PNW-2012-Fourth Annual Chehalis River Valley M/V Convoy & Campout

[F'N!WreckerRay]

Just wanted to say thank you to Aaron and Amber for such a great PNWSS event.... Please dont let a few sour apples ruin the fun for everyone. Get more help next year so not all the weight is on your shoulders and the event can keep growing.
Thank you Dale for the hard work you put into the great shirts...
The convoy route was great...... Thank you ED
The Cooks did a great and wonderful job! Well fed plenty of it!

Getting to meet you all and put faces to screen names is awsome.
Oh and btw Aaron i was really hoping to tow you home. Glad hammer could fix it so quickly for ya lol.... Just you and your truck broke down in the skeeter infested woods....

 

[Recon Charlie Alpha]

pretty raw vids but hoping this works:
http://www.dropshots.com/ReconCharlieAlpha

Note the very s... l... o... w load times, Ill have to work on that

 

[Jeepn_girl]

Oh and btw Aaron i was really hoping to tow you home. Glad hammer could fix it so quickly for ya lol.... Just you and your truck broke down in the skeeter infested woods....

I wasn't happy Ed fixed it that easy! I wanted to see the wrecker at work and take incriminating break down photos!

Danielle

 

[F'N!WreckerRay]

here are some pics

 

[F'N!WreckerRay]

Incriminating photo's???? what are those? lol... i got one...
Somone missed breakfast... slept in way to long... and the only reason i took this was cause he was snoring and i could hear it from my camp.
After i had moved a truck and was looking for tools from the night before tire mission...
This is what i found making such a racket next door... lol...

 

[Josh]

Ah ****...

Sneaky photo ray. Well played.

 

[AN/ARC186]

Looks like a good time, sorry I missed it!
One of the hazards of being an "Army wife", unexpected TDY's.
Did I hear something about a mini rally???

 

[wsucougarx]

. Get more help next year so not all the weight is on your shoulders and the event can keep growing.
....

Probably would be a great idea. I know Aaron and Amber spend a ton of time doing this. Would probably be great to help share the workload. I've been doing the roster since the beginning and that in itself takes a ton of time. I have found it to be a very UNAPPRECIATED field of endeavor. Makes me wonder if anyone cares to see who shows up. Probably will just keep the roster off line for next year. But I do it to help out Aaron and Amber. I only ask because it'll eliminate a bunch of busy work.
Also, I've noticed no response in regard to the parade. Are you guys done with the parades?

 

[AaronW]

I've been doing the roster since the beginning and that in itself takes a ton of time. I have found it to be a very UNAPPRECIATED field of endeavor. Makes me wonder if anyone cares to see who shows up. Probably will just keep the roster off line for next year.
Also, I've noticed no response in regard to the parade. Are you guys done with the parades?

Mike, I really like having the roster on the thread. I think it boosts interest if new people see how many members plan to show up. Maybe we need to copy and paste it to a recent post right before the event to generate a last minute boost.

We also need to tie the roster to a check-in/registration at the rally. Food ran low this year because we had 20-30 people show up without an RSVP. It's hard to buy food for those you don't know are coming!

I'll have more comments and feedback soon. Stay tuned.........

Good Question on the Parade. This event might be evolving toward a huge M/V show in town following the parade. I'll keep everyone posted in next year's thread when that starts.

 

[mobileauto2000]

I had to wait for my wife to update her Facebook to know if she had a good time or not. And she did. And I did to.

I would also like to thank Aaron and family for all the hard work they put into this event.

And I would also like to thank Mike for keeping the roster up to date. I would check it every day to see who was coming.

Now the long wait for next year.

 

[1StumpJumper]

Mike, the roster efforts were appreciated as well as the fine window signs for the parade.

Aaron & Amber, you guys were all over it. I know that if there were a list of things you needed help with, myself and others would gladly pick items to spread the load.

 

[F'N!WreckerRay]

Wsucougarx- Mike.... I personally like the roster. It showed me who was going to be there. Unappreciated I think NOT.. Over looked possibly. Tracking people who are not going to say there comming ya or na is impossible.
The WORK that EVERYONE put in was awesome! I can only see the event growing and with that more people needing to get involved.
So thank you everyone!!

 

[F'N!WreckerRay]

I give everyone involved

 

[Recon Charlie Alpha]

Mike, that online roster rocks, apologies for not saying so sooner.
Without that roster online, it will be much more difficult to plan out convoys.

Im also very much up for coming down early next year, to help with chores as needed / where needed ( I can cook, clean, empty latrines...whatever....).

If it keeps growing as it seems to have, its too much to expect that Aaron, his charming wife and family can keep up with it all. ( I doubt the tip jar covered even a 1/4 of the cost too)

Just my ymmv

 

[Recon Charlie Alpha]

Also, just wanted to throw in my on the Parade and Convoy after.

Both Mike and Ed really rocked those events.

I was amazed that for so many very large vehicles the parade participation went without a single mis-hap or mis-step, which points to it being a well organized effort. Nice job Mike! I really enjoyed.

The convoy, was just plain fun. What a great route and nice mix of on / off pavement, hills and tight turns, nicely done Ed. Cant wait to see what next year will be.

 

[AaronW]

( I doubt the tip jar covered even a 1/4 of the cost too)

We were awed by the donations this year! Just flat out cool. Thank you to everyone who gave. Our major supporters(you know who you are...) sent it over the top this year. Even the loose change and small bills all add up. Amber and I truly appreciate it. Close to half our expense was covered. After counting the take this year, Amber made the command decision to continue the donation only route for the foreseeable future.

Again, Thank you all very much.

Do we have a "humbled" emoticon?

 

[Kaiserjeeps]

I think the roster is a good idea. I got excited when I saw it.

Regarding RSVP's and the food next year, maybe a note can be posted stating that if you are able to show up and were not able to RSVP, be sure to bring your own essentials including food. That way it won't impact the food estimates as much.
The food sure was good BTW.

And in driving my 120 mile loop of errands into town today, I was thinking about the event. I was brainstorming ways to get everyone together in a group at least once through the weekend. There were a lot of people I wanted to meet but did not get the chance. So games and different things came to mind. In some of the past 4x4 events and competitions I have either worked or played in, we had some pretty funny stuff.
Like a stretcher carry. The person has a BIG salad bowl of water on their belly, 2 or 4 people carry the person through an obstacle course and the premeasured water is checked at the end to see who did it best. This can be pretty funny to watch as the water sloshes.
Or where people try to guess true magnetic north on a giant cardboard compass.
There are a few games that could be entertaining.
I almost brought an electronic dart board for the evening hours by the fire but didn't. I probably would have left my darts there for two years like my volley ball. Thanks Aaron.

And for the rigs,
An obstacle course backing a trailer.
An obstacle course dead towing a duece backwards with another through an "S" course of cones deducting points for the strap touching the ground or knocking a cone over.
A timed tire change. (We know who will win this one!)
A tee ball course where the passenger has to first remove three Tee balls on 3 foot tall posts, pass a line or (hand off to a second truck for replacement back on the posts) all done from the back of the bed while the driver takes directions completely blindfolded. For time of course. Low range is mandatory.

All for something fun like a trophy or truck model or ???
If there is any desire for something like this I would volunteer.
Even if we don't have time for stuff like this I can still help out. Many hands....

It must have been fun if I am still thinking about it!
Can't wait till next year.

Please put us on a volunteer list if one gets created. I better warn liz I am including her.

And don't forget PNW people, Truck Day at Woodburn drag strip is coming right up.

Cheers, Al and Liz

 

[Josh]

Im goingto try and make the drags this year Al. If I do we so have to race each other.

 

[Amer-team]

Sounds like Ed has a keeper there. she likes green and she is mean too! Break down photos, that's cold.
I thought I had wrecker Ray for the litterbug award, then when we stopped on the cross country jaunt, the temporary data plate that I put on the truck was missing, so me too.
What a great event.

 

[AaronW]

Great ideas Al! You might have just worked yourself into a job for next year......

I really like the trailer backing and stretcher race ideas.