TDS

Terra Del Sol (TDS) 2010
Submitted by Keith Lyon

T.D.S 2010 is in the record books and once again the stories will live on for years. Rich W. was the first to show up and found us a great spot to camp. I arrived around 11:00 pm on Thursday and was greeted by Mike W. while deciding where to camp. After a quick scouting of the area, I pulled around and immediately got stuck. My boys and I jumped out and with a little digging managed to get unstuck pretty quick.
The next morning around 9:00, Rich W. decided sleep was over rated and was banging on the motor home to get ready for a Friday morning run. I looking around for Ric to join us and found out he was having engine problems. Rich W., Mike W. DuWayne, Mike B. and I headed out. We got to the base of the Phone Booth and found out Mike W.'s right front hub was not locking. A quick dismantle and corrected the problem. We then headed up to the Phone Booth. Mike W. and I took the front route and the rest of the group headed around back. Everyone made it to the top with no problems.
We all watched the Currie group with their new buggy make easy work of the hard line.
We then headed back to camp and some lunch and headed over to the vendor area. There seemed to be a lot of people milling about in the vendor area, more than I remember on previous Fridays.
That night a group of us headed over to the Notches to watch the fun ensue. Once again liquid courage was in full force. A guy in a newer Ford 4x4 destroyed his vehicle on one of the hills with no cares for the amount of damage he was causing, to the point where it would seem to the casual observer that he either stole it that day or it was getting reposed the next.
Saturday, the big run...Mike & Laura, Rich & Corkey, Derek and Dionne, DuWayne & Tina, Mike B., Jeremy and his friend, Justin, Teresa, Alex, Greg and Myself all hit the trail. We left later this year, about 9:15, and got in the long and endless line that is the Safari.
After driving at -.5 mph for about 4 miles the trail opened up a little. Mike W. and I were jockeying for position when I decided to take a short cut. Welllllll not such a great idea, it looked like a trail! I remember Alex yelling stop, and I noticed about the time he said that that the trail disappeared. Slammed on the brakes and the front tires slid to a stop and I thought to myself we were ok, then it moved a little forward and stopped again, again I thought we were ok, the a bigger slide and I figured we were done. We were done, the Jeep slid the rest of the way off and hit square on the front bumper. And again it just sat there for a good 5 to 6 seconds, all of a sudden it just rolled over on the hood then roof! I can't thank the members of On The Rocks enough, my family was out of the Jeep and out of the way in NASCAR time and style. Everyone there helped in some way, from finding all the things that flew out, making sure we were ok, getting the Jeep ready to flip back over, making sure no one walked away with any of my stuff and making it drivable for the rest of the trip. Rich and Mike took over the recovery and Derek, Tory and Mike B. helped out wherever it was needed. (If I have forgotten anyone I'm sorry it's kind of a blur). After we got the Jeep back over, dismantled a few things, I hit the starter a couple of times to see if the engine was hydro locked, and it seemed fine. I cranked the motor over and it fired right up and smoked pretty bad for a minute or two and ran fine. We threw all the stuff in the back, including the bent frame of the now non-existent windshield, my kids rode with a couple of people with open seats and we finished the trip at about 4:00 pm with no other problems. And again thanks to everyone; when the going got tough the tough got going!
About the only other excitement on the trail was a small optional trail (I got out and looked first) that Mike W. and I took. In a bit of showboating (a small crowd) I backed up the hill I had just come down and laid the Jeep on its side in a V-notch, started the motor back up and popped it back up on its wheels (Tory's son has video he needs to post).
That night a storm rolled in and it rained all morning making it a mud fest. Derek and I were one of the last to leave, kinda. Derek fired up the motor home, moved forward about 2 feet and it sunk in the mud. About an hour later he was back on dry ground and we headed home.
The one thing I want to make sure everyone understands, I did not roll, I drove off a CLIFF and then rolled. So much for a perfect record!
Again thanks to everyone. It sure is nice to wheel with people you can rely on!
Keith Lyon