This was defiantly a weekend to remember. I had a BLAST!
While getting there seemed to be a battle, we did it, and in style!
I had the privilege and honor to get to ride with the Big Dixie Bogger guys and gals this weekend, we all kinda caravaned together.
I started out Riding up with loganstoy and rockcrawler4X4, that was short lived as I got to exit 85 and had to turn around and go back home. I had forgot the keys to my camper. Once back on the road, 3DCrawler was waiting for me on my exit, so it was the two of us, we had hardly got rolling good when we saw a group on the side of the interstate. It was Jbrooks, Loganstoy, and Rockcrawler4X4. Burn Unit's tow rig had given up. Luckily for him my son Josh (yodakid) had already offered the use of his truck. So in short time, He cam rolling up in his Honda, wit his wife(Puddin) in the truck. We quickly unloaded his truck and loaded the Red Chevy, hitched up and away we went.
Along about exit 44, after I had to get on the brakes hard, smoke started coming from my rear drivers side wheel. It soon went away and all was goo, we thought!
Way on down the road, the smoke started again, this time I got off the hi-way heading toward a parts store. I tried getting the rest of the group to go on, but good friends don't leave friends. David(3DCrawler) and Scott(Ol'Jeeps) hung back with me. I wasn't able to make it to the parts store, it got way too bad and we didn't want any more damage than I already had. So, on the side of the road, we jacked the truck up, and took off the wheels and then the axle and drum. The seal was all but gone. One bearing was in pieces, and the brake shoes were coming apart. So with all the parts in hand, David and Scott took off to the Parts store. I have to hand it to Advance Auto Parts. They had EVERYTHING we needed to fix it. SO while they were gone, I cleaned up the parts and backing plate. Once back with the parts, it looked like a Pit Crew training class! David Scott and I got it all back together quick! On and when I saw we, I did drive in one bearing race and help with the other one! The rest of the repair was all Scott and David. Once all back together it was only a matter of driving and keeping track of the idiots on the hi-way!
Golden Mnt Park is full of trails and obstacles. I didn't see anything man mad, it was all natural. And if you look around, the stuff is barely tapped that could be used to ride.
We had a rather large group. We had Myself and Leslie, David Minton and Beth, Scott and Kristy Thomas, Chuck riding solo most of the time in Big Nasty, Justin in his YJ, and later on his parents rode with us a bit. Chris and Heather Bay, Justin Burn Unit, John Brooks, Michael Juarez, Paul and Deanna Poplin, Cody and Jennifer. All in all no major breakage. Cody lost a rear drive shaft, One of my spares fit, Cody needed a crimp fitting to get his cooling fans going again, Scott broke a U-joint and had some frame damage and a ram link mount break off(thanks to the rock race). Scott used my ready Welder, and I must say, he does a lot better bead with it than I do! LOL Burn Unit broke a rear axle and was able to tun around and get back to camp to change it out.
Later on, just before we went to Saturday Dinner, and evening events, we wanted to do "One more trail" It was short lived. I was trying a ledge and hammer a little too much for my weak rear drive shaft. It broke right where the splined part goes into the main shaft. We never did fine the broke part. We knew what direction since it flew past Leslie head as she was in front of me taking pictures! Glad it didn't hit her!
We limped back to camp, only to have some running issues. It barely made it up to the event section!
The dinner was good, consisting of Salisbury steak, Green beans, Slaw and mashed potatoes, and a choice of cookies for desert. We had a short meeting and then come the raffle. I won a gas can, and a low pressure air gage. We also had a roll call for how long folks had been attending The Dixie Run. My first one was way back at Dixie Run #9, but there was many folks there who had been to EVERY single one of them. Everyone who had been there from # 10 and earlier, was given a T-Shirt! I will wear it proudly!
Back to camp and later on another night ride.
Looking around at this place it gives you some idea just how big this sport, or past time is. There was some mega buck rigs there.
There were more vendors there than I had money to get stuff from. I did however, get me one of those magnet can holders from Busted Knuckle Films. I didn't use it for a drink, since I already had that part covered, but I did put in on my cage and use it for a holder for my hand held radio. It never came off except when either Leslie or I grabbed for one thing and accidentally knocked it off. So IMO, it works great!
I had a great time with awesome company, and a fantastic place to wheel. I will be going back, hopefully before the next Dixie Run!
