Our hosts for this event
and the individuals responsible for nurturing this get together are as follows:
Day 1 - 10/05/2001
Arriving and set-up: The day temperature
already reaching for that century mark as Unimog after Unimog, of different
classes, begin to parade over to the staging area. Signs are posted along the
route beginning at the entrance of North Marina Drive and Highway 86. Staged
about ? mile in from the highway the labor of set-up, unloading and
organization begins. Throughout this transitional period I begin helping out,
erecting the banners, arranging tables, and other duties before doing any
photographic work. Ahhh finished. I decide to circumnavigate the local area and
come across another group of Unimogs to the west of the staging area. Yes more
of the Unimog tribe gathered for this social event. I quickly grab my camera and
photograph Scott Anderson's 404 Swiss Troop Carrier and Eric Lint's 404 Radio
Box. Scott, eager to show off the capabilities of his 404 decides to traverse
some hills near the campsite.06 through 15 Getting late, time has
come for me to join the other group and get some more shots in before nightfall.
I quickly photograph Bill and Kathleen's White 1300L, Alan's Green 406, the camp
set-up, Chucks Red 406, Kai's Cow Mog 416 DOKA and trailer, Tony's 404 Radio Box
and the last shot of Matt's Red 416 Flatbed and Bob's 1951 2010 still fastened
to the trailer.
Just as I'm ready to wrap
up the evening and settle in guess who shows up? Unbelievable? King of the Mog
festivities of the Great Northwest? Yes? Jim Molloy and his son Dan, pop in
for a surprise visit. What a great surprise. Day 2 - 10/06/2001 Truckhaven - Local Run Slowly individuals awake
and move in for the first breakfast. Surprisingly the night air temperature
dropped into the 50's and made it quite pleasant to wake up to. Kai, Bill and
Kathleen are scurrying around the campsite making pancakes, cooking sausage,
getting the juice ready and organizing the placement of plates and utensils. The
mad rush is on to accommodate the masses, like moths drawn to the flame; the
smell of food and coffee was irresistible. The vehicles around the campsite had
actually grown overnight and into the early morning to include more Mog
enthusiasts. I quickly photograph the morning festivities and turn my attention
to the new arrivals. Terry has just unloaded his OD Green Flatbed 41632 and
begins the morning ritual of rubbing down his pet Mog for the day ahead. Still
making my rounds I run into John and his Super 1987 VW 4X4 Syncro Van. We've
seen this Van in action at the Oregon NWMF earlier this year and are excited to
see how it operates in this desert climate.
The morning is quickly
heating up from the desert sun, so everyone is asked to line up for a
photo-shoot in front of the campsite. The enthusiastic group of Mercedes Benz
Unimog owners quickly organize in front of the Banners and the US flag. All
poised for the pictures, the group patiently gets ready for the Truckhaven run.
Minutes later the long line of Unimogs depart to the north, crossing Palm Wash
and adjacent to the long line of plateaus in the distance. We travel eastward
briefly to an area of steep hill climbs of loose soil and off camber ruts. Here
many take the time to 'get the feel' of the road as it were and build up some
confidence for the next leg of the journey. Some interesting pictures are taken
as the Cow Mog and a Modified Chevy Truck are climbing the hill side-by-side.65
through 70 You notice that the Mog shows no signs of slippage during the ascent;
however, the Chevy is seen sending debris everywhere. The Mog crests the hill as
the Chevy stops before reaching the top. Although both vehicles are adequate for
the task, the Unimog, with the proper tire pressure and a special locking
mechanism, inside the cab, provides 100% traction to each tire. A special level
inside the cab allows the driver to select 2WD, 4WD and 4WLOCK. The 4WLOCK stage
engages a hub reduction within each wheel providing maximum traction. In this
particular Mog the 1st gear low ratio is near 90:1. The gearbox has 6 speeds
forward and two reverse. And of course, a special set of 405-70R20 XM47 Michelin
tires help out with a tractor type tread design. Even the Biggest of the Mogs in
this group, the 1300L, weighing in at 11,000 pounds78,79 make the hill climb
look simple. Everyone seems to join in and quickly discovers that these vehicles
can just about climb anything (See Day 3). Even John in his Special VW makes
several attempts at the hill climbs. Then, I hear the crack of my CB as Kai
reminds us that much more is ahead and we must get a move on. Kai, following
Eric's directions, begin to descend into the next canyon north of the plateaus.
As they disappear down the mountain, a small group has stopped at the hilltop.
Matt's 416 has lost hydraulics. He and a few others will return to camp and make
repairs. We say farewell to Matt, Nancy, Bob and Tony as they return to camp.
Being the tail runner of the group I go north directly over the plateau and discover Kai and Kathleen coming up from the other side. How, I wonder? Well it just happened that another exit off the plateau was where no one expected and they wanted to see what has taken so long. I get in line to drive down and realize that this is no regular hill. Feeling like it's nearly vertical, I let my truck do all the work and make it down without a hitch. Next comes the 1300 and Eric follows in his 404.97, 98, 99, 101, 102, 103 Great. We are finally on
track to continue our trek. By the time everyone is clear I notice that most of
the group are already making their way across the hilly trails to the west.
Being the last vehicle in this procession is getting complicated. How am I going
to keep up? Now we have three groups of vehicles commingled together to form a
mass of chaos. I try to CB ahead just as the109 1300 is disappearing over the
hillside out of view. Kai radio's back? we are held up in the next canyon
awaiting everyone's arrival. So getting a move on I quickly negotiate the twisty
little trail over to? Wow ? a vertical walled canyon. Some of the locals
call it 'Little Grand Canyon' but I believe it is actually part of Coral Wash.
Seems appropriate for the type of geology seen here. Lots of sand stone and
baseball sized stones similar to geodes. I make a couple turns and voila?
there's the gang. Taking a break in the shade of the canyon overhang. Nowhere to
park, I leave my Bronco in the sun. The mercury at this point reaching easily
into the 90's, we have the 1300 move up the canyon to ensure maneuvering room
between the canyon walls? no problem.112, 113 Kathleen quietly driving the Big
White Mog with the ease and simplicity of a child riding their tri-cycle.
Amazing piece of workmanship. And there is always time to photograph unique
designs 114 in the local rock formations when breaking from one roll of film to
another. Along the route, Alan's
406 begins to have fuel starvation problems, so we stop now and again to clean
out his fuel filter. Realistically I would have thought this condition would
have been more prevalent seeing how the vehicle has been sitting around for
years. We continue through the canyon as the walls climb higher away from us.
Vehicle after vehicle snake their way around the canyon floor reminiscent of
days spent Colorado River rafting. We abruptly come to a dead end where the
trail leaves the canyon floor and you make your way across the hills taking any
path desirable. 120 through 126 Across the hills into a couple more valleys and
by this time everyone is out-of-sight. Here I am stuck behind several Jeepers.
Some are stock and cannot navigate the trail adequately to keep moving.
Patiently I wait and finally get a chance to by-pass down through a gully and
off the side of a hill. Wild ride. I follow the tracks hoping they are from my
comrades and squelch my CB now and again to get some response. I begin to crest
the hill and enter into a twisty bob sledding small canyon. I am wondering how
the large Mogs made any progress without damage. Several areas so narrow, that
the twisting/off camber sections try to slam you into the wall. I exit the
canyon and see Alan's 406 stuck on a loose hill. Now Alan has lost his clutch
and must be yanked forward to disengage the shift level. Ahhhh, he's free. We
scan the horizon and notice that Scott and Eric have left us. We establish our
bearings and decide to return to camp. Boy I'm ready for a cold one.
In about an hour everyone arrives back at camp to socialize and get ready for the evening treats. First Octoberfest beer is handed out; the blenders begin to whine and the rustle of food containers being pulled out for dinner. I'm starved. Just the thought of Tri-Tip roasting on the BBQ, backed with mashed potatoes, hot rolls and a salad would make anyone drool passionately in anticipation. Seeing that Kai needs help I lend a hand cooking to keep the masses happily entertained. We all collapse and settle in as the temperature begins to drop. The cool air was absolutely refreshing considering the harsh hot dry air we had just left hours before. In the south we watch as towering thunderheads build for a nightly dance of thunderbolts flashing across the southern horizon. Too far away to hear the boom and the feel of static in the air. What a great light show. What a great day and a great bunch of people. Day 3 - 10/07/2001 Anza
Borrego Dunes Again we are awakened by
the sounds and smells of our comrades in arms preparing, Huevos Rancheros, Eggs
cooked as requested, Juice and coffee. Great to wake up to such an organized
group of individuals. Sadly to say, as we're finishing up breakfast, we say
goodbye to Bill and Kathleen. Thanks guys for showing us how it's done in a
1300L series Unimog. Kathleen did some great wheeling. We are relaxing and
enjoying the morning sunrise when more travelers join us for the festivities.
Greg, Ed & Paula and Jared and his wife arrive just as we announce to
everyone to get ready for the next trail ride. Everyone is anxious to get a move
on and experience the next phase of Mogfest before the desert makes prunes of us
all. I quickly gather up George and Bob129 and have them pose as I photograph
the excellent graphics on this years T-Shirt. Thank you Tony for such exquisite
artwork. This time out, so as not to get left behind, I decide to ride with
Terry in his 416. Believing everyone is in tow we begin traveling west across
the desert. We encounter a rough little section130 through 138 coming out of a
canyon. Here we wait as each vehicle makes the grade, some needing a little
extra coaching and assurance that they are more than capable. As we begin our
trek westward we see a 404 on the horizon. It's Ed and Paula in their new toy.
We hadn't even noticed that they were missing. Nothing can be done about it now
so we continue traveling to our new destination. We journey along crossing S22
and into the next set of dry washes and open desert. Now traveling in a
southerly direction we encounter some road signs.144 We all migrate south
following the leader (Kai) at the intersection of Tule Wash and Cross Over
Trail. All of a sudden Kai is making a U-turn and heading north. Boy I hope
someone knows where ever it is we are going. We return to the same intersection
and set our convoy westward. At the same time we are greeted by Ed and Paula.
Excellent. They had picked up our trail and stayed the course. It must have been
the German Sheppard with them with that keen since of direction and smell. Who
else? Another sign appears indicating that we have entered Ocotillo Wells State
Recreation Area. Now everyone is with the group and we begin to encounter
campers and motorcyclists along the route. Many just stop and stare as they try
to comprehend just what the heck is going on. Many of the Unimogs, with their
military persona, give the appearance that some special unit was out patrolling
the park. We decide to break and settle in at the Pumpkin Patch145.
This unique area was filled with globular sandstone balls similar to geodes the size of giant beach balls146. Sometimes when broken in two they reveal ancient fossils. Cool. The Pumpkin Patch may contain cool geology, but the air temperature is anything but. Everyone seems to be more dehydrated than normal. The temperature near 100 and high humidity. All around us can be seen clouds of Cumulus Cells skyrocketing thousands of feet into the air. Not really too concerned about thundershowers we move on. From one wash to another, Kai is trying to get his bearings. Stopping occasionally149 to review maps and establish directions. We enter Anza Borrego state park mid-day and continue unabated for a few more miles. We have entered a canyon where no vegetation resides on the hills surrounding us. Dead, barren place where the hills look like mounds of dry mud. Years of runoff etched into the landscape? wait a minute? I quickly look around and observe our weather conditions. Looks safe enough with the clouds out of view. No one wants to be stuck in a canyon during a rainstorm. We finally reach the mouth of the canyon as it opens up into another desert plain and stop by a nearby sign to coordinate our next destination. Rat Pack Wash152 looks good? so we're off in another direction towards a large sand dune. We make the ascent one by one, or at least, everyone attempts to gain access to the top of the dune. Initially most of the Unimogs make it to the top, but others just sank into the soft silty sand. Tony in his 404 stops dead in its tracks. We hear comments from the crowd yelling? "back down and take it in third gear". Tony, without hesitation backs down the hill, started out in third gear and up he came, as though he had floated up the hill. One more Mog lurking down below makes a run and slowly sinks into the soft sand. Chuck's Red 406 stops just as it reaches the crest. Chuck shifts gear and puts the 406 into super low. His 20-speed transmission, with a 1st gear ratio at 4000:1, supplemented with huge tractor type XM47 Michelin Tires, made the transition to the top? slowly? millimeter by millimeter. I have never seen a vehicle move so slowly under power. It was absolutely hilarious. The Mogs continue with their playful wheeling up and down the steepest sections of the dune153 through 174 and then we come to realize that some sick, irresponsible individuals had left their trash166 behind. Bottles, cans, broken glass, paper, plastic spewed out across the entire area. Unbelievable. Individuals like this should be banned from all park and recreational areas. They are the scourge of the earth and will screw up the preexisting areas still open to those of us who care. Pack it in and Pack it out cannot be over stated. Saddened but not shocked
by how others treat our playgrounds we continue our journey west near Borrego
Springs and discover another large dune. Here most of the group had difficulty
even getting half way up the soft dune. Those that had the power or the proper
tire pressure or the combination of both were the victors and could claim King
of the hill. 175 through 183 Along side of the dune were some rocky sections
where Terry, in his OD Green 416, delighted many spectators driving between and
around these obstacles. Just then I hear my camera rewind and get set to reload.
Oh man? out of film. Eight rolls of film gobbled up by all the excitement of
this event. Just as well. It's getting late, Alan's 406 is stopping more
frequently due to fuel starvation, and everyone else is parched from the intense
heat. We take a northerly route out of Borrego Springs and then east over the
mountains. Here we lose Ed and Paula, as their Sheppard appears to be getting
heat exhaustion. We migrate across and over
into the next valley where sand washes look all too familiar. We are making
process slowly across the desert as we nurse Alan's 406 back to life. Terry and
I decide to go ahead of the group and get the camp set up. I ask Terry if he has
enough fuel to make the return. Assured that he has ample reserve we march on.
Some of the trail heading back was rocky, off camber, small pea pebble sand
washes and the occasional hilly section. We can see S22 off in the distance with
the occasional glimpse of a vehicle passing between hillsides. Getting our
bearings we fly right by a left fork in the wash and decide that it was not the
appropriate turn. We continue south and realize that we are going the wrong way
so we immediately turn around and make our correction. Finally we hit the
pavement and are headed to camp. It is nearly 5 PM; thunderheads are peaking
with the faint sounds of thunder in the distance. We are no more than a
half-mile from Salton City and the 416 runs out of fuel. Not good. I grab a
couple of empty water bottles and begin hitchhiking. Just then a lady stops and
indicated that the Gas station closed at 2 PM. I keep going. Almost in town and
John's Custom VW stops and picks me up. We get into town and yes? no fuel. We
get some ice and immediately drive towards camp to get Terry's reserve fuel
supply. Just us we get to the Mog Banners, here Terry comes toward us.
Apparently soon after John picked me up a person came by with extra fuel and
actually gave Terry about 10 gallons. Gratis. Wow. We survey the campground
and see the outdoor canopy busted up into small pieces. While we were off
enjoying ourselves, back at camp was quite a different story. Seems the wind
kicked up one or more dirt devils and play havoc with the outdoor furniture. Ed
and Paula arriving at camp earlier had picked up the mess mother nature lift
behind. Thank you. What a day. Now all the other Unimogs
begin returning as I begin to help organize the next meal for the evening. Some
of the first sounds are the blenders crushing ice for a varying array of cold
drinks. Next the clamor of utensils, pots and pans, as well as, the BBQ and
griddle being fired up. Tonight we are having carne and pollo asad? with large
flour tortillas, beans, rice and of course everyone's favorite beverage. The
beef used for the burrito filling is more Tri-Tip steak and the chicken has been
marinating in a special sauce for days. We begin preparing the rice, then the
beans, grate some fresh cheese, and begin saut?ing a combination of onions and
three colorful varieties of bell peppers. In addition, others are chopping steak
and chicken as the main ingredient for the asad?. The aroma fills the night air
and like a magnet, draws the group together for one last dinner. Everyone chips
in to make this evenings meal an enjoyable and relaxing time. We also have a
light show of extraordinary proportions flashing in the western and southern
skies. It was absolutely grand to sit, enjoying a great meal, and watch as
Mother Nature released her arrows of light towards the earth. She waited
patiently as all of us, yes all of us, finished our meals and were getting ready
to turn in, when she unleashed her wind upon the campsite. It was like caught in
a whirlwind where the wind direction changed every few minutes. Everything had
to be secured before being blown away. The claps of thunder now only seconds
away and the smell of rain in the air. Getting late everyone that is still awake
goes for cover. Lanterns are silenced and we all say goodnight. Page 6 of 7 Next morning - Waffles, juice and coffee are to be had as everyone starts packing and leaving the campground. No rain has invaded our space overnight. One by one individuals say their goodbyes as the campground empties out and becomes once more, the silent desert. Odd to see it empty with the memory of all those Unimogs so fresh in your mind. A special thanks to all of
the other participants not mentioned in this essay. Goodbye Until Next Year Mark Larson
| Enewsletters
Stay on Top of All the Action: |
