I figured we needed some kind of thread that can just keep going day after day as guys post to tell all of the other guys what sort of noteworthy Cherokee, local trail, local 4x4 event or any other local news went on each day. For instance I will start:

Saturday I drove my Jeep out to the Reiter Trails OHV area. Reiter is still posted as closed and the SnoHo County Sheriff i ran into up there was more than happy to verify for me that it was still closed. There was a small group of 4x4 rigs parked in the parking area and a group of guys talking. There were cars parked at all of the road blocks that were blocking the roads into the trails. According to the paper I took out of the box on the Area Closed sign, there has been some serious fixing going on up there on the trails that don't require creek crossing...AND most of the work is being done by volunteer groups led by DNR staff. DNR is also working to obtain permits to build bridges on the trails that do cross creeks so those trails can eventually be opened back up. There is also contact information for a Mark Mauren. he is the Recreation Program Manager for Wa. state DNR, (360)902-1047 or mark.mauren@dnr.wa.gov. Who would be interested in getting a group of guys together form the PACNORWEST Chapter of CF to do some volunteer work up at Reiter? I for one would be more than happy to do my part to get Reiter opened back up. If I get 5 or more guys then I would contact this Mark Mauren and see what we could do to help.

 

i would volunteer. what do i need...

 

sign me up the sooner it opens up the sooner i can get dirty

 

im in too

 

So do we get "wheel" while we help

 

No, Reiter is still ABSOLUTELY closed to 4wheeling. If we do get to help as of now it would be just for that. I will keep in touch with this DNR guy and my plan would be to ensure we are all wheeling at Reiter on opening day.

 

So I had been getting indications over the past week or so that my headlight switch was about to give up the ghost...I.E. all exterior lights were getting dimmer and the headlights would just go off when I hit a bump just right. Wiggling the light switch **** would bring them back. So, tonight I went to Autozone and picked up a new headlight switch. To my surprise the connector was half melted to the old switch. I pryed the connector off but it was trash. I made a drawing of what wires went to what terminal on the switch and then I proceeded to carefully clip the connector apart with dykes. I then connected the individual wires onto their respective terminal on the switch. All lights work just like new. Just took a little bit of redneck engineering and a little more time than I first expected it would.

 

hey, yeah mine did the same when i got it. bought a new one and that one, wiggles just right and the lights go out. almost got a ticket...won't tell you where i got it though....





AUTOZONE!!!!

 

got to love that redneck engineering. I dont think there would be a single xj on the road without it

 

I just e-mailed Mark Mauren, the DNR guy in charge of the Reiter Rehab. so I'll give him a day or two to e-mail me back and then I'll start ringing his phone off the hook.

I also went up to Walker Valley last Saturday. There has been some serious trail work going on up there, as well. There are a even a few totally new trails open now that you guys need to check out. That day we were all up there with Master Pull really sucked. I will show you guys "ALL" of the trails Walker has. We really do need to put together a 4wheeling trip up there of all the CF guys sometime soon. I would like to propse Saturday, 17 April 2010. My wife and wee one will be out of town that whole weekend. I could literally campout there at Walker and wheel all weekend if I wanted to. That is 4 weekends away so I think that is enough notice for you guys to ask your bosses and the guys you work for to get that day off. All interested post up on this thread.

 

Check this out guys!!!!! I already got a response from Mark Mauren of DNR. I was impressed that he responded to my e-mail so quickly. Here is the e-mail traffic between he and I as of now. So, this David Way is the actual Recreation Manager for the Reiter Footjills area. I will give him a day or two to respond to me, meanwhile, I will find his contact information and I will contact him if i don't hear from him.

Hi Brian
I will pass your name on to David Way who is the recreation manager in that area.
I appreciate your willingness to step forward and be part of the solution instead of complaining. Though there has been a lot of angst by both the ORV and Environmental communities regarding Reiter Foothills.....we are making good progress on a number of fronts.
Probably the most important aspect is in the public relations arena.
Yesterday in a statewide conference call regarding developing an agenda for this falls WTC conference, a leader in the hiking community who two years ago was...let's just say not a fan of ORV 's spoke up and defended the ORV's folks at Reiter. He made a point of differentiated between the reasonable ORV's that he has met at Reiter and their progressive environmental ethic and the 1% of ORVer's who ruin it for the responsible riders.......this was monumental moment!!! and drives home why it is so important to have people like you and other participating in clean-ups and reconstruction of the Reiter Foothills area. It bridges relationship between users and makes opening up other areas easier.
Thanks again for volunteering and being part of the solution.
Mark

Mark R. Mauren
Assistant Division Manager
Recreation, Public Access and WCC Programs Asset Management and Recreation Division Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
(360) 902-1047
mark.mauren@dnr.wa.gov

-----Original Message-----
From: Buchanan, Brian J ATC VAQ-132, B386 R160 [mailto:brian.j.buchanan@navy.mil]
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:03 AM
To: MAUREN, MARK (DNR)
Subject: Reiter Trails OHV area Rehab.
Mark,
My name is Brian Buchanan. I am affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Chapter of a world wide Jeep Cherokee enthusiast online forum called cherokeeforum.com. I have been 4wheeling in Washington state for 20 years. The former Reiter Pit as we called it and now Reiter Trails OHV area has always been my favorite local 4wheeling spot. I would like to offer you some volunteer muscle to do some rehab. Work up at Reiter. I have already proposed doing this to my group. I have a half dozen guys from the area who have said they would come help me get some work done up there in hopes of getting our favorite 4wheeling spot open again and sooner. What is the minimum number of people I would need to get together, to come up to Reiter and help out? I was just up at Reiter last Saturday, 20 March 2010. I saw a group of 4x4 rigs and guys there that looked like they were putting together a "battle plan" to get some rehab work done. I am really serious about our desire to come up to Reiter and help out getting the trails into shape so they don't impact the environment and so we can enjoy them once again. Please write me back with information on how we can get up there when rehab work is going on and what we can do to help.
Very Respectfully,
Brian J Buchanan
Work: brian.j.buchanan@navy.mil
Home: mycub98@msn.com
Work: (360)257-5211
Cell: (360)929-5518
Home: (360)240-8400

 

My front turn signals would not blink so I tried everything possible other than replacing the wire from the switch. So I ran some wires from my rear turn signals and now I am good to go. I really hate wires period.

 

Very nicely put dialogue brian. I hope he lets us up there to help

 

yeah fingers are crossed.

 

I locked in the date and time to meet bucks kid in lynnwood to buy those springs.