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Shoe Creek/CrabTree Falls August 28th, 2004

So it was time for another trip to good ol' Shoe Creek. We were all looking forward to this trip...as a matter of fact, Vic and Dale had been counting down for weeks! Surprisingly enough, as many times as we have been there, we had no good GPS track logs for Shoe Creek...only a few scattered waypoints, so that was one of our goals. Another was to explore a side trail that T.O.W. had told us about and that The OffCamber Crawlers had taken just prior to Camp Jeep.

So, Jen and I packed up the Jeeps and headed out to Charlottesville to meet everyone. On the way out, I noticed a unmarked 5-0 speed checking everyone. I can't say how...it's illegal here in VA to own such devices. Mr. Green
 

Anyway we get to C-ville right about 8 on the dot. Allen was waiting for us and Dale wasn't (plus we hadn't heard from him). He didn't show up until about 8:40...here's why:
 


That unmarked 5-0 tagged him for doing 80 in a 65 as well as gave him a ticket for his window tinting. There's a lot more to the story, but I'll let Dale tell it...since it happened to him. Suffice it to say that this cop was hardcore. It's a funny story.

 

The Story of the Hardcore Trooper

There I was, inverted, on the Ho Chi Minh trail, up to my knees in grenade pins...err, sorry wrong story.

 Anyway, so I was on my way to the Waffle House...I left my coffee on the counter top, I had to take a dump and I was hungry...to meet the FM2CD posse for the trail. It happened!!! Sometimes you have uncertainty they will not follow, not this time, as soon as I saw him I knew I was busted, no questions. After the obligatory how do and do you know why I stopped you stuff he started asking strange questions, for instance can you roll your window up half way, and can you roll your back window down half way. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but I would soon find out. He came back with an odd looking tool with a glass shade, tested my window tint and stated my back windows were showing like 1% of light and I would need a ticket for that. Thank you very much. Then the phone rang, it was Steve, he'd have to wait a moment. The speeding ticket, since I slowed down a bit when I passed, would be written for 80 in a 65. Over 80 would have been reckless driving in Virginia and many additional fines to boot. Boy was he nice or what. The Trooper went back to his car and started to write the ticket. I called Steve, "Yo, got lights sitting on my bumper, gonna be late." Steve, "Dude, that sucks!!!" In my rear view I noticed a truck pull up behind him. A woman got out and was looking a bit frantic, I thought to myself, "Will this be my lucky day. Is there an emergency down the road the trooper needs to go to. Is there a 20 car pile up, decapitation, mutilation, fire." I wasn't hoping for those things, because I would definitely not want to have anyone hurt, but anything would do so I would not get two tickets. The Trooper sent her back to her car to wait and continued calmly writing my tickets. No call on the radio, no peel out with a wave, nothing. The Trooper came back to my window with the tickets. He explained there are no points on my license for the sunshade...whatever dude. I signed them, and then he asked an odd question, "You wouldn't happen to have any medical training? The gentleman that pulled up is having a heart attack." Unknown to him I was Search and Rescue in the Navy, I do have a bit of medical training, but I would be unable to help a man having a heart attack, the only thing I could do besides trying to keep him calm would be to administer CPR if needed, besides I was late for a trail ride, so the answer was no. Then it hit me as he walked away, the trooper sat calmly writing my tickets as a man was having a heart attack behind him, I did not see a call on the radio, and he didn't get out to see how he was doing until after he was done with me. He clearly finished my tickets and took his time explaining them. That is one cold SOB.



Anyway, we had a pretty good turnout, six Jeeps. We all left C-ville at around 9 and made our way to the trail. We went in on the northside entrance, which takes you past Crabtree falls and up to the Appalachian Trail. Here's all of us aired down and about to set the running order. From front to back in the picture that's me (in Jens Jeep), Dale, Jen (in my Jeep), Vic, Allen and Trevor.



We took most of our pictures just after crossing the AT. There was a nice section of the trail for some poser shots, so we made sure to get pics of everybody.


Me (again, in Jens Jeep)


Trevor (who's finally talking about lifting that thing so he can fit those 33's right)


...and of course, Dale showing (drumroll please) MONSTOR FLEX ON THE STOCKER!!!


Vic & family (Kristy, Christopher and Sarah)


Allen & Sandy


Jen (in my Jeep)


From there we continued down the trail...hitting some fun stuff along the way...like this:



Then we hit the obstacle that I saw back in May and vowed to take on our next trip. It's actually about 50 feet off the main trail...making it totally optional. You can sort of see the start of it in this pic.


Basically, there's a huge rock on one side, a tree on the other and a series of medium sized boulders in the middle...needless to say, I was the only one with enough balls (or lacking the brains...not sure which) to go over it. Ended up tearing up the soft top on the tree getting through it (damn trees)...oh well...time to upgrade. There's a vid of my first attempt at it, but it's like 50MB. I'll see if I can edit and shrink it down...it includes me snapping...'cause everybody was barking out spotting instructions at once. I had to tell them all to shut the F up and let Dale spot me.

After that, we continued down and started up the side trail. We got a little ways in and stopped for lunch...we had barely finished when it started raining. So we pushed on in the rain. The side trail was fun, no real obstacles...just nice rough forest road. After coming out of the side trail I ended up misjudging an easy obstacle in the rain and got hung up on the front diff. Rolling Eyes Trevor had to strap me out.


That was about it, we hit the little hill climb and got a track into the rock garden for later reference....

Trail damage - aside for the soft top on the TJ, Vic busted one front shock and bent the other...I suspect it was the extensions he had...


After the ride, Vic's Jeep has been dubbed with the first ever FM2CD VA nickname...someone cue Blue Oyster Cult please...

Clicky

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh No! They say he's got to go....
GO! GO! GODZILLA!

Oh No! There goes Tokyo...
GO! GO! GODZILLA!

Seriously, the thing is a beast...nice work Vic!


Once again, FM2CD has left the trail!

That's all for now...

Rock On!

Steve
 

 

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