sand chick

That is awesome!!!!

Man what a GREAT weekend!!! It started out a little later than anticipated. Was hoping for an early start. But was truckpooling with some friends. Mike didn't have room in the hauler for my Pork Butt Maverick, so I was going to drive out solo. But my friends decided to join in the fun as well and they had a flat bed, so the thought was to put both vehicles on their flat bed and share the ride out. When they pulled up, I knew both vehicles were not going to fit on that trailer. Even with the quad side ways! We jiggled and twisted, yeah.... NOPE! Then it was throw the quad in the bed of my truck and squish into my truck. They had all of their stuff and I also had my big old lady lab mix. OH WAIT!?! We have no ramps to get that beast into the bed of my truck! So I back into my driveway, to the low spot. We can muscle this beast, KFX 700, into the bed. We tried this, we tried that, we tried hoisting it with straps. DAYham! That is one heavy b*tch! Well poop! we'll just have to take two vehicles. But that was just not satisfactory! So my friend Shaun eventually muscled the front end of the quad up, one of us girls holding the brake the other helping hold it up. We carefully walked it down the driveway on its back tires and dropped the front into the truck. Then picked up the rear and slid her on in! WHEW! Strap her down. Unload the Maverick, transfer the trailer to my truck, reload the Maverick, then food and fill up with gas! Finally a couple hours later we were on the road! We arrive in camp ready to kick back with some beers! My friend Shaun is also my backpacking, Pacific Crest Trail, trail brother. He is family to me. He is hilarious and always finds the best beers. He is always sending me photos of obscure beers, hey check this out, have you tried this? Some of them are so funny! But I have found some of my favorite beers through him, b*tch Creek, Ash Tray Heart to name a few. So it didn't surprise me in the least bit, when he pulled out some brown ale to start off our weekend! And when he handed me that beer, I KNEW we were in for a fun weekend full of laughs! sh*t was really good too After a couple beers and hanging out by the fire for a minute and whooping it up in the hauler, it was time for bed. We had riding to do in the morning! Up before the sun rise, Mike and I took the dogs out. Shaun and Angela made breakfast, while I made coffee. Right after breakfast, I snuck over to Adam's trailer and borrowed his ramps. I was chuckling to myself, wondering how long it would take him to realize they were gone and think someone stole them. We unloaded Pork Butt (Maverick) and unhitched, unloaded the KFX 700, so much easier with ramps. I put the ramps back into the truck and waited for the "someone stole my ramps" He actually didn't notice until Sunday when he was getting ready to load up and someone who knew what was going on, pointed out that someone had stolen them. We let him stew for a minute before we told him. Gassed up and immediately went on a JoeDuner's daughter Sarah run. From east to west, covering all of the dunes possible. We took a quick break, prior to heading to the North Pole. Chilled at the pole for a bit. Then it was back to camp for lunch. While at the North Pole Mike had been talking about driving one our friends CanAm X3's, while our friend drove the rail. Apparently that ride was happening the second we got back to camp. We rounded up our group and refueled. Angela jumped into a rzr, it was going to be a fast run. I just assumed Mike was going to lead. Well because Mike usually always leads. I was looking forward to one of his fast, swooping, long runs. As soon as we took off, I realized that Mike wasn't leading, our friend Spenser was leading this run in his X3! OK Here goes nothing, i thought! Well apparently I wasn't the only one who wasn't ready for this, as parts of our group started jumping in line after cutting across the dunes to catch up to our run. It was craziness, but we all got into a line eventually. We hit up the big dunes, behind comp, hauling ass, I was keeping up! Shredding some serious sand and keeping up with the big boys! This run was so intense, my hands were shaking when we finally stopped at the North Pole. We went from the backside of the big dunes behind comp, up and over the top, to the front side and then back, up and over the top to the backside, !! I think I was screaming holy sh*t the whole way! and kept it going all the way to the North Pole. EPIC!! The wife of the guy driving Mike's rail, got a great shot of me keeping right up with them. Took me a minute or 10 to catch my breath! When I unbuckled and got out, there were high fives and holy sh*ts all around, what a great ride! Back at camp for a quick lunch and visiting. Not too long though before the next ride was announced! I barely got buckled in, when our Utah crew was already taking off! Oh my gosh! What the heck! You didn't even make sure everyone was ready! Freaking Adam was leading this run! Mike was in the rail, pushing him right along! A little shop competition! It was fast and twisty, turny, like a combination of a JoeDuner run and a Mike run. Super fun! When we arrived at the North Pole, I realized I didn't have time to fill up before we left. Damn! I am out of gas! See ya! I am slinking away on the flats! By the time I returned it was time for a spectacular sunset! And a DDR dinner. Carne Tacos! YUMMY!!! Watched part of the fights, then hung out with our Utah crew in their hauler, then off to the small campfire in front of JoeDuner's hauler. I knew it was going to be an early day tomorrow, so I was happy we made the most of the day with 3 great and epic rides! Again I was having so much fun I barely took and photos! Maybe I'll get more pics on our 6 day Dumont Christmas Vacation! A BIG THANK YOU to Pete for all the hard work in putting on this awesome event. I didn't get to make one of the epic buggy runs. But it was still a great weekend and a fun camp!

See ya this evening!

DAMN! I almost miss that little buggy!!! But not now with the Maverick!

So then was our Thanksgiving weekend camping with friends also considered an event? We sent out invites to see how many wanted to attend, so we could then see how many people were going to be there. Then we organized a group dinner, potluck style. There were organized kid activities, with cookie decorating and t-shirt making. We had corn hole competitions, friendly of course, not betting, but it was still a competition with winners and losers. There was also a birthday party with cake, that we shared as a group. We sent out invites to that as well. And we went on group organized dune runs. And one person made cobbler for all. All of this was among friends and a "Facebook Event" was created. But this is standard procedure for each and every one of our weekends spent at Dumont Dunes. I don't see how this is any different from any other group of friends, getting together and camping. This takes organization and inviting, when did inviting become advertising? A couple of definitions! in·vit·ing inˈvīdiNG/ adjective offering the promise of an attractive or enjoyable experience. ad·ver·tis·ing ˈadvərˌtīziNG/ noun the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services. FYI ~ I plan to camp in the general vicinity of the camp area of Dumont Dunes on that particular weekend, where ever there is cell service.

FOUND IT! Damn that was one beautiful car! Wish he hadn't needed to sell it!

Wish I still had that pic of Mike in the Trick car! Maybe I can scrounge it up someplace.

Thank you! We did have a blast this weekend.

My new ride is so much freakin fun, that I just never take the time out from driving it to take any photos. I was keeping up with the boys this weekend. It was awesome. I usually hide out in the back of the line, but this time, I had to move up a couple of spots. Mike and I arrived around 9:00 PM on Tuesday night and rolled into camp. Mike's birthday always falls during Thanksgiving weekend, this year it was Friday. So with the way things went on Vendor the last couple of years, We made the decision to call vending off for the weekend, so that he could enjoy his birthday and his son. We greatly apologize to everyone who contacted us, or stopped by our camp to see if we had any parts to save your weekend. We just didn't bring anything with us. We love to be there when you need us and to save your weekend, we know how it feels. Hopefully we'll see more support on President's Weekend. Halloween was great, and we appreciate the support. Anyhow.. on with the weekend report! We hung out as long as we could waiting for some late arrivals, but called it a night around midnight. The dogs woke us bright and early, 6:00 AM on Wednesday morning. Thank you dogs! Cause we were able to get up and make a quick breakfast of cereal. Since I was waiting for a ton of things I forgot, including eggs to make pancakes! Right after breakfast, no one was up or ready, so we were in the dunes by 7:30 AM! Just the two of us. Much easier for me to get the feel of the dunes the first ride out when it's just us. Mike, as always picked a nice fast line and I was holding in right behind him. Made our way from West to East, then took a break at the North Pole. As we made our way back towards camp, we ran into Joe Duner. So we chilled for a minute and then took back off on one of those awesome Joe Duner runs. Up over, around and back, he got me up into some of the taller stuff I usually avoid. Then we made our way back over toward camp. Where we stopped at a wheelie hill. Mike and Joe worked with me on learning how to wheelie the Maverick. I got a little baby two foot lift, man that feels weird. Then it was time for Mike and Joe to take over. As Joe and I are standing there watching Mike wheelie the Maverick, he says "so you seem to be feeling more comfortable in the big stuff, more stable, used to the feel of the transitions. I was going over some stuff I didn't know if you would go or not" Yeah I am definitely getting the feel of it, it's stable and I love it, best purchase I have ever made! I paid for that conversation later, on the next run! The very next ride out, it was myself, Mike, Jess and Daniel with Joe leading again. Another awesome run. Joe's runs are fun and technical. On the return ride from the North Pole, we started cruising up higher on the face dunes on the East side behind comp... I knew what was coming... Joe dropped me right into those big bowls way up at the top of the dunes. Never been up there, tried in the Ace once, was able to get into the first one, but couldn't transition into the second one with it. Made it through them all, but we lost Jess and Daniel, so we headed back out to find them, found them, Daniel had missed a shift, so he dropped back out and headed back to camp. More of our camp started to roll in so we hung out in camp until it was time for a group cocktail run. Thursday was stay in camp and visit, play some corn hole and cook Thanksgiving dinners, while the guys went on several runs. We had so much food for Thanksgiving! Everything was delish! We had turkey's cooked in various ways, infrared, charcoal grill and a couple of electric deep fryers. After dinner, myself and a couple other girls walked around the camp circle for half an hour. Friday was Mike's birthday and we planned to watch the water pumpers do the hill climb and then sped the day cruising the dunes as much as possible. Alternating dune cruises and corn hole games. With special birthday pork sliders and a HUGE cake, as there were 3 birthday's in camp. Saturday, Adam and I had made the plan to go to the Sub Group Meeting at 10:00 AM, so we were itching to go on a morning ride. We got a quick run in with some of our Utah crew that had joined us for the weekend. On the breakfast run the day before, I was behind one of the Utah boys and that dude roosted me on every transition. EFF that! I was getting in front of him for certain! So I hopped in line behind Adam with Mike leading. One of the guys was quite a bit slower, So it wasn't quite the fast sweeping Mike run that we are used to. But it was still fun and we moved at a pretty quick pace. When we took a break, and I over heard one of the Utah boys say, "WHAT?! that's a chick in the Can Am? Holy sh!t, she's good and fast!" I liked that! Then Adam and I looked at our watches and it was time to go to the Sub Group meeting. We arrived a bit early even and chatted with BLM for a bit. I have been to the meetings before, so I knew what to expect, but Adam had some questions. After the meeting it was back to camp for lunch then it was time to do a "Save the Date photo shoot" After that we tried to go on a couple of runs, but it seemed that fate was against us, as two times we had to turn around for vehicular issues. Then it was times for the cocktail run, so off a bunch of us went. It was a bit late, but there were so many people in the dunes, we had to weave and dodge several groups. (man I love me the off weekend dune runs) As we are sitting at the North Pole, White Rhino looks at me and says, is that a sand storm over by comp? OH SH*T! We gotta go! We made it maybe 2 minutes into the drag down the flats when it hit us. We all kept in line, as Paul tried to make his way back to camp. I have no radio, but I could just make out that we were passing comp and headed straight towards Baker. No way to tell anyone, so I stayed in the line, to keep us all together, visibility was about a 5. Paul was able to get us moving back towards the South Pole and back into the camp area. James was then able to take the lead and get us all back, safe and sound and full of sand with his GPS. Mad dash for the hauler. NO Mike. I guessed that he was in Brandon's hauler, since he was working on Brandon's rzr when we left. Sure enough. So mad dash back to our hauler, for left over turkey sammich makings and beers. Mad dash back. We had left over turkey sammiches and watched a move while the wind whipped and howled and tore its claws at the hauler with a vengeance. Some gusts made us brace ourselves for the tip over. It was relentless. Then the rain came in and it was over, just like that. Someone sparked up a fire. The chill was so bad, and our group was fairly big, so Adam staked the wood high to try to keep the warmth going. But there just wasn't enough room for everyone around the fire. We took turns standing near it and soon it was time to call it a night, shower then wind blown sand out of the hair and watch a movie. I nabbed a couple of bowls of Brice's yummy cobbler cooked in the dutch oven's that he got into the ground seconds before the storm hit. Up early again today to make use of that horrendous wind storm and laid down some fresh track on virgin smooth sand. Unheard of on a holiday Sunday! A rarity indeed! But with the dark clouds looming on the eastern horizon, we knew it wouldn't last long! Loaded up, good byes said and hop in the truck just as the next wave of wind and rain storm hit the camp area! It was a fantastic weekend in the sand. We had a couple of mishaps, but nothing too major and we all made it home. We were reminded of why we miss the holiday weekends on vendor row, the camp life and the company. But nothing beats the dunes on an off weekend! The only non-phone photos I took was at the water pumpers hill climb and the helicopter on Friday morning:

I really wished more duners would have shown up. The next meeting there should be more, since they will combine clean up and the sub group. Adam from GTP Off Road is going to apply for the vacant NV OHV Enthusiast position.

It was great that they came out to the dunes. Very informative. One of the other things I forgot to mention was the worm holes aka: kiddie tracks. If you know where one is let them know at the blm station. They will bring the tractor over and fix it right away. So that no one gets hurt. I hit a deep one right on the finger dune, by br #3 where a group had let their kids go up and around until it was probably 3 or more feet deep in two separate spots right through the finger. Those things are killers... Happy I didn't break something!

We are here for a fun weekend. We sadly just didn't get enough business support in previous years on thanksgiving to continue for this weekend. We would love to be out saving your weekends, but can't do it without the support. We'll be back on President's Weekend. @P-rot Adam is at the shop until 2:00 PM today, give him a shout at 702-657-5991 work something out!

WOW! It already looks busy!

Sad to hear. I read the guy who passed away's girlfriend is pregnant as well. Always buckle up!

We'll be out this year for a FUN weekend!! No sitting on vendor row staring at the dunes this time! The last 2 years, just didn't see enough actual traffic on VR to make it worth while.

We'll look for you!