PresidentialRovings Here comes the Rally! RALLY DATES September 14-18 – Don’t Miss it! Hello folks and welcome to the Summer 2004 Rover Xchange. This quarter’s news rag boasts some great reports on all the trips we’ve taken this Spring and Summer. We should take a moment to thank all the trail leaders who have volunteered their time to make all these great trips possible. I would also like to thank you, our membership, for joining in on these trips and being an active part of the Society. Without you and your participation, there wouldn’t be much use for a club, now would there. Which brings us to our second topic for the day…. The 2004 Land Rover National Rally is right around the corner and we’re really hoping we see each and every one of you out in Moab September 14-18 for what will surely be the best Rally we’ve put on to date! This year the rally starts a day earlier, with registration starting on Tuesday evening, September 14th from 5pm-8pm at the Old Spanish Trail Arena at the south end of town. Pizza and drinks will be provided for those rolling in after the drive to Moab and this is where you get your rally t-shirts and hats and info packages. Wednesday starts off at 8am with lots of options for trail rides of all levels such as Kane Creek, Fins-n-Things, Klondike Bluffs, Amasa Back/Cliffhanger and many others to choose from. Wednesday evening the club is hosting a Social Hour at the Moab Brewery beer garden from 6pm-9pm. On Thursday we are trying something new. We will host half-day trail rides starting at 8am on some of the closer and shorter trails – including the option for an awesome mountain bike ride on Moab’s newest single-track if your Moab interests aren’t limited to only 4 wheels. And then from 2pm-8pm we are hosting a huge vendor display with representatives from all walks of 4-wheeling life. The vendors range from Land Rover parts specialists, off-road accessories and parts specialists,
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adventure/excursion specialists, machine shop/fabrications specialists, to 4WD interests media specialists. This event will also give all the motorheads plenty of time to mingle and chat up your fellow Roverphiles and to check out all the cool Land Rovers while you enjoy the complimentary food and beverages provided by the vendors. Friday is a full day of trail rides to such classics as Hell’s Revenge, Poison Spider Mesa, Golden Spike or Behind the Rocks to name a few. Saturday is another full day of trails and then we close the Rally with an evening of fun at our catered BBQ Dinner hosted this year at the Aarchway Inn at the north end of town – which also serves as this year’s Official Rally Lodging HQ as they are offering great rates on rooms for rally participants –see the Solihull website for details. And don’t forget the thousands of dollars worth of cool prizes and giveaways that will be handed out at the BBQ – including a raffle for a brand new winch courtesy of Bill Burke’s 4Wheeling America! So please send in your Rally Registration form (on the website and in the last issue of the Xchange) and make plans for a great time in Moab! We’ll see you there. 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 3
Presidential Rovings
Summer 2004
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Getting ready for the National Rally in Moab.
Trip Report: Carnage Canyon
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An early season trip up the infamous Carnage Canyon near Boulder.
Trip Report: Hole in the Rock Trail
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A four wheeling and camping trip acrosss a historic 4x4 trail in Utah.
Trip Report: Spring Creek Trail
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Hard core wheeling just a stones throw from Denver.
National Rally: Registration
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Schedule of events and Registration for the 2004 National Rally
Event Report: Red Cone
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A hair raising, seat clenching, adrenaline pumping day of relaxing summer fun.
Classifieds
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9
Parts and accessories for sale by club members
2004 Event Schedule
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Front cover: Taking a break in a scenic Alpine Meadow, Red Cone Trail. Photo by Nathan Hindman Back cover: Trail Repairs at Chinaman’s Gulch. Photo by Josh White Below: The breathtaking view from the top of Red Cone Peak. Photo by Nathan Hindman
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Summer 2004
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TripReport Maybe it was the early time requirement. Maybe it was the trail’s reputation. Maybe it was something else, but we only had three vehicles show up, one was the trail leader and one was the guest of a club member, compared to last year’s 12.
by Hans Schulze
which was marked for reclamation. Other signs warned that this area would be closed if riders don’t stay on the trail. Don and I had one other chance to play and that was a short, but steep climb with ruts and rocks.
Carnage Canyon That run ended on the top of a mogul run that also was closed. We then hit 286 again, which took us to the trail head at approximately 12:15 pm. We had a good time. High fives.
Those that participated: Cain Kobert in his ’97 military olive D90 Don Lampman in his black 2001 TJ with everything Hans and Roseanne Schulze in the white ’95 D90 soft top And like last weeks trip, there were no other vehicles at the trailhead that posed potential delay. Don seemed super setup with his new TeraFlex kit, and “everything” else. He showed me his Defender 90 in his gun case. Promptly at 9:15am we were on our way, maneuvering amongst the boulders that makes this trail technical….or lots of fun. We encountered J**ps at a two boulder squeeze and because several had chrome rims, and didn’t want to scratch them, there was a bit of a delay. Don also decided on a real radical line which resulted in a winch. From there the J**ps took the high road, dirt with tree roots, and we took the low road, the river bed with boulders. The only other challenging spots included the off camber slick rock with a vehicle high boulder on the drivers side. Because the tires were muddy, it was hard to get traction in order to climb out of a potential dent. We kept sliding toward the jagged boulder that made our “paint scream”. [Thanks Don] It required many back & forths to scramble out.
A TJ gets high centered on a boulder. Photo by Hans Schulze
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Custom Fabrication Off Road Accessories
As we meandered thru the river bed looking for challenges, I saw Cain in my rear view mirror and knew Don was close behind because I could hear his sub-woofer. (Is that like jumbo shrimp, because his sub was over the top?)
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We finished the trail at 11 am and instead of driving straight on trail 286 which would end up on 5 Points and out, we ran up a washout, and then took a hard right that eventually led us to a precarious mogul hill that required a steady throttle. Don’s run was text book, but I got stuck very close to the top, and subsequent tries resulted in several potential tip overs.
38 Buchanan Street
From there, we followed the trail uphill, turned left at the first chance and followed the path until we had another chance to turn left, downhill. This lead to 286 and the way out. Once we got close to the rutted and gullied playground, cable fencing prevented drivers from entering that area,
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(719) 328-0796 Matt Peterson Colorado Springs, CO 80907
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
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Hans climbs up a steep rock obstacle in Carnage Canyon. Photo by Hans Schulze
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Summer 2004
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TripReport
by Hans Schulze
Hole in the Rock Trail
When a fellow wheeler says to you, yes, we had a great trip, what does that really mean? This is what it meant to the participants of the Hole in the Rock camping trip: new trail, volatile weather, some navigation, stunning scenery, intriguing food, reflective music, new acquaintances, lucky finds, fresh admiration, musical discussions, political discussions, technical discussions, vehicle discussions, food discussions, no breakage, and solid friends. On the downside, there was lots of highway driving starting from Denver. “The trail was constructed by Mormon pioneers during the winter of 1879- 80. The trail the Mormon Pioneers opened was very rugged and difficult even by their standards. The Mormon’s wished to establish a colony in the four corners vicinity which had become a hide out for lawless Indians and whites. They expected their mission to take about 6 weeks... instead it took 6 months including a very vicious Utah winter.”
Above: A Disco descends a rock face. Below: The group heads up a mesa. Photos by Hans Schulze
Directions From Moab , take 191 south to highway 95, head west to 276 then south to Hall’s Crossing, approximately 160 miles from Moab . Hall’s Crossing, so named because Charles built a ferry here, also can be reached from Green River , taking highway 24 south to 95 to 276. To get to the trail head from Hall’s Crossing, backtrack 9.5 miles to the east, and turn south on the dirt road adjacent to the airport. The trail ends approximately 30 miles to the southwest, and 2 miles from Lake Powell , opposite the actual Hole in the Rock. Staying right at any of the forks in the road will lead to the end of the trail. Participants Chris Davis from Boulder , Colorado in his 1994, white D-90 without a roll cage; rock sliders, on board air, custom skids, Detroit rear locker and stuff. Charlie Haigh from Lafayette , Colorado in a 1986 110 pickup with a 300 TDI; rock sliders, hydraulic winch, Detroit rear locker, and stuff.
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Mike Wilson from Lafayette , Colorado driving a 1994 Discovery with leopard skin headliner and stuff. And me, Hans Schulze in a 1995 white, soft-top, D-90 with stuff. Trip Report-To Hole in the Rock Site After a timely departure from the Morrison exit on I-70 on Friday April 16 th, we fought a constant head wind. Mike, with a 23 gallon tank, and Chris, with only a slightly modified vehicle, had no fuel concerns. Since I had custom gearing and oversized tires, my vehicle threatened abandonment three times on
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
highway 128 leading into Moab . Charlie just smirked. We loaded up on provisions, food, gas, water, ice, map, Cliff bars, and started on our 2 1⁄2 hour trip to Hall’s Landing which was the last provision stop before starting the trail. Unbeknownst to us, the lone gas station closes at 6pm and the gas pumps date back to the 20 th century...no credit cards. Although we challenged the prescribed closing time, luck was on our side. More gas, ice, maps, and we were on our way to the trailhead with the intention of driving as far as possible before night fall. In retrospect, we should have
aired down prior to the ride to cushion the trail ribs. Nightfall forced us to stop 7.75 miles into the trail where we set up camp on the sand prairie. In the twilight we prepared food with the aid of flashlights. This site on the side of the road appealed to us only because the flat stone became our parking lot, therefore reducing harm to the environment and keeping the vehicles from blocking traffic. The tailgate kitchens produced varied meals. Charlie made a veggie stir fry and sautéed a chicken breast. Chris grilled his chicken breast and added backed beans and a mixed green, organic salad. Mike continued the chicken theme with prima vera, including linguini, snow peas and carrots. I had brats.first preheated on Chris’ grill, then completed on a flat rock in the fire that was constructed in a small stone amphitheater formation to aid in wind control. I’d like to think this is how the Indians prepared their brats many years ago.
Stopping to admire the view. Photo by Hans Schulze
The possible traffic did materialize the next morning, Saturday April 17th. A school of ATV ‘s became our wake up call at 7am , motivating us to mosey-on down the trail. One and three quarter miles later we encountered the ATV enthusiasts camped under an immense, 100 foot overhang. Around noon we took lunch on the center of the vast Grey Mesa because we were hungry and didn’t know if there was a more picturesque site further down the road, which there was of course. Two miles further was the striking site of the “ Great Bend of the San Juan River “ part of Lake Powell . At 3pm we gawked at the seemingly impassible trail, commemoratively marked with posts emblazoned with covered wagons. We remarked with awe at the impossible or at best, highly difficult terrain that the pioneers conquered. From the end of the trail we had a wonderful vantage point of the actual Hole in the Rock, across what is now part of Lake Powell . Trip Report-Return to Hall’s Crossing and Moab The dark grey clouds, foretelling deteriorating conditions, gave us impetus to retrace our path, at least leaving behind some of the slightly steep, off-camber sections that could be made more dif-
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ficult if they were wet. We remembered weather reports of a storm for later today and tomorrow. The sand packed wind pushed us side to side on our trek back. Once off of Grey Mesa we looked for a camp site for the night. At first we wanted protection from wind and rain, but desperation made us consider shelter from the rain only. After several possibilities and the vision of organizing shelter in the rain, we were resigned to camp at the edge of a small bluff which might hinder the wind somewhat but would do nothing to prevent us from getting wet. While two stayed behind deciding on placement of tents, a search party of two gave one last look further down the trail and to our surprise, just around the bend, was that same, huge, 100 foot overhang. It was 7pm which gave us a chance to organize our camp in daylight. High fives were in order and to celebrate, the tailgate chefs concocted their elaborate menus. I had brats. After night crept up on us, the high spirits led to single malt scotch and tubular encased cigars. Delicate Sounds of Thunder and Riders of the Storm seemed appropriate choices for the booming sound system of Chris’ Defender. We were relieved. The protection properties of this site was evident during the night when freight train, tornado sounding winds, bent trees at the waist only 25 yards away, but kept us in a gentle breeze. A light show was watched by three of us at 3am . At sun up, Sunday April 18 th , rain was evident only on the hood of three of our vehicles. Chris was able to park and tent under the jutting bluff and was completely dry.
to our own “crack in the wall” that we explored somewhat on foot. We continued our exploratory excursion after reaching the main road again and within 2.5 miles decided on a spur to the east of us that we thought would lead us to a mesa overlook. But first, 3.5 miles away at a T intersection, we encountered an abandoned 1⁄2 track, and two ancient and rusted trucks. We didn’t fool with the trucks on the possibility that they may still be utilitarian. One truck had a horse trailer attached and we did see horses on the mesa. During lunch we decided to explore a visible windmill one mile northeast from us. If you need water, this would be the place. The windmill, patched with wire and wood limbs, was a pump, extracting water constantly that would flow into a large tub, overflowing into another large tub, overflowing onto the ground. Further checking of the map led us back to the trucks, and south 12 miles from the rusted vehicles. The scenery was good, and we found another water well, this one powered by a solar panel. It was 3:30pm and we had to get to Hall’s Crossing by 6pm to refuel. It was decided to cut Monday’s trip home by driving toward Moab today and camp on the Strike Ravine trail, just south of Moab . About three hours later, another gourmet dinner followed the routine tent reconstruction. Charlie and Chris must have
felt sorry for me. Charlie sautéed onions and green peppers and Chris gave me several buns for my brats. That mixture reminded me of the sandwiches from the fabled Maxwell Street in Chicago which has been replaced long ago by town homes and apartments. Monday the 19th of April called for a leisure breakfast at the Eclectica Café in Moab and a general discussion of the trip. Some reasons it was so interesting to us was that as rookies on this trail we needed to utilize navigational skills, although it would have taken an extra effort to get lost. It was all new to us, and the little weather excitement made the trip more interesting. Several publications list this trail as difficult, but there wasn’t anything that a stock Rover couldn’t conquer, including some challenging sections in and around Grey Mesa. It was two wheel drive all exploring Sunday. Don’t look for extreme 4x4 wheeling, but look for scenery, history, and good companionship. Definitely, make it to Hall’s Crossing before 5pm, not only to get fueled before closing at 6pm, but to make it to the overhanging campsite 9.5 miles from trail head at N37 22 13.5 W110 37 02.5 before the ATV driving jawas do. Bring plenty of water and cans of fuel. None of us ran out of gas but I got close, and if you decide to explore more or stay an extra day, you may need it.
After Chris’ omelet with diced potatoes, onions, and green peppers, Mike’s Cajun grits, Charlie’s oatmeal, and studying maps and utilizing the GPS, we decided on sightseeing. We headed northeast and within 1.5 miles we hit a spur which eventually headed straight south leading
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Camping in the wilds on Hole in the Rock Trail. Photo by Hans Schulze
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
TripReport
by Hans Schulze
Spring Creek In the week prior to our trip we heard of a 3 hour wait at the rock garden due to slow traffic, snow traffic, and stock traffic. Also it was reported that the bypass was blocked by tree trunks. Timeliness by the Solihull riders prevented all that potential distraction and resulted in a pleasant ride in the mountains. Things I didn’t know before this trip: • You can call yourself [or is it Yousef] the greatest • You can keep a dog in your jacket or purse but not one of Kristy’s horses • You can lose a cow on the trail and not have a Charlie • You still can get free air if you follow Carl • You can wear a safari hat in Colorado, only if you’re Carl • You can expect sons to show-up fathers
Above: Ali Vali climbs up a rock obstacle. Below: Hans flexes out the wheel travel on his Defender 90. Photos by Ali Vali
• You can’t expect to move large trees • You can experience four seasons in June The Solihull participants: • Matt, Cat, Hans, and Gabe Schulze with Rollie dog, in their red ’95 D90 with Blanca modifications • Chris Davis in his white ’94 D90 w/o a rollcage • Yousef Hamzeh in “Big Yousef”, the ’95 D90 red monster and guest Mike Morphew • Kristy Long with Max the Chihuahua in her ’95 D90 “Princess Buttercup” with Jan Smith as guest • Carl Padgett, wife Judi and daughter Dani in the white “everything kool” ’97 D90 hardtop • Ali Vali, wife Kirsten and son Peyton in the polo green ’93 Rangie • Larry Grubs in the “downsized” red ’90 Rangie • Charlie Haigh and wife Pam in a “custom blue” ‘86 110 pickup with a 300 TDI
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• Hans Schulze and wife Roseanne in a white ’95 D90 softop An unexpected timely departure from the Evergreen Park meeting place resulted in futz time at the Starbucks caffeine cabana that was utilized for airing down, gassing up, and all around good natured socializing, By the time we arrived at the trailhead, Larry had his now “princess” un-trailered and un-aired. And when no
Summer 2004
other groups were assembled at the trail head, we forgot about potential backups. That was until 10 “Toys” passed us at the trailhead, some properly modified for the impending challenges but some not. Oh excrement! But unexpectedly they pulled off to the side to start pre-trail preparations, and therefore good riddance as we passed them….with a friendly wave.
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Continued on page 12 9
2004 Land Rover National Rally Moab, Utah September 14-18, 2004
Cost
Solihull Society Club Members - $125 (1 vehicle and driver) Non-members - $150 (1 vehicle and driver) Passengers - $75 each Children under 12 - free
OfďŹ cial 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 Mention that you are with the Solihull Society Land Rover Club Rally to ensure you get the special rate of $75/night
Contact Info Pat Bickford Rally Coordinator
Norman Hall Sponsorship Coordinator
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.
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 ďŹ tted 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
TripReport
Spring Creek Continued
The only expected wheeler that hadn’t arrived was Ali, but a couple of minutes into the trail, a familiar voice boomed over the CB and by the time we started the first obstacle, the troupe was intact. And this rocky, sand peppered, uphill, off-camber climb met with varied degrees of success, but all making it. In the tradition of throwing good bodies into good trucks, Yousef thought he’d put himself between the down-hill and Chris’s D. As we traversed the kidney rattling switch-backs, we noticed the Toys ahead of us. They either didn’t know about the optional first obstacle or they chose to by-pass it. But they were a friendly bunch and let us play thru. The next plaything was a bouldered and gullied, 160 degree, uphill turn, natured with pines and aspens on both sides. Some did the 8-point turn to position the obstacle in a favorable, straight-on approach, whilst [thanks Norm] those with tires, temerity, and time cut the corner where it was the steepest and required a left turn at the same time. Open Matt was able to easily do what some locked vehicles struggled with. In the tradition of man over-powering machine, Carl thought he could help Kristy by pulling uphill by her front bumper. From there, it was several switch-backs and potty stops to the rock garden where three J**ps were finishing their version. Ours lasted until the Toys were able to catch up to us. Long enough for most to have lunch and Peyton to play with his off-road vehicle, reportedly with a little unsteadiness, little like his ole man, eh? Then nature dumped rain-snow-hail material, just enough to dampen the ground but not the spirits. The by-pass, now chain-sawed open, looked inviting to some, but everyone attempted the harder lines first. No slackers here. Further up the garden was a section where you can get stuck between a rock and a hard place. Several tried, several made it, several were strapped back. Several took the far left by-pass, but not Charlie. He wanted to try door number 2, in between the other two choices. This
Above: Yousef’s beastie D90 makes short work of Spring Creek Trail. Below: Kristy Long’s D90 muscles its way up the trail. Photos by Hans Schulze
puppy was bookcased with two trees, and boulders leaning to one side. Charlie now sports a modified roof, but he was a sport about the whole thing. Although most already had lunch, we wanted to take a break at the clearing, close to the top. There Hans and Gabe could throw meteors into the mud pit, and Rollie could chase anything on fours. We reminisced about past rides, and dis-
cussed mods, what else, eh? It started to drizzle as we descended the switch-backs to Georgetown where some used the pay-for-air machine while some relied on Chris’ compressor. Carl, Kristy, and Yousef started down the frontage road, back toward Downieville, soon followed by Matt and myself when we realized they knew of a free-air machine.
After airing up and gassing up, talk turned to food. Matt et al, Kristy and guest, and Roseanne and I took the frontage to Idaho Springs to eat buffalo. There we saw Charlie’s truck and figured Chris’ vehicle had to be there too. Kristy hinted that her wipers were mysteriously customized while the truck was parked, but we don’t know the details. Another pleasant Solihull outing.
For the latest events and trip reports, check out the website
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Larry Grubbs enters a rock garden on Spring Creek Trail. Photo by Hans Schulze
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(303) 772-7207
Summer 2004
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TripReport
by Tracy Hindman
Red Cone Please excuse this article as this is my first for the Rover Xchange. Although I read every issue (I have to since I’m the live-in editor for Nathan), I’ve never written for it. I am schooled in the art of journalism, but not for Rover readers. My knowledge of Land Rovers is little to none because to me they’re just chunky vehicles that get me to cool places. So please excuse the lack of technical lingo and the more intense concentration on colorful topics such as animals, meals, and potty breaks along the trails. Did I just say potty? My morning started way earlier than it usually does, 7am to be exact (I don’t pry open my eyes ‘til 8am on workdays and even then I’m not coherent til after my 1 st Pepsi). Nathan and I had spent the night at Josh White’s house because it’s supposedly closer to the trailhead than my bed in Longmont . After popping the kinks out of my back from a wonderful night on Josh’s couch (buy another bed, dude), we made PB&Js and turkey sandwiches for lunch, hit McD’s for some breakfast and proceeded to dodge slower drivers along US285 to get to Webster Pass trailhead by 8:30. You have to understand, Josh is a videographer for Fox News which means he drives to breaking stories at insanely high rates of speed, so when I say dodging slower drivers I really mean like 4-alarm ambulance “someone’s going to die” high rates of speed. We met up with the Molters at the trailhead (they led) and aired down our tires (I could be like the cool Land Rover guys and say tyres, but I’ll refrain because it screws up my spellcheck). This would be a good time to point out that Nathan and I were driving with Josh in Josh’s truck. We decided to leave the “Camel” at home for the weekend and play tourist and let Josh do all the intense driving. We were standing around hoping for more vehicles when another Disco ( I do know my Disco from D-90), pulled off 285. It slowly rolled towards us and then passed us. Two guys looked us over and then kept moving. We watched after them and wondered who they were and if they were looking for us. Minutes later they returned and inquired what we were about. Jim did a great job of explaining the Solihull Society and our day trip we were about to start and invited
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The convoy begins the trek up to Red Cone Peak. Photo by Nathan Hindman
them along. They seemed interested and pulled in line behind us. After a few more minutes 4(?) more Rovers pulled off and pulled in line and we were ready to start out. Jim introduced himself to everyone, briefly went over the trail we’d do and we were off. It was decided 2 of the trucks would turn around after desending Red Cone to do a loop and return to their other car they were leaving behind. The trail started out great, blue skies, birds tweeting, engines rumbling, both Nathan and Josh jumping in and out of the truck to get video and photos of the group as we chugged along for the newsletter and website, and then bump and crack and THWAP, THWAP, THWAP. We were maybe 10 minutes up the trail and the passenger
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
side motor mount on Josh’s truck decides to disintegrate. OK, granted it could have happened anywhere, it was just normal wear and tear, but did it have to happen today, only 10 minutes into the trail? We all pulled off the trail, the guys pulled out all the tools they could find and promptly pulled up their pants, turned round their ball caps and leaned heavily onto the front of Josh’s vehicle peering into the engine compartment. “Yep, broken motor mount,” they all agreed. Phew! I’m glad they got that figured out. After about 30 minutes of knocking around in there (because that’s what they really do when they’re in there—just use different tools to hit the engine so it sounds like they’re busy) they removed some plastic surrounding the fan so it didn’t THWAP and
it was decided we could proceed on the trail as long as we kept an eye on the temperature gauge. Back in the truck, discussions turned to the difference between men and boys (I started this one because I was obviously in a truck full of boys), Seinfeld quotes, and the state of the Solihull Society. All this was accompanied by the soothing sound of a stream trickling parallel to the trail. We ascended into blooming alpine meadows above timberline and stopped for lunch just before our ascent of Red Cone. Although the day was drop-dead gorgeous, and Mother Nature is almost always that, it was a bit blowy and chilly at our lunch spot. After lining the vehicles up for photo ops, we unpacked lunch and sat on the leeward side of the vehicles to get out of the wind (I don’t know if leeward applies here but it’s a term carried over from my boating days in Hawaii meaning downwind). We watched as a few vehicles returned down off of Red Cone and some that went up only to turn around (wussies? Not sure, although they weren’t driving Land Rovers). We got back into our vehicles and slowly started our climb to the top of Red Cone. It was at this point that I was made aware that my driver (Josh) had only been down Red Cone once and that was with no clutch. Hmm. I contemplated switching vehicles. I hesitated and changed my mind after noticing the trail had dropped to a couple hundred foot plummet on either side. Blue sky was all I could see leaning back in my passenger seat and bracing for the summit. Josh and I joked that we could here the clatter of the roller coaster engine straining to pull us to the top and then release us over the other side. I had only ever seen Red Cone from the bottom of the other side so this was a new experience for me. I’d done Radical Hill before at that wasn’t as exciting as Red Cone. I’d heard tons of horror stories of vehicles doing this or that over Red Cone and had the impression this was the mother of all hills in Colorado . “You can still see the drag marks in the loose rock on the side of the mountain from that truck that had to be hauled out of here after tumbling off the side,” I could hear in the back of my mind. Great. What was I thinking. Should I walk down? Do I trust Josh after the way he took 285 this morning? At the summit, Mary and Nathan switched seats. (This way Nathan would get down first and be able to get some photos of us going off the side of the mountain.) Actually, Mary did a fantastic job of talking Josh through the moguls of Red Cone and Josh put me in charge of filming the descent from the back seat. There were two, “I’m
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Above: Fixing a broken motor mount on the trail. Below: Art Vigil begins the descent down Red Cone. Photos by Nathan Hindman
Summer 2004
www.SolihullSociety.org
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TripReport Red Cone (Continued) sliding off the seat into a wedgie,” parts of the downhill but they really weren’t that bad. Back on level ground, we rearranged our drawers and I remembered to start breathing again. It really wasn’t bad at all and having to film it while doing it, probably helped keep my mind off the plunge to either side or the possibility of tumbling headlight over taillight down the hill. We all stopped to look back at the “cone we conquered” and said goodbye to the two vehicles heading back towards their car at the Webster Pass trailhead. Three of us decided to head up and over Radical Hill, while the other two went on down through Monteczuma and Keystone. There was a bit of snow still blocking the main trail at the base of Radical but a suitable bypass was available. We noticed the Adopt-a-Trail sign hadn’t changed to Solihull Society yet so hopefully someone has gotten to it by now. We switched back and forth and easily climbed to the top and were rewarded with a beautiful view. It was then that I was reminded why I moved from Hawaii to Colorado . After 18 years of island paradise, I moved here to experience mountain majesty. And there’s nothing like literally climbing a mountain in a Land Rover to get you to appreciate this awesome country. It’s also at this wonderful unobstructed altitude that we were able to make an uninterrupted cell phone call to Land Rover Flatirons and get new motor mounts ordered for Josh. Ah, technology!
Above: Crossing the high alpine tundra to get to Red Cone. Photo by Nathan Hindman
We hoped to see the herd of mountain goats that usually frequent the area but there were a number of other non-Land Rover vehicles making quite a bit of noise along with some hikers and dogs off trail distracting from the view and probably scaring off the goats. My bladder discreetly reminded me that I was in urgent need of some facilities and I silently cursed boys and their fixtures able to relieve themselves wherever they pleased with just a turn of the back. Thankfully, CHIEF9 knew the quickest way off the mountain and I’m sure it could have done it without Jim & Mary in the vehicle. Down in Breckenridge, they invited us to their home to “take care of business” and air up our tires. It was a nice break to stretch our legs before getting back on I-70 for our long drive home. In the esteemed words of a great trail leader, “a good time was had by all.”
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
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Summer 2004
www.SolihullSociety.org
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Classifieds For Sale Five D90 alloy wheels w/lug nuts – $500 Four D90 rear seats – $350 D90 stock rear bumper/hitch – $75 Bob Lohman (303) 671 6995
For Sale– Stock 3.54:1 ring and pinion gears. Gears are in excellent shape with no signs of wear. $150 OBO. Contact Nathan Hindman 303-702-0071 or AAYellowD90@yahoo.com
Factory Roof Rack for Discovery Series I models, includes 4 Hella lights and wind deflector $340— James Kelce (303) 783-3771
For Sale 1. Wilderness Roof Rack For D90 5ft x 3ft x 6” $300.00 2. Reese Tow Bar Modified to fit Rock Ware Bumper. Can be adapted for other Tow Points. $150.00. Contact Jim Molter (970-453-7764) or E-Mail D90chief@aol.com
For the latest events and trip reports, check out the website Gregory Chernushin Attorney at Law Parkridge Center 10475 Park Meadows Drive, 6th Floor Littleton, CO 80124 (303) 689-0766 18
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
www.SolihullSociety.org
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
EVENT
DIFFICULTY
TRIP LEADER
08/22/04
Work day on Radical Hill for adopt a trail
Moderate
To be announced.
08/28/04
Mosquito Pass near Alma.
Easy and scenic
Jim Hall (jimfoo@ai5.net)
09/14-18/04
National Rally Moab, UT .
Easy to extreme
Pat Bickford (pbickford@ai-colorado.com)
Marc Richardson (marcrrr@msn.com)
See page 10 for more info 10/2/04
Crystal Mountain near Fort Collins
Moderate
10/12/04
Club Meeting 7pm Zangs Brewery,
N/A
Denver I-25 and 23rd Ave
TBD
Holiday Party Location TBD.
N/A
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