PA - Fall 2013 Rausch Creek Steel Soldiers Rally

[TurboMustang370]

I won't be making it unless the 10-day forecast changes to a few more degrees higher on the low side.

 

[PaFarmer]

Sissy. We will have a fire going and alcohol certainly makes you feel warmer. No one has frozen to death at RC.

 

[shenkmen]

Sissy. We will have a fire going and alcohol certainly makes you feel warmer. No one has frozen to death at RC.

Perhaps Turbomustang and Atankersdad should get a cuddle room at the Red Roof Inn.

 

[shenkmen]

I'm ready!

 

[olbucksnort]

Dudley. I'll save a Good Cigar for ya when you make it.
funny thing I got a good Artic Heater I have no Idea on how to hook up ?

 

[maddawg308]

Yay! The M105 trailer is full height!

 

[olbucksnort]

My M105 is at Max Pack, and got a choose between bringing a heater or another Box of Cigars

 

[Jakelc15]

Sissy. We will have a fire going and alcohol certainly makes you feel warmer. No one has frozen to death at RC.

I nearly froze at RC during the blizzard of 2010 sleeping in the back of my old deuce. All the jeep guys stayed at the hotels. That was roughing it!

 

[shenkmen]

Yay! The M105 trailer is full height!

You betcha. This time you get to stand up in your bunk house.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Our men and women in the armed forces don't stay at hotels when they are out with their military vehicles, so why should we?

 

[shenkmen]

The weather is looking good. No rain in the forecast.

Thursday
Partly cloudy. High of 50F. Breezy. Winds from the WNW at 15 to 20 mph.

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy. Low of 30F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Friday
Partly cloudy. High of 50F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.

Friday Night
Clear. Low of 30F. Winds from the West at 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday
Partly cloudy. High of 52F. Breezy. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 20 mph.

Saturday Night
Overcast. Low of 39F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday
Clear in the morning, then mostly cloudy. High of 54F. Winds from the WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

 

[PaFarmer]

My 7 year old son and my father are coming. We should be there by mid afternoon Friday. Planning on bringing the mog. I still have some work to do on the receiver hitch on the 931 and my 6" drop ball hitch is still 6" higher than I would like. I ran the mog in the spring at the back of the group because I wanted to watch a good bit of the King of the Hammers qualifier race. I am a bit torn between running the mog and the 931, which is a good problem to have.

We are camping in a tent with a catalytic propane heater, which has worked well in the past.

I remember getting a lot of rain I believe in 2009 or 2010 and staying in a hotel because the wind blew rain under the rain fly of the tent soaking the sleeping bags. There are several hotels one exit down on Rt 81 if anyone needs one.

 

[shenkmen]

There are several hotels one exit down on Rt 81 if anyone needs one.

The Rausch Creek website lists a few hotels and states "Mention you are wheeling at Rausch Creek for rate discount" - Rausch Creek Camping and Lodging Info

No rain in the forecast!

 

[shenkmen]

This weekend will be the largest group we've assembled so far. Pack a lunch. we're heading out at 0930 and will break for lunch mid-day. Please help the success of the trail ride by following these rules and guidelines.

Keep the group together.
After making a turn, look behind you. If the vehicle/group has separated from behind you - WAIT - at that intersection for the rest of the group to catch up so they don't miss the turn. The group ahead of you will be waiting at the next turn for you, and so-on. This is important so that everyone knows where the group has made turns.

Please do the above. It will keep the convoy moving.

The following are Rausch Creeks rules...

Stay on designated trails.
Do not drive on mulch, grass, food plots, etc... Use common sense here. We leave a pretty big footprint behind. Do not park vehicles where they might block a trail. Do not drive past the park's boundary markers or around gates. Cross streams only at designated stream crossings. Traffic may cross over or drive upon the Water Line only where it is part of a designated trail. Avoid bushwacking around muddy trails so we can keep our muddy trails muddy. If you stack rocks to get through an obstacle, UNSTACK them please!!

The minimum group size is two vehicles.
PaFarmer is going to lead the group. He knows these trails very well. If you wish to leave the group please let the vehicles behind you know the main group has continued on so they do not follow you. If you'd like to start the day in a separate group please feel free to do so.

The trail network consists of existing forest and coal mining roads and trails that were cut open by hand with the help of several 4wd clubs. The trails are marked with signs and maps are provided. The trails are rated green (easy), blue (intermediate), black (hard), and red (extreme).

Seat belts
Seat belt use is mandatory.

Trails close at dusk
All vehicles must be off the trails by dusk, except for repair or recovery purposes. Nighttime wheeling is prohibited!

Beverages on the trails
No drinking and driving. Save it for camp.

Camping
No littering. Pack in and pack out everything. Designated campfire areas are for cooking and burning of firewood only.

Quiet hours at the camping areas are 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

 

[maddawg308]

Some folks have brought campers with them for convenience, however I will say this: MV owners tend to be pretty rugged folks. If you can't handle a little cool weather and some very modest sleeping quarters in the back end of your trucks, what are you doing?

I will be coming up a little later than I initially expected, I have some work locally I have to do Friday morning and probably won't get to RC until 2-3pm. Bringing some tunes, some firewood and a case of homemade moonshine, hope at least a few attendees aren't recovered AA members.

Also, shenkmen said: "The trails are rated green (easy), blue (intermediate), black (hard), and red (extreme)." IF YOU OWN A DEUCE OR 5-TON, the GREEN trails are the only ones you will be touching. Mainly because those are the only ones you will fit down. Green varies between tight, twisting single-lane rocky trails, to two-lane flat gravel roads. I've been in a deuce going down a blue (Intermediate) trail, it's scary and will test the mechanical integrity of your truck. Best to leave them to the jeeps.

 

[shenkmen]

"The trails are rated green (easy), blue (intermediate), black (hard), and red (extreme)." IF YOU OWN A DEUCE OR 5-TON, the GREEN trails are the only ones you will be touching. Mainly because those are the only ones you will fit down. Green varies between tight, twisting single-lane rocky trails, to two-lane flat gravel roads. I've been in a deuce going down a blue (Intermediate) trail, it's scary and will test the mechanical integrity of your truck. Best to leave them to the jeeps.

Good points. We'll be on the green trails. The easiest ones. We'll encounter feats of strength and obstacles along the way. If you see something you'd rather go around please do so as there is usually an alternate and easier route around adjacent to the obstacle.

It's been done before with these trucks and we're doing to do it again!

 

[shenkmen]

Saturday AM Trail Ride

We'll meet at my deuce at 0930 for a 5 minute drivers meeting. My deuce has the winter cover on the front, a green USA license plate and an M105a2 (not hooked up ) behind it.

Please be ready to roll at 0930. Head over to the office, register, pay have your truck warmed up and ready to go prior to 0930.

 

[PaFarmer]

At the meeting, we will go over the route we will run. Anyone who wants to split off will know where the rest of the group is headed. We will head out B to the Pole line, stop at the mud pit, run the loop on the west property, run the loop on the south property then finish with a figure 8 on the east property. Lunch along the trail. I don't think we can make it down to lake christy, the trails are getting pretty chewed up. We can stop off at the play area on the Power Line trail and maybe the quarry for the smaller vehicles as well as the rocks next to the comp area to flex suspensions.

 

[Timberwolf22]

Just wanted to cross post since this event is going to be in our PA "Back Yard"..... Eagle Arms the promoter for all the Firearms shows that we [Tew's Armory] vend at is expanding their Oaks Expo Center show [March 28-30 2014] to hopefully include some participation from the Military Vehicle community.

I will have some flyers for the event I will bring to Rausch Creek and be able to answer questions some of you might have as well.

Here is my event post on Steel Soldiers:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?114693-Oaks-PA-Military-Show&p=1439570#post1439570

Could be a blast to pull a bunch of the MV's indoors and take over a hall at the Expo center ............

 

[shenkmen]

Anyone have two m105 bow corners or one complete m105 bow for sale?