Board Meeting Tonight - By Dianne

02-26-08

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 - By Dianne

02-25-08

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!

Clean Up Day - By Dianne

This weekend, Feb. 23-24, the Holler Crawlers will be doing a "Clean Up" at the Colmar parking lot. Last time I was there people had been using it as a "dump" for all sorts of trash. I think I even remember seeing a old bathroom toilets! Maybe if we turn it upright and fill it with dirt and plant flowers in it people will get the idea? OK, so I'm just kidding. No planting of flowers in old toilets. That would be a little to tacky. BUT I am hoping that the community sees what the club is doing... and that we mean to do more good for Bell County than harm they will stand by us and support the Club.
This coming Tuesday, Feb, 26 is a meeting of the Officers and Board of Directors of the Holler Crawlers. We will be discussing names for the park and getting a list of 3 for the club as a whole to vote on at the next meeting. And making plans for the "Benefit Ride" for Sean Pursifull., a Bell County Deputy that was killed while on duty. As of now the date for the ride is May 31. The date should be set in stone within the next couple of weeks. When all the final plans are made I'll be sure and post any and all information right here.
Looking forward to March 22 of this year. Will be going to Hindman, Kentucky to take the ATV Safety Class. That will be very interesting and very informative.
On a more personal note, I've gotten Jim's Arctic Cat equipped with a new Gorilla 2500 lb wench and put on the front Brush Guard for him for a Valentines Day present. It looks really good on there. Now the only thing left to do is to get the rear bumper put on. That will be in place no later than mid April!
It has come to my attention that some people have been making fun of how I've named our ATVs. Personally I don't care what they have to say. I do know for sure that either machine has more common sense then the person/persons that have been running their mouth! AND the ARCTIC CATS are NOT HUMAN! Am I putting down the people that run their mouths? I guess I am. I never have been able to understand what makes people think that running their mouths makes them look ....... what? Intelligent? NO! More on the lines of the "Village Idiots"! Enough on that subject.
Well for now I'll hush and get some much needed work done. Sorry that I've not been posting much on my blog. I've not been getting to do any riding for weeks and it is killing me! Maybe soon the weather will break and the Arctic Cats will be gotten out of storage and rode through the mud!
Ride Long, Ride Hard, RIDE SAFE!

Attended my first Holler Crawler meeting - by Dianne

02-12-08

I finally was able to make it to the monthly meeting of the "Holler Crawlers" in Pineville, KY. We were a little bit late, due to some things that we had to do before we really could get on the road. But the important thing is that we made it. My husband went with me tonight. I'm so proud that he did. Now he knows what sort of good people that I've been riding with the last month or so.



One important piece of business that needed to be done tonight was to elect/appoint a Board Of Directors. Bless their hearts, they actually wanted me to serve on the board! Actually I'm very proud and honored. I vow now to do the best job that I can possibly do. Thanks fella's for the honor of serving you.



Plans are being made now to do a "Benefit Ride" on May 31, 2008 to raise funds to go to the family of Sean Pursifull, a Bell County Deputy that was killed while on duty. As more plans are made final I'll post more information. But if you love riding, and want to ride with a purpose then please make plans to come join us.

Sorry for any misspelled words tonight. For some reason the spell check is not working!

Hillbilly Ice Skating - by Dianne

01-28-08

Ok, so I had to do this.... THANKS JIMBO! I had no idea that the cameras were out and clicking away. Honestly, I'm glad that they were. I know that it has been said that a picture is worth a Thousand Words...... well, here's the pictures!
Now you know why, even in bad conditions, that I love riding where I do! AND all this is within a 10 minute haul to the trail head from home! I love this place!

Lesson Learned the Hard Way - By Dianne

01-28-08

Well, I've learned a very valuable lesson yesterday. NEVER be leader! It wasn't that I didn't know where I was going.... I guess it was bad Karma or something.
Good news is that I didn't get cold! Feet, legs, hands stayed warm as could be. BUT if I had to use words to describe the days ride it would be "An ADVENTURE"!!!!!!
I should have know that things were going to happen right from the get-go from what happened. OK, now first off this is first time that I was the leader of a "group". That didnt' bother me... I knew where I was going and how to get there and what to expect. WHAT I didn't expect is for me to ALMOST flip the ATV on the first 100 FEET of the TRAIL!
I was in the process of reaching to flip the button to put it into 4X4 when that puppy spun out and went sideways with me on the STEEPEST part of the trail head! Talk about scaring the poopy out of you! ALL I could do was use my finger to trigger the mic on my head set and say OVER AND OVER AND OVER..... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The guys (BCO, Tinbender and somebody else I forgot!) had to come grab hold of the front of my ride to hold it down to keep it from flipping... and I had to crawl off of it UP HILL..... and with my knees the way they are I almost couldn't do it! But we got it straight.... locked it into 4X4 and I made it on to the top of the hill. NOW what is so danged bad.... I've been up that same spot no less than a 100 times and NEVER had any problems!
Ok, I recoverd my composure and we all made it up that little part and continued on with the ride. No major problems ..... trail on the SOUTH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN was muddy but nothing more worse than I had already seen before. Arrived up on top at the first resting point "Crows Foot" and it was covered with snow that had been there since last Tuesday. I told them that I knew that there was one spot on the north side that is a steep incline that could be rough. WELL ROUGH WASN'T the WORD FOR IT! About 100 feet before it REALLY got steep...... right as your coming out of a steep curve back to the right you hit SOLID ICE! Trail was coverd in a THICK SHEET OF SOLID ICE! It only went maybe 20-25 feet but still it was downhill and WHOA! I knew that the worst part (as far as steep) was JUST beyond that. So I did the leader thing and said I'll go as far as I can and check it out, everybody stay here and wait for me to yell on the radio.
WELL ...... There was some rocks that the tires on the left could ride on that COULD have kept you on the trail..... and that is where I had my wheels... BUT>>>> NOPE! I started down heading forward.... the back end slipped off the rocks and here the heck I go, spinning around....... going BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL ON THE ICE! One of the guys (Tinbender was that you? I forgot I was so scared!) came down and grabbed hold of my rack on the front of my bike after it had came to a stop and...... HERE WE WENT AGAIN! Still sliding and this time a fella with me... he then slipped.. was on his backside... heading UNDER MY ATV.... both of us still slipping, sliding down the mountain!
Finally came to a stop and more came down to help me (and him) out of a BAD situation. They grabbed my bike and spun me around (STILL ON THE ICE) and got me heading forward again... then I made it OFF The ice onto solid ground. I went on down the trail.. the ground was clear, no ice no snow... came to a spot that I could park the bike and walked down the trail to where I could REALLY see the worst part of the trail. By this time another rider had came down and joined me (guess he figured with my luck I'd need dragged out of there). I just looked at him and said "I'm NOT going down that! You can if you want to BUT I'm NOT!"
Well the good part is that all this is that we were at an intersection right in that very curve that gave the choice of going off the mountain on another trail. I had only been that trail ONE other time (the last time I rode that route) and I knew that at the bottom there were some really BIG BOULDERS that we had to go over. I knew that my AC would make it because of the ground clearance, but there were 3 "side by sides" that were no where near as high off the ground as I was. I told them that I thought we could make it down but I wasn't to sure about coming back up (seeing as how the other trail was OUT OF THE QUESTION!)
Other than finding a few trees that had fallen across the trail.... and a couple of the sideXsides JUST barely clearing the trees.... we finally made it OFF THE MOUNTAIN! I was never so happy in my life to see SOLID LEVEL GROUND!
We went on over to where we were heading to.... played in the mud for a bit, had a bite of lunch then headed back. AGAIN I had a bit of a problem..... NO BODY else but me and it was my own stupidity.... I thought I had hit the button to lock it into 4 wheel drive... but dummy me had it in 2 wheel drive! Got to one of the big boulders and almost didn't make it up. AFTER I finally made it over.... I saw what I had done and felt like a PURE FOOL!
When we got back up to the top of the mountain we made a right turn at Crows Foot and came back out the top of the ridge to come down the mountain that comes out right at the trail head. PHEW...... we made it..... OR SHOULD I SAY I MADE IT! I told one of the fellas that next time I said I wanted to ride somewhere..... DO NOT GO WITH ME! RUN hard the other direction! I've learned my lesson.... KEEP ATV IN 4X4..... and stay the heck off ICE!
I'm sorta sore in my shoulders/upper arms from fighting the trail... had a major head ache when I got home.... I guess from stress..... but all in all it was OK. Now I'm not ready to hit Stone again anytime soon...... MAYBE oh say..... next JULY when there is NO CHANCE OF ICE!