Truck or Treat and 16 Road to 21 Road

By Jerry Smith

October 26, 2013

No, you read it right. “Truck or Treat” is an annual event put on in Fruita, CO where trucks, cranes, emergency vehicles, and tractors are the featured items that families (primarily the kids) come to see and “experience”.

No fun could be found in "Driving a Jeep"

What kid wouldn’t want to climb into the driver seat and pull the cord on an air horn in a class 8 truck?

"Tooting" an air horn

Or they can go into the back of an ambulance, sit in the backseat of a police car, play in a cattle hauler trailer -- (no Bull Shtuff) or see one of the airport fire trucks up close.

Two "Desperadoes"

Truck cranes with their booms up, a Grand Valley Power “bucket truck” showing the heights they may go to, and City of Fruita trucks were all on display. Even school busses could be gone through.

"Little Farmers"

Add some Halloween candy and how can you go wrong if you are young?

Well, this year the Grand Mesa Jeep Club, Colorado’s 2013 “Jeep Club of the Year”, took over nearly one city block displaying Jeeps and buggies and offering the kids candy as well. It was an awesome sight.

The Grand Mesa Jeep Club at "Truck or Treat"

Kids, candy, and 4-wheelers

16 Road to Upper 21 Road

With all the excitement of the Truck or Treat, one would think that would conclude the Saturday festivities… but that would be wrong. The 2013 Colorado “Club of the Year” hates to waste a good opportunity to go into the great American BackCountry.

A short trip into the Bookcliffs north of Grand Junction had been planned.

The Bookcliffs are a land of strange looking desert mountains topped with cliffs that resemble a shelf of books from a distance. Nearly 200-miles long, the Bookcliffs begin in the northern De Beque Canyon and run through the Grand Valley following the I-70 corridor west to Green River, Utah where they turn north to Price, Utah.

Several dark canyons cut through the face of the Bookcliffs, some with large “bowl” watersheds hidden from view. These “bowls” are homes to several species of wildlife including; mountain lions, bears, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, wild horses, bighorn sheep, and bison.

Three of "Red Jeeps" in Coal Gulch

Mainly due to the existence of great quantities of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, many roads enter into these canyons and up on the ridges providing great exploration of the area in a Jeep or other 4x4.

Taking 16 Road north will eventually bring you into the Big Salt Wash as it exits the BookCliffs. Further up the wash the road forks, and as you who are familiar with this writers’ practices, “when you come to a fork in the road, Take It!

“Right turn Clyde.”

Soon we were skirting the end of the ridge that is the front of the BookCliffs and entered Coal Gulch that is directly behind this ridge.

About halfway along the canyon road, Aaron’s YJ developed fuel delivery problems. As tail gunner, I stopped to see if there was anything we could do to get them up and running.

After a bit, he got it to run just well enough to turn around and head for town. We would later hear that they were still running, though weakly, as Zane and Dale passed them on their way to catch-up to the group.

The road winds along the bottom of the gulch for miles before offering another fork in the road.

Technically, this fork is the beginning of a loop that starts and ends here, but we took the steeper road up onto Ross Ridge. Several gas wells and their facilities dot the area with pads and short spur roads to each of them.

Sometimes we shift into "2-foot drive"

Following one such road, we came near the southern end of Ross Ridge overlooking Hunter Canyon… better known as 21 Road to our group.

21 Road is a nationally known “extreme trail” that draws people from all over the country to Grand Junction to try their buggies and driving skills.

21 Road has a reputation for having flash floods that literally alter the trail from time to time. This potentially makes it an unknown and different challenge every time you run it. Nearly from the mouth of Hunter Canyon you are presented with one obstacle after another that will challenge you and your rig.

21 Road is known for many “rescue runs” to either bring needed parts to do trail repairs or for bringing a broken rig out by strap(s).

People try to do this trail in stock or near stock Jeep Rubicons. Many make the trip in and back out with big smiles and great pride… until they find bent axles, twisted frames, and “rock rash” were the ultimate outcomes. Sometimes, the “automatic reject feature” of a trail is slow to materialize.

Three of these Rubicons that we know of were replaced not long after their experience on 21 Road. The cost of repairing them was much too high to justify.

Most of our group hiked up to the overlook on the point of Ross Ridge where you look out over the Grand Valley. Unfortunately, the air quality was rather poor spoiling the view.

Returning from a hike on Ross Ridge

After turning around 14-rigs, we followed the road that drops you down into the upper end of Hunter Canyon up stream of the most challenging extreme obstacles.

The steep road presents very sharp hairpin turns that were fairly challenging and fun. Two of the hairpins were tight enough that even CJ7s had to back-up for a second attempt to make the turn. Many fear turns like these while others approach them as just another “bump in the road”.

Sharp "Hair-pin" turns have you meeting those ahead of you.

Not far from reaching the canyon bottom we found a long, wide, and flat spot that made for a good “Kodak Moment”. Even with an extreme wide-angle lens, we had too many rigs parked side-by-side to get all in the one shot and not run the far end into oblivion.

The Grand Mesa Jeep Club in Hunter Canyon (21 Road)

From this parking area, most of the group walked to the overlook of the extreme obstacles down stream. This view is quite awesome with no buggies in sight. With one or more buggies in these boulders, it is hard to understand how they do what they do.

GMJC members looking at the upper extreme obstacles of 21 Road

Along the way back to the parking area, some were walking up the wash bottom when we encountered lion tracks. These appeared to be from a medium size cat and became the discussion point for a while.

Sighting bear tracks in this canyon is fairly common. Most of the Hunter Canyon area is quite steep and animals will use the road in the bottom as they move through.

Exiting the backcountry, it was decided that many of us would meet at “Munchies” in Fruita for dinner.

Picturesque and steep canyon walls of Hunter Canyon

Not long thereafter, several of us were enjoying some good food and even better camaraderie. It’s no wonder that the Grand Mesa Jeep Club is also the Colorado 2013 “Club of the Year”.

This turned into a really good day of Jeeping and showing community support.

And of course one last thought to ponder; “When you come to a fork in the road… Take it!!

Happy Trails.

What is YOUR Favorite OHV Trail Worth?

By Jerry Smith

October 23, 2013

For those of you lucky enough to have fond memories of camping trips, 4-wheel drive trails, picnics, fishing or hunting trips, or other outdoors experiences from your youth… good on you. Some of these early experiences and memories can be some of the highlights of your life.

Think back on these experiences. Can you remember the joy you had making memories with your mom and dad or grandparents? How they showed you how to set-up a tent, put a worm on a hook, or just took a walk with you?

Think about sitting around the campfire after dark. Feel the heat on your face, your clothes, and your arms.

Taste and smell the smoke as it swirls around and burns your eyes. Tears may roll down your cheek causing little discomforts as the flowing liquid gives way to gravity.

See the flickering firelight as it dances its twisting and twirling way into the darkness above. Follow a spark that explodes with a loud “pop” and jumps from the fire with an expectation of burning a hole through your pant leg and into your soft flesh.

Anticipate the taste and sticky feel of that hot, roasted marshmallow slowly dripping off the willow stick as you bring it toward your mouth fearing for your lips and tongue.

These are some of the memories you will carry the rest of your life. Because they are yours alone, memories that only you can truly re-live just as YOU remember them.

In many cases, you may have returned to the same places year after year. Certain campsites, fishing holes, or trails may have become something of a tradition with your family. Year after year you would have noticed different and new things about the area, road, or trail and would have added to and grown in your experiences.

As they say; “those were the days”.

As life goes on, many of those days are re-lived in our minds as wonderful memories of people, places, and things we have done. In fact, I'm betting you're thinking of one right now. Did a smirk or even a smile come across your face? Did you have one of those “feel-good” moments?

Not to break your mood, but coming back to reality, can you honestly say that all of the places that those memories were made are still accessible by motorized transportation? Can you still drive to those locations and stack new memories on top of the old ones?

Will you be able to take your children to these magical places and provide them the full experience you lived and breathed?

I truly hope you can say yes to these questions, but I fear very few of these memorable places are accessible by motorized means anymore. Therefore, they will remain unused and not be committed to your children’s cherished remembrances.

Are Your Memories Enough?

Will your stories about your childhood experiences be as vivid and colorful when you relate them to your children so that they will relive the moment with you? Can you describe the smells, the tastes, the thrills, and the overwhelming joy?

Probably not. Not many of us are blessed with that level of story telling skills.

What will you tell your kids and Grand Kids YOU Did to Preserve Trails You Rode?

What will you say when your child or grandchild asks you; “Why can't you take me to this place that you are telling me about? It sounds like fun.” Well… what are you going to tell them?

Will you be able to tell them that you worked your buns off fighting the government entity that closed this area or trail… or will you just change the subject so you won’t have to admit that you did nothing?

If, like most people, you will “change the subject”, let me give you some things you might want to consider before resigning yourself to that need.

It used to be that most Forest Service Ranger Districts and BLM Field Offices would have an issue with a few trails, roads, or small areas within their jurisdiction annually. For one reason or another, they would close certain roads, trails, or areas to motorized travel. Not too big of an inconvenience.

In more recent years though, these offices have been receiving much more pressure from “anti-access” groups to close vast areas and all roads and trails within them.

Many of these offices have been going through their 20-year management plans. They are planning EXTREME and massive changes in the direction they will manage PUBLIC LANDS. Closures and “Preservation” are now the major ways of “Managing” YOUR publicly owned lands.

Historically speaking, just a few years from the time the government closes a road or trail, they remove them from their inventory… they suddenly never existed. What do you know about that?

Out of the clear blue, a new 5000-plus-acre piece of “Roadless Area” with “Wilderness Characteristics” has appeared. Isn’t that wonderful? They now have to “designate” it as such and of course manage it like it is Wilderness.

Not only have we lost our ability to drive roads and trails we have historically used for many years, now we have to “Preserve the whole area for the future”… whatever that really means.

These management practices are expanding exponentially. Many of the BLM and USFS plans have been calling for closing as much as 80% of the land presently open to motorized use.

That would include closing up to 75% of existing road and trail mileage in the area. Is that something you can just sit by and let happen?

How many times can we let this happen before we say “ENOUGH!”?

So, What Is “THE” ANSWER?

How do we do combat with “City Hall” (and the Federal Government)?

First, we must join forces. Politicians will support massive numbers of potential voters. We need to promote new laws that will stop this land grab in its tracks.

Only by showing we have massive support will we be able to find support in Congress to pass the kinds of legislation necessary to turn this train wreck around.

Second, join your local Motorized Club(s) that represents your personal recreation choice. This is the “Grass-roots” where your support begins.

Organized numbers mean something… think of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and AARP. Have they accomplished anything memorable?

Third, even though we have numbers, the right people MUST hear from those numbers. If we don’t “squeak”, we won’t be “greased”. We need to have people who are passionate about what we do express that to the correct people and institutions.

That is known as a lobbyist and/or an advocate.

Fourth, we MUST be able to generate well thought out… written bills for legislators to take before their committees and hold them accountable to get them passed into laws. This will require hiring Lawyers who know how to word the bills so that they will be acceptable and lawful.

Legislation that will be enforceable, not easily misinterpreted, and unchallengeable by the “anti-access” groups will need some serious crafting by some very smart people. They won’t come cheap.

Fifth, either through your membership in your local motorized club or individually, join and support State and National organizations that fight these closures in court. These people do this as professionals. They know the land-use laws and how to fight closures “the right way”. Just saying you oppose a closure won’t do one blessed thing to change it.

The magic word above is “SUPPORT”. These folks who do this for a living have historically worked with very small piles of resources (MONEY). "Anti-access" groups have $Millions to support their cause.

Think about how much money could be raised if every user of Public Land would give just one dollar a year to fight these closures. ONE small dollar a year!

Yet presently… if professionally run offices can raise an additional $100 per day, it is time to celebrate. How much more could they do with some serious money to work with?

We all know that every user of Public Lands is not even interested, much less supporting of these entities. So how do we make up the difference? WE… who CARE… must step up and make it happen.

By becoming a member, you give your self as a number. This is a great start. Numbers of members are extremely important.

But if you could support with a few dollars, be it $5, $10, $20, or more every year, think of what could be done. Is your annual recreation in the Great American BackCountry worth a few dollars a year?

How much would it hurt to donate $1.00 at every monthly meeting of your club? Could you do that? Maybe even $2.00 a month?

To truly make a difference, more of us who really care must “haul the freight”, “step up to the plate”, and “make a difference”.

PLEASE, show YOUR appreciation for the RIGHT to ACCESS YOUR PUBLIC AMERICAN LANDS. (R.A.Y.P.A.L.)

One last thought; When you come to a fork in the road… Take it!

Happy Trails 4wd

Friday, November 1, 2013