July 2010 Rooster by Paul Kastle

The Return to Coral Pink!

By Kris Schellinger July, 2000

Literally, after waiting a year, we returned to Coral Pink. As of the week of our departure, we had no confirmed reservations for the group site. Jim called Utah right before he left to join Nancy and PJ in Mesquite for 4th of July and he was told the site had been taken. I had called the day before to be told they still weren’t accepting any reservations. It was unbelievable that after calling for a year, we lost the site by one day. But ever-resourceful Arlene Keirns called again, and must have spoken to someone other than who Jim spoke to, because she got the site and we were set. How it happened, who knows, it was just one of the weird coincidences that occurred over the week. The night in Mesquite is told by Shirley in the next story, so I’ll just go on to Coral Pink. PJ had a slight problem with the dually going through the Virgin River Gorge, but between Jim and Buick Bob, they had the truck headed in to St. George in just a few minutes. We had some rain going through Hurricane and about the time we got pulled over and people got their buggies covered, it pretty much stopped. Go Figure! We pulled into the State Park after getting AV Gas in Kanaab to find the group site almost set up. We unhitched our trailer and backed the motor home into place. Our first surprise was to see Jerry and Linda Trantham parked close to the group site. They were on their way home from Colorado and stopped for the night. They left early Sunday morning so we didn’t get a chance to take them on a buggy ride. (Continued on page 2)

this year. It will be a great first trip  Can you tell we’re ready for Coral in their new (Scott Cole’s old) 40 Pink? The biggest and arguably foot Weekend Warrior fifth wheel. best trip of the year is starting on July 5th for some members who are  Once again we’ll post pictures durspending time in Mesquite. ing the trip to Coral Pink, and thanks to the website now being on  We will be in the park at Coral Pink Shutterfly it should make uploading from Thursday, July 15th through pics from the trip even easier. Saturday, July 24th. Watch for updates every few days as  John, Anna, and Brianna Cole will we go to town for lunch. be making their first Coral Pink trip

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July 11th-15th: Some members will be spending time in Mesquite. July 15th-24th: We’ll be in the park at Coral Pink from Thursday through the following Saturday. July 24th-25th: One more night in Mesquite on the way home. August 11th: Club meeting at the Denny’s in Redlands, 7PM. August 13th-15th: Club river trip to the Ford’s in Lake Havasu City AZ.

The riding was excellent this year. The first few days the sand was wet enough you could actually get a little traction. Within a day, the sand dried out and you’ve never seen soft sand like at Coral Pink. Walking can become a chore in the dunes. Of course, this didn’t stop the young kids from climbing every dune when we would stop for breaks. The adults just stayed at the bottom and wondered where the kids got all their energy. Barry Baker’s buggy wasn’t running well in the altitude on his first ride so he headed back to camp for some tuning up. Unfortunately, one of the Subaru motor’s injectors decided to break and with no spares in camp, Barry was convinced he was done for the trip. However, in this world of FedEx and UPS, it wasn’t too hard to get an injector sent out from Atlanta, Georgia and by Wednesday, Barry was ready to go again. But we all had a little something in mind for Barry before he hit the dunes. More on that in a minute. Mark and Yvonne Szymanski had their new Dunntech long-travel, mid-engine, V-6 turbo car out in the dunes and were ready to rock and roll. The car is beautiful.!! And the motor is QUIET!!! Mark was having an excellent time driving this new beauty and Yvonne and the kids, Tyler and Tanner, were enjoying every minute of the rides. However, Monday afternoon, tragedy (for anyone but a member of Inland Empire Offroad Assoc.) struck and the tranny broke. Buick Bob towed Mark back to camp. Mark and Yvonne were crushed. But, one phone call to Sean Dunn in Crestline had a new tranny on its way to the Szymanski’s house in Redlands where Yvonne’s mother was going to drive it to Vegas the next day. Mark and Yvonne took Jim’s pickup and left early Tuesday morning to get to the Excalibur and the tranny. While they were gone , we were at camp when we saw Walt helping to guide a large diesel pusher motor home which was pulling Danny Burns’ double-decker trailer. Ron Gibson (who had bought the trailer) and his wife and daughter were returning to SoCal from the St. Anthony Dunes in Idaho. This was just another weird happening, Danny’s trailer in Coral Pink. The Gibson’s went on a ride with us and were present for Shirley Ford’s pirouette off BJ hill. Shirley landed, alive and well, thank goodness, with only her right rear tire off the bead. The sane people in the group were opting for an air pump and tie down to fix the tire, the insane people were insisting that only the can of ether that Walt had would do the job. Buick Bob showed his skill at using ether by first blowing the tire over the rim. Second time he just got an explosion and flames. Third time we were back over the rim. Fourth time, it was decided to put an air pump on the tire at the same time as using the ether. The tire still didn’t reseat on the rim and a funeral was needed for the poor blown apart air pump. The Gibsons figured we were nuts by this time. Several more applications of the ether and Shirley was back in business and we were all exhausted from laughing so hard. Back at camp, Mark and Yvonne’s car was made ready for the new tranny that would soon arrive. Using a “come-along” and a strategically placed tree, the engine and broken tranny were pulled and after the new tranny arriv3d, with the help of everyone, the new tranny was installed. The smiles on Mark and Yvonne’s faces made everything worthwhile. The next day, twenty-two men, women and children piled into our motorhome for this year’s day trip to the Grand Canyon. Barry and his father, Bruce, stayed back at camp waiting for the injector to arrive from Georgia. We started the trip with a GREAT breakfast at the Thunderbird Resort in Mt. Carmel Junction. We had discovered this place last year and with a little pushing (okay, a lot of pushing) from Arlene, we drove the 15 miles in the opposite direction of the Grand Canyon to enjoy breakfast. Mark and Yvonne surprised all of us by picking up the check for the entire group as a way of saying thank-you for everyone pitching in on their “tranny crisis”. After breakfast, we were back in the motorhome for the drive to the North Rim. What a spectacular spot! We all hiked out to the end of Angel’s Peak and basically stood in awe of the scenery. After a little shopping (we had to get a few things for the night’s entertainment) we gathered back together and discussed several options of what to do next. Going duning won out! So it was back to the motor home and we headed back to camp. For those who have never trav(Continued on page 3)

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eled this route from Southern Utah to the North Rim, in one area you drive through a meadow surrounded by pine tree covered hills that is just beautiful. We saw a couple of deer and a coyote wandering around. I kept waiting for Ben Cartwright, Hoss, Adam, and Little Joe to come riding out of the trees. Back at camp we found Barry finished with his buggy (the injector had arrived in St. George). Barry was not allowed to drive the car just yet. After an afternoon ride and one of our great pot-luck dinners, the evening’s entertainment was set to begin. By everyone’s best calculations, Barry had been working on his car for over four years. The Subaru motor was his third engine and he’s really not had a flawless trip to this point. This was going to change. It had been decided that Barry’s car was possessed by demons and we needed to rid the car, and thus, Barry, of said demons. We had the sweet, innocent kids push Barry’s car over to the group site’s campfire. Mark and Yvonne brought out the tiki torches and placed them around the car. Jim had bought “Desert Monsoon” incense to wash away the evil spirits so that was lit and placed by the car. Shirley hung an Indian Dream Catcher on the rear-view mirror. We all took turns parading around the car, Jim sprinkled water on the car, we won’t mention what Buick Bob sprinkled on the back tire of the car; we laughed until we were crying. The last broken part, the injector, I placed in an Indian “Medicine Bag” and Barry and Cody tossed it into the fire along with a personal item each that won’t be mentioned. This had to be on of the funniest moments in the Inland Empire Offroad Assoc.’s history. Barry was very touched by everyone’s efforts. And guess what? It worked. Except for a little blow-by, Barry’s buggy ran great the rest of the trip proving the saying, “Sometimes it takes more than just parts to make a buggy run!” It was hard to believe that Thursday had arrived. We rode and rode. If I remember correctly, only one night the group didn’t get together for a pot-luck dinner. Most mornings we even had communal breakfasts. Special thanks to Arlene and Shirley for keeping us all organized and doing almost all of the cooking. Friday came and we had to accept the fact that this was our last full day. We had an “Alternate Driver Ride” with those who don’t usually drive the buggies getting their shot at it. Devon drove Jim’s buggy again this year even though Jim never once teased her about her math grades. Yvonne has Mark out looking for his own new buggy after getting her shot at driving. David drove our car. Linda started by driving PJ’s car and then she and Devon switched because she was having trouble reaching the pedals. Buick Bob led the ride again this year and did an excellent job. We’re definitely going to have these rides more often. Saturday morning it was time for a last ride and then the difficult job of breaking down camp and leaving the wonderful Coral Pink Sand Dunes. This was truly the best trip ever! The fun of having the Szmanskis, Walt, and Nancy Kastle on their first trip to Utah, the great dinners together, our day trip, the rides, everything including the rangers being soooo much more relaxed and pleasant this year all added up to a tremendous time for everyone. We caravanned down to State Line where everyone could play the games they liked whether it was gambling or video games. The kids, young and old alike, rode the roller coaster and log ride at Buffalo Bills. Sunday morning, the Fords and Bakers left before anyone was up and around. We quickly followed and were met at Peggy Sue’s in Barstow by the Keirns for breakfast. This gave us one last moment to hang on to the trip before it was home and the task of cleaning the motor home and getting back to reality. We’re already looking forward to next year. We’ll probably be going the last week of June (works better for several people’s schedules) and we have our day trip planned - we’ll be river rafting next year.

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Friday Afternoon Ride By Mike Bacon With the Ranger season curtailed due to heat, it was time to do some local exploring on the motorcycle. Friday’s have been notoriously slow lately so I decided to take advantage of that and go riding. Leaving Elsinore right after lunch I was up on the Ortega Highway and watching out for the Black & Yellow Hit Squads. I was riding up on the Ortega a few weeks ago when I was stung by a bee. I am allergic to bee stings and it hit me pretty hard. I was forced to pull over about half way down the hill and use my epi pen, but was too weak to finish the ride. I ended up having to call Mona and AJ to come get me. I didn’t want to go through that again! The ride over Ortega was very nice. Nice breeze, the sights, the smells, OOH! A roadkill skunk! OK, maybe not all the smells, but it was still a nice ride. I came in to San Juan Capistrano to a lot of traffic. It was slow going but I made it through and ended up at the Oceanographic Institute at Dana Point. It’s always nice to see the ocean. It was a little hazy today, but not too bad. After enjoying the ocean for a while it was time to move on. Back through the traffic and I worked my way up to El Toro Road and Santiago Canyon. I arrived at the world famous Cook’s Corner on Santiago Canyon Road and stopped for a burger. Cook’s Corner is an old biker bar that has cleaned up it’s act recently to attract a better crowd than the outlaw bikers that frequented the area in the 80’s. It actually reminded me a lot of Duner’s Diner. Being a weekday it wasn’t too crowded and I was able to park my bike right up front. Big difference as on a weekend it very difficult to find a parking place within a mile of the place, especially if you’re driving a car. I finished refueling myself and I was back on the road again heading north in to Santiago Canyon. I then turned in to Silverado Canyon and rode through this very nice, tight canyon community to the Maple Springs gate and access to the service roads of the Cleveland National Forest. At Maple Springs the road, although still paved, narrows down to a very tight one lane and very rough. It goes (Continued on page 5)

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through a number of river crossings that still have a little water running, and a lot of very slippery algae on the road. Want to fall flat on your face? Just go through one of these river crossings at speed, or slightly leaned over! It’s like riding on ice. I avoided the face plant this time and worked my way up the mountain. About half way up the road turns to dirt. The road had been damaged a lot during the rainy season, but it has since been repaired. Part of the repairs included bigger, steeper rain cutouts which act like big speed bumps. I came across two different people on their way up the road in cars, both of which had gotten themselves stuck on rain cutouts, one in a big Mercedes sedan! I eventually reached the top of the mountain and a place called Four Corners. This is where a number of different forest roads intersect. One route goes up to the antennas on Saddleback Mountain, then on further all the way to Ortega Highway. I chose to go north a ways to another way down, Bedford Motorway, which comes down behind the Eagle Glen Golf Course in south Corona. While up on the mountain I stopped to check phone calls and while on the phone I watched a P51 Mustang fly right by at eye level! That was pretty cool! I worked my way down the hill and strongly resisted the urge to blow my horn at the guys trying to putt on the golf course. Sorry Doug, I just couldn’t do it! I finally reached the bottom and took Temescal Canyon Road past Tom’s Farms and on home. In the end I rode 105 miles of pavement and dirt over about 4-1/2 hours. It was a great ride and although my body is sore I’m ready to do it again!

Here’s some pictures Shirley Ford sent of her Grandson Troy riding the dunes in China, on a Camel! Cool Suff...

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Don and Shirley have their Fiberglass Dune Buggy For Sale: P.J. and Melissa have a Yamaha Golf Cart 1600cc dual port engine, street legal, For Sale: beautiful paint job, must see to appre1996 G14 Gas golf cart. Floor sits 24 ciate. inches above the ground. Runs well. $6500 $2000 obo Contact Don or Shirley Ford: Contact P.J. Kastle: (928) 680-0657 Home (951) 285-8459 (928) 846-2304 Cell pkastle@msn.com

Janice Tharp 7/2 Melissa Cole 7/20 Amanda McKenzie 7/23

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

David Huggard Dana Schellinger

7/24 7/24

This month we would like to thank Jim Kastle for finding the Coral Pink 2000 article, Nancy Kastle for typing it, and Kris Schellinger for writing it. Thanks to Shirley Ford for the China pictures, and also thanks to Mike Bacon for sharing his motorcycle ride with all of us. That serves as a great reminder to everyone else to let the club know what you’ve been up to. We all enjoy reading a variety of articles. Otherwise we’ll just go on and on about Coral Pink... - P.J. and Melissa Kastle

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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.

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