Showing posts with label Trip reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trip reports. Show all posts

Monday, November 4, 2013

2013 Creepy Crawl

This year marked the second annual Patrol 14 event dubbed "The Creepy Crawl". There was a ton of work that went into making this a great event, including multiple scouting trips during the summer. Once the route was determined, and the checkpoints plotted, it was time for some of the decorations. A number of 14ers gathered a few nights before the event and carved out pumpkins that were left at each checkpoint like a guide showing participants they were in the right spot.







We gathered again the afternoon of the event to set up all the final pieces. Pumpkins were dropped off. Glow sticks were placed in trees and bushes, and the finish line fire was stock piled with wood. Soon the participants arrived at the starting location in Idaho Springs, and it was time to get your creep on!

This year the event was a scavenger hunt starting in Idaho Springs and finishing near Central City. Participants were given a map and GPS coordinates of 5 checkpoints they must find before checking back in at the finish line. Groups of 4-5 rigs were sent out in 10 minute intervals starting at dusk.



The closest check point was an old mill building with two sealed cauldrons. Inside these cauldrons were plastic eye balls that each participant had to grab before moving on. However, it wasn't that easy. Inside one cauldron was hundreds of worms (or spaghetti noodles dowsed in oil) and the other was filled with the guts of the butchered pumpkins from Thursday night. I'm sure each person was pleasantly surprised at this checkpoint.

Other checkpoints included finding certain gravestones and bringing back the dates of death, or names on the stones. One checkpoint offered folks the opportunity to capture ghosts in their cameras when they were required to take a picture with Walters Cabin.


 
 
Once all checkpoints were completed, folks made their way to the finish line where they were greeted with a warm fire, hot chocolate, and smores. At the check in, your answers were checked and if you properly completed each checkpoint, your name went into a prize drawing. We had a number of great prizes provided by 4Wheel Parts and High Country Performance 4x4.
 

 




The second annual Creepy Crawl was a total hit this year. 10 times better than last year, and the planner for a better event next year has already begun!

Chinaman's & Liberty Weekend 9/21/13

 
A small group of 14ers packed up for the weekend to hit up Chinaman's Gulch on Saturday, and Liberty on Sunday, with a night run up Carnage smacked in the middle. It was a hardcore weekend to say the least. Besides David blowing a front shaft, the only other damage for the weekend was plenty of body damage to share amongst the group. Enjoy the pics!
















LIBERTY:
















Jenny Creek 10/20/13

As Sunday was Ryan's birthday, he wanted to do some wheeling up at Jenny Creek that day. No one really knew what the conditions would be like, but we figured their couldn't be too much snow up there yet. So we headed up anyway with a pretty small group.

Our newest prospective member Mike joined us on this run with his customized Dodge Durango. Just after we entered the Jenny Creek trail, Mike's ADD kicked in, and he slipped off the trail while not paying attention. Good thing this beast has a rear winch. A couple minutes of pulling out gear and pulling winch line, we were back on our way in no time.



 
 
As we got to the creek, it began to snow on us. Pretty light snow, but snow none the less.
 






There were tracks on the trail, but it was unclear if they were tracks from the day before, or from earlier in the morning. Either way, the snow was not deep and really wasn't a factor. It was more of the ice under the fresh layer of snow causing a few problems here and there. We found one tree that was dangerously low across the trail, so we cut that down, and then we had to stop once for another winch pull up a slight hill that was very icy.







Then came the exit of Jenny Creek where we hit a very large drift. Took us all some horsepower, but we all made it eventually.





A quick group shot, and it is off for home to catch the Bronco Game.