Well I finally have a moment to tell you of my ECXC experience this year. Be forewarned this will be another of my long rambling posts.
ECXC started on Wednesday evening at around 5pm when Dave called me at work. He was half way through NJ on his way to PA but was having an ?issue? with the brand new pass side LCA he had installed during the week. I had Mike?s old LCA so Dave made a u-turn and came to Brooklyn to change them out slicing his finger with a cut off wheel in the process. I joined him at 7 when I got out of work to help finish up. We where done at around 10, cleaned up the garage and went to my house to get cleaned up. On the way a tool box that had not been secured properly in the back of Dave?s truck slid and smacked into his back window smashing it. As we were taping a trash bag over the empty space it started to rain. Not a good start to a trip.
Inside my home my wife cleaned and bandaged Dave?s finger (that really should have gotten a few stitches). We cleaned up and headed for PA at around 11:30 arriving at the KOA around 2:30am. Met Mike at the cabin Dave had reserved, had an adult beverage or two and passed out.
Thursday morning picked up some stuff for lunch and then headed for Rausch. We got there a bit after 8am, signed in, aired down and said hi to a few folks. Mike was to lead an ?intermediate? group and I was to tail gun for him. It was Mike, this guy Erin (and his girlfriend Kelly), Romeo (and Nate), a guy Bill (?? Maybe Bob) in a 2nd gen, Dave and me. Mike decided we?d run 15 over on the West. It is an easy blue trail. As we headed down J I got out of my truck to take a few poser shots of Dave for his web site.
When I continued I noticed Romeo off to the right having some trouble. Mike had made the turn off of J too soon ignoring the posted sign describing this trail as the ?exit only? of the one way
RED TRAIL ?CRAWL DADDY? (henceforth to be known as ?
MIKE?S FOLLY?). I stopped Bill and Dave at the top of that trail and called on the CB informing Mike and the 2 poor souls that blindly followed him where they were and that that should turn around as soon as they could. Mike then made, IMHO, the second bad decision of the morning thinking it would be easier to finish the trail going down hill rather than turning around. We spent the rest of the morning and a bit of the afternoon getting the 3 of them unstuck, turned around, back up and out of that trail.
Mike was feeling a bit small so I lead the rest of the day.
We did 15, the blue parts of 19 and 23. It was the first time I was on the relatively new 23 a fun, tough blue.
We were heading over to 18 when Dave realized he had lost one of his WARN hubs. The bolts sheared off within the wheel hub assembly and the hub was lost. Mike, trying to make up for his mistake earlier in the day, volunteered to take Dave out of the park so that the rest of us could continue to wheel.
They left, dropped the truck at Jack?s Service Center in Pine Grove to have the broken bolts tapped out, had a beer at O?Neal?s and then went to the hospital to get Dave?s throbbing in pain finger looked at.
In the meantime Keith (stonecold) while wheeling with another group, found Dave?s hub intact.
We did 18, came back to the east and did all of 2 where Erin got a bit happy with the gas going over the hill climb. He got all 4 tires off the ground, skidding down the backside of the hill giving Kelly a mild heart attack.
Romeo on 2;
After we finished trail 2 I was done. We headed out and aired up.
Mike and Dave were still at the hospital so I went to the grocery store and got so supplies. Got back to the KOA and fixed one of my hubs that would not unlock. Took a shower, grilled up some brats and started drinking. Mike showed up and the newly bandaged Dave. A few folks dropped by for a beverage, all was good.
Friday I told Dana I?d be willing to take a group over to the newly opened north property. I had never been over there. It costs $10 extra to wheel there. I lead Brent (with Conner), Jason (BlueX with TJ), Erin, a different Bill or Bob in a 2nd gen, Romeo and Mike (with Dave). After running a small washout to warm up we headed straight over to the blue trails. I saw a sign that said 35, Blue w/Black and thought yes, this is what we want. It was a very tight, tough blue with a great black section that I?m embarrassed to say I was on for a good 45 minutes. At one point I somehow managed to pick up a rock and wedge it between my rear tire and the frame of the truck. What a pain. Everyone helped get it unstuck; I winched a bit and got through. No one followed. We finished that trail,
Brent on 35;
After lunch and then went up 32. A very slick hill climb that reminded me a bit of the trails on Roby?s property. I made it up ok as did Jason and Mike everyone else had some trouble. Brent backed into a tree and smashed his rear window, and it was a winch fest for Bill, Erin and Rome.
Erin getting winched;
After we finally got off of that trail everyone was done.
We went to get Dave?s truck, got back to the KOA were Dave put it all together. Showered, jumped into Mike tow rig and went to O?Neil?s for a Steak and a few beers. Later at the cabin Rome, his buddy Nate and a few other folks came over and we boozed until late.
Stephen and Dave;
Saturday morning the lights on Mike?s trailer were not working and the wiring box started to smoke. After we found the short and patched it we headed to Rausch, where, to my surprise, Medhi and Brock decided that I was to lead them into the new property to run the blacks over there. It was me, Mike, Mehdi, Brock and Dave (3 sas?d including Brock sick truggy on 40?s and 2 IFS). They all did the black that I had done the day before. Brock took a crazy line up over a ledge.
It was very cool to watch. We then did a nice black trail that we had seen a couple of highly modified Broncos do the day before, lots of fun.
Mehdi;
On the second half of the trail Dave got thrown into a bad spot and popped a CV when he locked up the front. When he was winching out of that spot the housing on his new TMax winch broke. We got him out and when we all made through we were done. On the way out Dave hit a tree stump and tore open his left rear tire. Then on the way back to the KOA he lost the hub from the side with the bad CV on I-81. It was an expensive weekend for Dave.
I went and picked up the keg, ice and a tub for the NEXTerra bar. Mike went to get mixers and stuff. We met at the bar location and set up. Mike went home; the rest of us went back to the cabin where Dave, Mehdi, Brock, Romeo, Nate and I started pounding beer then Reyka vodka with a bit of ice adding fresh blackberries after a while. After a shower I was feeling no pain by the time we went over for the ECXC dinner and raffle. Kyle (punkrockdrummer) showed up for the party. Hamburgers and hot dogs, won a shop light and a day pass for Rausch.
Then up to the bar where Romeo and Nate manned the bar. Thanks guys. The guy who wheeled with us Erin helped out as well and Stephen oversaw the whole deal. Mike?s punch went over very well; the keg did not (something to remember if we do this next year).
Yo! What is this? ^^ Did something leak?
At 11 we shut it all down. Since Mike had left Romeo, Nate and Kyle stayed at the cabin. We hung out drinking there before passing out at I don?t know when.
Dave and Romeo were up early and packed before I stumbled out of the sack at around 8:30. Romeo had all of Mike?s bar crap in his truck. Thanks again bro. we had a nice breakfast at the KOA and those guys left. I went back to the cabin to clean up a bit and pack my junk. I had to return the empty keg, tap and tub but the place did not until noon so I took my time. After dropping that stuff off I went up to the Pocono?s where my wife and son were spending a long weekend. I came home Monday night, back at work Tuesday.
I had a great time although if not for the constant clanging of a lose bearing somewhere in my drive train to remind me of how I have just mistreated my truck it is like I?ve just tried to relate a dream to you all.
All of my pictures
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