March Trip to KY?

[LPM606]

OK, since my UP idea was shot down for March, and Ryan was against paying for the Jeep Jamboree in TN in April, How about a trip to an offroad park down in KY sometime in March?  Here is a link to the park website:

http://www.harlancountytrails.com/blackmountain-directions.php

Its an 8 hour drive from my house (Edit - Actually, nine hours), so in my mind this would be a drive down thursday, wheel Friday and Saturday, and drive home Sunday. I guess we could just drive down friday, wheel staurday, and drive home Sunday to keep it shorter and cheaper, but I hate the two long drives with just a day between. There are some other parks down there as well, so we could probably do one day at thisplace and the next day somewhere else...

If there is any interst at all, I can look to see if there are some touristy things to do in the area or maybe on the drive down or back and make a real trip out if...

Since we have the Last Sunday in February on the Schedule, and The Two Trackers clean up event like April 20th, I am thinking we put this right in the middle - March 21-24th.  Anyopne interested?  I amy invite some others along as well... 

[gogolen]

Dude, the SFWDA (southern four wheel drive association) is having an event for $35 for the entire weekend for two people including dinner Saturday night.  The weekend after the jeep jamboree AT THE SAME LOCATION. Now I don't know about SFWDA, but I like to think that they do all the same great things that the GLFWDA does.  It's crazy but nowhere on the jeep jamboree website do I see anything about UFWDA, SFWDA, GLFWDA, or any other organization that actually "suports the sport".  I understand that the SFWDA "Trail Fest" is the same weekend as the jeep blessing, and it's just bad timing.  All that being said I'll step off my soapbox now, yes I'd like to go to Harlan.  As for something to do there, you know how you're into microbrews, well in Kentucky think Bourbon Trail!

[LPM606]

I am familiar with the kentucky burboun trail and have three stamps in my trail "passport" to prove it!  I hate to do the SFWDA event and miss the blessing - I usually volunteer at the GLFWDA booth at the blessing and it seems that this year a lot of our club is planning on being at the blessing - Inlcuding Suzanne...  Seeing her on the Drivers course in the yellow TJ is, in of itself, is probably worth the trip to Mesick! If I can't get enough interest in the KY thing, I may "punt" and do the SFWDA thing in TN just so I can be there with plenty of back-up...

[LPM606]

Al Koopman and John Ramos from GLFWDA are in for this trip as well as Ryan and I (so far) from the club, so we are defintiely going to go forward with it and start firming up some plans...

[gogolen]

Well my jeep is giving me the middle finger for having to bail on this trip.  5th gear went bye bye on my way home from work this evening.

[LPM606]

That sucks!  More $$ on top of your steering stuff...

[J's Jeep]

Ouch!
I know a guy that is familiar with taking trannys out and back in if you need some help.

[gogolen]

Already on it, old one out 1 hr 20 minutes.

I've got two sourced to pick up tomorrow one of them is going in!

[gogolen]

Good news: new trans, new clutch, all buttoned up.
Bad news: closing the hood, one of the hold downs broke :-(

[LPM606]

The string of bad luck continues, though in the scheme of things, a broken hood tie down vs. a new transmission ain't such a bad thing...