2nd Monongahela WV, 8/24 - 8/27/07

[jim65wagon]

I'm in. Asked for those days which are pending "approval" silly managers think I need approval! Hopefully a couple more will show up this year than last year. Turnout was a little light, but I had a blast. Food, friends, and a fire tower!

 

[toyotechwv]

I may be in for this event. Not a far drive for me.

 

[Haggis]

Know This, Clan Haggis shall join the expedition to the valley of Monongahela and lend our resolve to the gathering forces of the renowned war chief Cshontz. Though we know him but through fireside tales, news of his capable leadership has reached our distant lands and we know he shall lead us to glory. Woe onto him if he fails.

In the fortnights to come we shall prepare; swords shall be honed, axes and spears rehafted, mail shall be mended. When the call comes, we shall leave our forest glens and it will be as a black wind of despair that reves our foes. Rivers shall be forded, mountains will be scaled and our march will be known by the trembling of the earth and the keening of our foeman's women. Blood, Fire and Doom, the wrath of the Clan comes nigh!

What glories await us? Monasteries to sack, livestock to steal and villages to plunder; it matters not to us. For with Cshontz to lead us and the strong bow arme of james1165waggon to shield us, we will be the steel harbringers of legend; our axes and swords are his to command. All that we ask is for a fair share of the plunder and to feed the forest roots with the blood of the foe. We...


...What dear? I'm posting a reply on Medievel Vandals forums. What? Yeah your right, I must of got cofused, this is the Expo Portal. Don't worry I'll delete the top post, they'll never knoww...

Geewillerkers, Chris count us in. A Cookout, hiking and wheeling sounds great. We'll bring the marshmellows!

 

[BigAl]

****, I wanted to be Pirates:shakin: That's funnny Haggis:wings:

edit: I think I'm in too

 

[cshontz]

Last year, we ran into a bit of a problem when the campsite we were originally planning on using was occupied. We had no idea who was coming, when they were coming, and how to tell them the campsite had changed. Well, never again!

I ended up going to the store for some poster board and a marker to post a sign at the old, occupied campsite that provided directions to a new campsite.

Being a web developer by trade, I slapped together a sign-up form for the event on my personal web site, ixplor.us (I explore U.S.). The form collects very basic info just so we can be a little more organized this year.

Official Sign-Up Form
http://ixplor.us/monongahela.php

1) Forum Name
Who you are on the forum.

2) First Name(s)
So we have a general idea of who is in your vehicle, and if we should need to contact you its better than asking for you by your forum name. First names only for privacy.

3) Vehicle Description
Last year, vehicles would pass by our campsite and we would wonder, "Are they supposed to be with us?" This will help us see you coming, and flag you down if need be.

4) E-Mail Address
I'm going to distribute directions and any last minute trip info via e-mail, as opposed to posting our destination in a public forum. Your e-mail address won't be displayed in the roster.

5) Cell Phone
If we get there and in the unlikely event our campsite is unavailable, its going to be time to make some phone calls. Also invaluable for other emergencies. Cell phone number will not be displayed in the roster.

6) ETA
When should we expect you, generally speaking?

Each submission should represent one vehicle. Once the submission is complete the roster will update instantly. If your plans change, you can remove yourself from the list just as easily.

The following image is dynamically generated and will always show the current list of registered participants. The roster image is also visible in the first post in this thread. You may need to refresh the page to see the latest version!

Alright, that's enough techno-babble from me. I'm going to bed!

 

[cshontz]

Just as an FYI for those who want driving directions to the general area, Thomas WV is the town closest to our campsite. Our campsite is only a few miles away.

:1888fbbd:

http://www.google.com/maps?q=Thomas,+WV,+USA

Access to the campsite does not require 4wd, but the trail is rough enough to require a truck or SUV, and airing down simply for comfort.

 

[Nullifier]

Man this would be a great shake down run for the rig before we go to Baja but I'm not sure if it will be running or not. If last minute additions are ook then I will let you know that month. The time off is not an issue but over the next several months the rig will be in various stages of construction.

for me it's 960 miles!

 

[BigAl]

Chris said the agenda was kinda loose, I don't know if anyone would be interested in this, but I throw it out there...

Bowden Cave is about 30 miles from Thomas. It is a wild cave and is excellent for large groups and beginners/kids. It is located along old 33 in Bowden. You park and walk about 200ft to the entrance. The entrance passage is ~75 feet of stoopwalk and hand&knees crawl and then it opens up to at least a mile of huge, booming, walking, stream passage. It is a very popular cave, if you web search the cave, you'll find tons of photos and information. There is also a large parking area that would suit for a picnic lunch/hangout for non-cavers. You could easily spend a couple days exploring the cave but if anyone wants to do a short 1-2hr trip, I'd be willing to show a group around. If anyone is interested, I can give more details.

 

[jim65wagon]

I'd also like to see Dolly Sods which I missed last year, and a run through the Canaan Loop would be cool, kids would like to climb the fire tower again and crawl through the cave too. Sounds like a busy weekend!:jumping:

BTW, Beth and I rented Wrong Turn, which should be required viewing before this trip....

 

[Grim Reaper]

Man this would be a great shake down run for the rig before we go to Baja but I'm not sure if it will be running or not. If last minute additions are ook then I will let you know that month. The time off is not an issue but over the next several months the rig will be in various stages of construction.

for me it's 960 miles!

I am hoping to make this run as well. If you make it let me know and maybe we can caravan up from Atlanta.

 

[Haggis]

Al, the caving sounds like a great idea, have'nt been caving in years.

 

[cshontz]

Looks like we have a strong showing so far! If you're planning on attending, but not sure of the details, I strongly encourage you to sign up. You can easily edit/remove your entry in the sign-up form if you need to later.

Mark, I forgot to mention your post is hilarious. You know the one. Are you sure you're not in my World of Warcraft guild?

Al, caving is an awesome idea. Last year I Googled my heart out looking for nearby caves. Read alot of amazing stories and saw incredible pictures of caves in the WV area. Wouldn't be surprised if we're camping on top of a system.

Dolly Sods was incredible last year. I wouldn't mind revisiting that spot, and possibly even spending more time there. Alot of good bouldering up there, but be careful - that wind will blow you right off the mountain!

Would also like to explore the Canaan Loop by vehicle, which we didn't get around to last year. That should be an enjoyable drive through the woods. The forest roads in WV are measurably more technical than the ones we have here in PA.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Are you setting a base camp for the whole weekend then going out or are you moving every night?

Its 600+ Mile ride for me. I might arrive on the 23 and get a good night sleep if I can swing the ride.

I actually have a overnight planned the weekend before that may well be my shake down for the trailer I am building.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I am hoping to make this.

Are you setting a base camp for the whole weekend then going out or are you moving every night?

Its 600+ Mile ride for me. I might arrive on the 23 and get a good night sleep if I can swing the ride.

I actually have a overnight planned the weekend before that may well be my shake down for the trailer I am building.

 

[cshontz]

We're doing a basecamp for the entire duration. To have a migratory camp in true ExPo style would be very cool, but we don't have the open space around here for that. Finding one suitable site is challenge enough! It would be awesome for you to join us, Grim.

:chowtime: