Delta Trip Oct2011, >click on link<
Our first Jeep Rally and the last one of the summer season. Trevor and I spent the weekend with the Fairbanks Offroad Lions Club in Delta Junction at Jarvis Creek for a jeep wheelin' birthday run.
Now in bear country, we arrived at our destination around ten at night. Dark and windy, the trip leader, Cory, scouted an area out of the wind and we unloaded the jeeps from the trailers and set up camp under the light of the camp fire and my dad's headlights from his CJ-5. At some point some of us heard a small crash near where the trailers were parked. As Cory walked towards the noise to check it out, he backed down thinking, in the dark, it may be something we all don't want to mess with.
The birthday girl let us borrow her propane generated heater for the night as Trevor and I bundled in our sleeping bags for some shut-eye. We slept on cots my dad let us use, while he opted to sleep on the ground. Staying true to his manly roots, I suppose. It was a bone chilling 20-something degrees by the time we went to bed, and I found myself rubbing my ice-cold toes around 430am thinking they were frost bit..false alarm.
The morning welcomed us with a spectacular view of the mountains, and also...bear tracks! They were so close to camp it sent the other kinds of chills down my spine(meeting up with a bear is one of my worst fears). There were plenty of armed men on hand in case a certain Ursus were to
break camp, bringing a little peace..a little. As I searched for a place to pee, I found a spot close to a canine carcass with the bear tracks twice the size of my hand. Thinking they were old tracks because of the carcass, I wasn't too scared until others went to inspect the area saying the tracks were fresh and probably from last night..explaining the crash. We figured the bear was
checking out the perimeter & its new found acquaintances...hmmmmmmmm.
Leaving the bear tracks behind, everyone geared up for the jeep run. Five hours of bouncing and mud slinging led us to some of the most beautiful scenery we have witnessed. This also marked a new trail to ride for future runs. Not knowing what to expect, the trail offered plenty and lots of testosterone! hahaha!! There were a few women in the mix too who held their own. I even saw some mud time..Just glad nothing broke while I was behind the wheel. I'm sure there's no perfect run and at least one thing must happen. For this run, the birthday girl had overheating problems, while one guy's tire just came off, as another became Sgt. Stuck in the Mud, but in all, we made it out unscathed.
A great weekend and a great first run. Trevor and I will certainly attend others in the future. There are runs during the winter, once a month. Right now the prospect of camping in the snow is out of the question, but you never know. Have a great week everyone.
