WF Bi##ch Thread

[Comanchedude]

I broke my Jeep way to early in the day! He He

I do think they should have the porta potties back at the lower parking area.

We had fun as we have every year. Bob Loose did a great job on the red trail . seeya next winterfest

 

[REWSTER]

I have nothing to bi#ch about

I do agree about one drink(soda or water) with the dinner

for now i am just enjoying being a guest but i will probably volunteer one of these years

 

[Pat]

I would love to see the morning runs take off earlier and have optional afternoon runs planned as well. How popular was the Thursday evening early reg and tech? Maybe add another session Friday night? I'd be willing to help tech rigs in the evening before to help get things going more quickly in the morning.

With CB channels posted in advance, we could take off by 9:30am and any late arrivals could catch up.

I suggest a sign up thread to get the appropriate number of people to volunteer to help clean up after dinner. Event organizers should be excluded from this list...there are too many other people that can take care of this.

I am going start thinking about (and eventually test) a route through the pink/red obstacles and everything else in that area (quarry included) in an effort to create a longer, more interesting run for the "difficult" group.

 

[seanR]

I think we need to talk to Kyle and try to get our registration and his registration tied together some how.
We need to ask him to open earlier to allow more time to get people in and registered. I think he should have no problem with it, after all, how many people were there that weeken besides us?
We nee to start working together more with the Badlands.

 

[emptypockets86]

??

So you were the guy that we stopped for?

You should have waited for me to come to you, I was on my way when you decided to head to green.

I could have gotten you all sorted out.

Rev

At that point we were pretty confident (don't ask me why) we could find the green group. Plus, I was the one who was late and didn't want to hold everyone else up because of it.

Andrew (SnoTrax), again I'm sorry that things worked out the way they did, next year you'll remember the time zone change and hopefully I'll be there for the offical ride as well, I'd rather be wheeling than changing a starter in the mud. You missed a great dinner but the roads continued to get worse through the night. See ya next year.

LOL, it's Anthony, not Andrew. However, I'm so used to be calling Andrew by my neighbor for the last three years I'll probably answer to both at this point.

I do want to make it clear that I did have a great time. Everyone I did talk to were super nice and helpful. I ended up with some good stories to tell and will be better prepared for next time. As soon as I get a little more extra cash (just renewed my Ford club membership) I plan to join . I'm not sure how I'm going to support two habits now tho....

 

[Pat]

Good point, and I would expect him to be open to it. Will help the others outside our group to get in more quickly as well.

We could set up a registration table in his building that would allow our folks to pay and register all in one place.

 

[macgyvr]

Good point, and I would expect him to be open to it. Will help the others outside our group to get in more quickly as well.

We could set up a registration table in his building that would allow our folks to pay and register all in one place.

This ^

I have more to add, but if we could put our registration with the Badlands I think that would help.

Also as little other badlands visitors there are that day, we could do the upper parking lot maybe where there are restrooms.

I think that they are trying to save money with the porta johns, i.e. new building with restrooms and showers, so in March there aren't any on the lower parking lot. To add one for 100 people for an hour or two in the morning for two mornings...I'm not sure what that costs but definately cuts into someone's income for the weekend.

I'll admit I wasn't around as much for registration and such as I wanted to be...had a few other things going on. I'll promise to try to make MI happen again, but that's going to be year to year, we've tried for two years and this was the first year it worked out.

As far as the raffle, the more you put in the better your chances are. I only won 3 things, just worked out that they were all decent prizes. I spent $120 on the raffle. Kim spent alot, so did Dan, I know a least a couple more that spent $100 or more. Thats a big money maker that a lot of people have put time, effort, and energy into making it happen. Everytime I won I knew there would be sneers and jeers, but it happens every year and I'm not upset by it, I just run with it. In the end, I'm taking stuff home and the jeers aren't...

I think if there was a way to maybe rent some chairs or see if the vfw would buy some, that might help, everyone did get a seat right? I thought the food was outstanding this year, the beef was amazing. Didn't everyone get to eat and get seconds if they wanted? I think its one of the biggest places to rent...and has a bar... The hotel wouldn't allow us to seat everyone in one place. We are over 100 people...it blows my mind. $15 bucks for hall rental, a nice meal, and access to the raffle is a deal in my book. We talked about reduced kids pricing and we'll discuss it further before next year.

The floor was a lot better than last year, hats off to all who made a conscious effort to try to keep it clean. And thanks to those who cleaned up!

I think that the event went well and the weather was better than predicted, the rain on friday sucked, but as usual we made the best of it wherever we were partying!

mac 'had a blast, not much to b!tch about' gyvr

 

[Fullsizexj]

Keep the sticker, dash plaque, t shirt, and dinner. I don't drink alcohol (and only soda on rare occasions I go out to eat) and go cheap for dinner (today I spend a total of about 10 dollars for food all day). I spend 27 dollars for 30 one liter bottles of water and refill them with tap water and replace the bottles about every 6 months. I was just saying that I enjoy the trail time. While I don't want to cheap out the website, just a trail ride (especially if you are going to do an all day thing where you can only be in with people you know if you do the event when they are doing the trail) option would be nice.

dude, I paid the 30 bucks and did not even show up and could care less about the stuff I did not get from registration, it is an event with a registration fee to attend, it covers costs, if you do not take advantage of the whole event, then don't complain about it, they do not discount a movie if you do not stay for the whole thing do they ??

 

[WB9YZU]

Putting registration inside by the place where you sign a waiver and pay is a good idea!

LOL! I looked all over for the usual porta-potties, just to find that they made an Indiana Brick shitter out of them

As far as fees go, "supporting the Club", having dinner with the Group, and some people not being willing to wheel with those that won't stay for dinner...

I came down for the day to show up, "Support the Club", wheel and head back. I showed up a "bit late" as I think I was really the last one to hand in their slip to Sean.

After declining dinner, which I'm sure would have been great, but considering the start time about 6pm I had to decline, the mention of a fee didn't come up. So I hedged the subject and asked if there was something I owed? Nope, no dinner, no shirt, no fee. Well, OK, Hmmmm...

Considering the remarks here by Rev and others, and some past reaming about "supporting your Club", perhaps there should have been some attendance fee to cover insurance?

And to those folks with whom I didn't get to break bread with at supper... Well, if you don't want to run trails with me because of it, that's OK too. .!.0.!.

Trail riding is a social experience in and of itself. I've spent time exploring trails with folks who have long since been my friends/trail buddies; folks I would hit the trail with at any time. There have been notable exceptions, but you'll get that in any social interaction.

It's all what you want to make of it

 

[jeepmanwi]

I could see a discount for kids meals but its not breaking the bank.
Too much time at registration. too much standing around waiting for the drivers meeting.
Breaking up into smaller groups works well. We did that on the Red trail Saturday. One registration price is a good thing.
Well organized this year. Gets better each year.
I had a great time once again. Great raffle prizes, my hat is off for those that worked on putting on a great event. I know what goes into it.

 

[lesslimited]

I see many good ideas here, but I think the one thing that would improve the experience for the largest percentage of people would be smaller trail groups. My small Orange trail groups this year and last were about the perfect size.

I don't think we need leaders to know the trails like the back of their hand, if you get lost we don't need to call Search and Rescue. Someone that can pick a good line for the rest to follow, and lead a safe recovery, maybe point out some optional lines, is all that's really necessary.

 

[Pat]

I like the idea of using the upper lot again as the staging area.

Registration in the office where people pay the Badlands, and tech out back (and/or in line while waiting on the entrance road?). Restrooms on site, plenty of room to form lines in the lot. This might also help increase Badlands gear sales with so much going on in and around the office building. Everyone wins.

 

[Fore Wheeler]

there's always going to be a wait before the drivers meeting for those that are on time/early. The people that were lining up the rigs and teching them in were busy right up to the meeting. We need to stress how important it is to be on time or early. It also didn't help that the Badland's staff was late Sat morning.

 

[00XJ49]

I was a newbie to WF, and this was also my first trail run ever. The experience was a BLAST - awesome time on the trails (had no idea what my rig was capable of), super friendly people, excellent food at the pot luck...

HOWEVER, I considered the administration/organization of the event to be TERRIBLE. I'm a governement engineer, so documentation is my life. In this regard, I might be a little biased, but the documentation available at the event was a half a step above non-existant. The only tangible instruction I was provided with was a map of the park, which was basically a joke - it only provided a rough idea of the trails, and didn't mark any of them as "green", "orange", or "red". When I asked both the guy at the Badlands registration desk and the lady at the guard shack where the Winterfest group was, they both had no idea what I was talking about (the large group of XJs did give it away, granted). I only managed to catch the appropriate line and CB channel by listening to people yelling at each other as the rigs were lining up. Nobody told me about calling "clear" after each obstacle (figured it out after the tail-gunner complained to my buddy behind me - also a newbie - for not doing it).

Another gripe I've got... The schedule for Friday as posted in the registration thread:

Friday:
9:00AM Registration
10:30AM Trail runs
1:00PM Quarry Lunch, play time, Jeep games
2:00PM Trail runs (pick-up runs)
6:00PM Pot luck at campground
Attica Family Campground
3970 N. Xavier Road, Attica, Indiana 47918 - (765) 762-6189
http://www.atticacamping.com

To me, this meant that registration was running until 10:30. So when me and my buddy showed up just before 10, imagine our exasperation when we got a snarky attitude for showing up "late".

Also, I'm a little honked off at the "tech inspection". I installed some tow-hooks, which are bolted to brackets that mount to the front of my subframe rails (sandwiched between them and the bumper mount brackets). My grill guard is mounted to the same brackets. For some reason, I was given quite a bit of grief about the way they were mounted, and told to "fix it" before coming back next year. My buddy has hooks mounted in EXACTLY THE SAME FASHION - the only difference is that he has a large bumper cover (was driving the stock Grand in the back), so they couldn't actually see the mounts. They told him he was "just fine".

All those things really didn't get to me until Saturday, though, when I witnessed the ultimate failure of this event. All those other things can be forgiven, since is a member run and supported organization, but this was completely unacceptable.

I was in the back of the line on Saturday, just in front of Jeff, just behind the Jimmy. When the Jimmy got stuck on the trail beyond the quarry, we called on the CB for the blue Cherokee in front of him not to pull away - and off he went (I have video evidence, which I'll be sure to post as soon as I get it uploaded).

As far as I'm concerned, the fee I paid was for the trial runs (no complaints on that). And I THOUGHT the point of the trial run was so that if someone did get stuck, everybody (except the lead and tail, of course) had someone in front of and behind them to help get them out. I even recall (probably have it on video as well) someone (Bob?) calling out at the beginning of the run for us all to keep an eye on the guy in front of and behind us as much as possible. So WHAT THE CRAP!?

Again, I did have alot of fun, which outweighed my complaints, but I'll give the same ultimatum that I received: fix it before next year. Primarily, make it a more newbie-friendly environment.

 

[REWSTER]

Nobody told me about calling "clear" after each obstacle (figured it out after the tail-gunner complained to my buddy behind me - also a newbie - for not doing it).


As far as I'm concerned, the fee I paid was for the trial runs (no complaints on that). And I THOUGHT the point of the trial run was so that if someone did get stuck, everybody (except the lead and tail, of course) had someone in front of and behind them to help get them out. I even recall (probably have it on video as well) someone (Bob?) calling out at the beginning of the run for us all to keep an eye on the guy in front of and behind us as much as possible. So WHAT THE CRAP!?
.

did you pay attention in the drivers meeting before the runs?
they covered the "clear" and how only the leader and gunner are to pull out a stuck vehicle
when the jimmy got stuck i remember hearing on the CB someone telling BOB to go ahead and that part of the group would catch up

 

[00XJ49]

Missed the driver's meeting on Friday - I was "late". And I didn't see a driver's meeting anywhere on Saturday.

I don't recall anyone telling Bob to go ahead - might have been outside the Jeep at that point.

And if only the lead and tail were supposed to pull out stuck vehicles, how come I was asked by a green hoodie to pull Xin off a high-side on Friday?

 

[RAM-ROD]

when the jimmy got stuck i remember hearing on the CB someone telling BOB to go ahead and that part of the group would catch up

X2

All i can say is there is always room for improvment BUT. Tara and I had a great weekend , met some really good people.

I am not one to bitch much so all I can really add is Please let me know if I /We can help in anyway next year.

John

 

[99SJ_Ex]

And if only the lead and tail were supposed to pull out stuck vehicles, how come I was asked by a green hoodie to pull Xin off a high-side on Friday?

The reason they asked you to do that was Bob and the front of the group were in the stream with about 15 Wranglers trying to get through and the tail-gunner was about 10 Cherokees back with really no way to get to him. That was a sticky situation that called for someone that was in front of or behind the stuck vehicle to help. That is exactly why they like to get a not-so-built rig inbetween the more-built rigs for instances such as this. Bob was informed and made the call as is/was his responsibility. Just trying to clarify the situation.

 

[Rev Den]

You were there for the drivers meeting where everything you mentioned was covered. Your bumper/grillgaurd/tow hooks were only mounted to the stock 8 bumper bolts, ans your grill guard moved when I pulled on it. Leaders and gunners "supervise" all recoveries, which they did. Time tables are fluid, the more events you attended the more you will see that. CB channels were covered at the meeting, if you had questions you should have asked your leader or gunner. Glad you made it, hope to see you again.

Rev

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[Rev Den]

Alomst forgot. The large MWC banner on the side of the trailer should have given you an idea where the registration was.

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