poppop

OK, I got home at 6:25, about 35 minutes ago. I have pictures but camera battery is dead as well as me. Doghead and dhwife will probably be driving all night. Bob130ab and I stayed to help wrap things up. We helped Mike button up the mkt and finished at 20 till 3:00 and we pulled out at 10 to three. Mike, WM, Big case and another member I can't remember his name was all that was left, and they were close to leaving. Big case was staying one more night. Timtrucks got sick last night and no it was not the cooking. Pam was going to get him in the truck about 12:00 PM today and start home. Papabear we missed you as well as all the other mwembers that could not make it. You missed the best Ga. Rally ever. More people, more trucks, more hours on the trail and food on site was great. I think Richard and Mike took on more that they expected as it turned into an almost full time job. I hope they will do it next year. Get ready for many good pictures and vidioes. We had a lot of exciting moments and two that could have been bad. Two or three dueces tried a steep climb at the Grand Canyon which was severly water washed. One duece came real close to sliding off a ten foot drop but managed to stop and hold until we could get chains and a truck to drag him up. A mule tried the same climb abd made it almost to the top when the front slid sideways towards the ten foot drop, and then the right front tire come up three feet off the ground. It looked as if it was going to flip into the ravine but ten or more people raced down and grabbed it and held on. They then guided it back down to safty. Last years turn around spot was badly washed out but gimpyrob thought he could make it. When he failed and tried to back out his right front wheel fell into a very deep washout. the truck was so badly twisted that diesel fuel gushed from the tank and we thought it was rupshured. The cab shifted so much it pinched the battery cables and smoke gushed out. They yelled for fire extenquishers but before the three that were racing down could get there the crisis was over. Gimps truck was badly wedged and had to be double blocked with a full spool of cable lt out and tied to a tree to be pulled free. I was surprized that when the truck was winched to flat ground it started right up and drove out on its on power with only some minor bends. Big case got his truck wedged against a tree at one of the worst climbs. He had to be winched sideways to get him off the tree and then drove around the hill and made it out. Several trucks bent front bumpers on that obstical and then another bumper got bent when it encountered a tree at another bad spot. We all had a blast and I am sorry more of you could not make it.

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Lloyd Strickland
Brooklet Ga. 30415