my night on Schoolbus Island (tellico)

[GEORGIA GABE]

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
a tale of a 4x4 trip.
That started from tellico paybox,
aboard this k5 ship.
The mate was a mighty frisbee dog,
the skipper brave and sure.
nine offroad rigs set off that day,
for a three hour tour, a three hour tour………
The weather started getting rough,
the schoolbus trail was slick.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew,
the k5 would be lost; the k5 would be lost.
The truck broke a ring gear and a hub on the way up to SHOOLBUS ISLE
with Gabe, the Ralph Ringo too,
the Justin Breedlove, and his Wife,
the Swiming Star, the Morgage broker and Jeep part designer,
here on Schoolbus Isle.

So this is the tale of our castaways,
they're here for a long, long time(27 hours).
They'll have to make the best of things,
it's an uphill climb.
The first mate and his skipper too,
will do their very best,
to make the others comfortable,
in the tellico mountain nest.
No phones, rock lights, no choclate bars,
not a single luxury.
Like Robinson Crusoe,
it's primitive as can be.
So join us here each week my friend,
you're sure to get a smile.
From 9 stranded 4wheeldrives,
Here on schoolbus hill!

-gabe
more details to come

 

[GEORGIA GABE]

Lets just say next time I go on a trail ride I will have more things than I could possibly imagine needing and I will not rush to get the truck ready (forgeting things like the cooler, flashlight, ect at camp.) I broke a rear ring and pinion that is about 1 month old....I know it was setup right, because I watched and helped one of my techs do it....I saw the dial indicator. it was broken in properly as well. I also broke a warn premium hub on an open front. This is how Chuck who was in the other k5 on the ride described the events that followed. It is pretty accurite.

"It's just too much for one person to tell it all - so here's my part.

Saturday: 11:00am we leave the pay station - the fun starts when we get to trail four

--Chuck cracks windshield again on low hanging branch

(then we get to school bus)

--Patrick Flop - minimal damage

--Chuck breaks right 1/3rd of Eric's bumper off (broken weld)

--Patrick Flop - minimal damage except for ego

--Chuck Blows Bead

--Terrible grunch sound - Ralph Payne tilts his head and says "Hmm, never heard that before." the rest of us cringe at Ralph's statement. Gabe broke his rear ring & pinion.

--(Jeep @ high RPM's) mmmmmmmmmm baa baa baa ba ba put put put FFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE !!!!!! -- Ralph Payne was getting into it hard on a rock face when his cat. converter plugged - trans fluid dripped on it and ignited. He threw Justin his fire extinguisher and "PUFF" no more fire extinguisher. Justin puts the fire out with Dr. Pepper as 3 more of us are running towards Ralph's Jeep with our extinguishers. No damage.

--Ringo & Justin are pulling/winching Gabe (front wheel drive & open) through the upper part of School Bus when Pow - broken front axle (10:00p)

--11:30 (or so) Ringo & Justin work to get Gabe up the minor hill just prior to the minivan sized rock ahead of the long steep hill climb. We decide to stop and stay the night before anyone gets hurt.

--Rain/Lightning/Thunder - break - Rain/Lightning/Thunder - break - Rain/Lightning/Thunder --- actually got a decent fire started with creative means.

--By about 1:30, everyone retires to their vehicles for a long cold night. Rain/Lightning/Thunder - break - Rain/Lightning/Thunder - break - HAIL - Rain/Lightning/Thunder --- Morning.

(lesson learned - keep some type of overnight gear in truck -- I had a rain jacket on, put on my emergency plastic poncho over that, then pulled my seat cover off my seat and used it as a blanket. Since my truck was about 25% off camber, I had to wear my seat belt to make sure I didn't fall out of my truck while I pretended to sleep - oh, did I mention, I decided to remove my doors before the run?

--Sunday morning - it's discovered that Gabe didn't break an axle - it was just the hub on the other side.

GOAL: Just get everyone off the trail with no more breakage.

--While Justin & Ringo are trying to get Gabe up and over the minivan sized rock, Patrick is fixing his winch.

--Can't get Gabe up the rock in a reasonable amount of time which means it will be another 4-5 hours trying to get him up the following hill climb. Command decision made to go DOWN school bus - did I mention it's muddy and slippery?

--I'm leading & Ken is 2nd. We go down to what would be the second major set of obstacles if you were heading up and make our way down the traditional route and make the decision that we are taking everyone else down the bypass.

--Ken broke his front bumper.

--The bypass is slick as ice so we strap everyone down.

--Coming down to that area, Patrick breaks his windshield and bends the windshield frame.

--Jimmy hits the top of his trooper on a tree in the same place as Patrick and I think I heard that his drivers side door operation was affected.

--After another hour and a half, we have everyone off school bus - Great team work and handing off of help between vehicles. Everyone stepped up wonderfully.

--On the way out, a few of us were really having trouble keeping air in our tires from the mud, but we all get out with a few extra stops.

--On the way home -- Patrick and I are riding together and have to work really hard at keeping air in his Jeep tires until we stopped and basically cleaned the beads of two tires.

--I think Ralph may have had an issue here to, but I don't remember everything Justin told me last night - but Jimmy P. damaged his clutch on school bus and it gave up on the ride home. Justin went back to get him. They took the Tacoma off the trailer and put Jimmy's Isuzu on. On the way to Jimmy's house, Justin kills the rear carrier bearings on the Tacoma, but he did make it to Jimmy's.

 

[bigjbear]

All right, where are the pics? And was the Ken, Ken Sutz?