It was Friday evening and my girlfriend, Wanda, and myself decided it would be a great drive to Maclean to set up camp. We could not stay as i work Saturdays and Wanda is at school but the sun was out, the top was down and the tank was full, so lets cruise.
We arrive to a VERY full campground and luckily there is a spot for us in a loop occupied by Fourwheel Stampeders. We are told that the campground will try to not turn any AURS members away even if it means tripling up at the sites.
As i am casually setting up camp, i am informed of a night run that is leaving pronto. The Stampeders are doing a EASY run to the "lookout" aka "Top of the World". Is anything truly EASY?
Wanda is gung ho on this adventure as she has only been offroad once on Fisher East with me. This is a good thing...a girlfriend that WANTS to Wheel.
Off we go. The run is pretty much smooth with a little bit of excitement at the rock step ledges when a newbie wheeler follows Wanda, Kevin and myself running away from his fullsize truck . We run, he follows and his spotter Gunthar is telling him to watch him, not chase us Well we get him sorted out and continue to the "View" Now guys take this as a BIG HINT, pack a lunch and suprise your girl with a Mountain top romantic picnic. i had no food but Wanda was loving me for this spectacular view. Chalk another one up for fourwheelin. It gets even better, Wanda whom loves hiking in the mountains admits 2 things as we continue into the night on another cutline. One, that the jeep gets you to similar beautiful places that she hikes to AND you can do it at night! The rest of the trail is uneventful other than the affection i receive from Wanda. She is hooked
We say our goodbyes and head back to Calgary.

Its Saturday night and i have been asked to lead a night run for 7 other vehicles. We have 3 Cherokees (one of the bigass older variety)aka Terry, cLAY and Dahval. We also have Homie G and myself in TJ's. Bigtoy Freak in his Cruiser. Gun in his CJ, and 1mudnut in his CJ. Before we headed out i was asked how long will we be? He,he,he...Never answer that one when it comes to night runs.lol.
Now for those that have had the pleasure of following me on night runs, well you know that the odds of me remembering the trail is about 50/50 This trail i have done 2 times at night and i got lost once (the first time i was not the leader). The trail is 14 beer trail made famous by Glen Frey in his stock street tire TJ. Glen is the driver of the bulldozer at the cleanup and he drove the TJ that night like it was stolen! Anyway, off we go and i make the correct decision for the trailhead, this is a good start. It is 9:30 p.m. and very warm. We make our way to the first technical section
and i get a "gut feeling" that we should all bypass this as i am not sure what erosion has occurred from the winter and i know there is one spot that CONCERNS me. We back up (forgot we already passed the bypass) and make our way up. We stop to look at what i decided to not do and i think over half the group was relieved, while the other half is probablly questioning that anyone has ever done this obstacle.hahaha.
Along the cutline we continue and things are going well, i do not turn at the first intersection (last time i did and got lost) and my confidence is brimming that i have remembered the way. The next intersection i also do not turn at as i am really enjoying the night and i KNOW that at the next intersection we will turn. The next intersection never comes
The trail is tight and trees are eating the jeep. Wanda has decided that this night run is not as fun as the previous night. i can't hear her as she is hiding below the dash to escape the ruthless onslaught of tree branches. Yes, my windshield is down. As we go deeper, i start thinking that MAYBE i should have turned at that last intersection way back. When i reach the OHV boundary, i KNOW that we should have turned.
We call for a driver meeting to see how the group feels about continuing. Its official, we are explorers and the adventure must continue. In my mind i am thinking how the hell will Terry fit back up this tree narrowed hill we are descending?? To hell with them, we will find another way out Now, i should mention that Gun is incredible with maps and he admits that where we are does not exist. Great, on we go. Wanda is now concerned if i know what i am doing, i simply ask if she remembered to pack the survival food. She is loving me something fierce The trail branches and decisions need to be made. We send Homie G along the boundary line and he reports the trail ends Well this kinda sucks as our walking scouts have confirmed that the other trail gets really tight (the thought of Wanda hiding from the branches again does not sit well with me) We elect to take the tighter trail. An awesome trail it turns out to be! Several mudpits and deep root systems make it feel like rockcrawlin at times. Its warm, no rain and my lover beside me, what more could make this night any better? The trail ends. Well, not really but for our group it does unless the 3 cherokees are willing to look like Cory Deans truck after the TTC. You see there is a rockcropped short climb between 2 trees that Maybe the jeeps and cruiser will fit through but those cherokees will be destroyed. Chainsawing the trees is not an option. We have another driver meeting and learn from cLAY and Gun that we could be a while going back as those several mudpits have become one with all the traffic. Off we go again and as i look at my lovely, sleepy, cold girlfriend i thinks to myself that i am one lucky guy to have a girlfriend who has not uttered one complaint. i also look at 1mudnut and his 2 boys and think wow; what a way to spend Fathers Day, in the middle of a place that does not exist on a map and took us 4.5 hrs to get here, lucky boys indeed.
We head back and in the distance i hear revving motors combined with winches. Music to my ears, help is on the way. Oh shit, that is not help, its our part of the group we sent ahead. Now this music becomes white noise, that is an awful lot of winchin ahead. We reach the mudpit that is now VERY LONG and VERY DEEP and VERY RUTTED. i winch and i winch again. Finally we all are through and heading to the predetermined meeting spot. As i reach the Boundary line i expect to see a nightmare of the first group trying to get up between the trees and lo and behold they are nowhere to be seen. Thank Gawd, i have never been so happy to not find part of a wheelin group. We meet up ahead and proceed back to the intersection that we should have turned on and head up to the "lookout" aka"Top of the World". i lovinly look at Wanda sleeping and can't resist to nudge her awake to experience the romance from the night before, "hey honey, look where we are" There is no response but "you owe me another night run" He, he, he obviously she doesn't know that these are how my nightruns NORMALLY go
We arrive in camp at 4 a.m. and off to sleep we go.
No one bitched or moaned. What a great group of adventurers we are. Wanda insists on cleaning the inside of my jeep on Sunday at her home (2 seasons worth) Ok, i say and than when she is done she takes me out for Dinner. i am in love.
She likes the 4 wheelin thing, now if i can teach her to drive so i can bring my bike on the next adventure
Til next time Over and Out.
P.S. no trees or animals were harmed in anyway and we will do this trail again, only further!!!!!