OK, this isn't exactly a "Scout antic" entirely.. but there is a point to it! :)
Friday, June 19th, Dan and I climbed into the Scout for a trip to Missoula to see the new X-files movie and have a little fun. Aside from my "wide" 31x10.5s hydroplaning on water in the road ruts, and my soft-top dripping water on our knees (at freeway speeds, it seems the top "bows" up, and water collects on the top of the windshield frame, and ultimately finds it's way around and inside, only to drop on my knees), the drive over was uneventful - we had fun listening to the stereo and chatting (shouting) over the flapping of the 'top, and the roaring of the motor (with leaking exhuast manifold gasket)
We pulled into Missoula off the Reserve Street Exit, and headed to the new 10-plex THX theater. Traffic was backed up at the entrance, since there seems to be individuals in Missoula that are unaware of the proper manner to park - that is, you don't park in the middle of the main entrance/exit to the theater!
Being in a Scout, I started looking for a "way around".. there was a big field on the other side of the theater... hmmm.. there's gotta be a way around.
We drove down a side street, when I noticed a worn down 2-track running through the field. Perfect! Turn around, and climb up over the curb into the trail, and drive along.. there was a nice mud hole at the other end, just before climbing down off the curb into the parking lot, right next to the main doors! It was great.. got a little fourwheeling in, bypassed the traffic jam.. great parking spot.. and I never even locked the hubs. Only in a Scout! :-)
After the movie (it was great, BTW) we stopped at the grocery store to get some pop n' such before heading back to Dan's apartment. Dan pointed out a HUGE water puddle in the parking lot... Hmmm... moments later there was water flowing up n' over the soft-top, and we were then on our way to Dan's apartment.
The next morning we went for breakfast (Me, Dan, his two roommates Jason & Mike, Mike's s.o. Janelle, and James). Dan, Jason, & I drove to pick up James. We rolled the sides of the soft-top up before leaving.
After picking James up, we headed to Finnegan's for breakfast.. Jason & Dan were in the backseat, and Jason was thinking to himself "Oh gee, I wonder if Tom knows he's going to hit that puddle..." as I veered slightly off the road and sent water spray up and over all of us. It was a good sign that everyone was still laughing and cheering afterwards. :-)
Breakfast over, we ended up adding Mike into the Scout as Janelle went to have her Civic examined for acting up.
We took the top completely down at this point - way too nice of a day!
We started driving around, not sure what to do.. Dan directed me back to
the grocery store.
Only Dan and I knew what was in store.. we drove into the grocery store
parking lot, and everyone kinda noticed the large water pool in the
middle.. I drove around once, waiting for a woman to get into her car and
leave.. then we drove straight into the water at a decent (safe) speed,
sending water crashing up and over the windshield.. not enough to soak
us, but enough to wake us all up.
And then the Scout started sputtering and spitting.. it didn't like all
that water. :( We ended up pushing it to the side of the street for
de-watering. Didn't I feel like an idiot. :-)
I ran inside and bought some aerosol carb-cleaner (no WD40), and came
back outside. They'd pulled the hood and the air cleaner while I was
inside. We let it sit for a minute, then I sprayed some carb cleaner in
the carb, and turned it over... a few sputters, and it was running
again! We then waited for a while for the alternator to charge, since
the belt is loose and it makes an obnoxious squealing sound..
We hit a few more puddles on our way back to Dan's apartment to drop Mike
off.. we then grabbed James's s.o. at his apartment, and headed back out
for some more fun - all five of us just enjoying cruising around in the
convertible Scout in the summer sun.
Dan had an idea on where to go, so we headed down a few streets, and
ended up at the Blue Mountain Recreation area... a DIRT ROAD! Heh heh.
We turned left and headed up the mountain in search of a trail to
explore.. instead only finding a wide (heck, should just PAVE it) graded
forrest service road with more than a few cars running up and down it.
We paused a few times when we saw a trail head off into the forrest, but
it was always locked and/or posted.
As we neared the top, we paused at the "Observatory Turn-off" to take a
look at the spectacular view of Missoula.
A little farther along, and I paused.. there was a road heading into the
woods, and there wasn't a gate or a sign! I backed up, then turned down
the first part of this trail, stopping in front of a berm to do a little
on-foot Scouting.
I walked up and over the rockpile that marked the trail head, and noticed
that the trail continued on through the woods as far as I could see.. so
I ran back to the Scout, with a huge grin on my face - we'd found a trail!!
I stooped to lock the hubs in, then climbed back into the driver's seat
and slipped into 4-lo. At that moment, a beige Jeep Cherokee (XJ) drove
past behind me.. then paused and stopped. Then backed up. I noticed a
light bar on the top, and I could only think, "Forrest Service."
I sat still, waiting for the Rangers to get out of their Jeep and walk up
to my Scout. They asked where I was going, to which I replied, "No where
in particular.. just trying to see what I can see."
I stepped out as the Rangers walked in front of me. The first asked what
I thought was in front of me, to which I replied "A 2-track trail." She
then asked if I thought I could make it over the big rock berm at (what I
would call) the trailhead, and I promptly replied with a very confident,
"Yes, ma'am." There wasn't a doubt in my mind I would make it over the
berm - I had walked it first to make sure!
I then informed the Ranger that this was the first trail that I had found
that wasn't posted or gated, and I had been keeping my eyes peeled for
anything noting this area was for "Designated Routes only", and I had yet
to see a "Designated Route" sign on the road I was on.. so I (wrongly)
assumed if it wasn't gated or posted, it was fair game.
The Ranger then informed me that the large rock berm should have been a
sign to me that the trail was closed. I told her it made a great
trailhead marker, and a nice little challenge just to start the trail,
and it kept the yahoo drinking college kids from taking the trail.
I was then asked if I had my driver's license with me, to which I replied
the affirmative. She asked if she could please see it, and I said, "Only
if you ask nicely" as I walked back to the Scout to dig out my license.
While the first Ranger ran my license (why do they always insist on doing
things like that?), the other spoke with me, and commented that my truck
was an International, and we spoke about it a bit - I told her how I'd
mangled the rear bumper on Tizer Lake one week before, and how I follow
"Tread Lightly" n' such. She asked if we were in town for the Pearl Jam
concert - none of us were. At that point, one of the Rangers made some
comment about the way I was dressed and my truck, and obviously I wasn't
there for the Pearl Jam concert. I told 'em I only had my cowboy hat on
to keep the sun from burning the back of my neck.. :-)
I walked back to the Ranger's XJ where they showed me a forrest service
map that marked the area I was in as RESTRICTED. They were also kind
enough to show me that, once I came out the other side, a 10 mile drive
on paved roads would bring me to a place that I *could* go and play in..
I asked if the trails marked on the map were passable by stock Ford
Explorers, to which they replied, "Yes".. and I commented that the
Forrest Service maps are always inaccurate and don't show the good
trails.. I want the trails that Explorers can't follow me on - I'd rather
leave those people a very great distance behind me.
Before they left us be, I was informed that as the Rangers pulled up, the
driver was thinking, "Oh please.. don't try to run!" because she knew
she'd tear up her XJ trying to follow my Scout up n' over the berm. In
hindsight.... I coulda out run 'em, but I'm glad I didn't. She also told
me if I'd driven over the berm, I would've had a ticket.. though she did
finally agree that my Scout would have had no problem making it over the
berm.. which I had already known.
We then backed up, and headed farther down the nearly paved road, with me
in a cranky n' foul mood, mouthing off about the wonders of Eco-Nazis and
trail closures... and then we found what looked like a very well traveled
2-track that wasn't posted as not-a-trail, nor did it have a large berm
in front of it.. and it was heading downhill, so we took it.. then found
ourselves a good ways in, with the trail switching back and heading back
*up*hill.. at this point, I was pretty low on gas, so we turned around
and headed back to the main road, and continued on.
I started explaining my theories on road closures to my friends.. if I
saw that trail, and I thought I shouldn't be on it, and I didn't go,
maybe no one else would. Maybe the trial IS open, but everyone is afraid
to drive on it. Eventually, the Eco-Nazis will take note that no one has
driven on this road, so the Forrest Service might as well close it.. Thus
I make it a point to travel the "road less followed" whenever possible to
see to it I leave my mark and the trails are visibly *used*, and thus do
my small part to combat trail closures. We also mused that, if I had
been fined and paid it, would I be able to continue down the closed
trail, since I had paid the "toll"?
We reached "Woodman's Saddle" I believe, at which point I decided to turn
back the way we'd come.. gas was not looking good. I had filled up in
Helena a few days before, then drove to Missoula, and then our running
around.. and then this "wheeling" trip.. so we zipped back towards town,
passing the Rangers with another Ranger, blocking the road.. and then
pulling into the first gas station we found.. I squeezed 18.96 gallons of
gas into my "19 gallon" factory fuel tank... *whew*
I need to swing by the Forrest Service office in Helena this week and buy
an official F.S. map for the Missoula area.. next time we head over to
where the "official" trails are.. but I still claim the Forrest Service
maps are outdated and inaccurate - and I wouldn't go so far as to say the
inaccuracies are not on purpose. It's been my experience that even if
the trail is marked as "Unimproved 4wd" it's not.. it's a 2wd road that
stock Exploders can follow along on.. the "good" trails are never on the
maps - the F.S. either claims to not know the trail exists, or they don't
bother to mark it as closed, yet enforce it as such. Like the trail we
tried to follow on the top of Blue Mountain - it wasn't posted as closed,
and it wasn't on the F.S. map either.. and it looked like fun.
Oh well.. we returned to Dan's apartment, watched a little TV, then
stopped at Walmart to purchase a new ring terminal to fix the stereo lead
that had broken off on the washboards.
After the "field fix" in Walmart's parking lot, we headed back to Dan's
apartment for him to grab his cowboy hat, and we then headed
out. We drove by the HUGE line of Pearl Jam ticket holders near UoM
campus, with the stereo going and the two of us in the topless Scout with
our cowboy hats on. We then cruised on out of town and onto the
Interstate.. I seated my hat down tight on my head, and hammered down.
30 miles outside of the Garrison junction, we noticed the weather turning
sour.. we pulled off at the next exit, and put the top up, then finished
off our drive home.
We pulled into Applebees in Helena around 10:15pm or so for dinner and
some more conversation before calling it a night.. both vowing we'd had a
blast this weekend, and we'll have to do it again soon.. Next time we'll
go exploring on the trails in earnest.