down said the Great Gallery was better. Christy and I, because of my dislike of heights, decided we would go to the Valley of Standing Rocks and the Doll House. This is about an 80 miles round trip from the Maze Overlook. There is some four wheeling in there that would be comparable to Steel Bender in Moab. The Valley of the Standing Rocks included the Wall, Chimney Rock, Standing Rock and, several other formations. You end up at the Doll House, which is above the confluence of the Green & Colorado Rivers. The Doll House is a series of large stone formations that look like dolls, as opposed to an actual dollhouses. We did not camp there but there were some neat campsites there.
Above: Massive, surreal rock formations in Canyonlands. Below: Bill Burke get bogged down in a mud pit. Photos by Pat Bickford
After the second night at the Maze Overlook, we then left the Maze District and went to Hite, Utah to refuel our vehicles. We each carried 15 gallons of extra gas. After refueling we drove over Indian Head Pass through the Bears Ear to a primitive area called Dark Canyon. We visited an old ranch that is on the Historical Register and camped at the bottom of Dark Canyon. We woke the next morning to 4� of snow and a snowstorm. We broke camp very quickly and, got out of the canyon before we got stuck. The previous four days the temperatures had been in the upper 70’s, so this was quite a shock to us all. We then drove out over the top of Elk Ridge into the Needles District and back to Moab. It was an enjoyable trip and everyone had a good time.
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2004EventSchedule www.solihullsociety.org • Always call the trip leader to confirm trip details. Natural and un-natural events can interfere with our plans. All difficulty ratings are based on stock vehicle with some driver experience DATE 06/12/04 06/20/04 06/26/04 07/03/04 07/04/04 7/10-11/04 07/11/04 07/17/04 07/25/04 7/24-25/04 08/09/04 08/15/04 08/22/04 08/28/04 09/14-18/04 10/2/04 10/12/04 TBD
EVENT
DIFFICULTY Easy to moderate Spring Creek near Dumont. Difficult Lefthand Canyon/Carnage near Boulder. Difficult Mcallister Gulch near Vail Easy to moderate TBD N/A Holy Cross near Camp Hale (overnight camping) Difficult Jones Pass, near Empire Easy Lamartine/Saxton Road near Idaho Springs Easy to moderate Explore Summit County- Georgia Pass, Middle Fork, North Fork Easy to moderate Blanca Peak near Sand Dunes NP, overnight camping Difficult-extreme Club BBQ/Meeting (hosted by Matt and Kathy Schulze) N/A Wheeler Lake near Alma Moderate to Difficult Work day on Radical Hill for adopt a trail Moderate Mosquito Pass near Alma. Easy and scenic National Rally Moab, UT More information will be posted. Easy to extreme Crystal Mountain near Fort Collins Moderate Club Meeting 7pm Zangs Brewery, Denver I-25 and 23rd Ave N/A Holiday Party Location TBD. N/A Bill Moore Lake near Empire.
TRIP LEADER Jim Hall (Jimfoo@ai5.net) Marc Richardson (marcrrr@msn.com) Hans Schulze (zxblade@comcast.net) Jacquelyn Davis (jclyncox@yahoo.com) Check Web Site. Carl Padgett (cepadgettfamily@worldnet.att.net) TBD TBD Ali Vali (avali@mho.com) Hans Schulze (zxblade@comcast.net) Directions to follow. Ralph Bradt (rnbradt@earthlink.net) To be announced. Jim Hall (jimfoo@ai5.net) Pat Bickford (pbickford@ai-colorado.com) Marc Richardson (marcrrr@msn.com) For more info, check web site
Please contact event leader by the Wednesday before the event if you plan to attend. If the event leader does not receive any interest the event will be canceled.
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membershipapplication Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ Spouse/Partner/Significant Other ____________________________________________________________ Street Address _____________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________ State ___________________ Zip _______________________________ Phone Number _______________ E-mail___________ Website URL _______________________________ Land Rover(s) Model &Year __________________________________________________________________ Detach and mail with $60 to: Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864
Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864