Alaska Cruiser Trek 2008

[Mark W]

Yep, doing it again.

This is just an advance notice and details are subject to change still at this point. But I wanted to get the word out as soon as I could so that folks thinging abut coming up have time to plan.

The Alaska Cruiser Trek will happen again next year. The plan at the moment is to return to the area where we hosted the ACT2003 and the "Unofficial ACT2002". Basically the southern side of the eastern end of the Alaska Range. Between Tok and Paxon.
This will not be a high challenge event. This will be a bit of a change in mindset over the earlier Treks. Up 'til now we have always gone into it with the hope of presenting some tough trails and getting into some new territory, even for thos of us leading the way. We've managed to do both to a varying degrees. But I've realized that this has been a minor consideration and in the end a minor high point of the Treks.
I've jokingly been referring to the Treks as "Hard Core Sight Seeing". But I have come to whee I'm no longer joking. When you get right down to it getting out into the back country for the sake of getting out into the back country and doing it with good company really is what the Treks are about. So this time around, I'm not going to mislead myself that we will be doing much else.
Now that that's been said, no one should come up thinking that this wil be a like a weekend of driving fire roads in the Smokies or wandering along old mining and ranch roads in Utah. We've had varying degrees of breakage, mechanical failures and mishaps during every Trek and we expect that this will continue. In the past 4 Treks we have seen 3 roll overs, 3 or 4 broken springs, three broken rear axles, 4 or 5 busted birfields, a couple of shattered Tcase, sheared knuckle studs and wallowed knuckles, sheared ball joints, failed alternators and electric fans (water and silt), sliced tires, torn brake lines and lots of other miscellaneous carnage. We've drowned a couple of rigs in crossings gone bad, had more than a couple rigs which had to be extracted from a crossing without actually drowning them.

Nothing drastic and when you consider how many vehicle miles we've accumulated with the Treks, this is a pretty low tally. My only point is that, stuff happens. And you have to be prepared to deal with it. And so far, we have. When you are well back into the trails alot, you get used to this.

Anyway, while the actual dates are not set yet, expect early to mid July. A week or so on the trail. At least two occasions where the camp will not be broken down and moved in the morning so that folks who want to can spend some time hiking, relaxing in camp or doing other non-vehicular activities.
We will see a LOT of river crossings. Your rig will have to be able to handle 3-4 foot deep moving water without any real concern.
We will not see a lot of mud on the trails that we know for sure we will be using. On a couple that we'll very likely take a shot at... LOTS. We'll be sticking with "at least one locker and 35x12.50 mud tires" as minimum requirements.
I'm thinking that we'll probably make a run up Glacier 13 this time out there too. Tire chains would be very handy for this (but not a requirement).


Anyway, this is not the place or time for lots of details yet.

The Alaska Cruiser Crew will be participating, but will not actually be hosting the Trek This time around. It'll be my show in 2008. With some probably assistance from a couple of the Crew (and/or some of the Whatley Clan). We'll be limiting the number of rigs to 15. Locals will have to wait until the deadline for all outsiders has passed before they get a shot at the remaining slots. This limit *may* be a bit flexible but not by much.

Here's a couple of links with pictures from the area that we'll be visiting.

http://www.xplorn.com/ACT2002/

http://www.xplorn.com/ACT2003/

These are left over websites from previous Treks. Bounce around and check out the info and comments there. It will mostly apply to ACT2008 also.

Anyway, here's the initial announcement. More info will follow, here and in the Trails. If you have questions, ask away.


Mark...

[beno]

The grandeur of AK is always mystical in a quasi-mind-numbing sort of way....

This is an idealized trip for me at this point.

I hope you are still doing this trip in about five years when I am fiscally and mentally ready to do this trip.

Cheers.
-onur
ABQ

[woody]

this event is on my list, but the 80 (and my schedule) isn't quite ready yet....

hhhhmmmm...maybe an FJC shouuld attend in 2008....hhhhmmmmm

[2badfjs]

Q: We've had varying degrees of breakage, mechanical failures and mishaps during every Trek and we expect that this will continue. In the past 4 Treks we have seen 3 roll overs, 3 or 4 broken springs, three broken rear axles, 4 or 5 busted birfields, a couple of shattered Tcase, sheared knuckle studs and wallowed knuckles, sheared ball joints, failed alternators and electric fans (water and silt), sliced tires, torn brake lines and lots of other miscellaneous carnage. We've drowned a couple of rigs in crossings gone bad, had more than a couple rigs which had to be extracted from a crossing without actually drowning them.

DISCLAIMER: NO ANIMALS WERE HURT DURING THIS EVENT AND NO BABIES WERE BORN.

Mark,
the trek as a whole sounds like a blast
maybe for my mid-life crisis i'll need to do this
my wife thinks i'm going thru it now. i just gave myself a mohawk at 45

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT TECH AND WRITE UPS IN TRAILS!!!!
the first articles i got to when i get the mag

jim

[beno]

Originally Posted by 2badfjs

i just gave myself a mohawk at 45

Holy shit....pics please Jim!!

Hey at least you are healthy, you have a great family, and you have your divine power to provide you with strength....that's more than 90% of people in this world man....



Hope you are well brother.
-o-

[2badfjs]

Originally Posted by beno

Holy shit....pics please Jim!!

Hey at least you are healthy, you have a great family, and you have your divine power to provide you with strength....that's more than 90% of people in this world man....



Hope you are well brother.
-o-

ha ha, thanks onur.

we are doing good, healthy at least

i'll get pics this weekend for you.

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by 2badfjs

DISCLAIMER: NO ANIMALS WERE HURT DURING THIS EVENT AND NO BABIES WERE BORN.

Well... We have had a couple of squirrels caught by the dogs. So far no dog/bear encounters on ANY of our runs. Couple of close calls on that count though.

And we've had a couple of dog/porcupine encounters.


And... I wound up kinda run over in 2001. I was directing everyone through a beaver pond where the turn through the brush was difficult for some of the folks to make out. THe last rig was an FJ40 driven by one of our locals. He slowed down as he went by and I tried to step up onto the running board. My foot slipped off and as I fell the rear tire started up my leg. Fortunately the bottom of the pond was pretty soft. We backed the rig off of me and the passenger climbed onto the fender to help me get up and into the rig.

Once we got out of the pond and I got out of my waders, I was bruised pretty badly but that seemed to be it. We went on with the day and kinda kept the situation quite.

Three or four days later I went to the doctor and got my leg x-rayed at my wife's insistence. Turned out I had hairline fractures in both bones of my lower leg.

I consider myself very lucky however. It could have been a LOT worse.


But no babies born on the Trek yet.



Mark...

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by woody

this event is on my list, but the 80 (and my schedule) isn't quite ready yet....

hhhhmmmm...maybe an FJC shouuld attend in 2008....hhhhmmmmm

An FJ Cruiser actually on the trail up here. That'd be a first anyway.


Mark...

[beno]

Originally Posted by Mark W

An FJ Cruiser actually on the trail up here. That'd be a first anyway.


Mark...

That would indeed be a coup....along the lines of you picking up 2 80 series trucks, from what I hear....

[bull]

Fantastic news.. Has there been many kids on the runs of past (say 10+) in age?

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by beno

That would indeed be a coup....along the lines of you picking up 2 80 series trucks, from what I hear....

Actually, as of Sunday, it's 2 1993 FZJ80s with Elockers and a 1994 FZJ80 parts rig (also with Elockers).

My wife should be driving hers with a new engine an ARB front bumper, 2 inch OME lift and 35s within the next couple of months. I'll snorkel it, and build a roof rack for it before next spring.



Yeah, it would be nice to see an FJC actually being used up here beyond the malls parking lots. Even if we did have to bring one in from the 48 to make it happen.


Mark...

[beno]

Originally Posted by Mark W

Actually, as of Sunday, it's 2 1993 FZJ80s with Elockers and a 1994 FZJ80 parts rig (also with Elockers).

My wife should be driving hers with a new engine an ARB front bumper, 2 inch OME lift and 35s within the next couple of months. I'll snorkel it, and build a roof rack for it before next spring.



Yeah, it would be nice to see an FJC actually being used up here beyond the malls parking lots. Even if we did have to bring one in from the 48 to make it happen.


Mark...

So, are you an 80 series fan or are these purchases more to expand the scope of your trade?

I remember a few Tech articles in 2000 or 01 where you were quite impressed with the 80 series build quality but were sticking to the older cruisers....

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by bull

Fantastic news.. Has there been many kids on the runs of past (say 10+) in age?

My youngest daughter is 20 now. She has been on every Trek since 2001. Mike Fahey's daughter (same age) was along in 2001 also. Greg Hayden's two sons (now 17 and 21 have been out with us since 2003. One of my daughter's friends joined her in 2002, and niece of one of the Crew (same age) came along too. We also had a 10 year old girl and a 12 year old boy along in 2002.

The Treks are very suitable for kids in the 10+ age range. Very much less so for younger children.


Mark...

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by beno

So, are you an 80 series fan or are these purchases more to expand the scope of your trade?

I remember a few Tech articles in 2000 or 01 where you were quite impressed with the 80 series build quality but were sticking to the older cruisers....

I'm a fan of all Cruisers... Well all solid axle Cruisers anyway.

My wife has always like the '80s. After spending time with several '80s on the trail, during the Treks, she was really really wanting one. I came across one which needed a bit of engine work but was otherwise in great shape, I jumped on it. Less than a month later I bought one at auction which had suffered a soft roll. The just acquired parts rig belonged to a friend whose son rolled it. We worked out a trade of that '80 in exchange for work on his '40.

Melanie has been after me for a long time to adopt a nice (Cruiser) wagon for my daily driver. Can't say I argued. By spring we should be driving a set of his and her '80s (I'll probably set mine up much the same way as I mentioned for hers). They will be primarily street rigs, but they'll see the occasional run over the trails for weekend camping trips, taking visitors out to see the back country for a couple of days and runs like the Treks. No intention of trying to make them fill any sort of hard core tasking. I've got several other rigs to handle that.

Currently her daily is a Saab 9000 turbo. I've got another one sitting needing some tranny work. As soon as I get the chance to mess woith that one, I'll get it going too. Then we'll have his and her '80s and his and her Saabs. Sounds pretty yuppied out doesn't it.


Mark...

[beno]

Originally Posted by Mark W

Then we'll have his and her '80s and his and her Saabs. Sounds pretty yuppied out doesn't it.


Mark...

[reffug]

yes it does..................

[VTCruiser]

this would be awesome...gotta get my 60 done....!

[devo]

I guess after Darell brought home that awsome 80 everybody went crazy to get one!


box wine bob

[Mark W]

It wound up looking that way, that's for sure. Darrell had already bought Jack's old '80 and I hooked Greg up with on at about the same time that Darrell was heading down to get yours. Melanie fell in love with '80s during the Trek to a much larger degree than before. We picked up a couple of new members who happened to be '80 drivers. One (or two?) of our other guys had '80s and started building them up this year.
And as I mentioned above, I snapped up a pair that I happened to stumble into.

For the size of the Crew, we've got a BUNCH of '80s right now.

For the Trek, a nicely setup '80 is a great rig. especially for anyone who is driving up from the '48.


Mark...

[coldtaco]

If things work out, please count me in I got to have 35" tires this time though?

[PabloCruise]

So 33x12.5 MT's, rear auto-locker (in a 40) is a no go?

[Mark W]

This is just a sort of "pre-notification" so that people know that it's coming. I'll be making up an information/registration packet later for people to get signed up.

The 35 inch mud tire and single locker requirement has worked well for us to date. I don't expect to be changing that. For the most part we will be on river bottom and in higher rockier passes. But some of the river sections and crossings are rather sandy (sandy water crossings can be like quicksand sometimes). Additionally some of the trails that we would like to spend some time on in 2008 will be in muddy forested areas (muddier than what we saw in 2006).


But again, nothing is set in stone. a 33x12.50 mud tread is not different enough from a 35x12.50 that I would loose much sleep about it. But at some point I'll have to draw the line. You can argue that a 33x10.50 is not all that much different from a 33x12.50. You can argue that a 34x9.50 is not much different than a 33x10.50. You can argue... anyway, you see what I mean.

A rig with slightly smaller tires than everyone else would not be a major problem. But several of them would be. 15 rigs on 31x10.50s for example would force a change in agenda for the Trek.

I really don't want to start making exceptions. Especially this early. But I'd hate for someone to have to miss out on the Trek purely because they have brand new 33x12.50s and can afford to pick up a set of 35s that they have no need for except for the Trek.

I'll let everyone know

Mark...