It started out as something else for me... An employee from a partnering company had expressed interest in seeing what wheeling was like. And before the ED4 emails came out about the Super Bowl Trip, I had agreed to take her to Hollister Hills and meet up with a group she found on the web.
I picked my passenger up in Mt. View at 7:00am to drive down. It was extremely foggy at that hour and the going was slow. We managed to meet at the supposed prearranged location [Hllister Burger King] only to find 2 vehicles there. The 3rd was somewhere between 280 & Hollister because of meeting place miscommunications.
During the ride down I had been telling my passenger about ED4 and what a wonderful group it is. How I always feel safe, learn something new and have a great time whatever the event. I mentioned that if at any time during the outing with her group if I felt like I was in an unsafe situation, I reserved the right to leave.
We gassed up and headed to HH. Checked in at the Ranger Station and then drove up the road to the gate. I hoped out to lock my hubs and the next thing I know the others had disappeared. I don't know my way around the trails but I did have a map. So we took our time meandering around, talked to some campers on the trail and found our way to the old obstacle course.
I'm seeing a few red flags so far: Meeting place miscommunications, no walkie-talkies, no CBs, not watching the rearview mirror for the person behind you in the group traveling from point A to point B.
I aired down and we wondered over to the obstacle course to see what they were up to. Hmmmm... interesting.
After the obstacle course they decided to go "run the trails". Ummm... without a decent map. I was the only person who had brought an official HH map that contained trail names and ratings. One of them had a map printed from the web minus names/ratings.
I didn't want to get stuck on a black diamond trail with them. At this point I made the decision to jump ship and join the ED4 outing. I invited the others to join me but they declined. I gave their leader my map and wished them a safe day.
ED4 Super Bowl Trip: Let the fun begin! I saw Mike/JK when I first got to the area earlier. Now he was joined by Jim & Monica/CJ7, Ellen/YJ, Mike/TJ, Chuck & Linda(?)/Cherokee, Denny/pickup, silver JK & black YJ. Sorry if I missed someone.
Wagons-Ho to the new obstacle course. The first area made the vehicles look like a roller coaster. I did some of the obstacles that I didn't the last time I went there with ED4. Jim took a line over the felled trees that was close to the root section. Wow! It was an amazing site to see everyone moving smoothly through the various obstacles. It was fluid! My passenger was impressed with it all and having a good time.
On to the ravine. I like the ravine but still need a spotter. Thanks again Mike/TJ! And for the cool pictures too!
Next was the rock quarry. I haven't done all the hills there, but I did try a few new ones. 8-) As we were leaving, Mike/JK had a start issue. True to ED4 form, members descended like ants ready to discuss/consult/remedy the issue. Eureka! Once started we headed back to the old obstacle area for lunch, snacks and recap stories of the mornings events. Mike/JK departed as we were mounting up for the next excursion.
Back into the vehicles for a trail run. Ellen led us along a creek. It was a little oozy in areas and after a while we neared a hill. The wet clay was hungry for any non-lockered street-tired vehicles. Ellen was the first up the hill and radioed back that lockers were definitely needed. A few more locked vehicles went up. I stayed back [no lockers] as a black YJ in front of the pickup attempted to conquer the clay monster sans lockers. Once again the skills & efforts of the ED4 gang made sure the vehicle in need was helped.
Thanks Jim/CJ7 for organizing the run! My wheeling would have been cut very short and the day not as eventful had you not planned something and been down there at the same time.
Thanks to the ED4 gang for the camaraderie, shared knowledge and safe assemblages!
Connie