February 15
Washita
Ozark Jeepthing
I was the very first to arrive to a deserted parking lot, so thoughts of a last minute cancelation flash through my mind. Since there is no cell service I waited until I had company before I actually unloaded. The knife edge of the wind cut through me as I unloaded the Jeep in preparation for the day. ?Where?s the partly sunny middle forties day we asked for?? I ask myself as I blow on my fingers to unthaw them, all the while praising myself for the forethought of including my top and doors. I start the Jeep, turning the heater to max, while I further prepare for our assault of the summit. As I was finishing up Justin arrived and immediately starts removing his top and doors! That is some dedication, but maybe a little on the eccentric.
The day seemed to brighten and warm a little as I watch my OJT friends arrive and soon we are ready. Bill and Aaron choose our path and we start our ascent, only to discover residual ice lays all over the trails. Weaving around trees and straddling ice covered ruts of unknown depths, we arrive at the gate keeper of the park; ?The Wall? is a stepped slope with a graduated ledge at the top. I see that there are no tracks up the challenge area and I think, ?That is not right!? I approach the climb across the momentum robbing cobbled bottom and soon learn why there were no tracks. My bias ply rockers are not gripping at all and after a couple half hearted tries I admit defeat. Mean while, Bill has been eying a Luge track that once was thought to be the first bypass, and after crowding the rev limiter and including a little airtime, he is up! Several make the ascent putting on a show, until Kent gets sideways clinging to the lower ledge by a whisker. We all hold our breath as Bill hooks up the winch, all the while hoping the TJ would continue to defy gravity, until it is secured. Soon with good advice and judicial application of throttle he is safe at the top. We wait to let some Yotas pass and watch in awe as one with a V-8 made sweet music clawing his way to the top. Next one looked like it was fresh off the farm, but with a lot of heart he managed to scatter all the spectators as he rode the ledge sideways against the rev limiter with minimal earthly contact. After the show we take to the trail again only to make a quick stop at a tank trap to redeem our confidence, by blasting through bumper deep ice.
As we approach the final ascent we spot some fellow enthusiast in trouble coming down F.U.B.A.R., as Aaron and the group stop to offer assistance, I walk up ?Brain Fart? in order to evaluate the condition of the trail, pronouncing it doable. Aaron and the other knight?s return and suddenly I find myself in the lead and with Lorena encouraging me with pleas of, ?that?s not a trail!?, ?let me out!?, ?don?t stop here!?, ?what was that??, and ?we?re not going that way are we??, we break over the top. At the Bald, we enjoy our well deserved lunch with a view, being embraced by an Arctic gale, and I for one was relieved when the application of food quieted the chattering teeth sound that pervaded our stop over. We do the obligatory photo shoot and soon we are making our decent.
Soon it becomes apparent that my Washita carnage record is going to remain intact. For soon the aroma of coolant drifts upon the latent breeze and the search for the casualty is under taken. The Mexican shuttle is hemorrhaging coolant and it is apparent to everyone that it is arterial and life threatening, so it is placed into an electrically induced coma and secured by a lifeline to Doctor JKU to be nursed back to the parking lot. As everyone knows; Washita has a paved recovery road making extractions a breeze, NOT! The way out is a boulder strewn, tree entwined gauntlet of perseverance, which seems to revel in thwarting recovery efforts, but with the efforts of all and the brute strength of a JKU we arrive at the starting point, with big smiles frozen upon our features. The Vict?um?patient is placed onto a wheeled platform to await convalescence and we head to town.
We arrive back at Farmington to share victuals of all you can stand Catfish, Chicken, and Shrimp including all the fixings; while reminiscing the day and enjoying the fellowship in celebration of Aaron?s birthday. Good Time, Good Friends, and Good Fellowship. Until the next time!
