Rausch Creek trip - August 17-19, 2012
Attendees: sMike, Mikemike, Ryan, Liz, Callelle, Spencer, gslarue, xjh3, Hawker, and Wingman
I know I was looking forward to a weekend wheeling trip for over a month. So much so that I wanted to go down Thursday night so I could wheel all day Friday. There was some added excitement because this was going to be Callelle's first time to RC. gslarue arrived first, followed by xjh3, and then I pulled in just after 10pm. There was another group already there but camped in the first tent spots in area "A". We pulled in quite a ways down in area "C". We chatted for a few minutes and then tucked away in our respective sleeping accommodations for the night. Mikemike arrived after midnight towing his Dak and Callelle's Cherokee.
After a fitful night, I awoke to a beautiful Friday morning. A warm breeze was blowing and clouds were whisping through the sky. After breakfast, we checked in and headed directly to Rock Creek because we knew that after others arrived, we'd be on greens and blues for a while. Mikemike took a difficult line into the top of the creek and the others and I opted for a more "sedate" entry off Trail 13. We joined up at the top of the creek and began crawling our way down with the Dak in the lead, followed by me, xjh3, and gslarue. As we neared the midway point where Trail 10 cuts across, xjh3 picked a line that caused a broken driver stub shaft in his D30. After a quick replacement with a spare shaft, he high-centered nicely about 6 feet away. A little hi-lift and tug from gslarue, we all were mobile again. I had developed a new clunk as well and eventually found that a new flex joint in a front LCA had come loose. Callelle had arrived and we headed back to camp to meet up and eat lunch while I repaired my LCA.
We got Callelle signed in and headed for the East property. We knew Spencer was due to arrive around 2pm, so we didn't wander far. Judging from the smile on Callelle's face, he was having a great time!
It was also an RCRocs race weekend so sMike, Ryan, and Liz arrived early in the afternoon and prepped for the event on the North property.
Spencer arrived and we headed back to meet up with him. Mikemike went to meet up with sMike for race pre-run. We pulled into camp and greeted him, chatted for a few minutes, scavenged some leftover firewood, and then the skies opened. I mean OPENED. It poured for an hour straight. I'm pretty sure I saw two of every kind of animal walking up the mountain
. We took shelter in the BBB and the rain was so loud that we couldn't even converse at times. There were rivers running through the parking lot. Pretty amazing. We had no idea at what stage the race teams were but later learned that they were running during this rainstorm. They were soaked to the bone. xjh3's mom and sister were due to meet up with him around dinner so after the conclusion of the storm, we went to the comp course to play.
This turned out to be a God-send because just as mom and sister were arriving, xjh3's steering box pulled from the mount right at the edge of the course. The upper bolt had pulled through the casting and the resulting flex broke the bottom bolts. We did our best to strap it back to the frame, get his Cherokee down from the rocks it was perched on, and limp it back to camp. Bolts and nuts were scavenged from the race teams and RC tool shed and repairs were affected. xjh3 and family headed out for a family dinner while the rest of us ate our meals and told stories around the campfire. The race teams joined us for a while before getting some sleep.
After a more restful night, another glorious morning greeted us with cooler temps. We learned that Hawker had arrived during the night. After breakfast, everyone gathered and decided to go watch the start of the race. We learned that Ryan and Liz were not going to be able to race because their buggy was sick. sMike and Mikemike were at the start and ready to go. Well wishes and a green flag and off they went!
We returned to camp and decided to head to the Quarry. We were nearly there when Spencer popped a front coil spring. A quick trail fix, complete with custom limiting strap, and we were on our way. Upon our arrival, a couple of us vainly attempted "Shoot the Moon" but were knowingly denied. We played some in the bowl. Spencer tried a rutted out exit and just inches from the top, apparently broke the front D30 ring and pinion gear set. He backed down and assessed his options while xjh3 tried the same line. He got a little sideways and tipsy, but did make his attempt. Not to be outdone, I also attempted it but had to use a slightly different line. gslarue followed with skillful slow-speed three-wheeled crawling success. Back to camp we drove, to further assess Spencer's issues, grab lunch, and see race team 571 in action. Ryan and Liz met us on the trail back but the buggy still wasn't quite right.
Spencer's Grand Cherokee was out of commission for the remainder of the weekend, so he jumped in with Callelle and we headed to the West property. We covered J-1, J-2, 15, 12, and 20. Just as we were exiting 20 at 11, xjh3's steering box broke away again. This time it was the lower two bolts pulling through the casting. A few attempts at creative strapping hobbled it back to camp. Now close to dinnertime, we prepped for the evening and learned that another club had hosted a pig roast and had lots of leftovers. Many availed themselves to a grand meal as the evening progressed. More bolts/nuts were obtained but not sufficient to bring the Cherokee back to wheeling status. sMike departed for home, Mikemike rejoined us, and Ryan and Liz relocated from pit row to our camping area. Another evening around the campfire was enjoyed with a lot of the discussion aimed at front axle upgrades.
Another night behind us and breakfast in us, Ryan and Liz departed for NY, xjh3 jumped in the Dak, and we played briefly on the comp course before heading to the East property again. We covered trail 1, 2, 4, played on Yellowjacket, Trail 5 hillclimb, and some of "O" before calling it a weekend. We returned to camp, loaded and strapped down, said our "fair wells" and hit the road around 2:30pm. Most had an uneventful trip home and happily re-united with our families and friends (after a well deserved shower!).
In spite of the carnage, it was still a great trip of relaxed wheeling, meeting new friends, and reacquainting with old ones. Thanks everyone!
