Nov 6-7, 2021 Trip Report

[dunefreak]

This was the first year we missed Halloween but I can definitely say we didn't miss it. lol We skipped it on purpose to get out and enjoy the dunes without the crowds and noise. 

 

We rolled in Friday night and it was really nice. I managed to get stuck in the softest spot in camp, but @lvnalolife pulled me out. Then after we got settled and unloaded, a camp pulled up nearby and here comes the mariachi music from their RZR. I thought this was happened on holiday weekends? no? They drove away but parked about 1000 ft from camp blasting it at 3AM. I drove out there to have a little talk with them and they were cool enough to turn it down...until I got back to camp and then it went right back up. So I headed back out to ask them to turn it down again. They did but then just drove another few hundred feet away and cranked it back up. Super annoying since I was much more polite then I anticipated on being. 

 

Saturday morning we woke up to the damn W. It wasn't horrible but it was a bit annoying. We got a really good dune run in. The dunes were super smooth. Very soft and some unpredictable spots though! We stopped at Talladega for a break.

 

On the way back from our ride, we took the south end back to go look for a memorial that was placed on top of the dunes. A lady (wife of the man who passed last Halloween weekend) posted to the DDR FB group about it. I suggested we relocate it to a safer and more appropriate place, Memorial Hill. She agreed so we went looking for it. To my surprise, I drove right up to it. It was just up the dune from that steep valley behind Comp. It was already knocked down and laying in the sand. We picked it up and headed back to camp with it. 

 

 

 

I built a wood base for it since the top of Memorial Hill is nothing but solid rock. We would stack rocks on the base to keep it upright. So the whole crew headed over there to put it up.

 

 

The sand has blown in to form a small dune almost higher than the cable fence. 

 

 

 

@tmerrell and me

 

John's memorial is now is a much better place and his wife is super thankful.

 

 

I stopped to visit the memorial for @sanddunesaddict which we put up years ago. Slightly weathered, but it's still looking good. 

 

Back at camp we all relaxed and waited for the W to calm down. It really didn't but we headed out to dune anyways. It wasn't bad once you got out in the dunes, but man there was some sketchy stuff out there. We drove right off a dune because there was no transition. It just dropped off and was square edged top and bottom. The car took it ok and Lou B managed to do the same behind us. We stopped over at Sunset hill and spent a good hour and a half or so over there. The weather was perfect and it was super relaxing. We stayed until it got dark and the moon came out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at camp was the usual...make some dinner and crack some beers around the fire. The weather was clam and thankfully there was no more loud music from our neighbors.

 

 

A little later into the night, a RZR flipped over backwards on the 2nd finger dune. that's how steep the dunes were! He was ok but before they could get it uprighted, a RZR crashed or tipped on the steep face hill. They managed to get him down and everyone seemed ok. 

 

 

Sunday morning it was still pretty breezy. We helped a guy get his toyhauler unstuck and then EMS rolled in because a guy went off a similar dune to what I went off but he injured his lower back. Life flight came out and flew him to the hospital but he'll be ok they said. 

 

 

 

 

I was bummed because I hadn't been able to fly my drone all weekend. It finally calmed down though and I took it for a quick flight over camp. We pretty much just relaxed all day and hung out before heading home. 

 

 

 

It was a short trip, but a great one spent with our friends. I am happy to report the buggy performed flawlessly and ran great. We will be back out for buggy roundup next month unless I get the itch for another off weekend. I sure missed Dumont this summer. 

 

 

 

 

[sandmandan]

Great report!   Very jealous. Hate when my friends are there without me. 😄

[dunefreak]

1 minute ago, sandmandan said:

Great report!   Very jealous. Hate when my friends are there without me. 😄

 

We missed ya out there this trip!

[MoparMan]

Great report thanks for posting for those of us that didn't get out!

[sand chick]

Sounds like a great weekend! That sand looked super buttery! 

Thank you for moving the memorial!

The dunes were definitely more sketchy than the usual summer dunes when we were there mid October. 

Thank you for sharing your trip. 

[Agricon]

I headed out Thursday afternoon, waited til Friday morning unloaded, took the little 80 out and picked up 2 full trash bags. went for a a coupe of dune rides before the rest of camp showed up. Friday was calm and it was actually pretty hot out whenever we stopped

On the last ride of the day Paul broke a rim on top of one of the dunes before the flats, we put a front tire on the rear, strapped up the corners and dragged it to the flats where he drove it back.

Pete reported the rest of the trip from here, good times.

See you all at Buggy Roundup

[DirtBikeGuy]

@Agricon we watched you pull the car down the face on 3 wheels and it looked like he was a little sandy by the bottom!! lol 😆

[GETSOME]

All, I'm the guy that was flown to Las Vegas that fateful Sunday. I wasn't going too fast, from the my viewpoint the sand looked like it was going on at the same elevation until I went off that dune. (See pic.)  I had back surgery (See pic.) & spent two weeks in the Hospital. I would like to thank all of the helpful folks that stopped to help & drive my car back to my campsite.

I finally got into my trailer & looked inside the car after all these Months, whoever that was that drove my car, you left your black helmet inside.

 

Rick (Sandtoys0@yahoo.com)

[dunefreak]

9 hours ago, GETSOME said:

All, I'm the guy that was flown to Las Vegas that fateful Sunday. I wasn't going too fast, from the my viewpoint the sand looked like it was going on at the same elevation until I went off that dune. (See pic.)  I had back surgery (See pic.) & spent two weeks in the Hospital. I would like to thank all of the helpful folks that stopped to help & drive my car back to my campsite.

I finally got into my trailer & looked inside the car after all these Months, whoever that was that drove my car, you left your black helmet inside.

 

Rick (Sandtoys0@yahoo.com)

 

Damn, but glad it wasn't worse. Recovering sucks! I know all about that. Heal up and hope you get back out there next season.