The Official 2008 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally thread is here! Lovers of big green machines can now rejoice!
Please read this entire thread-it is long and covers a lot of ground. All your info for dates, locations, lodging, food and itinerary/events are below. Any changes and updates will be added as posts and edited in the original post. Also, please keep all posts within this thread- it is difficult to follow when there are multiple threads for one rally. Some of our readers only check in every few days and they may only bookmark the main post. Any additional ’08 Ga. Rally threads that are started will be merged into this one. Thanks.
Let’s start at the beginning-if you are new to Steel Soldiers, here is what we pulled off in 2007:
After much consideration and discussion with other members, friends and other rally planners, I have decided to go with the offroad park. The offroad park is more expensive (but well within the prices typically found at offroad parks like Haspin) but allows much more trail riding (including trail rides at night), it allows us all to stay together instead of in 2 different locations (like in ’07) and there is a firing range (I suspect at least a couple of people here own firearms). I feel the benefits far outweigh the costs. If we do not like the experience this year, we will find another venue or go back to Helen.
The 2008 Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally will be on October 24, 25 and 26. This is a Friday, Saturday and Sunday event. Event will be held rain or shine. I have expanded the event to a 3-day affair because the # of participants involved who end up heading home on Sunday morning made last year’s 2-day event almost a 1-day event. I will be on location on Thursday, October 23 to ensure our area is set up, so anyone who wishes to come down early is more than welcome, but beware; you may be drafted to do some work.
The Rally will be held at Durhamtown Plantation Offroad Park in Union Point, Georgia. This is an offroad park that has been around for awhile, catering to the motocross and ATV market, but the owner recently took out an additional 2,500 acres of uncut forest specifically for Jeep trails. They have cut some Jeep trails through and are adding more. The trails are pretty easy, no rock crawling or axle/u-joint death trails. Some of the trails are tight for a Deuce or a 5 ton, but finding a spotter should not be difficult and most if not all trails have easier “walk-arounds” that allow you to bypass difficult challenges. Since the Jeep trails are new, there are not a lot of people there. The day BFR and I were there, we spent over 3 hours in the forest and saw not another vehicle other than 2 lost motorcyclists. BFR and I met with their events coordinator and the owner and they seem to want to work with us to make our event and our stay as enjoyable as possible. The owner of the facility allowed BFR and I to roam the property for hours to ensure the trails were what we needed and he has pledged to do everything he can to accommodate our needs and wishes.
We will have an area set aside for us in a field, by ourselves. This is where we will have our “base of operations”- the display-only vehicles will be here, at night and when not trail riding this is where we will have the vehicles parked, our GP medium tents, etc. We will have at least one GP medium, perhaps more. If there is rain, there may be insufficient space in the GP mediums, so you may wish to bring some kind of inexpensive tent/cover/shade, etc. This is where we will be cooking out our meals. I would suggest bringing a picnic table and chairs for yourself, as we will not have them provided for us.
There will be a schedule of events (sorry guys, but the skydiving got nixed this year-no time) but as always, the rally is an easy going event which does not require strict adherence to any timeline. If you don’t want to go trailriding (or take your truck), you don’t have to. You can hang at the camp, do whatever you please.
At this time, Ga. Rally participants will be responsible for feeding themselves. I have tried to secure enough sponsorship to pay for CliffW’s outstanding cooking like what they had at the Florida Rally, but with the declining economic conditions and explosive rise in fuel prices, our sponsors are having a hard time covering the costs. This is no slam on our sponsors; they have been great and are trying to do everything they can to help us pull this off. This situation may change, but if it does, I will update this thread. Durhamtown does have a small “mom & pop” restaurant on the premises and Durhamtown is only a short way from the city of Lexington and a little further away from Athens, Ga., which has every kind of dining and shopping imaginable.
Rally participants have several options for lodging. Durhamtown offers primitive cabins, cabins, primitive camping, RV sites and RV rentals. I believe as long as you paid a primitive camping fee, you would be allowed to sleep in your truck/trailer if desired. Please see their website for additional information regarding lodging. And please reserve your spot NOW, as the owner tells me the spots will fill up quickly. Waiting until the last minute will highly increase the chances that you end up in a tent.
Ok, a recap of the major points.
Leadership:
I (Clinto) am the head chief of the Ga. Rally but there will be assistants this year who will assist in making sure everyone gets around smoothly and the putting out of fires. Last year was quite a challenge for one person and I would not have succeeded without the assistance of my friend Dave, my Dad and girlfriend, Catlett, Westech, Gimpyrobb and Poppop (among many others). This year, we should have a much stronger command and control mechanism in place.
We will have a Range Master when at the firing range. Kenny (Recovry4x4) has volunteered (or perhaps drafted….) to be a Range Master for us. When at the Range, he will be in charge. Kenny has experience around multiple types of firearms, many years of experience at both ranges and in Law Enforcement, so we will be in good hands.
Date & Location:
October 24, 25 and 26, 2008 at Durhamtown Plantation Offroad Park. Here is their website:
Their website has all of the information needed for directions, lodging, prices, etc. If you have a question about lodging, access to the trails or related costs, you should refer to their website and if necessary, send them an email or call. They have been very helpful to me so far, but keep in mind when you call, you may get a counter employee who has no idea that we are coming. To them, they are not putting on an event; it’s simply a group of friends who are showing up for a weekend of fun. So if you call and say you are part of the “Steel Soldiers Georgia Rally”, they may have no clue what you are talking about. So if you have a question and you call/email Durhamtown, I would simply say “I will be there on the dates of X, Y & Z, what will this cost?”, etc.
Lodging:
Lodging is the responsibility of Ga. Rally participants. Please see Durhamtown website for lodging options.
Food & Drink:
At this time, food and drink are the responsibility of Ga. Rally participants. Please prepare accordingly.
Costs:
Costs will vary widely, depending upon where you stay and how many vehicles you wish to take on the trails. Please see Durhamtown website for additional information.
Schedule:
This is a rough schedule. Please keep in mind if we are out on the trails and someone breaks something or flips over, we will be kept longer. Also keep in mind, you do not have to keep to any schedule. If you wish to spend all day at base camp or out in the woods, you can. The only reason we even have a schedule is so that those of us who wish to enjoy the activities of the event with everyone else can plan.
Thursday, October 23:
1000 hours - Arrival on location to prepare field for tents and offroad park for scavenger hunt
???? hours - Lunch (undetermined time)
Thursday night, I will be going back home and grabbing a bite to eat, finishing up any preparations and assisting participants in any way possible. Anyone who wants to come hang out is more than welcome.
Friday, October 24:
0800 hours – Arrival on location. Parking of trucks, unloading, setup, etc.
0900-1200 hours – Meet & greet. Hanging out at the “base camp”.
1200-1330 hours – Lunch
1330-1800 hours – Trail rides!!!!!!!
1800-2000 hours – Dinner/campfire
2000-???? hours – We have been offered an opportunity for night trial rides, we will see how tired everyone is after the first day and see how many folks are interested.
Saturday, October 25:
0900-1000 hours – Breakfast
1000-1200 hours – Firing Range!
1200-1330 hours – Lunch
1330-1900 hours – Trailrides and “scavenger hunt in the woods”. More details later.
1900-2030 hours – Dinner/campfire
2030-???? hours – Night trailriding?
Sunday, October 26:
There is no formal schedule for Sunday. Many of our participants will be leaving for very long trips home (we have people coming from SC, NC, VA, AL, LA, FL, MI, OH, TN and a few others) and may be gone or about to leave. So what will happen on Sunday is kind of up in the air.
Weather in Union Point, Ga., for the last 4 years on this weekend:
Please prepare accordingly. We are doing the rally a month later than last year to account for the fact that we will not be in the mountains like last year and this year’s heat wave. Always better to throw on a coat than to die of heat related injuries.
Below are some pictures of the trails at Durhamtown, I have added them so you will know what to expect.
I look forward to seeing all of you! Get your preventative maintenance done, get those MV’s fueled up and head out!
Well, sorry to say, I doubt that I can make it. I have to make all my vaca plans early in the year and I've sheduled my time for the Sept event. Sorry folks!
__________________
3 Trucks
4 Trailers
This Steel Soldier Honors the Living Memory of David Frankenhauser, 1954-2009.
May you Sail in the Grace of Our Lord, Chaplain!
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16.
Kenny sorry to hear but i know how that goes. gonna miss not being able to catch up with you. but i plan on making the Feb Florida rally maybe i can catch you then
All is not totally lost. I just went to the Sgts office to look at the vacation book. I might be able to pull this off. I will be working on it tomorrow for sure. I had 3 weeks scheduled off in Sept, I'll try to trade those back for a week in Oct. Hope to know something tomorrow.
__________________
3 Trucks
4 Trailers
This Steel Soldier Honors the Living Memory of David Frankenhauser, 1954-2009.
May you Sail in the Grace of Our Lord, Chaplain!
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16.
The website waiver form says no riding after 5 pm. Is the rules different for non atv's? Night rides are one of the fun things, it's great wondering about after dark.
Is there electric where you are setting up the main area? How far away is the campground/showers/restrooms? Will you be able to camp in a camper in the area you are setting up?
The Official '08 SS Ga Rally info thread
