Easter Weekend

Well, not much happened this weekend. Hubby went up to Hindman, KY to take the ATV Safety Course. I'll admit, it was really rough getting up out of bed at 5:30 on a SATURDAY morning, but we did it. We already had the Cats loaded and ready to go. WHICH by the way almost didn't happen! Let me back up here for a minute......
Friday I finally got around to cleaning off the mud from the week before. I know, I should have had it done long before then but, well what can I say. Anyhow, I washed and sprayed and washed till I had two of the cleanest Cats you ever saw! Really sharp looking. While they were drying off I loaded up all the trash I could find to go with what was already loaded on the trailer to take off to the dumpsters. No major problem there...... and while we were out I picked up a couple burgers & fries to have for supper..... NO COOKING! LOL..... anyway... as I was coming out of the store I looked at how the trailer was slanting toward the back end of the truck. I thought, NOW that's weird. I even mentioned it to Hubby.
When we got home we first came inside and ate our supper then went back out to load the ATVs. Or we thought we were going to. Hubby held on to the trailer and lifted it up then pushed it down and.... YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE the movement that there was from the hitch receiver! It scared me to death! Sooooooo we got out the tools and the tarp and laid it down to where I would have something to lay on instead of the ground. Now what was funny, I laid down on the driver side..... scooted over to the passenger side and started checking EVERY BOLT that is in that receiver hitch. Found a couple that were a little bit loose..... but nothing major.
Scooted back over to the driver side...... first I tightened up the 2 bolts that are on the back bar for that side.... then got the 4 bolts that hold that plate on..... then scooted a little bit more to where I could see the two bolts that held the whole thing to the frame and..... THIS IS WHERE I JUST ABOUT HAD A MAJOR HEART ATTACK! The bolt that is farthest to the back.... WAS GONE! That whole left side had actually BENT down! BENT! I was about in tears!
First thought was.... what would have happened if we had loaded up the CATS and took off without seeing that..... Second thought was.... What if it had broken totally off while I was pulling them home last Thursday?!? (Insert look of total horror and shock!)
Now here it is by this time about 8:30 - 9:00 on a Friday night! We had to leave no later than 6:30 - 6:45 the next morning to get to Hindman by 10:00, and we didn't have a thing to pull them with!
I was in a panic and went over to the neighbors house..... he works on cars/truck (but is really a paint/body man) in the hopes that he might #1. have the bolt that we needed.. #2. know where to find one at this late hour! Well it turned out that when I bought that hitch that it came with NEW bolts that replaced the old bolts in that spot..... and I had KEPT and actually FOUND the ones that went there! BUT he did have to go over and get his floor jack to PUSH the hitch back up toward the underside of the frame to even get the bolt started. BUT we got it fixed! THANK GOD! Afterwards we loaded both Cats up, strapped them down...... double checked them and finally came in for the night.
BACK to Saturday...... We managed to find the ATV Training Course with a little help from a wonderful gentleman that we ran into at a little store/gas station in Hindman that knew where this place was. When we pulled up in front of the building I looked to check how far we had driven...... ONE way was 106.6 miles!
Training course was easy.... well for me at least. At times a bit boring. BUT Hubby learned a lot from it so that is the important thing. I got a chance to talk in length with the instructor about what to do and where to go and what all is involved in becoming an instructor. I really want to do this. Not for the money, but to do what I can to teach people how to ride safe and stay safe. I do not want to go to any of my friends funerals anytime soon. If they die from OLD AGE........ that is one thing... but from an ATV accident.... that is another.
I called today and talked with a person from the regional office of the ATV Safety Institute, they are sending me papers to fill out and send back. We will see how that goes.
Well...... that's my ATV adventures for this weekend. Sunday was Easter and hardly anybody that I knew rode any. I guess everybody spent family time. That is the important thing.
Till next week or there is news to report..... Ride Long, Ride Hard, BUT always ride SAFE! Wear your helmet!!!

A day I won't soon forget. Witness to a Plane Crash!

You know, you see things like this on TV and read about them in the newspapers, but you don't expect to be an eye witness to an airplane crash! I'm still shaking. And it has been several hours now since it happened.
Jim, Pam, Terry, Grizz & myself were doing mostly trail riding and some clean up work down at WTOP (for those that don't know what that stands for it means, Wilderness Trail Off-Road Park).
Terry & Pam had just split off with us because they had to go home to get ready to attend a meeting of another ATV club, Mountain Trails. Grizz, Jim & myself were going to go by the water tower and make our way over to the other side to the Mud Bowl.
We saw this small airplane that was going really slow and low.... and I do mean LOW! It looked as if it was trying to land. I won't go in to details here but the next moment we saw it go down. We all knew it had crashed.
Jim and Grizz took off toward where they thought it had landed. I stopped for a second to call 911. I would say that the call came in no more than 30 seconds after the plane went down. Maybe that was what helped to save his life. I hope so.
There was one man in the plane. He was alive when I got there. I'm here to tell you I was scared to death. I couldn't bring myself to actually look to see him. I was afraid to look for what I might have seen.
In an attempt to make a long story short, I went down to the intersection of the road on 1344 to wait on the rescue people to get there and lead them to the crash site. I know one thing... Miss Kitty can run off and leave a fire truck sitting in my dust! I had to almost stop a time or two waiting on them to catch up. BUT then I guess driving what they were and hauling what they were that they can't keep up with something like an ATV.
By the time I got back up to the crash site, they had the gentleman out of the airplane. He was hurt, not sure how bad but at least he was alive. The fire truck/ems people called for an air rescue to come to the site. It took about 20 minutes for it to get there. The rescue squad had gotten there shortly after the fire trucks and attended to the mans injuries. They loaded him into the back of the ambulance and waited with him there till the air rescue arrived on site.
From what I was reading at the WYMT news site they took him to UT Knoxville Hospital. I wish that I had a way of knowing that he will be OK.
Before I go any further I have to mention that not only was it the three of us at the crash site, but Brandon & David were on the other side, near the Mud Bowl and came over too. All 4 of them pulled the man out of the plane. They arrived there while I was down waiting on the rescue squad. I'm still so shaky that I'm having a hard time remembering it all. Or should I say put everything in the order of events? Yeah that's it.
I'm going to try to call Knoxville tomorrow to see if I can get in touch with any of the mans family to make sure that he is OK. I pray that he will heal from his injuries and will be alright. It is so remote up there that if someone had not seen him go down I'm not sure how long it would have been before someone found him. And with him being in the shape that he was, I'm afraid to think of how he would have been if it had been a long time. I'm sure that he wouldn't be alive.
Well, that is what has happened in my part of the world on Thursday, March 13, 2008! Sure hope it does not happen again anytime soon!

Wilderness Trail Off-Road Park!

It is official..... we have a name! The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of naming the new ATV/UTV/etc park.... Wilderness Trail Off-Road Park! For those of you that have no clue what I'm talking about here is a little bit of background on what is going on in Bell County Kentucky (Middlesboro).

We are located in Bell County KY, which is located on the Kentucky/Tennessee/Virginia state line, in the shadow of the famous Cumberland Gap, where Daniel Boone opened the Gateway to the west via the Wilderness Road. Also home to Middlesboro, KY, the town built inside a meteor crater.
We are deep rooted in Appalachian tradition and southern highland culture. Corn bread and coal mines. Log cabins and over-alls. Front porch conversations and deals sealed with a hand shake. And of course, a down-home, come-on-in-and-grab-a-plate attitude. No matter who you are or where you are from, the people of the mountains of southeast Kentucky will treat you like next of kin.
We in Bell County are blessed with breath-taking mountain views and some of the best trail riding the world has to offer. The coal and lumber industries have left us with trails of all kinds and of all difficulties. From level gravel roads with spectacular views that are great for beginning riders to rutted out, rocky log roads that would make even the most experienced riders get chicken skin (that's goose-bumps in mountain talk)...Bell County has both and everything in between. Mud, dirt, gravel, rocky creek beds...whatever you want in a trail riding experience, we got it.
Great mountain views. Great trail riding. And great people. We invite you to come on down to the mountains and experience it first-hand. We know that once you do, you'll be back for more.

To the locals, it has always been known as Mountain Drive.
A pristine stretch of land in eastern Bell County comprised of beautiful plateaus, roaring mountain streams, and deep hollers.
On top of the mountain you get the feeling of almost being in the old west...on a primitive frontier landscape. Rolling, grassy fields and scrub brush...and yes...even cattle dot the landscape. Wilderness as far as the eye can see. Then you look beyond the pastures and you immediately realize...You're on top of a mountain! A glance to the north will give you a view of the Pine Mountain Range...And looking to the south will offer a view of the towering Cumberland Mountain range.
Mountain Drive has been extensively mined and beautifully reclaimed over the past half century. After coal and lumber operations ceased on the property, large sections were leveled and reclaimed as pasture land, in an area where flat pasture land was a luxury of the highest degree.
Through the generosity of Asher Land and Mineral, our club has obtained the right to develop 9,000 acres of this property into an off-roaders dream come true. The future park will stretch from the Colmar region in the west to the end of Hances Ridge in the east, with more land hoping to be added down the road to connect in with the already world famous trail riding in Harlan County. The entrance will be the locally-famous "Bridge To Nowhere"...which will now be a Bridge to Somewhere. Somewhere beautiful.
The park is also bordered on the north end by the famous Cumberland River and will be accessible from our trail head area, where visitors can enjoy some great kayaking an canoeing, as well as river smallmouth and walleye fishing! And speaking of fishing, Mountain Drive also has numerous ponds that contain largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie, which our visitors can fish on the terms of catch and release. All that is required to enjoy some great fishing is a valid Kentucky fishing license!
As a club we are also planning on developing camping and picnicking areas throughout the property.
Mountain Drive, Now known as "Wilderness Trail Off-Road Park" offers riding of all kinds...there is truly something for everyone. For beginning riders, you can cruise for hours upon end on easy, flat gravel roads...taking in the sights of the beautiful mountain ranges on either side and watching all kinds of wild life. For those who enjoy a bit more of a thrill, Mountain Drive also contains miles of wooded trails, ranging from easy to extreme. Pick your poison!
What about mud you might ask? Allow us to introduce you to the Mud Bowl.

A redneck Roman coliseum if you will...The mud bowl is not for the clean-at-heart. This huge mud pit is bordered by walls on the side for spectators to cheer you on...And enough mud holes of various depths to get you as muddy as you wanna get! And this is only one of many mud pits that Mountain Drive has to offer!
Our club also has plans to develop a huge rock garden for all the rock crawlers that want to test their skill and also have plans to develop a race track for thrill seekers to lay claim to bragging rights!
Mountain Drive will soon enter a new phase of it's life. It will host people from all around the world who desire to get the full southeast Kentucky experience. The club will do upkeep on the trails and also keep the park free of litter and will set up trash cans throughout the area.
The best part of this area for visitors to our area is the cost of riding this beautiful land...FREE. That's right...there will be no charge to ride any of this land.
As of now we are in the process of mapping the trails and going through the development phase. We are working hard to have this land opened up to the public as soon as possible.

All riders will ride under KRS 411.190 - "Ride at your own risk"

For the most part the park is open now.... but there is still work going on almost on a daily basis. WE are working hard to get things cleaned up.. trails mapped and cleared of trees, brush etc.

For information on where to stay and other things to do while you visit our wonderful area you can go to http://hollercrawlers.googlepages.com/ .

Please come visit us for a wonderful ride and some amazing views of our part of the world!

No riding this past weekend, but did some club work.

The weather wasn't that great this weekend for riding so some of the club members got together at Terry & Pam's house to do some much needed club work on Sunday. They had already cut out and primed boards that will be used for "Trail Markers" and needed members to come help paint on the numbers and decide which number will go with which trail.
The main trail that connects both sides of the park will be known as "hc Route 66"... the sign markers for that trail/road will even look like the old sign markers for the famous Rt. 66! Now as for how long any of them will stay in place before they are either stolen or shot to pieces who knows!
The Holler Crawlers have their monthly meeting tomorrow evening (Tuesday) at Pineville. Topics to be discussed are the plans for the Benefit ride for Sean & King that were killed on duty back in January. We will also be voting on the new name for the newest ATV Park in Bell County. The two choices will be #1. Wilderness Trail Off-Road Park #2. Wilderness Road Motor-Sports Park. Personally I like #1 the best. I think it tells it all.... anything form of transportation that is considered "OFF Road" is welcome there! In my mind if you say the word "Motor-sports" I think of RACING, like they do at Bristol. But I'm only one person with only one vote. I've got the voting slips printed up and ready to hand out at the meeting. I'll come back HERE on Tuesday night after I get home to share how the vote went.
Well it is now less then 2 weeks till my husband and I go up to Hindman, Ky. to take the ATV Safety course. I'm looking forward to it myself. I just hope that it isn't freezing cold. I've got enough clothes that I can put on to stay warm... Jim with his health issues has a harder time of it than I do.
Well for now that is all the news about riding or club activities. Not a whole lot, but I'm sure that as the weather improves that it will change!
Till next post.... Ride Long, Ride Hard but always Ride Safe! WEAR YOUR HELMET!

Holler Crawlers on the Move!

I wish I could say that every day that any of the Holler Crawlers were out working that I was there, but I can't. I had stuff that I had to get done here at home on Saturday and again on Monday, but we all sure had a great time on Sunday!

Trails are being cleared left and right and new trails are being found every time Terry & Pam go down to ride. A lot of work has already been done on making this a world class ATV park. But sadly there is a lot more work to be done. With time, and a lot of hard work by all of the Holler Crawlers it will get done.

Took some new trails this past Sunday that I had never been on before. They were an adventure for sure! Beautiful trails.... and there is one that I do hope that we have named already. In honor of our Club President, BCO aka BC Uh OH... the trail that goes down to the creek I want named "UH OH!" in honor of BCO. IT is steep..... that is for sure! But we all made it down. Thankfully once your down at or near the bottom there is another way out that I've been told is not as steep as the one that we all took going down. (It seems that we missed the marker to take the NOT SO STEEP ONE! LOL) And there is still yet another way back up..... and honestly..... I think it may have been steeper than the one that we took coming down! YIKES! And of course some took this one out and some didn't. NOW which one do you think that I took?

Yep.... the steepest one! I think I held my breath all the way up... but we did it! It made me feel good to get to the top... IN ONE PIECE! I was on my 04 300 Arctic Cat and it did just fine. Most people look at "Miss Kitty" and do a double take at it because of where that model has the engine placed..... but now let me tell you...... that KITTY loves to climb! We may not make it up as fast as some of the bigger more powerful rides.... but darn it we make it up too...... that's what counts!

Took time out Monday to do a little work on my trailer. I had to redesign the front of it to give myself an extra foot of floor space to fit both of the AC's on. For the most part it is done. Still have some sanding and painting to do, but we laid one piece of the flooring down and brought both up to see how they fit..... and I'm THRILLED! They will now both fit on the trailer... and the ramp closes!! I'm one happy lady!!!

I've got some video of this past Sunday's ride.... but sadly it is still on the card in the camera. I promise that I'll get to it in the next couple days and get it up for everyone to see. But for now enjoy a few pictures from this past Sundays ride. And of course I had to add one of the CATS on the trailer WITH THE RAMP CLOSED! Am I happy? You betcha!

Till we meet again.... RIDE Long... Ride HARD... But always ride SAFE! Wear your helmet!

Meeting Tonight

The Board of Directors and the Officers of the Holler Crawlers ATV Club meet tonight in Middlesboro to discuss possible names for the new ATV park and to try to make final plans for the Benefit ride in May.
Hubby was going to go with me tonight, but he is home sick so he can't go. And here I had plans on going early and eating some KFC! Looks like if he gets any it will be take home.
The temps are dropping fast... and the wind is really howling outside. The forecast is for snow to move in here. Hope I get down there and back without any trouble. I don't think I'll have any problems.... but with this crazy weather you never know!

We did it!

We did it! I am so proud of the "Holler Crawlers" for all the hard work that went on this weekend. We are no where near done with what work needs to be done, but sure did get a really good start on it.

Saturday morning a group met at the Colmar parking area and got busy right off the bat picking up trash and hauling it away. It is amazing to see the difference between the before any work was done and the after two days of cleaning looks like! The group that met Saturday mostly picked up in the lower section of the parking area to begin with, then moved on to do some much needed trail clearing. There are still a lot of trees that need to be cut and moved before all the trails are fully opened. But even with what has been done just this weekend the difference is amazing.

Sunday morning an even larger group of people showed up to really put a lot of hard work in for the day. Everyone split into groups and were working in different areas of the Colmar parking lot. Some went up toward the "Beaver Pond" while some were in the upper lot cleaning trash, while others hauled what was burnable to a safe site and set on fire. While at the same time a group were on the trails with chain saws still fighting those downed trees! It was an amazing sight to see..... everyone working hard with one goal in mind. To clean up our park and open more trails.

And of course, after everyone had finished up with their area it was time to "PLAY" a bit and have some major fun!

Everyone met up on top and formed a large group to go on some "sight seeing and trail riding" for a while before going home after a good days work. We all rode down to check out the "block building" that is on one of the trails. AND of course we picked up what trash was around that building while we were there. The building needs a little work (NEW ROOF) but it really could be used for so many great things. It is well hidden and would make a great place to get out of any bad weather that might come up on a days ride. Hopefully some of the business people in Bell County will get behind the effort and donate the materials needed to put that new roof on. I've got a brand new nail gun that needs to be put to work!

I still say that it would be great if we could harvest what trees are fallen and use the logs to build a "club house/cabin" on the property. Free lumber is GOOD! But I know it would be really hard to get them from where they are laying now out to a workable site. BUT it still is a great idea. Now to come up with a way to get it done.

After stopping at the block house the entire group went to...... where else but..... THE MUD BOWL! It was something to see everyone (well most everyone) going down in to the bowl to play in the water. There sure was some wet, muddy people that came out of there! But you know what.... EVERYONE of them came out with the biggest smiles on their faces that you ever did see!!!

After everyone got their fill of the mud we made our way back down to the parking area. Everyone was tired from a long days work, but very happy to have done it. The rain held off, only saw a slight drizzle at one point and everyone made it safely home.

I heard talk about going back this coming weekend to do some more work. I'm sure that someone will be there doing something. I wish that we lived a lot closer, I'd be there every day doing what little I could by myself. My house would suffer for the lack of attention, but I'd be happy just to be out and riding.

The HC officers and board of directors members are meeting this Tuesday to discuss the list of names for the new park and narrowed down to 3 names for the club as a whole to vote on at the next meeting on March 11. I know I have my favorites but if one of them will be chosen I don't know. I'll have to wait and see what the club votes as their favorite.

We will also be trying to make final plans for the Benefit ride for Officer Pursifull that was killed by two young boys back in Jan. AS soon as I can I'll post final details for everyone in case you want to make plans to attend.

Well, for now I've gotten caught up on all the happenings. There hasn't been a lot of riding being done. Weather has not been to good and when it was I had other things that had to be done first. Maybe spring will be here soon and things will get back to normal! What's normal? Riding every weekend of course!

Hope you enjoy the pictures of some of us working & playing! We all had a great time!