Wreckerman's Spring Fling

[wreckerman893]

UPDATE!!!!!!I reconned the Ironworks the other day and there is not enough room to manuver the trucks (it had been a while since I visited and I thought there was more space).
I have found an alternate rally point and will post the details in a few days...the date remains the same, Sat., April 17th. We will still convoy around the rim of the canyon and have a meal at the mouth of it.
Here are some pics of the canyon:

 

[twright]

ZOUT I am in rockmart I pland on going over I live about 25 miles from Al or less of hwy 278
AEC Retired Tony

 

[jrou111]

I'm looking forward to it. I might even camp somewhere up there...maybe.

 

[joeM62]

this should be fun, hope you guys have good barkes.

 

[hndrsonj]

Joe, you plan on making the mini rally?

 

[clinto]

I think we're bringing the Jeep and the Mule on a trailer. Can't wait!

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Oh well, now Uwharrie will have like 8 people...

Maybe if the schedules are better the wife and I can attend next year (if you do it again) it's only like 6hrs away by deuce.

 

[joeM62]

yes Jim as long as my baby girl is ok i will be there, unless they have change the road of the rim of the canyon i don't know if would drive a duce on it some parts i would a jeep thou but i haven't see the whole canyon i could be wrong. you guys would love the place.

 

[zout]

I think WM has a helo on call in case anyone cannot drive off the rim

 

[wreckerman893]

I think WM has a helo on call in case anyone cannot drive off the rim

Actually I have flown around the canyon in a chopper.
In 1992 I was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama. I got a gig as a journalist with the post Public Affairs Office when my transportation unit was deactivated. Fort McMuffin was closed later under BRAC.
The country music group “Alabama” had just released a song that mentioned Little River Canyon in it.
LRC is just down the road from Fort Payne, Ala., where the group is from.
For years the canyon had been a dumping ground for vehicles that had been stolen, stripped and pushed into the gorge.
“Alabama” got behind a big cleanup effort and a call was put out to the military for help. The Mississippi National Guard sent a huge “Sky Crane” chopper to lift the debris out. The Alabama National Guard sent a Huey for a camera ship and soldiers from an Engineer Unit in Fort Payne repelled down into the gorge and cabled the cars together so they could be lifted out.
Our Commanding General sent a request (yea…that’s what it was….a request) to our office to send someone over to cover the event. Since I would rather fly in a Huey than make tricycle motors I was on the assignment like a hobo on a ham sandwich.
On the appointed day the Huey landed at McClellan and picked me up…..I was supposed to have a photographer (civilian) with me but our best guy was chopperphobic and weaseled out of the job.
We flew over to the canyon flying “nape of the earth” since this was technically a “training mission”.
The pilot was an old Vietnam vet and had flown Hueys in combat. I got the ride of my life in that bird.
Look at those pics and imagine being right on the deck in the bottom of that gorge flying wide ass open with the doors open. I was tethered to the Huey with a bungee cord and once we started hovering I was allowed to step out on the skid if I needed to in order to get a shot.
The pilot allowed me to give him directions for the maximum view of the Crane…….we circled the big machine as it pulled the junk up on the cables and flew them to a drop point up on the rim…..since I had a headset on I got to listen to the two pilots coordinate with each other as we jinked around each other.
We spent most of the day up there…..we landed for a tasty MRE lunch….flying around watching the clean up. We were supposed to have a photo opp with ALABAMA but they got tied up and did not make it before we flew out to meet a fuel tanker.
I wish I had pics to post but all of the film belonged to the Army (this was before the digital age…we still had a darkroom to develop film). The only pics I have are the black and whites that were published in the post fish wrapper. They are in my portfolio.
One of the best days I had in the Army.

 

[zout]

I love a great life history story - awesome and thanks for sharing

 

[zout]

Oh yeah - only way to take a helo ride

 

[joeM62]

i guess the guy was right when said the army was bringing the cars and trucks out of the canyon. i'm just throwing this out there was anybody bringing parts?

 

[rwbrown72]

Is the date still set for the 17th of April? If my EUC clears by then.... I might be able to recover from Redstone and drive down.

 

[Greensteel37]

If it's April 17th some of us in Dixie Division might make it.

 

[wreckerman893]

The 17th is definite.....the picnic area is still to be determined but it will be at the end of the convoy. If all else fails we can land at my LZ (it is only a few miles from the canyon.

 

[twright]

Richard I pland to come and bring Joe just let every body know and a map would be good.

 

[wreckerman893]

Tony,

I will post directions in a week or so from all points with a pic of the Rally Point (where we will meet up prior to the convoy).
We will have a safety briefing and I will hand out strip maps of the route and the final stop.

 

[zout]

Oh so close and both of us are looking forward to the rally.

 

[joeM62]

I've only been to the second level of the canyon, this will be interesting see the rest of it.