It was a KICK-BUTT trip! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Wednesday, Doug and Ià (OK, mostly Doug - aka æMr. Fab & Fix-ItÆ <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) àgot my Rodeo back to its old former self û and MAN, it sure is good to be Locked again! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Thursday morning(ish), we headed over to Callalantee û set-up camp û greeted all of the early bird arrivals as they rolled-in û and then later that evening, we decided to do a brief little Pre-Dinner Trail Runà

Soon after, Doug and I were rolling along in my Rodeo, leading the pack on the main Green trailà

Doug: ôSo, where do you wanna take`em?ö

Me: ôI dunnoö

Doug: ôHA! - Me eitherö


*IDEA!*

Me: ôHey, I know! û We could go hit the old sawmill site with the creek crossing and maybe play around there for a whileö

Doug: ôPerfect!


Moments later we arrived at the creek crossing, only to find that a culvert / drive-over had been installed û almost totally eliminating the æplay around in itÆ factorà

Me & Doug: ôDOH!ö


*ANOTHER IDEA!*

Looking beyond the sawmill site, up the hill, at the steep / loose rock trail beyondà

Me: ôHow about we run up to the top of the ridge, and then turn around where it intersects with Black and come back down?ö

Doug: Yeah, that ought to take about an hourà Go for it!ö


We crossed over the culvert û headed across the sawmill site û and pointed it up the steep / loose rock ascentà Everything was going just fine until we got to the sharp right-hand turn that had been slightly out-of-view from the bottom (* sort of like the right turn on Daniel, just before the ledge / s-curve section - only this one is a lot longer and steeper climb, with a big rut running down the middle of it)à

So anyway, when it came into viewà


The Rodeo: (Revving at about 2500 rpm, in Tera 4-Low & 1st)

Doug: ôWhoa!ö

Me: ôYeah, no kiddinÆ!ö

Doug: (spotting me on the right, out of the passenger side window) ôGoodà My sideàà Goodà Now your side a littleàà Goodàààà My sideàö

The Rodeo: (Nosing the front driverÆs side tire up out of the ravine)

Doug: ôGoodàà My side a little moreàö

The Rodeo: (With the driverÆs side rear stubbornly refusing to follow suit û instead remaining down in the wash-out)

Doug: ôEasyàà Your side a littleà


And thenà

The Rodeo, Doug, and Me: (teetering back onto the rear driverÆs side tire, and looking waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay up into the trees at an extremely off-camber view of the sky <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> )


The Rodeo: (Answering æALL STOPÆ)

Doug: ôHold what youÆve gotö

Me: (not actually said, but though) ôReally? - YA THINK???ö


After taking a good-long look out of the passenger-side windowà

Doug: ôEase it back a littleö

Me: ôOKö

The Rodeo: (settling back down a bit, and returning the horizon to something that at least remotely resembled normal)

Doug: ôEasyàà YouÆre goodààà YouÆve got ità

The Rodeo: (Abruptly tilting back again - providing yet another panoramic shot of the forest canopy above and the tufts of clouds beyond)

Doug: ôSTOP!ö

Me: ôNo argument here, Bro!ö


Long story short (yeah, I know û too late <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> ), Doug ended-up catching a ride back to camp with Bryan to get a snatch block û while Eric was kind enough to take a seat on my hood and hold the passenger side down (THANK YOU! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> ) - meanwhile I sat there waiting with the both feet on the brakes & the E-brake lever pulled up to my right earà waitingààand waitingààà and waiting <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

In the end, Jack strapped the back of his Sammy to a tree, and He & Doug reverse-winched me back down. --- After that, with our predetermined 2 hours of 4-wheeling time already pretty much spent, we turned around and headed back to camp for dinner.


* And of course, as always, the photos practically make it look like flat groundà Oh well û trust me; it wasnÆt even remotely close to being flat!



I guess thatÆll have to do for now.


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