S-Trucks Visit George in George Washington National Forest
or
S-10 Roundup in Rawley Springs, VA

Date: September 3-6, 2004
This is year 4 for us. We've seen some changes over the years. Our numbers rise and fall. People trade/buy/sell their trucks. We meet a few new friends and miss some of the ones who don't come around as much any more. Although we have seen the Forest Service close some of our favorite trails, we still manage to get together and keep it legal while enjoying ourselves.

The S-10 Roundup in Rawley Springs is for S-10s, S-15s, Sonomas, S-10 Blazers, S-15 Jimmys, ZR2s, BlaZeRs, and Highriders and for our friends who drive other vehicles.
The Rawley Springs Area is in the George Washington National Forest Dry River District. The terrain allows for water crossings, mountain climbs, mud, and a bit of off camber crawling for all. Click on any picture below for a larger view. There are several avi and wmv files in this year's report for you to download. Every effort to compress them was made but they are not dial-up friendly.

Special Thanks to our Photographers (Keith, Jamus, CindyLindy, Greg) and our Videographers (cindyLindy and Jamus) for their contributions.

Attending:

  • Vinnie and Cindy in the 93 Blazer
  • Steve and Cid in 97 Cherokee
  • Jamus in the Ranger
  • Greg in the 02 BlaZeR2
  • Keith in the 01 BlaZeR2
  • Mike and Chris in the 04 Trailblazer
  • Volpster in 88 S-15
  • and Blackage stopped by the campsite in his S-10

 

Friday

With help from the Capital Off Road Enthusiasts , we preran several of the trails in August. But that wasn't enough apparently as we got surprised by the Forest Service as they closed Kephart Run in the intervening time. We're still trying to figure what, if any, the pattern is for the closures as last year they closed Old Long Run just before the Roundup. Is it just the trails we like or is there some other pattern to the continuing closures?

I drove down Friday but was not in any rush to arrive since it is usually after 5:00 before anyone else pulls in anyway. I did drive by to make sure the gate on Second Mountain was open and stop by for permission to come down Dictum since it crosses private land between the end and the highway. I arrived at Brandywine at about 4:30 and see that the campground is very nearly full. Jamus has already arrived and setup his tent. I take the empty site adjoining his, figuring we can at least get 2 sites together for when the others arrive. Mike and Chris show up about 6:00 (without Joseph who apparently got swamped with homework for the weekend.) They also take an additional campsite, using the same reasoning. We're all setup and have a fire going at Mike's and Chris' site. I head for bed about 10:00 but hear Vinnie, Cindy, Steve and Cid pull in as I drop off.

Saturday:

As has become customary, Mike and Chris are up and coffee is on when I roll out A big breakfast from the communal fire gets all going. I see a BlaZR2 pulling in and it's Greg. (he told me that his BlaZeR2 looked like mine and it pretty much does except for his MT/Rs, the grille guard and the nerf bars). Volpster shows promptly at 9:30 and we get ready to head out. As Greg had driven down directly this morning, we direct him to the BP station in Brandywine for fuel for him and the truck.

Movie File #1 (AVI, 2.52 Megs)

Today's journey will take us behind the Skidmore reservoir and up to Flagpole Knob. It seems like a nice easy way to start the morning while we work out way we'll work together and since Mike and Chris have decided to take the TrailBlazer on its inaugural run. This route starts out very easy and slowly builds in difficulty. We take the turn down to the reservoir right after leaving pavement to allow for airing down, disconnecting and so forth. Of course we snapped a few pictures.

As we make our way along, we see several campers about and a red Land Crusher behind us. There is not much opportunity to pass and he doesn't seem in much hurry. When we reach the clearing (which may have a name but I always remember it as a favorite lunch spot by the stream where the dogs could play), we pull out and let him pass. There is an obligatory run through the mud in the driveway around the clearing. As we get ready to leave, Mike and Chris decide to head back to the campground. Chris is a real trooper. She really doesn't care for the trails but always goes along to make sure Mike can go since he loves it so much. Since there is little danger of them having any problem on the road back, we proceed without them.

 

In past years, we have made several attempts at Flagpole. It seems like such an ideal night time destination to view the stars but it winds up being foggy and/or crowded. Not this time. Beautiful skies, pleasant temperatures, no one else to be seen. Nice stop. As always when we stop, we take a few pictures and press on towards Meadow Knob where we stop for lunch, comparing vehicles and generally high-level intellectual discussions (yeah, right, but it was enjoyable conversation, nonetheless.)

 

 

Begin to ride on through the  narrower and rockier route and hit Stone Camp Road. Got a few pictures of the camp and everyone makes a try at the big rock outcropping on the other side. Keith holds to the 3 tries and move on rule and doesn't climb it. All the others are successful.
  • Volpe's locker proves a valuable addition if he could just keep that front bumper out of the tree. "No, Mike, your other left!"
  • Vinnie polishes a little frame and has to work his way around a spring hanger.
  • Steve's Jeep shows what those guys do with all that articulation stuff they're always talking about. Apparently it DOES have some purpose other than high numbers on a ramp!
  • Jamus acquits himself well with the longer wheelbase adding a slightly different challenge to it.
  • Greg takes an entirely different line than any of the others and dispatches himself neatly. Mike V says "Not a line I would have even tried!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie File #2 (WMV, 7.49 Megs)

 

 

Moving again the drop off next to the tree gets us off camber a bit but barely cycles the suspensions. We come upon the infamous blue wood-grained minivan. It has now moved about 25 yards since last April. The story going around is Mom and Pop out without the kids, hole in the gas tank, finally walk out to help the next morning after the searches have begun. I've since heard that it was the whole family and they were headed towards Reddish Knob and got lost. In any event, the minivan has been trashed. Wheels, tires, seats removed. Most glass broken. Although the Forest Service was notified in April of it's existence, the Bureaucracy apparently lost sight of it for several months. They are now officially aware of it and mom and Pop have been advised to remove it from the premises or pay for it to be done. The minivan does have four wheels again, at least two of them are donuts and half off the rim. After winding our way through Union Springs, we decided to stop at McDorman's to replenish some supplies. At this point, Volpster calls it a day and heads back for NoVA.

 

We decide the rocks were fun but it's time now for a little wetter action. We go west on 33 towards Dry River, the Salt Shack and a huge mudhole which is becoming known as the Devil's Bathtub. Friends who have tried to make it across have certainly had some "devilish" things to say about it. We make the crossing at Dry River and turn by the guardrail into the mudflats. 

Our next crossing puts us next to the Devil's Bathtub but none of us are game to try it.

Greg announces that he is off to other things Maryland and bids us adieu.  So it's back to the campground for more food and some great conversation. We survey the only carnage of the day (a broken turn signal lens).  Mike and Chris have burgers and dogs for the crew and some other delicacies get added including several sausage and pork concoctions that Vinnie has brought to us from Jersey. We even manage to get in a little rest. 

   

Late in the evening, Blackage joins us by the campfire but has plans to be back in Harrisonburg for the night.

Sunday

Mike and Chris leave us in the morning to head back to Martinsburg while the remaining crew heads for Second Mountain Trail. Along the way, we meet some bear hunters with their dogs. As we pass by,  I ask why most of the dogs are in the box but one is on top. I am told it is a jump dog and he is there so he can be set loose should they see a bear crossing. He can pick the scent and give chase while the hunters are letting the other dogs loose.

 

   

  Movie File #3 (WMV, 1.7 Megs)

 

We found a nice shady spot for lunch where Second Mountain meets Dictum Ridge, in the vicinity of the ATV parking area. While here, we discover the true cause of Steve's radio problems, seems the antenna has decided to stay in the woods without him.

Dictum Ridge is a fairly mundane two-track through the woods until you get almost to the end at which point it becomes a nasty rocky obstacle with no bypass. Stock vehicles generally avoid it and it is nearly impossible for a stock vehicle to go UP the obstacle on its own without a winch. Some good movie footage here which I have tried to edit into manageable chunks but I wouldn't call it dialup friendly.

   

 

Movie File #4 (WMV, 5.6 Megs) 

 

Listen for Steve's comments in the final few seconds of this one.

Movie File #5 (WMV, 8.4 Megs)

Having survived the trip down Dictum, we decide to go across Dry River again with a single climb up to the mountain top and back down before calling it a day. This trail has a number of switchbacks where you lose sight of the other vehicles if they are not very close to you. As Vinnie and CindyLindy and I hit one straightaway, we noticed that Steve and Cid were not close behind as we expected them to be. CindyLindy walked back a little ways (remember the missing CB antenna?) and returned to tell us that they had run into problems and we needed to turn back. It took a little way to find a turnaround spot but we arrived to find the front of the Cherokee up on a HighLift with the front wheels pointed severely inward. Seems that the growth along the edge of the road had been hiding a rather large tree trunk which bent the tie rod on the Cherokee. We were able to remove the tie rod and straighten it pretty well before re-installing it. We knew however, that it had been weakened, so called it a day instead of pushing on and subjecting it to additional unnecessary stress. 

We headed back to camp once again. There, Vinnie discovered several loose bolts in a half shaft which were tightened the following morning. As has also become the custom, we got rain Sunday night which sent most of us into our tents around 10:00. Monday morning still had a little rain falling, but really just enough to make it messy as we packed. All headed safely home, secure in the knowledge that a bad day on the trail is better than a good day on the pavement.

~Keith, aka 4x4x4doors

Although we are losing trails in this area, there are other great spots to ride so we'll talk about doing this agian in 2005. Other events, themed around the S-10, are already scheduled in different areas of the country. Please check out S10extremist.org for some of them.

 

 

This whole area is on page 72 of the DeLorme's VA book.

Download the Liability Release Form

 


The Brandywine Recreation Area
~KH, September 18, 2004
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