THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

Hey is anyone going to camp if so should we bring firewood for a saturday bonfire or something of the sort?

I'm strongly considering it. The Saturday bonfire/get together is something I want to try to figure details out on when I do the pre-run. It won't be in the park though.

I plan to visit a couple of places about accomodating us as a group for the get together or group supper. I'm not sure yet what can be done out there.

I want to do the pre run asap, but I'm worried about the road looking okay today and in the mean time there are thunderstorms or something out there where a flash flood can wipe out road crossings after I've been there. I don't want to cut it too close either. I'm thinking in May and then if it rains after that, so be it. I'll also be talking to the Park people about the roads etc.

Again, any ideas or thoughts about Saturday evening are more than welcomed.

Andy

Yeh if we do decide on a fire of some sort we can bring a good amound of firewood, and as far as the roads go for what it's worth we drove the entire loop yall are talking about in a pickup so if the crossings and such hold it shouldn't be too bad if memory serves it was just ruff though that was many years ago.

Okay, I have received some really excellent responses to my queries on getting this trip going. Many thanks to; Darren Fulton President of Rocky Mountain Pingauers, Dave Dunn who does the Pinz thing for the Calico Mogfest, and Mike Nims, former President of Southwest Pinzgauers for your many thought provoking suggestions and lessons learned tidbits.

What we ( I ) need from anyone who is planning on attending is to know how many people will be with you. I will most likely have 4 in my group. This information is necessary because when I make the pre-run I will be trying to locate a place we can all get together for a few hours, most likely on Saturday night. Also:

When do you plan to arrive?

Are you camping or will you stay at a motel/hotel?

Any preferences on eating as a group in a cafe/restaurant versus some sort of cook out, if there is a place available?

If there is a place available for a cook out type thing, are there any volunteers to bring an awning or something of that nature?

Any suggestions or requests for a group activity that does not involve a trail ride to keep family members, who may not be quite as fanatical about being in a Pinz as we are, happy?

Please offer any and all suggestions you may have, but remember that we may not be able to implement all of them for any number of reasons, the main one I can think of would be time constraints.

If you would rather not post, pm me and I will forward you my email address and phone numbers if you don't already have them.

Thanks,

Andy

We will arrive Thursday night.

I will have 3 me, my wife and 6 year old son.

We will stay in hotel in Lajitas.

Anywhere with good food and cold beer.

I have a 10x10 easy up shade, and several tables, short on chairs will need to bring own.

Hiking in park, river trips, Far Flung was lots of help last year

12 people so far and 3 Pinzgauers. 1, 710K, 1, 710M, and an unknown M from Arizona. It's a good start.

Andy

Andy
Really have not decided which truck. More than likely the 712M though. Steve wants to tag along but does not want to drive his 710 that far for a short trip. Still working on a couple other people, will let you know when/if they decide to go.

Mike, that's cool, type of Pinz really isn't important right now except possibly to insure parking space. What I need is a rough guess as to how many we will have so that when I call and go see these people I have some sort of realistic figure to give them as to numbers of people. Who knows if the figures are right we might get some sort of a discount some place for us "frugal" (heh, heh, heh) folks. I won't hold my breath on that one though.

Andy

We'll probably get there sometime on friday and be staying in the hotel in study bute and as far as activities and the saturday night meal pretty much up for anything.

I-10, more or less how many people in your group?

Thanks,

Andy

Oh yeh forgot about that more than likely just two.

Andy et al,

I just spoke with my long time buddy Greg Henington (Far Flung Outdoor Center, www.farflungoutdoorcenter.com) in Study Butte and he had some excellent suggestions for 2 days of off roading in the BBNP region.

If you look at that map I sent you, from Castolon (near Santa Elena Canyon), you'll see the River Road which works its way south and east. You can take this all the way to the Rio Grande Village. The distance is roughly 50 miles and there's tons of stuff to see along the way.

The second route that he suggested starts up just off Highway 385 (between the Persimmon Gap Visitor Center and the main BBNP Headquarters) at Dagger Flats. Again, if you follow that map, you'll see the trail that runs south to McKinney Springs, Telephone Canyon, Willow Tank, La Norte and then on into Rio Grande Village. This route is also roughly 50 miles.

Greg indicated that neither is particularly blood and guts but both will provide the group with some epic views of the park region.

While it doesn't apply for this year, Greg is about to add cottages to his outdoors outfitting "empire" which will be an ideal base of operations for our 2009 Pinzgauer gathering.

Email or call me to discuss these....I'm still going to try and figure out a way to join y'all if I can negotiate something with my wife.

Later!

I had intended to do the pre-run this weekend, May 9, 10, and 11. I have been informed by higher authority (wife) that daughter number 1 graduates from her nurse's training on May 10 and I WILL be there for the same old lame speeches and to watch umpteen people who I don't know also graduate. The suggestion that she video tape said event and I could fast forward to the pertinient parts was not well received.

I will therefore try to get out of here early on the 11th. I will post when I get back and try to add any pertinent pictures.

Reference routes. I really am not fixed on any particular route, my concern is a route that will satisfy the greater majority of the attendees and one that can be done in a reasonable amount of time. Does your friend have any estimates on how much time these routes take at an average (whatever that may be) speed? I'm guessing since they do tours they should have some idea. Also, if he has any suggestions where we could have a get together for the 12 or 14 people who have indicated they will be there, that would be appreciated.

Andy

Andy, Andy, Shame on you!

"I had intended to do the pre-run this weekend, May 9, 10, and 11. I have been informed by higher authority (wife) that daughter number 1 graduates from her nurse's training on May 10 and I WILL be there for the same old lame speeches and to watch umpteen people who I don't know also graduate. The suggestion that she video tape said event and I could fast forward to the pertinient parts was not well received."

Tut, Tut women take this sort of thing most seriously its no good you being just prowd of your daughters achievements you have to play the game or you be in the Dog House for a very long time. I very nearly missed out on going to my wifes Master of Science Degree I had to prove that I realy wanted to go.

Each of those trips would be all day at a leisurely pace with Old Ore Road being a little less time than River Road route. A good 8-5 day. He recommended the trip to River Road start on the west side and move east to avoid the intense sun in the face in the afternoon.

He also suggest running Old Ore Road from North to South to have the beautiful mountains in view the entire day.

Dinner for the group could be at The Starlight Theatre one night and La Kiva the next. Restaurants open and close in the Terlingua ghost town all the time but these are two standards that have endured.