After all quads are safely extracted from
this narrow trail NOT meant for atv's we find ourselves wallowing in some very DEEP & MUCKY & technical mud holes
that tested our skills & made us real happy to be riding 4x4's today! HE! HE!
As
we exit this muck filled obstacle we hear a LOUD noise in the woods & soon Chris Cooper & his buddy on
a VERY loud YFZ450 somehow track us down to say hello. After chit chatting for a few miuntes , Chris & the YFZ450 ROAR
off into the distance. We're all happy that the LOUD YFZ450 is NOT going to spend the day with us! PHEWEEEEEEEE!
We spend the next few hours
exploring more & more trails, BUT this time DO NOT venture down anymore dirt bike trails! LOL! As we descend down
the mountain towards St. Clair for lunch at Wendy's we hear that LOUD & obnoxious YFZ450 & Chris headed our way once
again. NOT GOOD! Guess Chris is tracking us once again , but we have a trick up our sleeves ! HE! HE!
We hide in the woods & let them BLAST by us as we chuckle among ourselves . HE! HE! Realizing Chris will soon realize
what happened , we pull another slick one on our pursuing atver's who are doing their best to track us down. First we
blast a mile or so down the mountain & then make a hard right to leave tracks for Chris to follow. Then we ease off
the trail & ride the grassy berm a short way & gently reverse course up the mountain & duck into the
thick underbrush. SNEAKY HUH????? LMAO!
Within a few minutes Chris &
the YFZ450 BLAST down the trail following our tracks & past our hiding place. By listening to the YFZ450 exhaust
fading & then getting louder & then fading again , we can tell that our trickery has worked to PERFECTION!
HE! HE! Once the YFZ450 exhaust noise is gone we exit our hiding place & make a bee line south towards more trails
in the general direction of our hot lunch at Wendy's.
We buzz
up & down some really neat tight trails & enjoy the peace & tranquillty of the Pa. mountains , but our bellies
begin to growl louder & LOUDER , so we make a bee line for Wendy's. Halfway to St. Clair , Chris & the
YFZ450 once again track us down & decide to join us for lunch. After a HARD rain yesterday , I realize
the creek crossing near Matto Cycle is going to be DEEP & SWIFT & tell Chris that I doubt the YFZ450 can safely
ford this obstacle on the way to Wendy's. Chris & his buddy seem unfazed by my dire prediction for the YFZ450 &
decide to continue the trex towards Wendy's.
After passing Matto Cycle , Chris & the YFZ450 head off to challenge the creek without waiting for Speedy
& the others in case things go wrong. NOT A GOOD THING! By the time Speedy & the others reach the
creek , the YFZ450 is floundering BADLY & being pushed downstream with tires spinning widly & digging itself
deeper & DEEPER into the creekbed. UGLYYYYYYY! I SCREAM to STOP & turn the engine off , but with
Chris saying " You can Make it ", the YFZ450 rider makes a few more futile attempts before the quad finally dies
& becomes TOTALLY submerged beneath the COLD , DEEP & SWIFT waters of this rain swollen creek. BAD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With the YFZ450 TOTALLY
submerged & BOTH rider & atv on the verge of being swept downstream , Speedy realizes it's NOW or
NEVER to attempt a rescue !!!! With the new 26" " Swamp Fox " deep lugged sneakers on my
Susuki Twin Peak's , I point the quad upstream & plunge into the swollen creek . With the sport quad partially
blocking the trail , this will be REAL TRICKY! The Susuki 4x4 churns & bounces & bobs across the creek &
the swift current forces my quad against the sport quad partially blocking the trail. My A$$ puckers up as I ask
myself " Will these big nasty 26" tires give me enough traction to free my 4x4 from this sport quad or will I too become a
victum of this rain swollen creek???"
The 26" Swamp
Fox's give the Susuki Twin Peak's 4x4 just enough traction to free itself & climb up the steep slippery bank ! PHEWEEEEEEEEEEEE!
It was very tricky & we almost lost the YFZ450 to the swollen creek , but with the combination of a winch , teamwork &
ALOT of LUCK the water logged YFZ450 & rider make it to DRY ground!
The YFZ450 atver wants to start his water logged quad , BUT that's NOT a good idea! NOPE! He drains the airbox of ALOT
of water & still wants to start it! NO WAY would I do that! I suggest standing the quad on it's rear wheels & opening
the carburator throttle wide open to see IF water got into the carb ??????? GURGGLE , GURGGLE , a flood of water cascades
from the carbs! NOT GOOD! After a prolonged discussion it's decided to tow the drowned quad to Wendy's for extraction
& a COMPLETE service & hopefully the rider didn't ruin the engine by struggling too long in his failed attempt at
the creek crossing????? WHO KNOWS??????
Once at Wendy's a local gives the YFZ450 owner a ride to Frackville to get his rig & extract his quad for needed drying
out & possible repairs. The rest of us feed our faces & then head out across the mountains
for MORE fun . The rain NEVER came as predicted & with the weather warm & clear skies , we pick up the pace &
head up & across the mountains north towards Frackville.
The last few miles are crazy at times & by the time we rumble across the berm at Inn 81 we are covered in mud ,
dripping wet , gasping for breath & squealing with delight! YEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WHAT A GRAND DAY! YOU MISSED
A GREAT RIDE!
YOUR AARP atv buddy!
