River Bottom Games

CA4WDA Winter Fun Fest 2000	Short Cuts
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By: Rick Esterly
2/2000

River Bottom Games

Although I had to work Friday and Saturday, I was not going to be denied the fun of the River Bottom Games on Sunday. I got up to Greenhorn River by 9:00 am Sunday morning with fellow 4x4Wire Editor, Vance Anderson. We knew right away that we were going to have fun. The rain had ceased, the sun was showing, and rigs of all flavors were streaming in. Just driving our rigs there excited us.

The game field. Kammy Caruss Burleson

Registration was first on the agenda for most. This was held on an upper plateau overlooking the 'game' field. One could smell the lunch cooking in a nearby tent. A fire burned close by to help those morning chills disappear. Good conversation was everywhere. We were all here sharing a common interest. There were many who just came down for the camaraderie and entertainment, most for the games.

Let the games begin! There were four different events scheduled for the competition. All events were timed. First was the cup rally. The driver had to traverse a series of cones, stopping long enough at each one to grab a cup stuck on top of a pole. The driver then had to head downriver more and then circle a traffic cone to start back. On the way back, the passenger had to put the cups back on the poles while the driver sped back to the finish. Many had to back up for missed cones... just try putting a cup on a sick while bouncing around a river bottom in a 4x4 going 25 mph.

Blasting through the cones. Rick Esterly

The second event was the cone stick trick. This is always good. You begin at the start/finish line and splash through the water to a traffic cone in front of you (about 80 feet). The passenger jumps out, runs, and collects four sticks laying on the ground in front of the cone. The sticks are then stuffed into the top of cone and the passenger runs back to the rig. The driver then has to back into a 'stall' (the front of the rig has to be past the run cones) and then speeds back to the finish. There was a lot of water and gravel displaced in this event.

The third event was the turtle, with a twist this year. A run was made to test the drivers and the low gears of there rigs. Last year the slowest rig won the event. This year they made you guess your slowest time. The slowest, with the closest time guessed this year won. Winners were under one minute apart! Nice touch this year!

The blind run, FUN! Rob Elsemore

The last event was the most entertaining, both for those competing and us watching. This was the blind run. Drivers left the start/finish on a run around a course of cones. You had to drive between the cones. Sounds easy? the glitch is that you are blindfolded! You cant see, your passenger does the navigating, left, no the other left! (I have tried this as a passenger, and I have almost piloted people over campsites -- sorry, Vance!) This is fun, what seems like two miles is actually 180 yards.

Fun on the rocks. Rick Esterly

All the events were run in a professional manner with safety rules enforced at all times. Seatbelts were the main focus and violation of the games. A special thank you goes to CA4WD for hosting this great weekend. The lunch at noon was great, and once again the infamous River Bottom Stew warmed the the hearts of all.

As the cones were lifted and the tents came down until next year, some people still wanted to play. River running was the theme of the day, but some found rocks to play on too. Rigs could be seen climbing hills, running the river, and getting stuck on rocks for miles. Fun was had by all.

See you all next year!

For more pictures, CLICK HERE.