PresidentialROVINGS Fall 2006 Well folks, this will be my last Presidential Roverings article. It is with heavy heart that I will be stepping down as president to take on a new role within the club. I have enjoyed this position over the last two years and have come to feel the club has made some great progress. I am sure this progress will continue with my successor.
Must ask for Solihull Society or Land Rover National Rally to get group rate and call for rate, DO NOT BOOK ONLINE!
Now onto my new role; I have taken over as Rally Coordinator for the 2007 National Rally, and wouldn’t you know it, the very first decision to be made was probably one of the most difficult Rally decisions to date. Due to circumstances beyond our control we have been forced to move the Rally from the announced location of Durango to Montrose. This was primarily due to some poor research on our part prior to announcing the Rally Location. It turns out that while the town of Durango seems perfect, the trails are a little inadequate for a Rally of our size and standards thus we decided to go across the mountains to Montrose. Montrose has approximately 15,000 people, is located just a few miles from one of the most spectacular National Parks you’ve never heard of (Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park) and offers over 45 trails of every magnitude of difficulty imaginable. The 2007 National Rally will be held from August 15-18 in Montrose, Colorado. We have also already reserved the following entire motel for our registrants,
I encourage everyone to book their rooms early so that we may find another motel with special rates if needed. By staying at this motel you effectively allow us to lower the registration fees as they are planning on letting us use their conference room for free during our event. This will save the club, and thus the registrants, about $300 a day in costs.
Must book by July 15th or the rooms will be released! They offer Deluxe Continental breakfast and high speed Internet. www.bestwestern.com/redarrow
Look for more details on the Rally website at www.landrovernationalrally.com and the next newsletter. We should have the agenda, fees and registration form posted very soon. Also new this year we will begin accepting Paypal for registration payment. This should allow many of you to register early which helps us tremendously with Rally headcounts. With that, I sign off on my last Presidential Roverings article. See everybody soon! Larry Grubbs Larry.grubbs@solihullsociety.org
Best Western Red Arrow 970-249-9641 59 rooms available
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Solihull Society Contacts President – Larry Grubbs larry.grubbs@solihullsociety.org VP – Greg Chernushin greg.chernushin@solihullsociety.org Treasurer/Secretary/Membership Hans Schulze hans.schulze@solihullsociety.org Trail Events Coordinator Ralph Bradt ralph.bradt@solihullsociety.org Special Events Coordinator Larry Grubbs larry.grubbs@solihullsociety.org Rally Sponsorship Coordinator Norman Hall norman.hall@solihullsociety.org Land Issues Coordinator Jim Hall jim.hall@solihullsociety.org Newsletter Marina Wolf marina.wolf@solihullsociety.org Website Admin Joshua White admin@solihullsociety.org Website – www.solihullsociety.org Newsletter Articles and Photos – Articles mustbesubmittedineitherWord(.doc)ortext (.txt)format.Digitalphotoscan beemailedor mailedonCDineitheraJPEG,TIFF orEPSfiles. Thearticlescanbesubmittedeitherviaemail (admin@soliullsociety.org)ormailedonaCDto NathanHindmanatthefollowingaddress:Nathan Hindman,2301NorthShoreDr.,Longmont,CO 80503.Materialswillbereturneduponrequest. Advertising–$25/issueor$100/year(4issues– get1add’lissuefree)for1/4pageads.Payment mustaccompanyallcamera-readyads.Makecheck payabletoSolihullSociety.Freeclassifiedadsto members. $5/issue to non-members. ClubMembership–$60/yearincludesmembershipintheColoradoAssociationof4-Wheel DriveClub,theirnewsletter,theRoverXchange newsletter,andallthetrailridesyoucantake! MakecheckpayabletoSolihullSocietyandmailit to the following address: Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864
$78 for every room
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
RoverXchange Volume 10, Issue 7
IN THIS ISSUE Presidential Rovings
2
Hell’s Revenge Rally Trip Report
4
MOAB 2006 Summary
6
Cliffhanger Trip Report
8
Looking forward to trails, events and meetings. By Mike Hansen.
Stats and Thank Yous. By Jenny Burris.
A First Look at Moab
12
A Thanks to Everyone
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Membership Information
11
MAR: Mid-Atlantic Rally Report
15
Flat Iron Mesa Trip Report
18
By Eric Meyer.
A heartfelt thanks from Pam Haigh. Application, information and benefits of joining the Solihull Society. A Coloradan Ex-Pat’s First Taste of Virginia Mud. By Jenny Burris.
Front cover: Adam Spiker lines up at the foot of Lions Back. Back cover: An interesting moment on Fins-N-Things. Photos courtesy of Nathan Woods.
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Fall 2006
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Trip Report HELL’S REVENGE
by Mike Hansen
Day 3 of the National Rally and the trail of the day for me was Hells Revenge. The family and I had been on the trail for 7 straight days and this was the grand finally. Being a trail leader I had pre-run the trail 3 days earlier. I was expecting the worst and hoping for the best. The worst (for me) would have been a very large group (fifteen plus) with everyone needing a spot over every obstacle. The best would be self sufficient drivers with good knowledge of their vehicles and good driving skills. Well……..I got what I wished for! I got a great group. We left the line up at Old Spanish Trial Arena early. I think we were the first group out. We wound our way through town with 9 trucks total. When we reached the trail head we aired down and had a meeting to discuss some of the spevcific concerns about the trail. Then we were off. One of the great things about this trail is you get right to the good stuff, there is no long A delicate approach into the Car Wash. approach to the obstacles or miles of highway. You start out climbing the big sandstone fin with vertical drops on both sides, then a short slick-rock off camber section to the long climb up the sandstone dome, the fun never stops. My goal was to have the group to the Colorado River overlook by lunch time. We arrived at 10:30 in the morning. Our steady pace was paying off. We surveyed the obstacle called Hells Gate that is near the overlook, but there were no takers. So we moved on. The next optional obstacle was the Car Wash. It’s a steep walled tub that will test the grip of any tire. We got the entire group through the wash. We made it to the third optional obstacle the Escalator where we stopped for a picnic lunch. Everyone had a chance to check out each others trucks while stopped. There was no one in our group that wanted to try the obstacle so we proceeded on. Another view of the Car Wash.
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The last optional obstacle was Tip-Over-Challenge. Tammy Lucas tried to talk herself into attempting it. This off camber climb is scary enough, but today it was covered in sand. We all took the by-pass. I would like to thank all who went on this trip for a wonderful trouble free time on the last day of the rally. Mike Hansen
A big view of this challengine and scenic trail.
Cautious spotting in the Escalator.
Hell’s Revenge Drivers and Riders Drivers Ray & Michelle Irvine David Sticht Barb and Arnold Hansen Justin and Ashley Hill and Kids Dan Johnson Tammy and Dave Lucas David Lane Mike Jablonski & Michelle Boyd Mike Connie Megan & Josh Hansen
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Trucks Silver LR3 Yellow D-90 Green D- 90 White Disco Tan 109 Green Disco Red LR3 White Disco Green D-90
Comments Canada eh Live Free or Die Mom & Dad Provo non-believers Kick ass truck It’s her car You owe me beer Tail Gunner (thanks) We volunteered for what?
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SOLIHULL SOCIETY NATIONAL RALLY
MOAB 2006 SUMMARY This was the largest gathering at a Moab rally for the Solihull Society. It also could have been the first time that vendors brought semitruck trailers, a definite sign of success. The vehicles came in all sizes, styles, years, and “warning, insanity has replaced reason in the modification of this vehicle.� Participants were able to enjoy the varied trails that the area offers. All were had by a good time and there was no animosity between motelers and campers. Vendor Day included a cookout and was highlighted by the smasha-car event which became a udrive-over-it event. Proceeds of this crushing event were donated
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to the Grand County Search and Rescue. We would like to thank the contributors of the raffle prizes which were the most prizes ever to be given away at the banquet. Of course we must thank the sponsors. Without them there would be no rally with the present amenities, and participants would not have the opportunity to get personal with the undercarriage of their vehicle. Jim Pendelton won the admiration of the discriminating crowd when he overwhelmingly won the broken axle award for his determination to drive while in the dead elephant position - twice. He rustled the
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
prize from several well deserved nominees including Dean Ingely who totaled his Discovery on Main Street. Other mentionables include the $2,000 contribution The Solihull Society made to the Grand County Search and Rescue. And Pam Haigh announced that this year was the last as rally coordinator. After Pam was showered with gifts she exhaled a very large sigh of relief.
MOAB 2006 National Rally Statistics
Attendee Type Non-Members Members Sponsors & Press Staff Total
Vehicles 84 27 12 27 150
Passengers 68 22 21 9 120
Vehicle Types Defender Discovery Range Rover Series LR3 Non Land Rovers Total
Number 44 54 32 7 6 2 145
Percentage 30% 37% 22% 5% 4% 1%
Children
Total
Vehicle Percentage
14
166
56.0%
4
53
18.0%
0
33
8.0%
0
36
18.0%
18
288
Smash-A-Car Event
We failed to convince hikers to register their Freelander in the rally. We misplaced 5 vehicles somewhere. Unidentified vehicles were categorized as what they were in a previous life.
• Custom Fabrication • Off Road Accessories (719) 328-0796 Matt Peterson 38 Buchanan Street 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
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TripReport
by Jenny Burris
CLIFF HANGER
In years past we have seen large groups of Land Rovers in Moab, and wondered what they were all doing there. I was really glad to say that this year we joined them. The Solihull Society has organized this annual event for many years, and it really showed. It was a well planned, and flawlessly executed event, that made us proud to show our badges as members of the club. Thanks to ALL of you that made this happen. The second morning of the rally, we decided to choose our trail by how long the lines were. We’d had 14 trucks on the previous day, and as tail-gunners the wait was rather long. So we chose to go with Hans Schulze on “Cliffhanger.” Nine trucks started, and quickly we were down to 8 when one truck couldn’t get into 4-low. The trailhead was in the beautiful Colorado River valley, and as we aired down, we saw base jumpers diving off the cliffs above, while listening to Norman Hall’s friend talk about this ride being a memorial to Norman. I had not had the pleasure of meeting Norman, and therefore didn’t know he was indeed alive and well, so I thought, Oh no! A guy DIED on this trail?? What are we getting into?
Jenny Making her way down a series of rocky steps.
The first obstacle was the entrance to the trail and was quite daunting. Mike descended a series of steep 1-4’ foot sandstone steps over a length of about 100 feet. Going down it turned out was much easier than coming back up. Our next few obstacles were not bad, as long as you followed Hans’ line. We had a rider who chose to take an off-camber route across RoverXchange A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
one obstacle, he went a little too far right, and quickly got in a bind. His “tippy gauge” said his lean was only 35 degrees, but that is enough to make your rear-end pucker. He was winched out, using a smallish pinon pine which didn’t take the strain of it well. It was nearly fully uprooted at the end. From there on we measured all obstacles by the “pucker” factor. As we wound towards the top of the hill we came to a large valley. On a narrow shelf which sat hundreds of feet above the valley floor, we made our way down a couple hundred feet. Mike said he had some vertigo by the time he reached the obstacle that marked the end of our ride along the shelf. From there we wound back up again to Amasa mesa and ate lunch cliff side. I took the reins from there and made our way back along the same route. At the obstacle flanking the cliff-side, I luckily did not have to look down, but resisted any direction from Mike that might put me any closer to the edge! Go right? Yeah right?! Most of the obstacles on the way back were easier the other way around. I say that so Mike doesn’t feel bad that I was told I was an expert. I left the last obstacle to Mike, the long climb up the steep shelves of sandstone. He made it most of the way - but couldn’t get over the last
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Mike climbs up the steep shelves of sandstone.
hump, and Hans winched him up. Hans was an awesome trail leader, and I would follow him anywhere. As a note for all aspiring trail leaders, what most impressed me besides his choice of lines, was his ability to keep things moving. His, jump in the vehicle, honk the horn, and roll out method worked every time. That evening we were back at the arena looking at all the fun stuff vendors had to offer. They had a fund-raiser for the Moab, Grand County Search and Rescue - where you could pay a dollar to tap a jeep with a sledge hammer (they
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
DealershipDISCOUNTS Our members receive exclusive discounts at Denver area Land Rover dealer-
The Colorado Denver East Dealership offers Solihull Members:
15%
DISCOUNT ON PARTS
service and labor is only $85 per hour
The Colorado Flatirons Dealership offers Solihull Members:
15%
DISCOUNT ON PARTS
The Colorado Springs Dealership offers Solihull Members:
15%
10
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DISCOUNT ON PARTS & LABOR
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Membership Benefits of Joining: Out of state fees - $30 per year includes discounts at our Colorado dealerships and to the rally. If member happens to be in town, BBQ would require a fee of $10 and Christmas luncheon $20. Individual membership - $40 per year would entitle that one person to all the privileges of membership. Guests would be assessed a fee to attend social events, including the Winter Holiday Luncheon. Family membership - $50 per year would entitle that family access to the BBQ and Christmas luncheon in addition to all other privileges. Rally fee will be as usual, i.e. driver fee, passenger fee, and children fee. A family membership will entitle the member to bring one adult guest to the social events whether that be spouse or special friend. All members receive the RoverXchange quarterly newsletter. Members are allowed to place small ads in the RoverXchange for personal items at no additional cost. Membership includes immediate family, and includes . Guests 10 years old and over will be charged a fee of $10 for the Winter Holiday Luncheon.
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 11
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
A First Look At MOAB Having heard so much about Moab’s distinctive trails for years, I finally decided to give them a try. I had some concerns about potential damage both to vehicles, given the reputation of notorious rock obstacles, and to a landscape where routes sounded poorly defined and easily abused. But I also wanted to experience an environment completely different from our familiar Colorado mountains, and figured that with lockers and rock sliders now the Rover was ready for the challenge too. So Cathryn and I set out in my D90 for Utah, finishing the day’s drive with the beautiful stretch of Colorado Riverway along Highway 128, the desert canyon scenery contrasting with the river’s trees and grasses and the snow-dusted La Sal Mountains in the distance. The next morning, we took in the sight of well over a hundred Rovers (and a few Jeeps) lining up in the rally’s staging area for a variety of trails, mostly up on the mesas overlooking the town of Moab. In addition to the usual models (including a handful of LR3s now) there were some fairly exotic Rover-based rock buggies that I’d never seen before, and wouldn’t see in action on any trail we were likely to do.
ly smooth bare rock rising in rounded domes of various shapes, and you follow it mainly by small markers painted on the rock, and dark tire tracks on some slopes (there’s also the very occasional signpost). It’s simply amazing how much traction tires have on this surface, and how steep a climb or descent a two-ton truck can make without getting (quite) out of control. Going up is harder of course but down is a psychological challenge too. Being accustomed to trails cut into the earth along mountainsides, I felt as if we were in a sort of playground learning to drive all over again, with a scenic backdrop of rock spires and the snow-dusted La Sal Mountains. Our sizable group moved rather slowly much of the time, and we soon got used to the periodic barking and squealing of tires on slickrock. We stopped for lunch at a small canyon overlook, thankful for any hint of a breeze in the hot sun, and then went on again. Occasionally we came upon a small patch of vegetation in a low-lying area where the sand was still a bit damp from the last week’s rains, but there’s essentially no shade or water up here, a hot, dry, harsh environ-
We began a bit cautiously with FINS-N-THINGS, an excellent introduction to driving on slickrock. The trail meanders across a landscape that might be another planet, main12
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by Eric Meyer ment demanding respect even in early autumn. I was pleased to see that vehicles had apparently stuck to the marked trail, rather than left tracks every which way on the rocks around us, and by the end of the day I had a completely different sense of what I could expect mine to drive up and over. For the next day we chose POISON SPIDER MESA and quickly understood why it’s one of Moab’s most popular trails (and a good one to do before the weekend increases traffic on it). We encountered several other groups of vehicles, and some bicyclists as well; we had to wonder how they could carry enough water, since we were drinking frequently even without constant exertion. (But they enjoy slickrock just as we do; it’s the sandy stretches that are hard to slog through.) The Waterfall obstacle is a nice challenge that’s not too difficult, though one Rangie broke a motor mount getting up it on a different approach than everyone else. There are many other rock ledges as well; I was beginning to feel pretty good about picking lines and getting up them. And then there’s the
Wedgy, a long V-shaped trench that you straddle with tires riding on their outer edges, on the verge of slipping and pitching down into the crack. Since the driver can’t see what the right tires are doing, good spotting helps a lot here. Even the LR3 in our group made it, though its tires barely seemed to have enough sidewall to ride the Wedgy’s sides; in fact its traction control performed beautifully throughout the entire trail, walking it right up steep rocks more smoothly than anything else. We stopped for lunch on a rock dome with a short stroll to Little Arch and great views of Moab and the Colorado River. This trail goes around a small loop and returns, bringing you past the same obstacles in reverse; I was especially looking forward to another go at the Wedgy, but we had to take the bypass because a Jeep had broken down in the middle of it. On the third day we did METAL MASHER, a long route that winds its way through a variety of terrain, with numerous side trails making routefinding a bit trickier. Again we dealt with many rock ledges, the hardest of which was Mirror Gulch: a long set of stone steps with a very steep one at the top that none of us attempted, and another path around the side through a narrow slot that still has a tall ledge in the middle of it. Somehow this particular hill struck me as one of the neatest things I’ve ever driven, though I had to work at that last step and bounced around more than seemed
wise given the nearby rocks. We passed by a dead cow looking mummified by the desert dryness, wondering how far it must have wandered to end up here and why. Another group of trucks came by as we stopped for lunch at Arth’s Rim, with a spectacular overlook into Arches National Park, where one arch (one of the huge Windows) was easily visible in binoculars; we hunted for more, but they must have faced another way. After lunch we set out on the second half of the trail. The entire Metal Masher loop can make a very long day, and there was some concern about returning in time for the final banquet. The group discussed the upcoming Widowmaker obstacle, which gets steeper every year as tires churn beneath it, and decided instead to take a quick shortcut back to visit nearby GEMINI BRIDGES, where we encountered the Rover group just finishing that as their day’s trail. The pair of massive arches right alongside one another is unique; we saw Jeeps coming up to view them from below in Bull Canyon, too. Finally we returned to Moab via Long Canyon, a narrow twisty dirt road that passes beneath a huge leaning block of rock and offers many lovely views: all in all, a fine assortment of trails for the day.
Moab, with fantastic scenery and challenging trails in several different areas that I learned a lot from. We’ll definitely need to come back, because there are many more trails like these to choose from, and easier but scenic drives to find time for too... and harder trails that we may also want to attempt someday. Many conversations made it clear that Moab offers something for everyone, whether your idea of a good time on the trail is snapping dramatic photographs or breaking your truck and making field repairs. As if we weren’t already fortunate enough to live in Colorado, Utah is right next door too.
This rally was a great initiation to
Gregory Chernushin Attorney at Law Parkridge Center 10475 Park Meadows Drive 6th Floor Littleton, CO 80124 (303) 689-0766
www.solihullsociety.org 13
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AThankstoEveryone from Pam Haigh I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone with the Solihull Society and everyone who attended this years National Rally. The rally was a smashing success and it was due to all the very hard work everyone put into it! As well as having a great bunch of attendees. I particularly enjoyed the awesome cocktail party on Thursday evening at the Sunset Grill. Due to the large number of rally attendees this was a last minute location found about 3 weeks before the rally. What a good time though! I am stepping down as rally coordinator but am leaving this task in very capable hands with Larry Grubbs. And don’t worry….I will keep a close eye on him! Thanks for your support over the years! Pam Haigh
CLASSIFIEDS & ANNOUNCEMENTS The club would like to announce a few personnel changes: Effective immediately, David Garbs will be the membership coordinator, and Jenny Burris will be the RoverXchange advertising coordinator. Larry Grubs has decided to take on the responsibility of National Rally Coordinator for 2007. There are four defined offices of the club, and all are up for election at the Winter Holiday Luncheon. Nominations shall be taken from attendees. PRESIDENT - shall preside over all membership and Executive Committee meetings and be present at all events when possible. He shall be the executive officer and shall have the duty to carry out the policies and decisions of the Board of Directors. VICE PRESIDENT - shall, in the absence of the President, serve in that capacity. He shall also serve as a Parliamentarian and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors. SECRETARY - shall keep and preserve all records and minutes of the meeting of the regular membership and the Board of Directors, shall keep a file system of membership and shall receive and answer all general correspondence pertaining to the organization. TREASURER - shall keep accurate and complete records of the funds and accounts of this organization and shall collect all dues and maintain a record thereof. He shall make only such disbursements from the funds of the organization as are directed by the Board of Directors and Article VII hereof.
Ballots shall be issued to each membership at check in.
Do you have stuff that you need to sell?
D90 For Sale 1995 Limited addition # 423 of 500 Land Rover Defender 90 Wagon. 47000 miles. Lots of extras
Did you know that classified ads are free to club members? Simply send an e-mail with a description of what you’re selling along with asking price and contact information and we’ll run it for free in the RoverXchange classifieds.
$39,500. 14
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Send it to: A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
MAR 2006
by Steven Light A Coloradan Ex-Pat’s First Taste of Virginia Mud
It was an event I looked forward to since moving to Virginia in January: the Mid-Atlantic Rally. The largest gathering of Rovers & RoverHeads in North America. An opportunity for wheeling & camaraderie. An event with a well-earned reputation for bad weather… To back up a step, I should note that this was not my first wheeling excursion back East. Having survived several wet, muddy, rocky trail runs, I felt adequately prepared for what was ahead. Having spent two weekends on pre-MAR work details building log bridges and clearing trails, I felt sufficiently comfortable with the site & the terrain. Virginia had been beautiful in late September: temperatures in the 70’s and low 80’s, some welcome evening cool as a respite from the hot and humid August. Life was good. I remember calling a friend to remark
on the fine weather. His words would prove prophetic: “Just wait”. “It’s the same every year,” he said. “The weather in the weeks leading up to MAR is fantastic, then the rain comes.” I laughed at this thinking, after all, how bad could it be? Little did I know. We rolled into the MAR site late Thursday afternoon to dark skies but otherwise comfortable temperatures. The MAR site in Buckingham County, Virginia, consists of approximately 500 acres of field & forest, with trail systems throughout. We drove to the upper field to set up our camp, hurrying to ensure we beat the imminent rain. Having set-up camp and stowed our gear, we hit the trails for a quick run. That’s about when the rain started. Needless to say, the rain never stopped: roughly 10” fell from Thursday night to Saturday
afternoon, turning the mud trails into full-on mud bogs, swamping Rovers of all shapes & sizes, turning a few over on their side, and creating mayhem for over 500 campers spread throughout the site. In full Camel-Trophy form, the event turned into a winch-fest. Trails that were designated as “Stock” quickly turned into challenges for heavily modified rigs as each vehicle dug the ruts deeper & deeper, only to be filled up by rain. By Friday afternoon, the trails offered waist-deep mud ruts, pools of muddy water, and hill climbs that defied even fully locked rigs running 35”+ tires. By Saturday morning, even the dirt roads in & out of the camp sites turned into full-on trails. I awoke that morning to see a 110 get stuck on the main road while attempting to recover a even more stuck Classic. Despite the elements - the wind, the rain, the cold - a great time was had by all (or, at least, by most). It’s a rare opportunity to get so many Rover enthusiasts and vendors together, and everyone kept good cheer despite the challenges of recovery, weather, and overall mudencrusted and wet gear, trucks, and participants. In the aftermath of MAR, trucks were power washed (and power washed again), gear was hung up to dry, and the participants were none the worse for wear.
MAR in Buckingham County, Virginia, consists of approximately 500 acres of field and forest.
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The terrain could not be more dif-
ferent from Colorado and I’m often asked which is “better”, or more challenging, or which I prefer. It’s not an easy question to answer. I think the reality is that it’s just plain different. Mud offers its own unique challenges and opportunities for fun, for danger, and for damage. Challenges out west tend to come from the highly tractive environment and the sudden hook-up on a tractive surface (“Snap!”), or from an excess of torque applied to a static wheel. The challenges here tend to come from the necessity for robust amounts of momentum, particularly on wet hill climbs and in deep mud… not to mention the risk of swamping your truck in mud holes or water crossings. All I know for certain is that East-coast wheeling requires more clean-up! Though the Mid-Atlantic Rally is typically within a week of the National Rally, we would certainly welcome any Solihull members who wanted to make the trip. Plans for next years Rally should begin
to formulate over the next several months. See www.ROAV.org for details. Special thanks to Mike Mason, President-ROAV, and Jeff Bang, VP, as well as the other board members and volunteers who helped put it all together. Thanks as well to those who were prepared for the weather and lent a hand to those less prepared both on the trail and back at camp. Happy Rovering.
Winching skills are put to the test on more than one occasion.
Being buried in deep mud requires substantial post-rally cleaning!
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MAR, or the Mid-Atlantic Rally, is the largest gathering of Rovers & RoverHeads in North America.
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Trip Report FLAT IRON MESA
by Jenny Burris
In years past we have seen large groups of Land Rovers in Moab, and wondered what they were all doing there. I was really glad to say that this year we joined them. The Solihull Society has organized this annual event for many years, and it really showed. It was a well planned, and flawlessly executed event, that made us proud to show our badges as members of the club. Thanks to ALL of you that made this happen. Our last day, we rode with Beth and Mark Muskopf, and Jeff Corwin, on “Flat Iron Mesa” led by Christian and Marina Wolf. We’re airing down when along comes another rover, it turns out to be Ned, who had been stuck in 4-Low and was trying to catch up. He had driven 10 miles at 40 miles an hour in low, you can only imagine the whine the poor rangie made! The trail had lots of small gullies that wreaked havoc on the long wheel based vehicles, like ours, Christian’s, and Neds. Mark’s D90 and the Equipe D90 never even flinched. On one obstacle, Christian’s taillight came flying out of his bumper, Mike works his way up some steep slickrock. and on that same obstacle, Ned’s pretty chrome bumper was bent up into a crooked smile. Luckily we had our trusty mechanic Jeff Corwin to help bend the bumper back in place, and subsequently get the rangie out of 4-low, but I get ahead of myself. Mike backed over his mudflap, a feat I don’t think is real easy. Jeff’s dad, who hasn’t had much experience in wheeling, did well and made it all look easy. While playing on the “Tilt-A-Whirl” obstacle, Mike crunched a rear quarter panel, after splitting a rock in half with his trailer hitch. He managed to bend the quarter panel out, somewhat anyway. In the same area Mike had the quarter panel crunch, I guided Christian to the right of a large rock I thought would take a chunk of door, only to have him hear a loud smack and then pop. A plastic piece above the rear bumper flew 30 feet in the air, just like fireworks! That may well be the last time Christian ever takes my direction.
Jeff plays on some steep and slick steps.
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At one point on the trail there was an obstacle with two large boulders flanking a smaller boulder in the middle, called the Easter Egg and farther down was a narrow shelf with loose rocks stacked on the cliff-side
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
to act as roadway, on the left, a large outcrop of rock with many trucks’ paint and other markings. We all quickly decided we’d be taking the by-pass except the rider’s who had a rented Jeep for the rally. These were Norman’s friends, one from Tennessee and one from Australia, and had no fear and not much to lose, at least in the way of a vehicle. They took the driver door off the jeep, as a pre-caution, but really I think they did that just to make us feel better. Off they went and did the obstacles no problem. The banquet was that evening, and we all had lots of fun and drink. We bought raffle tickets and one a tee-shirt and hat, but the big winner at our table was Scott Stultz, who took away a Hi Lift jack. In the running for the Broken Axle Award I was surprised to find that nearly all the nominees had either English or Australian accents, was this just coincidence? Or are Americans just way more enamored with our Land Rovers, so tipping and axle smashing are just not acts we aspire to? For me personally, I would say it was more about having a nice vehicle to make the 6 hour drive home.
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RoverXchange
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864