December 2009 Rooster by Paul Kastle

I thought I’d try a new format article this month, so let’s see how it goes!

The weekend before Thanksgiving we had five UTV’s in camp so we struck out on a little dune tour, along with AJ on his new (to him) Yamaha and Darrell on his ATV. We stopped at Olds Hill to check out the action, but not much was going on (above left). We then went on to Competition Hill (above right) where, while we were enjoying a beverage and Shirley’s trail mix, four club buggies came through with Walt in the lead. They were on a mission though and didn’t see us so we packed up and worked our way back to camp. (Continued on page 2)

ghetti dinner on New Year’s eve.  This newsletter is delayed slightly so that we could cover some of the  For those of you who weren’t able fun from the big Thanksgiving trip. to make it to the picnic, most memFeel free to send in your own stories berships were up for renewal in Ocabout the fun though. tober. If you aren’t sure that you’re current, ask PJ or Melissa and we  The Christmas / New Years trip is can check the database for you. just around the corner. The TranWe’d also like to thank the many thams will arrive on or before Demembers who have already renewed cember 24th, and members will stay for another year. until at least Monday January 4th.  We’ll have our annual club spa-

The Rooster

December 9th: Club Meeting at the Denny’s in Redlands, 7PM. December 25th-January 3rd: New Years at Glamis, Wash 6. Plan on another long trip to the dunes to celebrate 2010. We’ll have our annual Spaghetti dinner on New Year’s Eve.

The next day we decided to go on a longer exploring trip to the south end of the dunes and the Wash Road. I’m not sure why, but when we go on these trips we always seem to come across a cemetery! This one was at the junction of the Wash Road and Ogilvie Road and appears to be from the old town of Ogilvie.

January 13th: Annual Election Meeting at the Denny’s in Redlands, 7PM January 15-18th: MLK dune cleanup Glamis trip, Wash 6.

We went on from the cemetery to find the old American Girl Mine site about another five miles south of the cemetery. After looking it up we found that this site was active back in the early 1900’s mining kyanite, a blue-green mineral once used in kilns and furnaces. We found some examples of kyanite embedded in granite and quartz rock, and AJ found a very interesting piece of petrified wood. While exploring the area we found a couple of deep mining pits and huge mounds of mine tailings in the area.

A couple of days later our friends Bill & Diane, who were camped in Wash 12, invited us to go on a buggy ride with them. Kris took her car and I rode with AJ. We zoomed our way around the dunes out around Hill 3 & 4 for a couple of hours. I learned it had been a long time since I’d been on a fast (Continued on page 3)

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Mary Beth Cochran 12/5 Justin Grossmann 12/17 Mona Bacon 12/20

Dale Downsworth 12/21 Gene Sherman 12/25 Rory Campbell 12/27 Nicole Martine 12/30

(Continued from page 2)

buggy ride, and even longer since I’d been a passenger! AJ was doing a great job keeping up with the better suspended cars, but I nearly lost my lunch a few times! I think I’ll just stick to my Ranger from now on!

As I alluded to before, AJ has a new motorcycle and he has been anxious to ride it in the dunes. After a few days of following us around he knew he needed a little more excitement so he struck out to find some air. He found it in the small dunes just outside camp and I just happen to be there, camera in hand! Thanksgiving is one of my personal favorite trips due to all the club members being around and the great Thanksgiving dinner. It’s always a great time. We’re looking forward to the New Years trip, and hope to see you all there! Mike Bacon

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My First Trip to the Dunes: By Allison Kastle Mommy and Daddy put me in the truck and we drove for a really long time. I was a really good girl, and I didn’t cry at all on the way to the dunes. Daddy was really excited, and kept saying ‘Vrooommmmm” to me all week. Mommy spent two days packing all of my clothes and lots of diapers. Once we got there, there was no house, and it was cold. Mommy bundled me up in my snow suit, and we visited with Walt. Daddy turned our trailer from a garage into a living room with a neat second story bed for the three of us. The next morning I stayed with Grandma while Mommy and Daddy went for a dune buggy ride. Mommy had lots of fun but she missed me lots. I didn’t miss her too much. I got to meet the guy with the pretty red buggy and he gave me a present him and a lady named Janice, who wasn’t out at the dunes yet. I got the cutest hat. It has a big flower on it and Mommy says I look beautiful in it and that she wants a new couch. I don’t know what that’s about… That night we went to meet Mama Jeannie at the pizza place. I got a first class tour of the whole restaurant. Then we went back to camp and I got to stare at the prettiest light ever. It was all orange and warm and right in the middle of camp. I could just stare at it for hours. The next day, Daddy took the dogs and they left. I don’t know where they went, but Dad said something about working for a few days and Mommy and I slept in. Grandpa kept saying “He’s here all week.” On Tuesday night, Daddy and Grandpa Jim came back to the dunes. On Wednesday we went back to see Mama Jeannie because Mommy said she wasn’t cooking. I started to get angry before Mommy was done with her food, but Mama Jeannie made it all better by carrying me around so Mommy could eat. On Thursday I celebrated my first Thanksgiving at the dunes. Apparently this is a holiday where everybody comes out to the sand and eats a lot of food. Mommy and Daddy said something about having a lot to be thankful for this year, but I’m just thankful for my bathtub. The next day we went into a place called Yuma that Daddy says is “So Cool”. It was crowded in my favorite stores, I guess everybody came out to the stores to see me, but I forgot to wear black. Apparently you’re supposed to do that on the Friday after Thanksgiving… On Saturday we went to visit Mama Jeannie again, and there were a lot more people there. I got to hang out with Uncle Scott’s friend Patty while Mommy and Daddy ate dinner. Then we went back to camp an looked at the pretty orange light again. The next day Daddy turned our white box back into a garage, and I wore my very first Glamis T shirt. Then we went for a long ride in the truck again and I got cranky so Mommy and Daddy stopped and got milkshakes. Daddy wanted a break from the traffic too. Then we got back home, and ever since Daddy’s been talking about how he can’t wait to go duning again. Thanks for reading my very first newsletter article, and I will see all of my adoring fans in the dunes for New Years.

The Rooster

The 2009 version of the Spook Run at Salton Sea Beach arrived the weekend of Oct. 24-25, and IEOA was well represented. Although known as the Spook Run for many years, the name was changed last year to the Spooktacular Run due to some complaints that the name “Spook” might offend some people. I guess there are people out there in the world that really need to get a life! I arrived at the Salton Sea Beach Marina on Thursday morning to find the Fords there, along with their Havasu neighbors, Dennis and Georgia, who had come along to try out the Ranger they had just bought. As I was setting up the trailer in our spot my phone rang. It was Shirley wondering when we might be arriving. I said “I’m here! Look out your door.” But she didn’t believe me! She thought I was pulling her leg and kept arguing with me for a couple of minutes, until she finally walked out from behind her motorhome and saw me waving at her 100 ft away! See Shirley, I’d NEVER steer ya wrong! Doug arrived later that afternoon and we all sat around and enjoyed the scenery of the lake and birds, and just talked for while. Friday morning the rest of the group had some other things to do so Doug and I went for a ride up in to one of the canyons where we stopped and did a little shooting. Bill Martine had given me a hard time about shooting bottles last year so this year we were 100% biodegradable, I brought walnuts to shoot! Only problem was, you ever try to hit a walnut from 30 ft away? How about 5 feet? Needless to say we didn’t hit many, but at least the local animals will enjoy what we left them. Friday night the group took off to have dinner at the Travertine Grill, however I stayed behind to wait for Mona and AJ who were on their way out. A little after the group got back Mona called to say they were getting close, so I took off and met them at the Travertine for our dinner. We happened to mention we were part of the big group that had been in earlier and the waitress said we’d probably have a much quieter dinner. Unfortunately, she forgot about the karaoke going on! I’ll tell you, there are a lot of interesting people out at the Salton Sea, but not one of them can sing! Saturday morning found us all getting ready for the Spook (tacular) Run. We headed out after getting our registrations with four Rangers (Schellinger, Bacon, Ford, and Dennis & Georgia), a Jeep (the Porters), the Mini-Monster Tracker (the Olivers with Walt), and AJ on his motorcycle keeping track of all of us, and trying not to get run over by any of us! Bill Martine had stayed in camp to wait to go with Jeremy and Rebecca and their new buggy. It was a little warm, and a lot dusty, but we had a good time running a lot of trails on the east side of HWY 86, then ended up on the west side for the return trip. Of course it wasn’t warm or dusty for the Olivers, Walt, the Porters, or Don Ford (who gave up his seat in the Ranger to ride with the Porters), who were riding in their air conditioned vehicles! Pansies! We all made it back in good shape, but no one had what you would consider a winning poker hand. Sunday morning some of the group went over to the raffle and awards ceremony while Mona and I, then AJ and I went exploring around Salton Sea Beach. Interesting area with all the old homes and trailer in disrepair. Most of the group left for home by about noon on Sunday, but those of us that were left decided to go for a late afternoon ride to the Honda Memorial. The Porters decided not to take their Jeep and jumped in to take available seats in the Rangers. I’m not sure how he did it, but Don convinced Shirley he was “needed” more at the casino than on our ride! As we left him behind he called out “If you have a problem don’t call me, I don’t have a cell phone!”, so I guess we were really on our own! The four Rangers made the trek without incident and everyone got to see the Honda Memorial, and a long distance look at the Toilet Monument. We got back to camp just as it was getting dark, and I loaded up as I had to leave in the morning. All in all a very enjoyable trip with good riding and good friends! -Mike Bacon

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The Hagens have three for sale ads this month: Karissa’s 2005 Honda 250 EX: 5 speed automatic clutch with reverse, stock engine and exhaust, plastic and seat in excellent condition, original owners manual, 4 knobby tires, Green Sticker good for 2010 $2,000 1994 Monaco Dynasty, 300 HP Turbo Cummins, Allison 6sp, Pac Brake, 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

Congratulations Chuck and Janece!!!

Walt has his Shortstar Sandrail For Sale: Megasand Transaxle, 18 inches of travel front and rear, 1.25 inch Chromoly tubing, Aluminum side panels and wing trunk, Tube Frame Suspension Seats, 1300 lbs complete $20,000 Call Walt: (909)641-3045

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 for more details

This month we would like to thank Mike Bacon for submitting two articles, and Allison for being such a great baby during her first dune trip. We’d also like to thank everyone for all the great things they’ve had to say about our little girl. We can’t wait to see everybody in the dunes soon. - P.J. and Melissa Kastle

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