May 2010 Rooster by Paul Kastle

My First Spring Break Hello my adoring fans, it’s Allie again. I am so excited to tell you about my last dune trip! I am so much bigger than the last time I came out. I got to wear lots of new clothes cause I outgrew all my old ones in two days. Mommy was a bit frazzled about it when she was packing but I think she did a good job. We did lots of fun things this trip. We went to Mama Jeanies for pizza and I had to show her how big I was and how I could eat real food like that comes out of a jar and how I could hold my cookie and eat it all by myself. She was so proud of me that she gave us four pizzas, two for Easter eggs and two for the picnic. For dinner we drove to eat at a different pizza place. This one was supposed to be a hut or something, I just had peas. Dinner was funny cause Aunt B had to be a big girl and have a big cup like everyone else. It’s kinda silly cause besides me she was the youngest one at dinner so she should have the little cup. To make her feel better we stopped on the way home and bought her a giant cup. Mommy and Daddy were very excited on Sunday morning because it was Easter! The big bunny guy I had my picture taken with followed us out to the dunes and left me toys in a basket. I had so much fun playing with the plastic eggs and my new toys. Mommy put bunny ears on my head and we got to go outside and talk to everyone. The bunny musta visited Walt too and Grandma and Grandpa Kastle and Grandma and Grandpa Cole. Apparently all the old people in camp like easter eggs too and so (Continued on page 2)

 The Spring Break trip went great. While it marks the end of another Glamis season, we are still looking forward to hearing from you all in your newsletter articles about the fun you had during the season or your summer activities.  Our end of season Dumont trip is right around the corner. We’ll be headed out there the weekend of

April 30-May 2nd so the weather should still be nice. For more info on the camp location, see page 6.  Coral Pink reservations are available now. The entire 9 days may not be available in a single site, but if you’re planning to come up for part of the time or willing to switch spaces you should be able to get a space. We all can’t wait for this trip.

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April 30th-May 2nd: Weekend at Dumont! This has become a traditional last trip of the season. May 12th: Club Meeting at the Denny’s in Redlands, 7PM May 28th-31st: Some members will be enjoying Memorial Day at the river at Cottonwood Cove. June 9th: Club Meeting at the Denny’s in Redlands, 7PM

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Mommy, me, Aunt B, Karissa, Jeremy, Brandy, Joe, and Shawn hid lots of them on buggies and stuff so they could all find them. It was pretty funny watching everyone try to find all the eggs. I’m surprised Daddy found any since Mommy’s always saying how he can’t find stuff. Later that day I took a nice long nap and had a dream I was on a boat and it was rocking. When I woke up Mommy told me that we had a big earthquake. Thank goodness we were in our trailer so nothing could collapse on my head. It was really windy outside so Daddy drove me and Mommy back to Yuma to go shopping. We went to Target. It’s my favorite store. We had dinner at a place where they yell really loud when it’s your birthday. I got upset cause it wasn’t my birthday so Mommy took me outside and I got to see everyone through the window and we found a kitty to talk to. The next day we had to take Steve Tharp to Starbucks. I don’t know why he needed coffee so bad but since we were so close to home anyway we just kept goin. On Friday Daddy realized he forgot the trailer at the dunes! He was worried so we had to get out there quick. Luckily we found it right where we left it, our friends found it and made sure it didn’t run away. Saturday morning I woke Mommy up early cause I wanted to play. We went over to see Grandma Anna and Uncle Matt and Aunt B. We played and Uncle Matt played his guitar and we sang some songs. My favorite is row row your boat. Apparently Mommy left me but I didn’t even notice she was gone. We had dinner at a place with rocking chairs on the porch. I like to rock in rocking chairs. When we got back to camp I got to stay up late and be at the campfire. Mommy and Daddy roasted marshmallow chickens. I think it’s some kind of tradition but I think it’s kinda silly. On our last day of our trip I got to drive Daddy’s car! The power steering makes it so easy even I could do it. I made a couple laps around camp like a real nascar driver before Mommy said Daddy had to go on his ride. After my nap and lunch I said goodbye to all of my friends. I am gonna be a lot bigger next time I see some of them. Until next time, keep your naps regular and your diapers changed. -Allie

The Rooster

Spring Break at Gordons Well Nancy and I arrived Friday around 8:00 P.M. after stopping on Ogilby road to pick up Dean Carver’s Glamis pass, as he didn’t need it off of Ogilby. That saved a lot of hassle for Nancy and me. Thanks Dean. When we arrived we found the Huggards, Tharps, Tranthams, Fords, Porters, Hagens, Coles, Walt, and Chuck. Soon Brandy, Shawn, P.J., Melissa, and Allison arrived followed by Scott and Sandy. We enjoyed the campfire. Saturday morning John, Scott, P.J., Walt, and I headed off to Glamis, with Melissa, Anna, and Allison following in the truck to deliver gas, and to visit Jeannie. We had a pretty smooth ride, and talked a lot on the radios, with Scott and John even talking to Brandy, who was down at the border, while we were between hill three and Olds. Very impressive! John was in the lead just around noon, and he hit a small rise that was nearly invisible due to the lack of shadows, and launched his car. The takeoff and flight were impressive, but he’s gotta’ work on the landing. We spent about 45 minutes straightening out his A arms enough to make it drivable, and reseating the bead on a rear tire. Before long we were at Jeannie’s. Jeannie was happy to see Allison, who stayed home for the previous trip. We told Jeannie about the Easter egg hunt, and she volunteered two large pizzas as prizes for the Easter egg hunt, and two more for the raffle at the picnic next fall. The return trip to Gordons Well was uneventful. Saturday night we made our first of what would become daily trips to Yuma. About 18 of us went to Pizza Hut for some good pizza, served by an overwhelmed staff. Sunday morning Jeremy and Karissa Hagen, along with Melissa, Brandy and Shawn, and maybe some others (I wasn’t allowed to watch, as I was soon to be an egg hunter) hid probably close to 150 eggs. We lined up on the starting line and just like the bunch of big kids we are, ran to the cars and started hunting for eggs. Everyone had donated lots of prizes ranging from cash to candy, Beano, Chap Stick, brake cleaner, compasses, mini tools and too much other stuff to mention. A good time was had by all. We then went for the first of many rides with the entire group. There was lots of talking on the radios. The Huggards and Chuck left around noon, and Nancy left later Sunday afternoon. I followed her over the bridge to get the pass in case someone needed it during the week. I returned to camp within 3 minutes to find that in those 3 minutes a huge earthquake occurred. Everyone said it was the strongest they had ever felt. I missed the whole thing, except for the HAM radio traffic and the many news reports about the quake. It turns out we were only 20 miles from the epicenter, at one of the closest points in the US to (Continued on page 4)

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the quake. Chuck’s trailer jack fell off a board. Walt’s car rolled back and forth at least a foot. It was quite an experience. Don, along with Jerry’s help, had just installed a fuel injected 6.0 Liter Chevy and a Turbo 400 trans in his sand rail, and it worked great all week with the exception of a minor radiator leak which was unrelated to the engine swap. More on that later. For the next week we went on many rides. John, Scott, Brandy, and Shawn had to head home Monday, and Steve Tharp, P.J. and Melissa Tuesday. There was quite a bit of wind, and we generally went on one ride a day, and sometimes two. As a result of the wind we had lots of very smooth sand. Most rides were quite uneventful. Walt had Scott’s handheld radio, so we were in constant radio contact. Walt decided not to return Scott’s radio, instead offering to buy him a duplicate. Two interesting events were (1) the trip to Yuma the five guys in camp took to find a radiator shop to repair Don’s radiator. We had no idea where a radiator shop might be, but decided to ask at the farm supply store. As we were parking at the farm supply store, Steve Porter noticed a radiator shop right next door. The sign stated it was “The best place to take a leak in Yuma.” The sign was right, as the owner was working on the radiator within minutes of our arrival, and had it finished and tested within 20 minutes, and only charged $20.00. (2) On a ride Steve Porter noticed he had lost two accelerator pump nozzles from his Delorto carbs. That could be serious, as the carbs haven’t been made for 10 years or so. We decided that In-and-Out would be good for lunch, and ORBS, the local buggy shop happened to be just down the street. At ORBS, the counter guy looked at the part and said he’d try. Another guy said he was looking through the “carb trailer.” It took him nearly half an hour to find the parts, but he had the exact ones Steve needed. We held our breath while he looked up prices. The grand total was $30.00, a simply outstanding deal! We did some “guy stuff” shopping around Yuma, and Don found a place which was supposed to have parts for his air compressor. The owner spent a lot of time trying to look up the needed part, and finally took Don to a back warehouse where he found the guts of a similar air compressor and gave it to Don. Don was later able to use the donated parts to repair his air compressor. One of my favorite parts of this trip is always the eating out. We ate at Famous Dave’s, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Sam’s Club, the Q casino, Cracker Barrel, and Der Wienerschnitzel, as well as the aforementioned Inand-Out, and Pizza Hut. Interestingly enough we didn’t eat at the Duners Diner as they did not reopen after Easter. I put over three hundred miles on my truck driving back and forth to Yuma during the week. That’s more miles than the entire rest of the duning season. Steve Sturm arrived Wednesday, Steve and Janice Tharp returned Thursday, while John, Scott, and P.J., Melissa and Allison returned Friday. When John arrived, most of us were out on a ride, but John used his radio to find out where we were. If it had been earlier in the ride, he could have met up with us. With the return of the workers, we had more rides and more eventful rides, all with lots of radio chatter. With the new radios we actually hold conversations on the rides, as well as calling out hazards to the other drivers. One interesting call was when someone said “John lost a tire.” I, and I’m sure many others who know John’s history, figured a wheel and tire had broken off the car. We were wrong, as John actually lost a front tire! The rim was still attached to the car. John’s rim was the subject of much conversation, as they were VERY used when he got them from Mario several years ago. John performed metal magic on them then, and they have served well ever since. This time, however, even John thinks they are officially used up. We remounted the tire and kept on our way. On one quite fast ride, my engine lost power, and I feared the worst. I was fortunate, as I only lost an alternator, the same one I lost on the first trip of the season, which I had received form P.J. after it died on his street car. I had re installed it after cleaning it up, and thought I had it fixed. I was wrong. Fortunately, others volunteered to go back to camp and get a good spare. Does anyone else notice a similarity between the events that both of Allison’s grandpas experienced? That poor kid! It’s a good thing she’s so happy, cause it’s a pretty good bet she’s gonna’ get stranded at sometime with one or both her grandpas! (Continued on page 5)

The Rooster

Dean Carver 5/15 Miranda Stutte 5/15

Shirley Ford Barry Baker

5/17 5/29

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Sunday we went for one last ride, and the Cole brothers provided the excitement, with John’s flat tire, and Scott’s stripped rod end. On this ride we met up with the side by side contingent at Patton Valley, thanks in large part due to the radios. My prediction is that there is a side by side in Janece’s future. I’ll go further and predict it will be a Polaris RZR. Time will tell. Once again this was one of the best trips of the year for me. The great company, the help, the food, and the rides all add up to a great week, my second favorite of the year. There is some talk of making the Presidents’ Day back-to-back weekend trip a Gordons Well trip next year. As Don and Shirley and Jerry and Linda, who graciously offer to watch our stuff between weekends, seem to like the idea of making this a Gordons Well trip, it will probably happen. Next trip, Dumont, and then Coral Pink! Let’s go dunin’! -Jim

We all met up at Patton Valley during one of the rides, thanks to the new radios.

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P.J. and Melissa have a Yamaha Golf Cart For Sale: 1996 G14 Gas golf cart with lift. Floor sits 24 inches above the ground. Stock motor, runs well. $2000 obo Contact P.J. Kastle: (951) 285-8459 pkastle@msn.com

Don and Shirley have their Fiberglass Dune Buggy For Sale: 1600cc dual port engine, street legal, beautiful paint job, must see to appreciate. $6500 Contact Don or Shirley Ford: (928) 680-0657 Home (928) 846-2304 Cell

Two child’s helmets for sale: Both were purchased at Chaparral, 3 years ago. Both are full face with visors. Exterior is in good shape, minor scratches. Inside is in perfect shape, foam intact, no tears. Black one is a child Small and the Yellow one is a child Medium. $50 each Contact Pete Hagen at: (760) 451-0845

Dumont Camp Location: Last year, we camped near restroom 6, which is between the two long fingers, but nearer the tips than in the past. This worked well, so look for us somewhere in grid C6 of the map on the right. The exact location will be determined by whoever arrives first.

This month we would like to thank Jim Kastle for sending in newsletter content. We’d also like to thank Jeannie and everyone else who contributed easter egg prizes. This event was a lot of fun and we’re all looking forward to doing it again. We can’t wait to see everyone at Dumont, the river, or Coral Pink. - P.J. and Melissa Kastle

Inland Empire Offroad Association P.O. Box 132411 Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

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Business Phone: __________________________ As with any organization there are guidelines we operate within. Please read and abide by the following: 1. NO FIREWORKS ALLOWED WITHIN CAMP BOUNDRIES 2. DOGS MUST BE KEPT UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES (BLM law) 3. ON A RIDE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND YOU. If they stop, you stop and wait for the group to return to you. This prevents separation and in this manner we never leave a member in the dunes. Remember, it’s easier to find you if you stay still: “a moving target is harder to hit” 4. PLEASE OBSERVE THE “RIDE RATINGS” ON THE CLUB BOARD AND SELECT THOSE RIDES YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN. If you wish to lead a ride, put the time and type of ride you want to lead on the board and then stick to that time. No passing on rides (except #6 rides). You can always change your place in line at a break or if you are waved on by the driver ahead of you. 5. REMEMBER, WE ARE A GROUP OF FRIENDS who share a common interest in riding in the desert. Always keep in mind how your actions affect the other members.

SIGNATURE:_________________________________________DATE:____________________ How did you hear about the club?___________________________________________________ Annual dues are $35 per family. Each 12 month membership includes a monthly newsletter. Send your check or money order to: Inland Empire Offroad Association P.O. Box 132411 Big Bear Lake, CA 92315