Fifth Annual Dakota Mailing List BBQ and Trail Ride

Friday and Saturday July 25-6, 2003
Forestville, NY

Hosted by Jon Steiger.
Photos by Josh Battles, Adam "Blaster" Comartin, Mike Cooper of SCORE, Jason Bleazard, Andy Levey, Eric, Mike Maskalans (as well as other SCORE members).
Video by Neil Bellenger, Jason Bleazard, Mike Maskalans and Jon Steiger.
Report by Mike Maskalans.

Saturday (26-July 2003):

SCORE shows up. See list above.

fun in the mud pit. Rick and Melissa Burt's '94 Wrangler spins an outer U-joint while covering them in mud. No parts are availible, so they tool around in a 3-wheel drive for the rest of the day. Thankfully the jeep was trailered.

After the pit schenanigans, everyone heads for Mud Lane. The brand new Rubicon (300-odd miles) refuses to get it too dirty. We DMLers are all disgusted, and he has many voulanteers to break it [in] for him. To their credit, the other Jeepers don't give him much crap for it.

slippery hill a real mess. over half who climbed it were winched up by Don Metrick's '92 Wrangler (first to climb the falls). Both Dave and I got our right rears *very* close to the edge about 1/3 to 1/2 way up.

After the climb, we all caravan down to the lower falls. natually, the showboater himself, the Adam Blaster, climbs up on the same bigass rock he climbed up yesterday for all to see.

If I recall right, the 3 wheel drive jeep was the first to try the falls, and it had no hope of success. Don somehow shears a brake line in his attempt, which was successfully pinched off. I try next, knowing I have little hope of succeeding with my full-pressure all terrain tires, and make it half way up. Nautrally, Adam crests the waterfall in his Cherokee. During my attempt, I knocked my exhaust off my y pipe, and ran wide open (and very rich thanks to the O2 sensors) for the rest of the day. I also had a tire scare when a valve stem cap was mangled by an underwater rock while backing off the falls - a piece of it wedged the schreader valve open, and we all thought I'd be changing a tire.

christine first started back when we were all still at Slipery Hill, but would not idle at all. She was running well enough to take out on the trails at this point, and we run into Tom headed to the falls as we are all headed back up. It took a fuel filter change and re-fill of gas after siphoning the tank.

We all have a bit more fun at the mud pit, and Tom takes Christene through to get her nice and dirty again. The 6 foot deep DML truck wash took care of the mud he put on her in his first attempt.

a late lunch was followed by a run to the upper waterfall. by Mary and Rich, Adam, myself and 3 or so others. we startled a few people who were picnicing on top of the falls. jacked up jeeps and a wide open 318 will do that to unsuspecting folk =)

On the way back, I was intending to skip Mud Lane and run back up along the air strip, however due to all the traffic earlier in the day, and a log having moved, I didn't recognize it coming in. I was making it through just fine, and said as much to Tom, who was riding shotgun, about 2 seconds before I high-centered. Mary's 4 banger didn't have any trouble pulling me off, surprisingly, but I had to get her tow strap dirty since my hook wouldn't fit her attach point. I assume that this is where I bent my tortion bar crossmember.

After more BSing up at the barn, and Andy's 1337 bar-bee-que skillz being tested (thus earning the event it's title, and Andy the honor of having "grilled like a crack-fed Emeril" - his own words), and a the taking of a video each of Tom and I in the pit (certainly the run that killed my alternater), the SCORE folks head back east. I put my truck up on the lift, slip my exhuast back together and put on the clamp that was in my toolbox on (It's not tight enough, I found while I was washing the truck 4 days later). I unpack the mud from my t-case cross member and a few other places in my undercarriage. [link to pict of mud pile]

While I was pulling the mud out from under my truck, everyone else was out in front of the barn, sitting around. David Henery whipped out his page 2 of Jason's album r/c truck, and many antics were forthcoming. Probably half the people present professed to be bringing one next year. Tom was also playing a little game of rock toss, trying to get pebbles into his still-wet shoes. Norah: "I figured out a more efficient rock delivery method...." "I still can't forget Tom's face when I simplified his attempt at filling his shoes with rocks by walking over and pouring handfuls into them. One of those moments that still make me laugh when I think back." hehe =)

Just as dusk falls, we head to the ice cream shop, and fill their parking lot. Jim Knox meets us there, and heads back to DML HQ with us to BS for a while. He takes off that night since he figures his dog would appreciate it.

Jon starts a fire, and grabs a syringe to get rid of some of tom's bad gas. tom had four beers in him, and was wondering what jon is squirting out of his fingers to make the fire flare up. hehe. tom became thouroughly confused when he was told it was 'laprechaun dust. as jim knox says, "Remember they were Canadian beer!" However, our own Cap'in Ahab (aka the Adam Blaster) reminds us, "Yeah, but he was drunk after the second one. hahahahaha". We were up until about two making nice big fireballs.

Page 1	Page 2	Page 3	Page 4	Page 5	Page 6	Page 7
Introduction, Dedication & Attendees	Wednesday 23-July 2003	Thursday 24-July 2003	Friday 25-July 2003	Saturday 26-July 2003	Sunday 27-July 2003	Prologue