DR, I don't think anybody meant to point fingers or assign blame. The slow going was to be expected with the stock(ish) trucks. The problem was that none of us knew where we were going. We also got some bad directions from some helpful dirtbikers. Maybe we need to post printable maps & directions for the Xcursions.

For me, the only thing better than overcoming an obstacle myself is seeing the look on somebody else's face when they defeat something they never thought they could.

All you hardcore SWANKy guys (& gals) just aren't used to having stockers around.

sounds like everybody got to a destination ....i dont here anybody talking about broken parts.so from what i have read. is that everybody was haveing a blast on saturday when i was freeken working .!

I so wanted to try out the new syspention lift/Rancho RS9000X ...

Hey Andy, just my 2c - I agree the word ditched was harsh. Nobody felt like anyone just shot off ahead with no regard for us or whatever, and we knew you were probably doubling back and looking for us.

But I disagree a little with the 'keep the truck in front of you in sight' thing. Normally the reason the group gets split us is because someone less experienced gets hung up on something. Asking a newbie to be responsible for making sure they check for the truck ahead of them, while trying not to stress because they are holding up the group, and their truck is probably damaged, and they have to get unstuck, is a lot to ask someone a little inexperienced.

I do believe that is what happened this time. One of the stock vehicles got behind, and took the wrong side of a bypass, and we had to strap him off. We were trying to call with no response, we all had radios on I can assure you.

I'm definitely not the most experience of the group given we had some SWANKY guys out there, but I've been around longer than any other AZXCers and any run I've been on with any group, thats always been the case that you make sure the guy behind you is somewhere in the vacinity, ESPECIALLY when you come to fork in the road. I personally never even go past a small trail on the side of the road without making sure I know the guy behind me sees I'm staying on the main road.

Not trying to lecture anyone, as I said I know most of you guys are way more experienced than me. Just a little sensitive as I always stay back in the pack in case anyone needs help, and this is the second time in a row I've been split from the group ahead without knowing it...and of course this time I was woefully ill prepared for the trip without my GPS.

Mark

i would have loved to see some swanky rides ...next time.

That's the problem for me right there - I am not an experienced off roader, I'm new to off roading and a little slower than most on the trails. I know that can be annoying to you guys in modded trucks who want to fly off into the distance, I've experienced that problem on pretty much every run I've been on. One of the reasons I got the 4Runner, so I can learn in a rig I don't care so much about hurting. Not that I was on this run, but I would have been holding up the rear with the other guys most likely if I was.

I'm pretty slow myself. My biggest problem is when I get out in the desert I completely lose all sense of direction so I never know where I'm going. I'm paranoid and if I haven't seen the person in front of me for longer than a few minutes, I call out on the radio for them to stop and wait for me - because I know that I will get lost! Never has anyone given me a hard time for it or anything.

Guys, we go slow too, and I am used to wheeling with stockers (AZ Runs?). We get stockish vehicles through some amazing stuff on those runs, and the run yesterday was well suited to stock vehicles.

Mark, good reply. You're probably right- there was too much of an expectation placed on the newbs, but hopefully this is the kind of stuff you guys teach newbs when they join the club. Yesterday proved how useful that little tidbit of knowledge can be.

In any event, it's all water under the bridge now and I'm looking forward to the next run.

And the offer does stand if you guys want to have some information etc. perhaps for a club handbook, I'd be happy to contribute.

Ditto, and me too. Summer is here harsh already this year. Here's looking forward to some Sedona trails soon

Mark

My 'stocker' comment was said with a wink & meant to be funny. No hard feelings.

I'm looking forward to the next run too, but I probably won't be able to make it back out until Fat Tire.

Ok... So nobody take me the wrong way just in case

I Was I think the lead of the ditched back for quite awhile. The fork, that I'm now pretty sure was the "right path" we all radio for directions, and two of use with to all the trucks to as for directions. It just turned out none of us had ran the coke ovens.

I was also the one hung up a bit down the wrong path. After some help we did pick up someone on the FRS and we were trying to get directions. We were told we were being waited on and that we went the right way. So off we continued.

Not being one on the people out to camp, I did have a good run though the box. I had two of the 3 stock trucks that ended up in our pack. I had a great time and next time I'm hunting down some GPS points along the trail Just in case ya know.

So for stuck trucks... The 3 of us only ended up with very minor dents and dings... Everything you'd expect from a trial of that type... Though I lost some blue paint on a rock, can't wait till my sliders arive. I've got a bunch of picks downloading now of our group... PM me if your interested. No garentees of whos trucks I got pics of though. And I don't think anyone took a pic of the 3" tire slit on one of the Non-Stocks

Well better luck next time is the way I look at it. It was still fun.

-MadManX

Water under the bridge is right. I am going to get with Adam and see what we can do about getting a handbook put together or the old one copied for newbies.

A little more education/knowledge would hqve prevented the mishaps Saturday. In any case, if you are lost....STAY PUT! That is the golden rule.

Andy it was a fun day of wheelin' with you and the other SWANKy guys.

I think our biggest problem was... We didn't know we were lost until it was two late.

My hangup was after what I'm sure was the wrong turn and that is when we got someone on radio and told them as best we could where we were. We were told we were on track so we continued. Once we got to a part none of us could cross (about an hour latter), then we knew were were lost. And we had a tire to change.

It was just a miss comunication of where we were and where the front group was. We weren't very far off course when we were told to keep going forward.

I'm sorry for the two in our group that didn't get to camp. I would have gladly taken you guys the long was to the campsite, but no one wanted to take me up on the offer.

I know for my girl's first time taking her new truck on a real trail, she sure had a lot of fun.

Guess next time we get to a fork in the road I'm campin right there till I'm found But I am sure glad a couple vetrans were in our group. They kept the Fronty in once peice and me from getting stuck between the rocks.

-MadManX

Get a Cobra 29 CB, tweak it and get a Wilson 1000 antenae.

That'll solve all your lost problems. Mine goes faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.

Here are the pics from Group 1's adventure. It was a HOT day, but good trail and good friends made it worth the trip. We almost saw reddog roll/flip his K5 down a hill, laughed at a Liberty stuck on the railroad tracks, evaded the PoPo by the river, and fixed Mud's torsion bar.




This is where Group 2 would have ended up if the turned right at the Yellow Arrow pointing Left.




Tested my new Flawless Custom Fab sliders on this boulder...worked...Flawlessly!


Toughest spot on the trail to Martinez Cabin. I kissed my driver front fender on the log sticking out, nice little dent. Would have been difficult for stock trucks.


Lunch time at Martinez Cabins.

The view at the Cabins.

On to the Coke Ovens.

Coke Ovens.

Crossing the Gila River. This K5 has 35" tires.

Brent's truck stalled in the middle. H20 in the distributer is no bueno.

You see the size of that bluefish I caught?

The Jeep Liberty "Trail Rated". Not "Rail Rated". Yeah right.


The PoPo telling this group to go back after getting ID's and Plate #'s. Our rigs were down the hill out of sight, so we took off and played in the River. Before crossiing and going home...

RR track crossing. THe mysterious black cactus can only be found in this region...
Stripped torsion bar anchor.

Receiving the Humpy Award.

Nice pics dude. Who was that who stripped the Torsion Bar Anchor?

Steve aka MUD stripped his anchor.

That was a whopper of a fish Andy caught, had to use a 30,000lb test line to haul it out! Not much of a fight though, turns out it was dead in the water.

Check out N4W for the picture of reddog doing a wheel stand on the driver rear wheel, and coming VERY close to a long trip down a short hill.

man great pics guys and it would have been nice to meet Red Dog again offroading instead of gameing with his pack and Egami .small world
Waldo/Onix

I really wanted to be there. Sorry guys and gals.

PS Nice pics