January 1, 2004    The Official Newsletter of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers    www.nm4w.org

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The December meeting was held in conjunction with the annual Holiday Party; hosted this year by Anita Ransom.  A sincere thanks to Anita for opening up her house to us!  Leon started the meeting at 6:50 PM, immediately followed by a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the last meeting.  Motion passed with dissent from Pat Brady.

Members Present: Anita didn’t actually sign in, but since we were at her house, I told her I’d take her word for it that she was present.  Also attending were Glenn & Susan Bontly, Pat and Sue Brady, Bill and Marie Cline, Monica Debevec, Leon and Marcia Duggar, Tom Hurt, Sandra Ellaneous, Jason and Sara Lavy, Paul-Baptiste & Eveliina Baca, Ed & Lyn Kausche, Mark, Deb, & Jennifer Werkmeister, Susan Miller, Susan Probst & 1-month old daughter Angela, Jerry Marx, Chuck and Ethel May Peeples, Jeff and Lauri Rector, Mark and Joan Wolf, Mike Blohm, Preston Garner and his wife Jane Bell and their daughter Melissa (er, I mean his wife Melissa and Mother-in-Law Jane Bell--sorry).

Guests: The Guest list only included Carlos and Laurye Tanner.  But we are glad they were able to make it, cuz they were voted in as members!

The Sheriff and VP, Jeff Rector levied a fine of 75 cents on Mike Blohm for sustaining body & tire damage, and for making one U-turn on the Tank Trap Trail.  Guy Conway was also fined (I didn’t catch how much) for “getting all messed up” on the Tank Trap Trail (something about broken U-joint(s) and/or axles).  During the Christmas Tree Run, Mike Blohm’s little brother, Matt, rolled his Grand Cherokee on a well-maintained Forest Service Road.  Since Mike is Matt’s “sponsor” for all NM4W events, Mike gets fined anytime Matt does anything dumb.  I don’t remember how much Mike’s fine was for this, but it should be pretty hefty (in my opinion)!

The Treasurer, Susan Miller, recently returned from a romantic get-away to Hawaii with the Historian.  I am happy to report that the NM4W bank account is still very healthy, with a balance of $2,679.39!

Trip Chairman, Chuck Peeples asked Mike Blohm to report on the Tank Trap Trail, for which Mike claimed there was a lot of mechanical and body damage.  Lauri Rector reported a good turnout for the Christmas Tree Run, including a guest from Gallup.  After everyone purchased their tree permits from the Walatowa Visitor Center, Tom Hurt took over as Lead, cuz the Rectors had no idea where the Christmas Trees were located.  Tom said that the rest of the ride went well, except for Matt Blohm’s rollover.  Others complained about the tremendous amount of dust, but Tom was not aware of any dust problem.  Upcoming rides included a trip to Caja del Rio, to be co-led by Tom Hurt and Sandra Ellaneous.  And on 1 Jan, Wolfie would lead the annual New Years Day Sagebrush Flats Loop Trail.  The next meeting, back at the Church, will be 8 Jan.  Leon volunteered to lead a day trip out to Cimarron Mesa, assuming there wasn’t any mud, not at all, not even a little bit.  And finally, the Chile Challenge is scheduled for 25-28 Feb.

Program Chairman Rich Capener was absent, so we did not hold the usual raffle.

Historian, Bobby Miller was also absent, supposedly cuz he had to work.  But I think he was still recovering from his romantic get-away to Hawaii with the Treasurer!  ;o)  As I’m typing this, the Newsletter Editor’s wife wants to know when SHE’s gonna get to go on a romantic get-away (with the Newsletter Editor, BTW, not the Historian).  If you ask me, the Historian and Treasurer are just stirring up trouble!

Director of Environmental Affairs was absent.

Secretary Don Miller was absent, so Glenn Bontly recorded the meeting minutes at the request of the President.

Old Business: Tom Woods’ Club Sponsorship Program was tabled until the Jan meeting.  In addition, Chuck is going to “discuss” the Highway Trash Pick-Up Program with everyone at the Jan meeting.  It was stated that we were supposed to be having “fun” at this meeting.  Wolfie briefed that the dates are confirmed for the Summer Quarterly, 28-31 Jul 04.  Insurance will cost us $500.  In addition, rental cost for the fairgrounds will be $825, plus a $500 deposit in advance.  Dry camping, showers, and a building on the grounds for us to use.  No news on food yet, though.  Pre-runs are tentatively scheduled for the weekend prior.

New Business:  Jeff recognized Carlos & Laurye Tanner as having accumulated enough points; for which they were unanimously voted in as new members. 

Wolfie recognized Secretary Don Miller for doing a terrific job of writing the meeting minutes each month, adding a humorous touch to this otherwise “boring” record of events.  He also lauded “yours truly” for doing a great job with the web site and the newsletter.

And finally, Leon recognized several members for their various “contributions” to the club over the past year.  To each of these individuals, Leon awarded a brand new, red-dyed shop rag! (we didn’t get nothin’ from Wolfie)  Jack Sierra was recognized as the Club’s V-6 Crate Motor Distribution Center.  Brad Opatz for having the guts to go “muddin’” with Leon.  Jeff Rector for keeping OPEC in business.  Mike Blohm for showing us how to drink beer around the camp fire.  Glenn Bontly for doing a killer job on the Trail Tales and the web site.  Chuck Peeples, just for being Chuck, and that says a lot.  Tom Hurt for being the man with all the parts and info.  Pat “if I can’t fix it, I will make you a new one, and I will even paint it for you” Brady.  Ralph Shultz for showing everyone how to break on an obstacle with style.  Ron Hyman for showing up to an all-Bronco run in his Suzuki with street tires.  Don Miller for doing a fine job as secretary, even if sometimes he sounds like a Canadian.  And last but not least, Rich Capener for letting Santa use Rudolph ever year to pull his sleigh (Santa has good taste, using a Bronco to lead the way).

Leon closed the meeting at 8:12 PM.  We continued the holiday festivities with a gift exchange and the collection of approximately 2 dozen new toys, which were donated to Toys for Tots. 

Greetings All!  I hope that the new year has found you healthy, happy, and wealthy.  As for me, I'm still working on the wealthy part, and still working on the Bronco.  It's going back together quickly.  Cimarron Mesa January 17--be there or be square.  Next meeting is January 8.  Bring money for the raffle tickets, and help support Southwest Four Wheel Drive.  In return, you could win all kinds of prizes, from lockers to tires and, of course, ratchet straps.  You need not be present to win.  See you all at the next meeting.

We all have our incongruities.  For Kristy Ohnesorg, it’s being a planner and organizer—yet buying a Jeep on a whim.  But she has no regrets about buying her 1998 Wrangler brand new and off-the-lot “because I just wanted it.”  And having never been off road, she didn’t dream what lay ahead.

Well, five years and several trails later (thanks to the NM4W) Kristy has made good use of her Jeep.  She learned about NM4W from fellow Lockwood-Greene employee Sandra Ellaneous.  Kristy Ohnesorg (her last name sounds like ‘dinosaur’ and is pronounced own-a-sore) moved to Albuquerque in June and attended her first club meeting in July.  It didn’t take her long to earn five points and be voted in as a member of the Club.

Since then, Kristy has learned a lot about driving her Jeep off road, and the JEEP (Just Empty Every Pocket) syndrome.  She says, “I want to learn to drive before putting more stuff on it.”  Thus, her 1998 6-cylinder, manual Wrangler with 31-inch tires remains mostly stock.  She’s added fender flares, rocker gliders, and a roof rack.  Her latest modification is a York air compressor.  When we spoke, she was gathering parts and designing the fit.  To complete the project, she planned to move the air filter and do the wiring herself.

Kristy is a native of Troy, Michigan where her parents, three sisters, and brother still live.  She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology at Michigan State University and was ¾ of the way through the Masters program in Animal Behavior before switching majors.  She loved the zoology field and aspired to a career as a university researcher, specializing in wild and domestic cats.  However, when she faced the reality of 200 applicants for every one university research position, and the dearth of jobs in zoos and museums, she changed to the more job-friendly major of Mechanical Engineering.

The change meant persevering through undergraduate Mechanical Engineering courses to qualify for Masters-level courses.  “It was a hard transition because engineers think differently than biologists,” Kristy comments.  In addition to earning her Masters degree in M.E., she later got her Professional Engineer license.  While at Michigan State, Kristy participated in the cooperative-education program at Detroit Edison.  After graduation, she worked in the utilities’ Boiler Design group for 7-1/2 years until utility deregulation cutbacks hit.

Her next job was with Black & Veatch Engineering as a Systems Engineer on power plants.  After 1-1/2 years, she transferred to the Advanced Technology Division in Chandler, AZ and worked in the wafer-fab area until that market tanked and she was laid off.  Her next stint was Lead Mechanical Construction Coordinator at a wafer factory in Salt Lake City.  When that project ended she was laid off and remained unemployed for two years.

Kristy says, “Being unemployed puts things in perspective.”  In June 2003 she took her present job as Progressive Build Project Manager for Lockwood-Greene at the Intel plant.  She explains, “I do clean room modifications and utility installations to support tool install.  Basically, we make room for the tools that make wafers.”  In spite of the tension and deadlines of construction, she likes the work, has a great boss, and hopes it proves to be a stable job.

To get away from work pressures, she loves to escape to the outdoors.  Favorite activities are camping, four-wheeling, and snowmobiling.  Her cats, Plum and Baxter, can fend for themselves allowing her to get away for weekend trips.  On a bigger scale, she’d love to travel the world and someday live and work in Scotland.  Other pastimes are beadwork, crafts, and home improvement projects.  When she was a homeowner, she renovated two townhouses and recently helped the Rector’s roof and drywall Jeff’s Jeep “showroom”.

So far Kristy likes all the New Mexico four-wheeling trails, but especially Palomas Gap and Red River.  As her comfort level increases, she looks forward to going to Moab, Fairplay, and the Chile Challenge.  She enjoys NM4W because of the people with a shared interest and the involvement in protecting the environment.  A self-proclaimed non‑joiner, Kristy is already an active NM4W member and says she’ll accept a club office if offered.

Although new to four-wheeling, Kristy is a careful and attentive driver who is open to challenging herself and her vehicle.  It looks like going against character and buying a Jeep on a whim was a good thing.

(yes, I know, this trip was 3 months ago, but Tom didn’t send me the report until early December; honest, I didn’t just forget to print it this time.  –ed.)

Actually it started for me on the 23^rd.  I wanted to do some Grouse hunting and fishing--pretty nice when you get the whole Goose Lake all to yourself.  I did some exploring in the Old Red River Pass area and up in the Pioneer Creek area--saw a really nice Mule Deer Buck, but no Grouse.  Thursday, the 25^th late, met up with the Peeples & the Whistons, and made plans to go up Greenie Peak and check out some old mines.  Friday, after we got back from Greenie Peak, others started showing up.  Saturday morning, we lined up at the Mallette Creek City Park, aired down, and headed for Goose Lake.  We were missing one vehicle (a gray/silver Toyota Tacoma P/U), but as we pulled onto main street, there it was.  Sandra had gone to the wrong park!  (Sheriff, did you hear that!? –ed.)  We made it to the turn off just on the south of town, crossed the Red River, and headed up the trail.  We made a 10-100 stop at about the half-way point at the site of the Golden Treasure Mine, then finally made it to the lake.  Daniel Juarez’ Jeep started pouring fuel out of the filler, so they decided to head back down and home.  They had been having fuel problems since they left Albuquerque on Friday afternoon.  At the lake, the fishing poles and lunch came out.  Some people went hiking, some did nothing.  The Capener family was the winner for the day for catching the most fish--I think it was 6.  I didn’t catch any fish all week--pretty bad.  Chuck Peeples and some of the others headed down early to go do the Pioneer Creek Trail.  We all meet at the Mallette Creek City Park for the potluck dinner and telling tall tales.  Sunday, we drove up to Greenie peak, took some pictures, and then headed down to the air-up spot.  At this point, half the group headed for home and the rest of us did a little more 4-wheeling.  We got back to camp, loaded up, went into town, ate lunch, and then headed for home.  I would like thank everyone for coming.  I look forward to September 2004 to do it again.

Attending the run was Frank & Donna Whiston, Chuck & Ethel May Peeples, Jeffery Woodard, Leroy & Deb Baldonado, Jack & Stella Sierra, Mike & Angela Cook, Bill Cline, Jim & Nancy Hurt (my Mom & Dad), Don & Ilse Hurt (Aunt & Uncle), Bill & Del Stephenson, Orlando B. Ortega, Daniel & Robert Juarez, Kristy Ohnesorg, Chris & Laura Johnson, Jeff & Lauri Rector, Mike Bolhm, Rich & Camille Capener, Kevin & Charly Cox, Sandra Ellaneous & kids Daniel & Luke, Mark & Joan Wolf, and myself Tom Hurt.

This is the 1^st Christmas Tree Run that Jeff and I have been on.  I was looking forward to having a Christmas Tree this year; we skipped it last year since our apartment was so small.

We had 17 vehicles with us in all, including Mark Marcus from Gallup, who had e-mailed me about the trip.  Once we determined that he’d meet up with us at the Conoco, I assured him that we would wait on him.  Well, of course, I have that “short-timers” affliction and forgot all about him.  Luckily, sixteen 4X4’s going down Hwy 550 stands out.  He did a U-Turn (he’d fit right in with us!!!!) and caught up with us.

After we purchased our tree permits at the Walatowa Visitor’s Center, Tom Hurt was kind enough to lead the group to a good area.  But, there was a mishap along the way on the forest road.  Mike Blohm’s brother, Matt, rolled his Cherokee.  Not completely over, but he managed to damage both sides.  We got the Cherokee uprighted, fender pulled out, a tire changed, and they were on their way again and caught up to everyone else in due time. 

I think everyone got a good tree and in a short period of time, too.  Jeff and I were happy to learn that they could be dug up, especially since we only brought a shovel and a bucket.  Jerry Marx also dug up his tree – he’ll plant it in his new yard in Corrales when his new home is finished (this could be the new Christmas Party site starting next year!!!).  We were done eating some lunch and all loaded up by about 1:00.  Tom again led us out of the woods.  I made it to my company Christmas party on time; and all I have to say about that is to be careful what you wish for.

(I read Lauri’s last statement above and said, “Huh?”  And then I remembered what she told me at the Club Holiday Party, at Anita’s (hopefully she won’t beat me up for sharing it with you).  Lauri’s wish of finishing the ride in time to make it to her company Christmas Party came true alright.  However, it seems that Lauri partook of just a little too much Christmas Cheer that evening.  Okay, it was way too much Christmas Cheer!  Jeff told me that she was dancing on the tables with a lamp shade on her head (not really, I just made that up).  But she did tell me that her hangover lasted well into the next day, and that she never wanted another drink again in her life!  Yeah, I think I’ve said that once or twice myself.  Hope your feeling better, Lauri.  –ed.)

We meet at 9am at Hwys 550 & 528, headed up I-25 to State Road 16, and over to the bottom of the old La Bajada Hill.  We aired down and headed up the hill a little after 10am.  When we got to the top, we walked over to the edge to look down into the Santa Fe River bottom; loaded up again and took FR24 over towards the Blow Hole.

Got to the parking area and hiked down to take a look at this natural wonder.  After lunch, Sandra and I hiked down the north side of the hill we were parked on to see how much snow there was.  This hill has some off camber spots, which can cause some “wear and tear” on seat covers and chicken bars, as I found out on the way down!  I’m sure there were a few choice words from all the drivers.  Everyone made it to the bottom without problems, however.  We turned right at bottom and headed back out to FR24 and over to Tom’s Hill.  I told everyone that we would have to go through a Corral.  They didn’t realize there would be such tight turns to get through.  We closed all of the gates and headed up Tom’s Hill--made it to the top without any straps.  Headed out across the Mesa top, and just as we started to head down, Marcus Kraushaar broke the top eye out of a rear shock.  He removed the shock and we started moving again—everyone made it back to the air up spot.  I want to thank everyone for coming along.  We started with 7 vehicles and were down to 6 before we made it to the trailhead.  Attending were Robert Brady, Marcus Kraushaar, Chris O’Toole, Kristy Ohnesorg, Bill Cline, Sandra Ellaneous (trail leader), and myself riding shotgun with her.  Thanks again for riding along.

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that Santa brought all of you lots of goodies for your vehicles in preparation of the upcoming Chile Challenge next month!  This will be my fifth trip down to Las Cruces for this event.  You would think I’d have become bored with it by now, but I can’t wait to go again!  It’s usually our first overnight trip of each new year, after a 3 or 4-month winter break.  The trails, of course, are really fun.  But I’ve come to mostly enjoy the camaraderie of the event.  One evening, we usually go out to that Mexican Restaurant; you know, the one near the railroad tracks.  I don’t remember the name of it, or exactly where it’s located, but we always manage to find it!  And the food is great!  The weather is often cold and windy in Las Cruces this time of year, and sometime is rains like the dickens.  But that doesn’t stop the fun; we usually just congregate in the large heated building, drink beer, and talk about the days’ events.  On Friday and Saturday evenings, there’s a catered meal.  I’ve always thought the food was pretty good, and I’ve never gone away hungry.  And don’t forget all the venders that populate the grounds on Saturday, and the big raffle after dinner on Saturday.  I bought myself a whole boat-load of tickets and dammit, I’m gonna win me some of those ratchet straps this year!  Sunday morning, we often stop for breakfast at the Mesilla Valley Kitchen in Las Cruces and then caravan back to Albuquerque.  I know that it’s still over a month away, but this event is very popular; and since you must pre-register for your trails, now is the time to do it!  A link to the registration package is on our web site for your convenience.

Next, I want to tell all of you that it’s been a real pleasure serving as the Club’s newsletter editor and webmaster for the past year!  I get a lot of compliments for my efforts, and well, that just makes me feel really good.  :o)  I am looking forward to continuing with it again this year!  I don’t plan on making any changes to the format or content of the Trail Tales, unless someone has any recommendations for me.  As for the web site, I received a suggestion to add a “Forum/Bulletin Board”.  This would allow you to post topics of interest and/or pictures for other club members to view and respond to.  I recently learned that our web host does offer us this service, and I am in the process of trying to figure out how to set it up!  It’s called phpBB.  If anyone is familiar with this software, please let me know.  Hopefully, I will be able to give you more information at the January meeting.

Next (I told I was going to ramble), you may have noticed that I haven’t been very active in the Club during the past few months.  As a result, I’ve missed out on a lot of good events, and Jeff and Lauri have, no doubt, blew way past me in the points race!  Dang-it!  ;o)  What happened was, I had taken on several new projects and/or other activities during this period, and am only now finally catching up with everything.  It all started this past August.  I was reading an article in the Good Sam Magazine (“Highways”) about radio controlled airplanes being popular among RV’ers.  Boy, did that ever bring back memories--I use to fly R/C planes when I was a young teenager in high school!  I went out to the local flying field one weekend out on the West Mesa, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked again--even got Stephen interested in it.  I’ve already given him several lessons, and he’s currently working on building his own R/C model plane.  And now, we’re members of the Albuquerque R/C Club (ARCC) and I’m the webmaster of arcconline.com.

Next (yes, there’s more) I’m sure many of have seen our Class C motorhome at one of the many overnight trips we’ve attended during the past couple of years.  It sure was roomy and comfortable, but not very practical for our “lifestyle” as it turned out.  It required a lot of care and maintenance, and it seemed that there was always one problem or another with it.  And finally, it was just too dang big!  So after the Caballo Lake trip this past October, I traded it in on a Lance slide-in truck camper.  As a result, I now needed a bigger truck to tote the new camper around.  So I sold our tired old minivan, Stephen finally got “Stephen’s Truck (after a patient 2-year wait), and I got what I’ve creatively named the “Big White Truck”!  Of course I had to make a few modifications to the BWT.  ;o)  First, I had the bed Rhino-lined.  Then I installed a set of rear Firestone Airbags to stabilize the heavy load of the camper.  I also needed a heavy-duty receiver hitch and a hitch extension so I could tow the Jeep.  Next, a BD “X-Monitor” went in to help me keep track of my tranny temp, boost pressure, and EGT.  Then I installed a CB radio so I could chat with my friends while traveling.  And finally, I bought Steve Hunt’s trailer so I could tow the Jeep without wearing out my tires (flat towing is very hard on the front tires, I learned)!  I’m looking forward to testing everything out during the trip down to Cruces next month!

Next (jeez, when is he going to shut up already), we needed a flat & level spot to store the camper (“flat & level” being the key words here).  The first time I unloaded it from the truck, I thought it was going to tumble down the hill—yikes!  So one weekend, Stephen & I set out to level the parking area.  We hired a backhoe to dig five holes in our rocky ground.  Next, we “planted” some 5-foot long railroad ties, vertically into the holes, using fifteen 80-pound bags of concrete and a portable cement mixer we rented from Home Depot.  Nine-foot sections of railroad ties were placed in front of the uprights to form a 3-foot tall retaining wall.  Have you ever picked up a railroad tie?  They are really heavy!  We then filled in the area with 12 tons of finely-crushed rock . . . one shovel load at a time!  That’s 24,000 pounds, which is equivalent to about 6 Jeeps!  Needless to say, our arms felt like rubber for the next few days, but the camper fits great, and I’m no longer worried that it will tumble down the hill when I unload it!

And finally (yes, he’s almost finished!), Susan decided (with my help) that she could no longer run her on-line used bookstore business, work fulltime as the East Mountain High School Librarian, and attend graduate classes at UNM all at the same time.  So we’ve spent the last few months shutting down her business and re-arranging several rooms in the house.  Her old office is now her sewing & crafts room, the old book room is now a recreation/model airplane building room, Stephen’s old TV room is now mine and Susan’s new office, and her old sewing/craft area has given us a nice sitting/reading area in our bedroom. 

Needless to say, all of these things have put a severe crimp in my Jeeping activities—and I’ve sure missed it!  I should be able to get my new high steering kit installed on the Jeep within the next couple of weeks.  Heck, it’s only been sitting on my garage floor for the past 2 months!  I’m such a slackard.

Aluminum Cans: Our club saves and recycles aluminum cans.  Money from the sale of cans goes into our club treasury.  Please bring your aluminum cans to each meeting, and somebody will take them to the recycling center.

To Our Guests: If you attend a club meeting or event and provide us with your mailing address, we will send you three complimentary issues of Trail Tales.  If you provide us with an e-mail address, you will also be added to the guest e-mail list.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the New Mexico 4-Wheelers, please contact one of our officers for membership requirements, or visit our web site at www.nm4w.org/join-the-club.htm.

Trail Tales on the Web Site: In a continuing effort help save natural resources and to control costs, you are encouraged to read the Trail Tales newsletter on the Club Web Site in lieu of receiving a hard copy in the mail.  Around the first of each month, the current issue of Trail Tales is posted at www.nm4w.org/newsletters.htm and an e-mail notification is sent to all club members.  In addition, a minimum of 2 years of back issues of our newsletter is also available on the web site.  So if you want to help “save some trees”, please send an e-mail to TrailTales@nm4w.org stating that you do not need to receive the hard copy of the newsletter.  Thanks for your participation in this program.

Submission Due Date: The Trail Tales is published on the first of each month.  Submissions for each issue must be received by the Editor not later than the 25^th of the prior month.  Submissions can be sent to TrailTales@nm4w.org, or Trail Tales, 21 Rattlesnake Ridge, Tijeras, NM 87059.

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Trail Tales
21 Rattlesnake Ridge
Tijeras, NM 87059-7440

TrailTales@nm4w.org