2007Fall

RoverXchange Fall 2007

We are the high society...

� RoverXchange A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados

RoverXchangeThe Rover Xchange is a quarterly publication of the Solihull Society 4-Wheel Drive Club, Inc. All material in Rover Xchange, unless otherwise noted, is the property of Solihull Society and may not be reproduced without permission.

Solihull Society contactSPresident – Larry Grubbs [email protected] – David Garbs [email protected] Jenny Burris [email protected]/Membership Beth Dyson-Muskopf [email protected] Events Coordinator Ralph Brandt [email protected] Events Coordinator Larry Grubbs [email protected] Sponsorship Coordinators David Bennet [email protected] Ali Vali [email protected] Issues Coordinator Jim Hall [email protected] Dave Lane [email protected] Admin David Garbs [email protected] – www.solihullsociety.orgNewsletter Articles and Photos – Articles must be submitted in either Word (.doc) or text (.txt) format. Digital photos can be emailed or mailed on CD in either a JPEG, TIFF or EPS files. The articles can be submitted either via email ([email protected]) or mailed on a CD to David Lane at the following address: 106 Estack Place, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126. Materials will be returned upon request.Advertising – $25/issue or $100/year for 1/4 page ads. Payment must accompany all camera-ready ads. Make check payable to Solihull Society. Free classified ads to members. $5/issue to non-members.Club Membership – $50/year includes membership in the Colorado Association of 4-Wheel Drive Club, their newsletter, the Rover Xchange newsletter, and all the trail rides you can take! Make check pay-able to Solihull Society and mail it to the address on the back of this newsletter.

PresidentialROVINGSFall 2007

Well folks, this will be my last Presidential Roverings article, unlike last years article. It is time for me to move onto other things that have suddenly taken precedents in my life. I will likely be moving away from the Denver area soon for a new job and will have to step down as Club President at this years Christmas Party. I have enjoyed this position over the last three years and hope that the club continues on its path to success for years to come.

We’ve had another very successful year closing with our most successful National Rally to date. Next years Rally will be in Moab, Utah September 16-20th, 2008. We will also be looking to plan next years wheeling events very soon. Ralph Brandt will once again be volunteering to head up the events coordinator position. He will be looking to the club for input as to what everybody wants to do, please take the time to help him out with this duty as the club is only as good as you make it. Remember we are a volunteer organization and without volunteers there would be no Solihull Society.

With that, I wish everybody the best and hope to keep in touch!

Larry Grubbs


IN THIS ISSUERoverXchange

Volume 11, Issue 4 Fall �007

Presidential Rovings 2Farwell from Larry Grubs.

“Roving for Dummies” 4By John Kelver

Black Bear and Poughkeepsie Gultch 72007 Land Rover National Rally by Eric Meyers

Membership Information 11Application, information and benefits of joining the Solihull Society.

A Letter From the Editor 14

2007 Land Rover National Rally 16And now, a word from our sponsors

Mining Camp Speaks 18By Eric Meyers.

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7

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Humor: How to Spot a Non-serious Series Land Rover Buyer

Here are some tips on spotting a non-serious buyer. You may suspect they might not be serious if they ask...

Does it have air conditioning?Can air conditioning be added?Does it have disk brakes?Does it have an automatic transmisson?Power windows?Power steering?How fast does it go?What is the fuel mileage?Does the seat go any further back?Does it have a roll bar?What kind of stereo does it have?So who makes this anyway?Does the Toyota dealer sell parts for it?Why does it ride so rough? My Camry rides a lot smoother!Why does it look like it’s leaning?What is that little hole in the front of the front bumper for?

Does all the electrical stuff work?What are all those knobs and levers for?Is there an alarm system?Is this all the faster it goes?Where’s the alternator? (Followed by) What’s a generator?Why did you put the spare tire on the hood?What’s overdrive?What’s double-clutching?Why doesn’t the steering wheel lock when you turn the key off?

4 RoverXchange A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados

Hailing from the northeast corner of the Buckeye state , the only roving our LR3 had done was a few mud hills and paths. Heading west to challenge the Rocky Mountains at the LRNR in Montrose, CO this past August seemed to be a near ludicrous undertaking. Fortunately the organizers of the rally offered a driver training course at Grand Valley OHV that we dubbed “Roving for Dummies” . On day one we eagerly jumped in line at 7:30 am along with three more LR3’s a Range Rover and assorted Disco’s . We had no idea what to expect out of this class, but knew that anything we learned would be a lot better than our complete ignorance to rocks and roving.

First Time: Off-Road 101by John Kelver

A warm up in an off-camber arroyo.

Learning about cresting a larg hill

The class proved to be a great experience. We started with the easy stuff and advanced throughout the day. Dave Lane and his cohort Dave Bennet discussed each new obstacle with our group , the technique to use and why. Dave1 led the way in his Land Rover and one by one we followed . The trail leaders then critiqued how we did and gave friendly advice on how to improve. We progressively pushed our vehicles and driving skills through out the day. We found out how

far off camber we could push our trucks safely, learned about the tendency to pull towards the high side wheels known as “bump steer”, and pick a line through an obstacle with proper wheel alignment. It is truly amazing what a Land Rover can do with just two tires on terra firma. At the lunch break Dave had inadvertently arranged a demo by a local ATVer on the effects of too much power and too little traction., so after the dust cleared, we finished lunch and had an very informative discussion on needed or useful

1: Neil Watterson from LRO 2: Heading up the last arroyo 3: Eric Sayer and his wife...sitting out the decent.


off road equipment. We discussed organizing a “box” with spare water, first aid kit, recovery straps , shackles, gloves , what a Hi Lift jack is, and how to use it safely . We also learned how to properly stow all this gear so it was accessible but safe and not flying around while bouncing off road. The final test of our new knowledge was a dry creek bed strewn with boulders and sharp off camber turns rated at 7-8. This obstacle pushed vehicles and drivers to their limits and needed the spotting skills of Dave 1 and Dave 2. to accomplish. It is absolutely unbelievable what Landys can do . My wife and I are still grinning about that last one! The skills learned here gave us the confidence to thoroughly enjoy the mountain trails we drove in the following days. Kudos to the Solihull Society for offering this course. We hope to do it again at Moab next year.

John and Marylou Kelver


Perspective: A New Solihull Memberby Joe Bennett

Just thought I would shoot you an email with some thoughts. Maybe you can use this...who knows. Question: Have you ever had a life changing experience? Something that changes all your core beliefs that have been instilled in you from the day you were born. Normally when this happens you feel vulnerable and insecure. The one I experienced leaves me feeling as though the Dalai Lama has revealed Life’s cherished secrets. I was raised into the 4 wheel drive community with bias eyes. Because of this I closed my eyes to all things that were not in my belief system. I basically did not comprehend that there existed anything outside of what I knew. I write this after returning from the Land Rover National Rally in Montrose, CO.I have no need to reveal what vehicles I drove in the past, only that I have only owned one non four wheel drive vehicle since being able to drive legally. I have driven some of the most difficult trails in the United States and loved every minute of everything I have broken while doing so. From Vermont to California and Washington to North Carolina, no trail has concealed itself from me.My wife and I purchased a 2001 Land Rover Discovery upon returning to the mainland from Hawaii. I knew of the Land Rover reputation and a little on the history, but had never driven one to this point. Until the Rally I had never actually taken it off road either. Now that I have, I believe. Everything I read or heard about its amazing capabilities as a 4x4 is not a fish story in any way. I have seen what mine can do and what other modified Rovers can do.Not only am I amazed by the vehicle itself but I believe that my family and I have found something that we can all be apart of. The Rally afforded us the opportunity to meet a vast group of people from all walks of life that have a commonality… Rovers. We have made some new friends that I hope we can stay in touch with throughout the years and share in every Rally this common bond.Now being a member of the Solihull Society, I can also make this new found passion an everyday part of my life. After all it is a passion, and a means to live your life. Thank you all for the effort put forth.


You Know Your Rover. I Know Your Real Estate.

Tom Cryer Broker Associate

The Kentwood Co. 303-773-3399303-638-3202

[email protected]

The San Juans might just be the most beautiful area in the world for four-wheeling, with many popular trails, mostly rather easy. For this Rally I wanted more challenging trails than Cathryn and I had done when visiting Ouray six years ago, still fairlynew to all this. So early morningThursday found us lined up for Black Bear Pass, among well over a hundred Land Rovers assembled at the Montrose fairgrounds, already enjoying the sight of so many Rovers together at once.

It’s easy to feel intimidated by a trail where a fatal accident occurs almost annually, but in truth, given reasonable care and familiarity with your vehicle, Black Bear shouldn’t be very difficult. And it’s a beautiful trail, offering great views of the Red Mountain area and peaks beyond as you climb to the Pass and then look down the valley to the west, with its descent in several levels toward Telluride, not yet visible below. Coming down, we could see where several sections of the trail had just been repaired after torrential rains a few weeks ago; the economy is all about tourism here, and a famous trail isn’t kept closed for long. The entire route (like most in this area) is fairly smooth going, with just one short unnerving section of loose rocks on the descent, and then of course the notorious tight switchbacks. But their difficulty is mainly psychological: you’ll never make those turns all at once, and as long as you’re resigned to that, backing up once or twice works just fine (whereas swinging too wide makes it hard to stay level). You do keep finding yourself pointed off a steep cliff, so it’s not for those with strong fear of heights, but my own has thankfully diminished with experience, and I wasn’t disturbed by this descent. We had 110s and an LR2 in our group, all of which made it through easily, despite their added length or lack of low range.

Besides natural beauty, this one-way descent offers much evidence of mining activity a century ago: mines and tailings can be seen all over the slopes, numerous tram wires still hang overhead, and the trail passes by the ruins of a small water-powered mill where ore was processed on site, perhaps to reduce the material sent all the way down to the big mill below. And then of course there’s the famous powerhouse at Bridal Veil Falls that made Telluride, out in the middle of nowhere, one of the nation’s first electrified towns. At this point the trail becomes two-way once more, so anyone can drive up and visit the powerhouse. In fact, edging past a huge poorly parked SUV here turned out to be the

Trip Report: 2007 National Rallyby Eric Meyers

Continued on Page 9

8 RoverXchange A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados8

I have heard nothing but positive raves and good things about the National Rally organization efforts. Many of the people that have contacted me made specific comments about the volunteer trail leaders that make me beam with pride!! By all accounts the folks involved with the rally staff should get a very giant “atta-boy and atta-girl” for their untiring loyalty to the Solihull Society. The fact that “the club” takes extra care with ensuring that the trail leaders get all the logistical help and training really sets it apart from all the other clubs that hold events. As you may guess I have attended a few events around the globe and the Solihull Society continually sets the high mark for quality and fun filled 4WD events! My deepest respect to the volunteers and club organizers, kind regards from a proud member. Bill Burke

From Bill Burke:


day’s principal obstacle. It’s not a very long trip either; despite the drive down from Montrose and several pauses along the way, by early afternoon we were in Telluride, with plenty of time to wander around town and consider options for returning, including Ophir Pass, Imogene Pass, or Last Dollar Road.

Poughkeepsie Gulch proved more of a challenge. A large group of Rovers set out for this trail on Saturday morning. We had our airing-down and driver’s conference at the increasingly crowded trailhead for Engineer Pass on Highway 550, and learned that our group was being filmed for

attempting the center path eventually had to be winched up, while a couple of spotters were trying out ideas on the right-hand approach, where most drivers were going, each taking many attempts to ascend, getting tires stuck in holes or frames hung up on the rocks. In the

an upcoming rally video. (These are the same people who produced a really fine Moab DVD several years ago; watch for this one next spring!) Once underway we traveled along Mineral Creek closely following another Rover group, but turned off at the sign for Poughkeepsie Gulch, which we could expect to get much less traffic. The trail gradually climbs up a lovely green valley; it’s amazing how regularly it rains during summer in the San Juans, and some washouts were still being repaired here too. Then we began to climb past a waterfall as the valley rose to a higher level, and soon came to an optional obstacle on the right that two big- tired Rovers attempted without success. After this diversion we proceeded up the valley and, about three miles in, encountered the trail’s main obstacle, a broad shelf of rock stretching well across our path. Three possible routes up could be seen: a muddy one climbing a tall grassy slope off to the left, which is an illegal bypass that should be closed off by the time you read this; a steep, rough set of rocks at the right; and in the center, a broad slope of uneven rock with a dangerous tilt, threatening a slide into a crevice alongside.

David, our leader, advised a certain line up the path to the right, and the first couple of Rovers with oversized tires went up it easily, while another made it up the center slope, showing some Jeeps stopped above us what was what. But we had many more vehicles, and began to bog down: one truck

middle of all this a couple of Jeeps came along behind us and headed for the bypass to the left, which must get tough at the very top, as the first one got stuck, and the second then cut in and began trying to climb the rocks to go recover him, which took a while. By now it was starting to rain, and I contemplated how much harder this would get once the rocks were thoroughly wet. But when my turn finally approached the rain had let up, things didn’t look too slick after all, and Tim was

Continued on Page 18


Our members receive exclusive discounts at Denver area Land Rover dealerships.

DealershipDISCOUNTSThe Colorado Denver East Dealership offers Solihull Members:

The Colorado Flatirons Dealership offers Solihull Members:

The Colorado Springs Dealership offers Solihull Members:

15%Service and Labor is only $97.50 per hour. Regular rate is $115

15%

15% DISCOUNT ON PARTS & LABOR

DISCOUNT ON PARTS

DISCOUNT ON PARTS

10% DISCOUNT ON LABORParts typically 10%-20% cheaper than list.

JC’s Rover offers Solihull Members:


Application for Membership/Renewal Please print all information clearly.Name:__________________________________________________________________Email:_________________________________________________________________Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________City:_____________________________________________________________State____________________________________________Zip:_________________________Home Phone:_______________________________________________Cell Phone:___________________________________________________________Occupation:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Present Land Rovers:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Past Land Rovers: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________May we share the above information with other club members? Yes No

Type of Application: Type of Membership: New member Single (S) -- $40.00 Renewal Family (F) -- $50.00 Out of state (O) -- $30.00

Waiver:I/We, in consideration of my/our participation in the Solihull Society Land Rover Club, [hereafter referred to as club] do hereby release Solihull Society, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns from any and all responsibility or liability for any and all claims, arising from or related to the activities and my/our participation in and all events sponsored and/or involving the club.

I/We understand and acknowledge off-highway driving is a hazardous activity with inherent dangers, which can result in severe property dam-age, serious bodily injury and/or death. With full knowledge of such risks, hazards and potential for damage, injury or death, I/We voluntarily and knowingly assume such risks and hazards and agree, that the club, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns shall not be liable in any way, to me/us for any claims for damages, injuries or death resulting from my/our participation in the club’s events.

I/We acknowledge my/our vehicle is in good mechanical condition, and said vehicle is insured for bodily injury liability insurance and personal injury protection insurance and/or medical payment coverage, as required by its’ state of registration.

I/We are advised to consult with our insurance broker/agent about availability of and adequacy of present medical payment coverage should I/We and/or our passengers sustain bodily injury, while operating my/our motor vehicle.

I/We further acknowledge the driver/operator of the vehicle is licensed to operate a motor vehicle and the license is not under suspension.

This waiver/release of liability is binding on our heirs, insurers, personal representatives or assignees.

Signature____________________________________________________________________________________Date______________________________________________

Club Use Only: Cash Email to member Check # Roster Quicken Member card # Deposit slip Welcome packet

Membership Information

1� RoverXchange A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados

Land Rover Vintage Day

On October 6th, 2007, Land Rover Flatirons held the 3rd annual Vintage Day. Here is the breakdown courtesy of Kirby Garison:

28 display vehiclesOver 100 spectatorsThe winner was Kristian Woyna 1993 D110 DieselKristian received a Land Rover Driving Experience Driving School Certificate for two in Carmel, California.

2nd place was Bill Smith 1967 series 11 a expan-da cabBill recieved a gift certificate for $200 for Land Rover Gear at Land Rover Flatirons. The Customer drawing for a Certificate for 2 to the driving school as well was Giovanni Lanzante

Raffle drawings: LGI Industries gave a $200 gift certificate.Hi country off road products gave a pair of Rock SlidersSolihull Society gave away several articles of clothing and a First-Aid kit used by the trail leads of the 2007 Land Rover National Rally.Rock Ware gave away a set of Frame SlidersLand Rover Flatirons gave away several prizes in Land Rover Gear

Other vehicles in attendance 1970 IIa, D-90s,1968 IIa, 1969 IIa, 1961 109, 1967 IIa expanda cab, D110s, 1995 Range Rover County, 1993 LWB Range Rover, 1997 XD Discovery, 2006 LR3, andmany modified vehi-cles of various years and types.


Gregory Chernushin Attorney at LawParkridge Center 10475 Park Meadows Drive 6th Floor Littleton, CO 80124(303) 689-0766

First Time: Off-Road 101 Synopsisby David Lane

I would fist like to thank all of the people that came out to the 101 class we had this year. We had a great turn out of people from all over the country. I would personally like to thank everyone sticking with it for the day. It was an incredibly, blistering hot day at 103 degrees. The Grand Valley OHV area has to be the most challenging and varied terrain that I have ever seen or experienced. This is why we choose that area for the 101 class. I sincerely hope that everyone involved had a great time and really took away a lot from it. It was really great to see such a wide variety of vehicles show up. Next year, we will attempt to do it again, but this time in Moab. There are just as many challenging areas there. Moab will really push your limits. For those of you who wanted to know what we did in the class, here it is. We started out the day getting a brief introduction on the day and what we were expecting to happen. We talked about the requirements of each vehicle and what you had to have with you to do the class. We then talked about the skills that were going to be demonstrated and exercised for the day. From off camber to assents and descents. Tire placement and picking your line were the biggest areas covered and exercised many times. We also talked about what to pack in your truck even for just a day trip, and where to pack them in the truck. Putting the most important and frequently accessed items as close as possible for various reasons. There were so many great pictures taken of the day, here are just a few more. See you in Moab next year!


Do you have stuff that you need to sell? Did you know that classified ads are free to club members? Simply send an e-mail with a description of what you’re selling along with asking price and contact information and we’ll run it for free in the RoverXchange classifieds.

Send it to: [email protected]

CLASSIFIEDS & ANNOUNCEMENTSPRESIDENT - shall preside over all membership and Executive Committee meetings and be present at all events when possible. He shall be the executive officer and shall have the duty to carry out the policies and decisions of the Board of Directors.

VICE PRESIDENT - shall, in the absence of the President, serve in that capacity. He shall also serve as a Parliamentarian and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors.

SECRETARY - shall keep and preserve all records and minutes of the meeting of the regular membership and the Board of Directors, shall keep a file system of membership and shall receive and answer all general corre-spondence pertaining to the organization.

TREASURER - shall keep accurate and complete records of the funds and accounts of this organization and shall collect all dues and maintain a record thereof. He shall make only such disbursements from the funds of the organization as are directed by the Board of Directors and Article VII hereof.

Ballots shall be issued to each membership at check in.

A Letter From the EditorI would like to send out a thank you to everyone in the club this year. We have had a great year. As winter starts, we on the executive committe have already started working on next year. We are working on the next National Rally, which looks to be our biggest to date. We are in need of volunteers. The more we have, the less work you will get. Work with your friends in the club and help us out getting tasks completed. Look for several groups heading out in the spring to Moab. I hope to see you all at the Christmas Party. Don’t forget that your 2008 dues are suppose to be in by the end of the year. You can copy and fill out the application in this newsletter and mail it in.Dave [email protected]


Bill Burke’s

4-Wheeling America 970-858-3468 … [email protected]

Premier Training for all users of 4-wheel drives and all skill levels. Driving Techniques. Recovery. Safety.

Environmental Awareness. Getting Prepared. Trail Spotting. Navigation. Field Fixes.

●Private Instruction One-on-one with Bill Burke.

●Group Training Comprehensive training programs that

include all you need to know about going into the remote back country safetly.

●Industrial & Government Training Programs

Custom safety programs for organizations that use 4WD vehicles in their operations.

"Bill's outstanding instruction reflects his professionalism, patience, and expertise. We learned about driving our rigs, their

capabilities, working as a team... An unforgettable experience with the best

in the business!" R. Wallace

" I'm glad I learned off-road driving

correctly at the start instead of having to unlearn bad habits, and I really

appreciated your insistence on safety." F. Buddenbrock

DVDs by Bill Burke

●Getting UNStuck

●Getting PREpared

Safe recovery techniques.

Real life situations!

Watch this DVD before you head

out! Includes 8-page booklet!

Excellent Dealer Discounts.

"Bill's spotting is a lifesaver. For me to take the nicest car I've ever owned and

drive it over some of the roughest terrain I've ever attempted, I must have a lot

of confidence that Bill knows what he's doing. And I do." B. Davis

We sell RUD Grip 4x4 snow chains!

www.bb4wa.com We hold BLM & USFS permits to operate on public lands.


We at the Solihull Society would like to thank our Premier Sponsors for their continual support of the rally.

• Custom Fabrication• Off Road Accessories

(719) 328-0796


The June (2006) Solihull meeting at the Trail Dust restaurant featured the authors of a wonderful local history book, “The Mining Camps Speak” (BenchMark Publishing, 1998). We discovered it ourselves years ago in Breckenridge, and ever since it’s helped us understand the artifacts we encounter following old trails in the Colorado mountains. A few notable ghost towns are well preserved, but most abandoned towns and camps are faring poorly after a century of harsh weather (and occasional vandalism). When you find only scattered foundations with their last few logs left in place, what sort of camp might it once have been? You can look up certain sites by name in books like Robert Brown’s and learn something about their history and former appearance; others are much harder to identify.

But the Sagstetters aren’t disappointed even by traces of the smallest long-forgotten camp, and want to know: just what was going on here? (What is that rusty machine?) Was the site active only in the early days, or later on, or both? (What types of tin cans are in the trash pile?) What structure are those logs the remains of? (Is there a stump for an anvil, or boards forming a manger?) And that’s just the beginning. The book contains Field Guide sections, based on their own research, to help match what you find with illustrations of old products and equipment. Spend some time thinking about what you see, and a nearly vanished camp can rise again in your imagination;

History: Mining Camps Speakby Eric Meyers

follow that little burro-path off into the woods or across the hillside, Bill says, and you’ll find even more that most people never see. It turns out that Land Rovers actually took the Sagstetters to many of the places they’ve explored over the years, although you’d never have known, since they didn’t include their old 88 or 109 in any photos (an oversight Beth says will be corrected in a forthcoming book on Anasazi cliff dwellings). They drove Land Rovers in the 1960s when no one on Western backroads had any idea what they were, and owners were a small tightly-knit group who had to help one another with parts and maintenance. Bill began his talk with an account of an unexpectedly serious desert adventure in what’s now Canyonlands National Park, when it took three days to extricate his 109 from a trail with stretches of quicksand. He then moved on to his usual subject, showing slides to give an idea of the sorts of things commonly found around old camps, how to identify them, and what they can tell us about those who once lived and worked there. Beth demonstrated a “shadowgee”, a candle-lantern handmade from a (once shiny!) tin can. Their enthusiasm for favorite remote places still burns strong decades later, and left us eager to get out and visit them too.

Continued on page 19


volunteering to spot the center slope. I didn’t see anyone rushing to take his offer and was hesitant myself, as I’d seen video of a rollover that occurred here the last time Poughkeepsie was run, but things weren’t going so well off to the right either, so after discussing a line with him I engaged my lockers and gave it a try. The rear slid around a bit (as forewarned) and we ended up with the D90’s rear bumper resting gently against the rock, but got the rest of the way up on a second try with a bit more gas. Now that’s what a Solihull Rally is all about!

I wouldn’t have minded trying that again, but we’d really been here long enough. At some point, a big Hummer with an open back full of tourists appeared and crept slowly down the rocks beside a Defender that was stuck halfway up. Eventually only two Discos remained below, one of which was attempting the ascent when a few Jeeps came down from above and we all made room for them to pass through, only to watch them turn right around and begin trying to climb back up themselves, oblivious to our need to move on. By now we’d all had plenty of time to develop theories of what works on this obstacle, have a bite of lunch, and appreciate the scenery, including some mines and a waterfall high on a nearby peak, and a couple of deer browsing across from us, apparently unconcerned. The last two Rovers ultimately chose to turn around and head back, at least one for lack of proper recovery points to winch them up. (That really is a minimum requirement for any trail.) The rest proceeded up the valley, past one more steep rocky climb into the high

tundra to Lake Como with its eerie bright turquoise hue, and then on up to Hurricane Pass. We returned by the most direct route, Corkscrew Gulch, passing between the striking Red Mountain peaks before descending to the highway; it would have been a quick run out, had much of the trail not been yellow clay that’s slick when wet. Together with an easy scenic run to Yankee Boy/Governor Basin on Friday, we enjoyed three beautiful days

on the trail, offering highly varied scenery, historical sights, scattered rain showers, lots of wildflowers, and (despite all our activity) wildlife including ravens, jays, ptarmigan, marmots, and deer. We could happily have stayed much longer, but this fine collection of Rovers was visibly dispersing, and it was time to hit that long paved trail home ourselves. Many thanks to everyone who worked to make this Rally such a wonderful event!


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Bill also shared some personal anecdotes that aren’t in the book, for example a long-planned visit to the precarious Old Hundred mine (near Silverton) in the cover photograph, where miners lived in a bunkhouse built right on the cliff. Bad weather forced the Sagstetters to postpone the long hike back down and do likewise, and at night the decaying old structure came alive as a marmot playground, with activity all around them; fortunately not too many were busy chewing away at the worn posts below that anchor it to the mountainside. And he explained a small mystery to me, why the book’s Visitor Etiquette section asks people not to deface buildings or “take a four-wheel-drive vehicle and pull them down”. I’d taken this for a touch of humor, but years ago in Waldorf the Sagstetters actually saw a visiting family run a rope around an old structure and try to pull it down, just for something to do. (It didn’t work, Bill said; the rope broke. Then again, none of Waldorf’s buildings survive today.)

The meeting was well attended, and a number of people stayed after the presentation for lively discussions. Before long suggestions were being made to get the Sagstetters involved with Land Rovers again, perhaps even guiding a Solihull outing to historic locations in Summit County or the San Juans. Many members and their families must be interested in Colorado history; living as we do in the midst of this second great invasion of the mountains, it’s only natural to be curious about the first.

Solihull SocietyPo Box 480864Denver, co 80248-

2007Fall

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