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Today I'm heading out to Johnson Valley to meet up with the Men in Black. I considered driving TII to the trail, but my boys over at Coast Equipment Rentals offer this dandy trailer at a deal hard to refuse. They've been filling my needs for tools and equipment for years. Look 'em up for your next rental needs. Ask for James, Sonny or Ron, and they'll hook you up.
About 3 1/2 hours later, I was looking at the view of the Fry Mountains, and the campground, from Green Rock Mine Rd. I love it out here! The wide open space, the mountains with the off road trails, and the challenge of extreme rock crawling is what draws me. When you combine all that with a bonfire at night, a cold beer and some good friends...what else is there?
This shows our camp Saturday morning. We lucked out and had beautiful weather for the run. Friday afternoon was windy and extremely dusty. The sand here is powdery silt. A new location is in the works. Someplace closer to the trial, possibly out of the wind and, hopefully, less powdery.
Since Steve Riffel's untimely demise on the trail, Brian has maintained contact with the family. They were so moved by the effort put forth by the Men in Black to honor Steve's memory, Gordon and his daughter Debbie, flew down from Washington to get a feel for the sport that Steve loved. There has been a monument erected, trail building, an official run, and now the Dedication Run with family members present.
These rigs are here to drive the trail. Steve's friends, the Men in Black, and their friends.
After taking off from camp, through the silty lakebed, we converge on the trailhead.
One of two well built buggies parks on the gate keeper.
Brian took the opportunity to offer a brief eulogy, dedicated the trail to Steve's memory and thanked those involved.
At the trailhead from left to right, Steve's wife Sandy, his sister Debbie and his dad, Gordon. Gordon especially wanted to see the monument on Fischer Mountain, but they all stayed a while and watched the rigs at the gatekeeper and further up, before leaving to view the monument.
Brian's filling in Gordon on the techniques and styles of the drivers and their rigs.
One heck of a vantage point.
These are the vehicles that have passed that vantage point, and are heading deeper into the trail.
Jason leads Cameron through a tough section.
Standing on the rock, Casey tells Cameron he's heading back to camp. That section claimed a Birfield on his rig. Not the only carnage to claim a vehicle this day.
Jason's rig spit out a cracked slip yoke. Luckily he had a spare shaft to bolt up and continue on.
Ain't nothin' but a thang! Jason's first generation Toyota seems to like this kinda' action almost as much as Jason himself!
At the same area of the trial, Jeremy flopped at the ledge before the Joe Show Rock.
We righted him and he winched up.
This is a tough spot!
I'm coming thru the same spot where Jeremy just flopped.
I made it through ok, just to break something inside the front axle at the Joe Show Rock.
Jeremy drug me thru a good portion of the rest of the trail.
Further up the trail, at the Bear Cave, Cameron prepares to winch up the face rock.
OK, here we go.
Right about here, the front end unloaded and slipped a little to the drivers side!
No worries.
A little bit of a climb. The buggies had to winch it too.
He's driving it the rest of the way.
At the end of the run, Roger was set up to winch us down Ballerina Rock.
After driving out to see the monument, Gordon and his group met us at the exit of the trail.
We made it. At the end of the day after breaking parts, rolling and winching, it was fitting we all joined up to head back to camp. Gordon got to see us enter, went out to see the monument and was there at the end of the day, watching us exit. He hiked the trail and took some four wheel trails, and will be taking his day of adventure home with him to keep. He and his daughter met the people Steve wheeled with and experienced a little bit of what Steve enjoyed. They got to see, feel and be a part of the lasting dedication honoring Steve's life. There are more pictures of the run here This run was the culmination of these events:
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Introductions are beginning. Steve Riffel's Dad, Gordon, his
sister Debbie and his wife Sandy, are meeting some of the Men in
Black for the first time.
