Ok its set in stone.
Nov 6th & 7th Rovers on the Rocks
$140 per truck for 2 days
$45 per passenger for 2 days
What do you get?
Rausch creek for 2 days
Full use of a camp ground "With showers"
Dinner Friday and Saturday
The First ever in the US, Land Rover ONLY Rock Challenge!
There will be 2 classes.
Expedition class 33in tires and under.
Open class 34in tires up to 37in tires.
A Live web feed of the whole weekend.
If you can only make it for one day Rover dog and Rover Lab have you covered.
$70 gets 1 driver and truck for a day
$35 gets you a passenger for one day
To register and order your T shirt just click the link ..... http://lucky8llc.com/Search.asp?CategoryID=1044
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
L8 NOW has reverse cut R&P !!!!
Thats Right you read it correct. Rover Dog has worked his spots off to bring you Reverse cut 4:10 and 4:75 R&P for the front of your D1 D2 RRC D90 and NON Sal D110s. This should make every one extra happy because the price is $328!! We also have the matching gears for the rear in the standard cut.
What?
Did someone say P38?
YES !!! WE have in sock 4:10 R&P for the Wolf axle found in P38s.
The L8 Quality Inspector hard at work
FIRST in the USA P38 Revers Cut R&P!
What?
Did someone say P38?
YES !!! WE have in sock 4:10 R&P for the Wolf axle found in P38s.
The L8 Quality Inspector hard at work
FIRST in the USA P38 Revers Cut R&P!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
2nd Webisode
Here is our 2nd webisode, I hope you get a laugh out of it.
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkz0NTMFeYY
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkz0NTMFeYY
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Easter Expedition 09
Sorry everyone I have some good news bad news
BAD: There will not be an Easter Expedition blog.
Good: Land Rover Lifestyles will be covering the adventure in the August issue. To get your copy go on over to
http://www.lrlmag.com/_catalog_35349/SUBSCRIPTION_PAGE
When you get to the check out use the promo code Lucky8 to receive a 20% discount.
Sorry everyone I have some good news bad news
BAD: There will not be an Easter Expedition blog.
Good: Land Rover Lifestyles will be covering the adventure in the August issue. To get your copy go on over to
http://www.lrlmag.com/_catalog_35349/SUBSCRIPTION_PAGE
When you get to the check out use the promo code Lucky8 to receive a 20% discount.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Wilds!
Ill be at the Dealer event on Friday, the trails all day Saturday and camping Saturday night. Some where in the mix I will put on a winching "How 2"
So come on out and help support the park.
http://www.greenovalguild.com/joomla...ents&Itemid=38
So come on out and help support the park.
http://www.greenovalguild.com/joomla...ents&Itemid=38
Monday, April 6, 2009
Vermont Land Rover Adventure
I stop typing on the computer to look out the window at the Lucky8 D1. The green Disco is sitting on the trailer still splashed with mud from the Winter Romp. But how it got on the trailer was an adventure in its self.
Thursday
I head out to load the truck with gear and it would not start. Rover Dog and I agree it’s a dead battery so we pop down to the auto store and grab one. A few shakes of the Rover Dog tail later and “ Presto!” the new battery is installed. I turn the key and nothing, not even a click. Long story short the ground strap from the motor to the frame was corroded. This was not allowing the starter to work under load. With the ground strap cleaned we were back into action. I fire up the Disco with a smile and headed over to the garage to load up. I stop in front of the front of the door, shut the truck off, and pull the E brake. POP!!!! The E brake cable snaps. To make things worse the brake is stuck on. Just to add insult to injury there is a shiny new Xbreak sitting on the shelf just waiting to be installed in the L8 Disco. I look over at Rover Dog and ask, “Why is getting to the Adventure always have to be an Adventure?”
I head out to load the truck with gear and it would not start. Rover Dog and I agree it’s a dead battery so we pop down to the auto store and grab one. A few shakes of the Rover Dog tail later and “ Presto!” the new battery is installed. I turn the key and nothing, not even a click. Long story short the ground strap from the motor to the frame was corroded. This was not allowing the starter to work under load. With the ground strap cleaned we were back into action. I fire up the Disco with a smile and headed over to the garage to load up. I stop in front of the front of the door, shut the truck off, and pull the E brake. POP!!!! The E brake cable snaps. To make things worse the brake is stuck on. Just to add insult to injury there is a shiny new Xbreak sitting on the shelf just waiting to be installed in the L8 Disco. I look over at Rover Dog and ask, “Why is getting to the Adventure always have to be an Adventure?”
Roll out
With all the tasks for the day complete Rover Dog and I hop into the F250 and point north, Vermont here we come! Thankfully there was only one uh-oh moment for the road trip. The truck was getting low on fuel so like any good citizen I pull into the thruway gas station to fill up. Typical of New York State the gas station was under construction with no warring signs, and no gas. We had 38 miles to go and just a hair under ¼ tank of fuel. Regretfully we start out for the next exit.
I will not lie to you guy’s, most of my time behind the wheel was spent thinking of how I could get the gas from the Disco to the F250. We made it but it was close…very close.
Welcome weary adventurers
With the gas incident behind us we trucked on through to Woodstock Vermont. They must have know Rover Dog was coming because the streets where lit-up with luminaries.
After a quick drive through town we arrive at the 200 year old home of Peter and Kim Vollers. As we walk in the door Kevin Buckley welcomes us in with a few cold beverages.
After cocktails and some wild stories it was getting late, so everyone tucked tail and went off to bed.
Wake up!
In the morning Kim Vollers AKA Kimtaskic: (Kim + Fantastic) brewed up enough fresh coffee to keep half the state awake for a week. As we all sat around sleepy eyed drinking coffee Peter sunk out to get some tasty treats from the local market. Life was good, I sat there sipping my coffee and eating a great egg sandwich. Every now and then I would stop and show off my food to Rover Dog. After a few bites I would look down and say “MMMMM MMMM Rover Dog you should try one of these”. He was not amused at my little game. This story will be more relevant later. After breakfast it was time for the main event.
King of the HILL
To get things started off Peter throws down the gauntlet and say “who ever can climb to the top of the 4 tier snow cover hill with out using a winch will get a free dinner!” So everyone sets off to conquer the hills. Well as you could imagine the trucks did not get to far given the conditions. There was still a foot or more of snow on the rock hard ground. The snow, if you could call it that would turn to a sandy dust under the weight of tires. This would make traction almost impossible on the flats let alone the hill climbs. With in the first 100 yards we had had the side of the hill littered with 4wd trucks.
Our turn
It was time to give the L8 Disco a run. I drop down into the first obstacle. It was
A washed out ravine still half filled with magic sand/snow and the other half was frozen muddy rocks. To my surprise we crunched are way through with out much of an issue. A little way down the ravine Christopher Browne in a D1 was hung up bad, and blocking the path. I opted to climb out the same steep exit that Kevin Buckley used. With most of the snow packed down from his Rover the Pitbull rockers where able to pull us up the slick slope with out much effort. Once out the Disco continued along the path Kevin kindly made for us until we found him stuck in snow up to the Frame. Surprisingly he still had a tiny bit of traction and with a few good rocks back and forth his yellow Rover nick named "the Goat" was able to free its self from the icy grip of mother nature.
King of the ½ hill
Peter looking at all the stuck trucks say’s “Who ever gets the farthest with out winching will win the free dinner.” Rover Dog and I had our eyes on the prize. With a bit of effort we where able to over take Kevin. Once around the Goat we start to chew our way through the snow to the base of the next tier. Sitting at the bottom looking up at the next hill climb I ask Rover “ You feeling lucky?” I was, the L8 Disco was proving to be unstoppable. With the truck fully locked it took nearly 30 approaches just to get to the crest of the next section. Every attempt we would knock down 2-6 foot of snow. Then dance on the petals as the Disco rolled and bounced it’s was back down the icy hill in reverse.
We managed to make a set of tracks all the way to the top but did not have enough grip to climb out onto the flat section. I look over at Rover Dog with defeat in my eyes and grab for the winch controller. Before I could pull it out he suggested we let the air pressure down to 4psi. The Lucky8 Disco was currently at 9psi so I said “Why not?” With a renewed spirit of hope and all 4 of the 13.5in wide tires set to 4psi, I jammed my foot to the floor! The 4.6 snapped to life, shooting the disco up the hill with the motor screaming along at 6000 RPMs. I glance over at Rover Dog hanging on for dear life as the truck ripped its way up the hill; there was defiantly fear in his eyes. The mighty Disco smashed through last drift of snow and came to a stop. We had just enough momentum to get us to the 2nd tier. But more importantly this made us the only ones not to winch. “MMMM MMM MMM when is dinner?”
Persistence
As I have said in the past every adventures has that great moment. This was mine. Peter took a few attempts at the hill to the second tier. Just before he could clear the crest his JK would run out of momentum and traction. Peter was about to throw in the towel when I let him in on Rover Dogs little secret about letting the tires way way way down low. A few minutes and pounds lower, Peter grits his teeth and jams the throttle. With the extra traction gained from lower tire pressure, he achieves a great launch. The Lightweight of the JK is able to float over most of the bumps keeping up the much need speed. This brings him to the break over point at the top where Peter came to a stop. The tires where spinning, the motor was revving and Peter had a look of determination you rarely see on anyone’s face. What happened next was just like out of a fairy tail, some how the JK found traction and jumped forward over the crest landing at the top of tier 2. Rover Dog and I just stood there in disbelief. Man and machine working seamlessly together to conquer the elements, when done perfectly it yields the biggest smiles you will ever see on a full grown men.
Send for Help!
After a quick lunch atop tier 2, half the group heads back down to recover Christopher Browne and his Disco. I have to stop here to discuss one of the coolest things I have see off road thus far. Deriek Ubunpietro from Maine built a bracket off the exhaust manifold and strapped a lunch box to the top. Even in the cold Vermont air this unit was able to toast up some delicious sandwiches. I am truly jealous of this and hope there is room under the hood of our new project D2.
Now back to the high jinks
Christopher Browne and his disco had given all they had. After multiple winches the battery was zonked and Christopher was looking a little weary too. We head back down to tier 1 to help retrieve the Disco. The Lucky8 Flagship was able to pull him back most of the way but not out. That is Frans Van de Ven pulled out his big Warn M8274-50 winch to complete the recovery.
With the Disco now free and most of the trucks at the event moving under their own power Peter the trail guide suggested we head back before dark. Everyone agrees and we start our decent back down. You would think this bit would be uneventful, and Rover Dog would agree. But some how not one, but two trucks slid off the road and need to be recovered. That magic sand/snow can be very tricky.
Hit the fast forward selector.
We are back at the Vollers home cleaned up and ready for dinner, or in my case a FREE dinner. We were having the classic conversation. Who’s Gunna Drive? Kimtastic says she will take the kids in her truck and Peter will take us ruffians in the 7-passenger Sprinter van. In retrospect I should have rode with the kids. You would be amazed at how fast a sprinter van can take hairpin corners through the tight mountain pass as it jumps over massive speed bumps. The best way to describe this ride was like being on a roller coaster run by a Madman.
The mad Man at the wheel.
I am confident that we had all 4 wheels off the ground multiple times. With one final power slide we come to a rapid stop in the parking lot of the Kedron Valley Inn. Peter and Kimtastic being amazing hosts had a table all set for our group of hungry adventurers. The food was amazing, conversation lively, and the drinks plentiful. Another Great Trip!
What goes around comes around
I will leave you with this. Flash back to when I was eating the delicious breakfast and torturing Rover Dog. Well as fate would have it Richard Reavey and I ordered the same Vodka martini. The only difference was he got his and I did not.
With all the tasks for the day complete Rover Dog and I hop into the F250 and point north, Vermont here we come! Thankfully there was only one uh-oh moment for the road trip. The truck was getting low on fuel so like any good citizen I pull into the thruway gas station to fill up. Typical of New York State the gas station was under construction with no warring signs, and no gas. We had 38 miles to go and just a hair under ¼ tank of fuel. Regretfully we start out for the next exit.
I will not lie to you guy’s, most of my time behind the wheel was spent thinking of how I could get the gas from the Disco to the F250. We made it but it was close…very close.
Welcome weary adventurers
With the gas incident behind us we trucked on through to Woodstock Vermont. They must have know Rover Dog was coming because the streets where lit-up with luminaries.
After a quick drive through town we arrive at the 200 year old home of Peter and Kim Vollers. As we walk in the door Kevin Buckley welcomes us in with a few cold beverages.
After cocktails and some wild stories it was getting late, so everyone tucked tail and went off to bed.
Wake up!
In the morning Kim Vollers AKA Kimtaskic: (Kim + Fantastic) brewed up enough fresh coffee to keep half the state awake for a week. As we all sat around sleepy eyed drinking coffee Peter sunk out to get some tasty treats from the local market. Life was good, I sat there sipping my coffee and eating a great egg sandwich. Every now and then I would stop and show off my food to Rover Dog. After a few bites I would look down and say “MMMMM MMMM Rover Dog you should try one of these”. He was not amused at my little game. This story will be more relevant later. After breakfast it was time for the main event.
King of the HILL
To get things started off Peter throws down the gauntlet and say “who ever can climb to the top of the 4 tier snow cover hill with out using a winch will get a free dinner!” So everyone sets off to conquer the hills. Well as you could imagine the trucks did not get to far given the conditions. There was still a foot or more of snow on the rock hard ground. The snow, if you could call it that would turn to a sandy dust under the weight of tires. This would make traction almost impossible on the flats let alone the hill climbs. With in the first 100 yards we had had the side of the hill littered with 4wd trucks.
Our turn
It was time to give the L8 Disco a run. I drop down into the first obstacle. It was
A washed out ravine still half filled with magic sand/snow and the other half was frozen muddy rocks. To my surprise we crunched are way through with out much of an issue. A little way down the ravine Christopher Browne in a D1 was hung up bad, and blocking the path. I opted to climb out the same steep exit that Kevin Buckley used. With most of the snow packed down from his Rover the Pitbull rockers where able to pull us up the slick slope with out much effort. Once out the Disco continued along the path Kevin kindly made for us until we found him stuck in snow up to the Frame. Surprisingly he still had a tiny bit of traction and with a few good rocks back and forth his yellow Rover nick named "the Goat" was able to free its self from the icy grip of mother nature.
King of the ½ hill
Peter looking at all the stuck trucks say’s “Who ever gets the farthest with out winching will win the free dinner.” Rover Dog and I had our eyes on the prize. With a bit of effort we where able to over take Kevin. Once around the Goat we start to chew our way through the snow to the base of the next tier. Sitting at the bottom looking up at the next hill climb I ask Rover “ You feeling lucky?” I was, the L8 Disco was proving to be unstoppable. With the truck fully locked it took nearly 30 approaches just to get to the crest of the next section. Every attempt we would knock down 2-6 foot of snow. Then dance on the petals as the Disco rolled and bounced it’s was back down the icy hill in reverse.
We managed to make a set of tracks all the way to the top but did not have enough grip to climb out onto the flat section. I look over at Rover Dog with defeat in my eyes and grab for the winch controller. Before I could pull it out he suggested we let the air pressure down to 4psi. The Lucky8 Disco was currently at 9psi so I said “Why not?” With a renewed spirit of hope and all 4 of the 13.5in wide tires set to 4psi, I jammed my foot to the floor! The 4.6 snapped to life, shooting the disco up the hill with the motor screaming along at 6000 RPMs. I glance over at Rover Dog hanging on for dear life as the truck ripped its way up the hill; there was defiantly fear in his eyes. The mighty Disco smashed through last drift of snow and came to a stop. We had just enough momentum to get us to the 2nd tier. But more importantly this made us the only ones not to winch. “MMMM MMM MMM when is dinner?”
Persistence
As I have said in the past every adventures has that great moment. This was mine. Peter took a few attempts at the hill to the second tier. Just before he could clear the crest his JK would run out of momentum and traction. Peter was about to throw in the towel when I let him in on Rover Dogs little secret about letting the tires way way way down low. A few minutes and pounds lower, Peter grits his teeth and jams the throttle. With the extra traction gained from lower tire pressure, he achieves a great launch. The Lightweight of the JK is able to float over most of the bumps keeping up the much need speed. This brings him to the break over point at the top where Peter came to a stop. The tires where spinning, the motor was revving and Peter had a look of determination you rarely see on anyone’s face. What happened next was just like out of a fairy tail, some how the JK found traction and jumped forward over the crest landing at the top of tier 2. Rover Dog and I just stood there in disbelief. Man and machine working seamlessly together to conquer the elements, when done perfectly it yields the biggest smiles you will ever see on a full grown men.
Send for Help!
After a quick lunch atop tier 2, half the group heads back down to recover Christopher Browne and his Disco. I have to stop here to discuss one of the coolest things I have see off road thus far. Deriek Ubunpietro from Maine built a bracket off the exhaust manifold and strapped a lunch box to the top. Even in the cold Vermont air this unit was able to toast up some delicious sandwiches. I am truly jealous of this and hope there is room under the hood of our new project D2.
Now back to the high jinks
Christopher Browne and his disco had given all they had. After multiple winches the battery was zonked and Christopher was looking a little weary too. We head back down to tier 1 to help retrieve the Disco. The Lucky8 Flagship was able to pull him back most of the way but not out. That is Frans Van de Ven pulled out his big Warn M8274-50 winch to complete the recovery.
With the Disco now free and most of the trucks at the event moving under their own power Peter the trail guide suggested we head back before dark. Everyone agrees and we start our decent back down. You would think this bit would be uneventful, and Rover Dog would agree. But some how not one, but two trucks slid off the road and need to be recovered. That magic sand/snow can be very tricky.
Hit the fast forward selector.
We are back at the Vollers home cleaned up and ready for dinner, or in my case a FREE dinner. We were having the classic conversation. Who’s Gunna Drive? Kimtastic says she will take the kids in her truck and Peter will take us ruffians in the 7-passenger Sprinter van. In retrospect I should have rode with the kids. You would be amazed at how fast a sprinter van can take hairpin corners through the tight mountain pass as it jumps over massive speed bumps. The best way to describe this ride was like being on a roller coaster run by a Madman.
The mad Man at the wheel.
I am confident that we had all 4 wheels off the ground multiple times. With one final power slide we come to a rapid stop in the parking lot of the Kedron Valley Inn. Peter and Kimtastic being amazing hosts had a table all set for our group of hungry adventurers. The food was amazing, conversation lively, and the drinks plentiful. Another Great Trip!
What goes around comes around
I will leave you with this. Flash back to when I was eating the delicious breakfast and torturing Rover Dog. Well as fate would have it Richard Reavey and I ordered the same Vodka martini. The only difference was he got his and I did not.
As I sat there waiting for my drink all I heard was “MMMMM Justin you should try one of these, MMMMMMM they are delicious MMMMM………..”
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New Land Rover Parts in stock
All the new toys are here. So I thought we should post up a list of the new stuff. Not all these parts are listed yet.
Lucky8
We Now Have the best LR3 lift kit out there!
Ashcroft
Rear HD axles for you D1 D90 and RRC owners
D2 CDL kits. These are a direct bolt and allow you to lock your tcase
Detroit Lockers
We carry the full line from true tracks to the full locker
Equipe
Tons of D2 stuff but the hot items are
Front skid plate
bolt on diff guards
rock sliders
Flexi
Sit down for this one
D1 fender flare kits ONLY $288!!!!!
And SOON like 2 weeks soon the D2 kits will be here!!!
Qt
The mud plugs are here
D2 front 3 deg arms They are massive
D2 front bolt on Diff guards
Xeng series Breaks In stock
If you have any questions please email me at Justin@lucky8llc.com
Lucky8
We Now Have the best LR3 lift kit out there!
Ashcroft
Rear HD axles for you D1 D90 and RRC owners
D2 CDL kits. These are a direct bolt and allow you to lock your tcase
Detroit Lockers
We carry the full line from true tracks to the full locker
Equipe
Tons of D2 stuff but the hot items are
Front skid plate
bolt on diff guards
rock sliders
Flexi
Sit down for this one
D1 fender flare kits ONLY $288!!!!!
And SOON like 2 weeks soon the D2 kits will be here!!!
Qt
The mud plugs are here
D2 front 3 deg arms They are massive
D2 front bolt on Diff guards
Xeng series Breaks In stock
If you have any questions please email me at Justin@lucky8llc.com
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Winter Romp 09
I look at my watch, 6 am on Friday the 13th. It may not be the best day to head out for a 1200 plus mile road trip, so I looked down at my spotted friend with tired eyes and asked the magic question: “ Rover Dog …. Do you want to go Adventuring?” Rover Dog sprung to life as if Frankenstein himself electrified every spot on his body. “I'll take that as a yes”. I told him grabbing a pre-packed Pelican Case.
20 minutes later, we walk outside to load the F250 tow rig. The 20 degree cold air slaps us in the face. I just laugh it off thinking of how cold it will be in Maine. On our way to meet Gavin we stop off for some piping hot coffee. Thank god for coffee. A few sips of java later, Rover dog and I arrive at the shop to meet Gavin. We strap the Lucky8 D1 to the trailer and head out for our adventure with a big bag full of Gavin’s mom’s homemade scones. They are worth the trip alone.
I would like to say the road trip was filled with great events and near misses but is was just about as boring as it could be. The Ford 5.4 was working hard on the up hills, but for the most part, we were able to move along at 70 mph or so.
After about 5 hrs of thruway driving, Rover Dog had given up all hope of ever getting there and went to sleep.
He would only wake up when it was time to eat. Just in case you want to know, Rover Dog prefers Burger King cheeseburgers with all the toppings on them.
We get off the Waterville exit and start looking for the hotel. Gavin quickly spots Kevin Buckley’s yellow coil over sitting next to Robert Courtney’s 110. We say hello to the boys and they invite us out to dinner at some NEW Mexican joint. I hope your thinking what I’m thinking a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Maine? Five of us hop in Robert’s beautiful 110 for the snug but short ride up the street to the restaurant. Bruce Fowler, the organizer of the winter Romp, had a room set aside for the Group. It was a good thing because the place was packed. We walk in the door and are escorted to the private room like kings. We high steeped up to the bar for a few pitchers beer to get the oil flowing. I could have gone through a 12-step program faster than it took to receive the pitchers of beer and you don’t want to know how long it took to get glasses. Enough of that, lets move on to the food. When I was in China I learned to order food that would be cooked for one and over cooked if I was lucky. Applying this knowledge to the mystery Mexican restaurant, I chose the chicken fajitas. Gavin chose the pork shown on the menu. Big mistake. The first picture is from the menu, the second is his food. Rover Dog would not eat either one. More on Gavin’s food later.
Champion! Is what the English say when things go good. Champions was the name of the bar we went to after dinner. They were complete opposites. Steven King could have used this place as the beginning for a novel or two. We walk in and see:
Under sized bar maid wearing a shirt way too big. “A little strange”
Over sized bar maid wearing the under sized bar maids shirt. “Not good”
Women claiming to be miss penthouse pet 76 wearing little to nothing. “Not good"
3 girls with tongue rings taking turns kissing each other and snapping pictures. “This was good and bad all at the same time”
A Garth Brooks look a like big hat and all dancing to Jay Z. “Bazaar”
Multiple guys looking like MM dancing on the speakers .“Very Bad”
This is when Gavin and I said we have seen enough to know we have seen it all and went back to hotel.
7 Am Saturday 14th Rover Dog is ready to go! As I get dressed, he is running around the room at Mach 5 in excitement. RD is amped up because he knows we are going to Big-Gs for breakfast. In the quick 13 hours that took us to get to the romp, we had some time to discuss what we are going to have for breakfast. After great debate, we chose the bacon omelet with extra bacon. You can decide whom the extra bacon was for. It is now a little after 8 and we need to get moving, I go over to get Gavin from his room when he tells me “I need some more time”. He mumbles something about Mexican and runs for the banos “bathroom.” With Gavin fighting Montezuma’s revenge, Rover Dog and I unload the Disco and prep for the day’s events.
9ish at Big Gs. I’m stuffing my face looking out the window at Rover Dog in the truck, while he is looking at me eating the bacon omelet. Rover Dog was not amused. After the huge breakfast, we head over to Bruce’s house. This is when we get super lucky. I meet up with Kevin Buckley from last night to ask him how the event goes down. He tells me Bruce is trying to split the large crowd up into manageable groups and has asked VTXS to hit the trails together first. Kevin invites me to join in. The event gets even better because Kevin says they are going to tackle some of the harder trails. I really think Lucky8 Disco smiled at this. I know Gavin did. I tell Kevin yes and we will meet up with him at the trailhead. As Gavin and I go to get the L8 Disco, we see our good friend Mike Lambert changing tires on his D2. I ask Mike if he wants to jump on the VTXS bandwagon. He says “Hell ya!” New tire on the D2, we depart for the trailhead.
With the bluest of skies above, I make a left of the last paved road we will see in daylight. The L8 disco has to work to keep pace with the VTXS boys as they sleekly cut their way through the maze of trails. In less then 5 minute of driving, you can encounter a huge variation in conditions. As we drove through the deep snow, it would give way to pure ice, making turning and stopping a joke. As soon as you get used to the death ice, it would transform into mud holes filled with Samsonite sized ice chunks floating about. You can't help but smile, as massive ice chunks bounce off the truck. As soon as you climb-out of the ice filled water holes, you need to Kung Fu fight your way through never ending sea of tree obstacles. If I learned anything about Maine, it was they have a lot of trees and big ones at that.
Every adventure has its special time and this was it for me. Peter Vollers broke a front U joint on his JK. I know what your thinking. It's getting late, the sun is going down, and the temperature is falling faster than Wile E Coyote on a set of Acme rocket skates. How can we get this truck out of here???? ! As previously stated this was the best part. Peter had spare axels and U joins. What happened next would make the A-team jealous. We attacked that broken axel with a vengeance. In under an hour, the front tire, brakes, hub, abs sensors, U joint and axels were pulled out and replaced. Off-Roading team work at its best!
After quick stop at lookout point for Mike to get a Valentine's Day picture with his sweetie, we head back to the hotel.
On the way I ask Gavin “ you hungry?” He says “a little” Then I ask, “ You want Mexican?” Angrily he replies “ NO!” Really mystery meat from a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Maine? What was he thinking? With the Romp under our belts, it was time to have a quiet one, or two.
7 PM ish. We head over to You Know Whose Pub for dinner and to meet up with a bunch of Romp attendees. The food was great, the beer was cold and the conversations entertaining to say the least. Time flys by and the pub is thinning out. Gavin and I are faced with a choice. Go back to the hotel pack up for the 13 hour ride home and get a good night sleep. Or go out for a beer with VTXS crew. Warning! Do not go Drinking with the VTXS boys. Sunday was a hard ride home.
Bruce, Thank You for The Winter Romp! We had a great time and will be back in 2010.
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