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Sunday, August 14, 2011

New Website for Trail Access Partnership Tour (TAPT)

Just launched today!  New website for Trail Access Partnership Tour (TAPT), coming to Southern CA, NV and AZ this Fall to kick things off.  Follow (literally or virtually) Del & Stacie Albright journey in convoys to help you save your trails. 

It's all about freeom and access to our lands and waters.  The entire tour will be devoted to keeping trails open, providing landuse help, offering campfire seminars and fun workshops, viewing awesome wheeling trails, and attending three big events to promote responsible recreation. 

Events will be the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV, then Hump 'n Bump in Logandale, NV, then Desert Splash in Parker, AZ.

Check it out at http://www.trailaccesstour.com/

Friday, August 12, 2011

Poison Spyder and Rikki Rockett Drum Set Landuse Raffle

Get your tickets now to support charity and possibly win a Rikki Rockett Poison Spyder Drum Set, handmade and totally custom.   Proceeds will go to BlueRibbon Coalition, Fast-Aid and Wounded Warriors.  It don't get no better than that!!! 

Get tickets at $5.00 each here: http://shop.poisonspyder.com/Rockett-Drun-Works-Raffle-Ticket-p/drumtix.htm

Poison Spyder is building Rikki a Rubicon JK custom, while the drum set is being offered as a Poison Spyder custom set to support these important charities.  Check it out; support the cause; and buy some tickets. 

Thanks, Del

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Summer Land Use Trip Wrap Up

Our Summer Land Use Trip has come to a close after three weeks and nearly 3000 miles of travel in the motorhome towing the Jeep/trailer.  We spoke to hordes of folks about saving trails and keeping our off-road sports alive, while having a bit of fun as well.

Covering parts of CA, NV, UT, WY, CO and AZ, we saw a lot of country, met with several clubs and off-roaders, gave 10-year old Jessica a ton of new experiences, and really relished the freedom that our forefathers and veterans have given us.

From beaver ponds to snow-capped mountains to high desert sage fields to the Colorado Rockies, it was a journey never to be forgotten.

We spent a week with our friends and partners at T&T Customs in Cheyenne, WY, getting our new Rock-Tek suspension, and then wheeled Salida, CO area with the All 4 Fun Event.  Sweet!!!  

Stay tuned for the next landuse and trail access adventure this Fall with our Trail Access Partnership Tour (TAPT), covering three events doing landuse work and helping clubs and groups save their trails. 

Monday, August 8, 2011

Trail Access Partnership Tour (TAPT) Open to Public

 Landuse Fun Tour Open to Public -- join Del & Stacie on a wheeling adventure in November!!!

BlueRibbon Coalition fun convoy tour starting at SEMA, going to Hump n Bump in Logandale, NV, then Parker, AZ for Desert Splash! Jump in for all or part of the tour. Additional wheeling stops may be included as we continue to plan the Tour.

Support landuse; have fun; hang with the big boys like Nemesis Industries, T&T Customs, Daystar and other partner businesses. Campfire stories will be unequalled!

Nothing too structured; just fun tagging along with each other and special invites to dinners, meetings, special wheeling trails and more. All we ask is that you support landuse and responsible trail access to be part of our Tour.

RSVP to me or on Facebook even if you only want to keep up with the fun and plans.

Facebook page here:

Come along; join the fun.
Del

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Jeep Rebuild 8-7-11 Field Testing

Red, the Land Use War Machine is a whole new rig now.  The T&T Customs Rock-Tek suspension is truly amazing and works like a dream.  Both on and off-road, this engineered system is a "Cadillac" ride and performance. We found ourselves cruising through obstacles with ease and finesse.  On the last day of All 4 Fun in Salida, CO where we were doing the testing, we broke a 10 year old axle in the Ford 9.  But it was field fixed and we made it back to camp. 
The T&T shows itself on this rock with the cab still fairly level (considering).  The JKS Switch Blade Sway Bar System is working great and is so simple to use.

The PSC hydraulic assist works so much better now with this T&T High Steer set up (one ton gear).  The BFG's are grabbing and working great like always.

Note the WJ (Grand Cherokee) knuckles that provide the foundation for the high steer setup.


We were also very pleased with our new emulsion Fox Racing Shox.  They worked amazingly well, especially coupled with the Old Man Emu (OME) coils and T&T suspension.  We felt a whole new ride and feel, let alone awesome handling.





Drivers meetings and trail updates were frequent on most All 4 Fun trails, and proved very valuable to knowing more about the trail and the history of the area.  Here we are on the Chinaman Gulch trail near Carnage Canyon intersection.  Carnage lives up to its name and we opted to avoid that one.



This gives a view (top down) of Carnage Canyon.  It's hard to see but the drop off in the middle of the trail is pretty much a winch-up obstacle that is nothing less than gnarly!!!!

These trails are about 8000 elevation so the scenery is more high desert type.




The soil here is best described as slippery (greasy?).  When you put it on big rocks, you get a ride you'll never forget.









Bob Levenhagen of T&T Customs poses for a good camera shot at the top of Carnage Canyon.  All in all, it was a great trail test day on Chinaman Gulch. 

Then it happened.....










I got on a rock pile, not pushing it or getting crazy, when the 10-year old axle in the Ford 9 gave up and snapped off at the hub/flange.  Ouch.  It was described by fellow wheelers as an epic break.


Tyler Schleppy of 4x4Offroad and Used Parts performed magic and created the right length of splines on a spare axle he happen to have along in his XJ, using our Warn PowerPlant winch/air compressor and a cut-off tool.   Will Carter looks on and helps.  All hands chipped in to make sure "Red" got back to camp.


We had to press on the new bearings (that Tyler also happened to have) with a pipe and "armstrong" work.  We did it.  It worked.


Then, before we could get all the way down off the mountain and back to camp, Chris Lowrey broke both spring hangers on his rig and we had to use "Red" and his Premier Power Welder to rescue him as well.


Will Carter provided a spare tire that fit the new bolt pattern of the loaner axle from Tyler.  Well, ok, it's several sizes to small compared to the 37 inch BFG's up front; but hey, it worked and I nursed it back to safety and camp.  Thanks to all who helped, including our T&T friends, Tyler, Will, Mike Paris in his '73 Bronco that ensured we all made it to camp, Melody Mesmer our trail boss, and the rest of our trail crew on Chinaman Gulch.  You all ROCK.
Del