m3dragon

Day 2 would be the longest trail day. We had a lot of miles to cover and we left a little behind schedule. This meant we had to push people a little day 2 more then we like. But everyone knew we had a long way to go and a short time to get there. So SADDLE Up. We had a quick drivers meeting to go over the day. It was a bit brisk in the morning so it was a very fast meeting. After the meeting, the group headed to the trail had and three of the group took off to setup at some film and picture locations as this was a great section of trail to film / photo. The first section would end at Bonnie Clair Mine for lunch. What made this section great was it was a canyon trail followed by a sand trail. We called the sand section the beach as the sand was deep and you had to keep the power down. After the beach the group made a stop after passing by a long twisty trail by a bunch of Jashua Trees. Bonnie Clare Lunch stop offered a much-needed break for the group. They had been doing great and pushing through all the miles of trail we had to cover. After an hour break the group would head to Beatty to make a much needed fuel and restroom break.

The Silver State Adventure is now in the books. 22 trucks covered 560 miles from Reno to Las Vegas with 524.2 miles being dirt. We had hoped to make it only 21 miles of pavement but we ran out of time day two. Unlike some of our other runs/trips, we had to push the group to keep moving at times, we had to cover a lot of ground before we lost daylight, (aux lights were not a requirement, this time). Despite any hiccups, everyone made it each day and overall the trip was a blast and look forward to doing it again next year on one of our 18 routes there. Before we get to images, let us get the trail tax discussion out of the way. The group had six flat tires, one fuel pump that was acting up but made it to the end, and one rear plastic bumper cover that went flying, and a couple blown shocks. Very little tax for such a LONG trip over such a wide range of terrain. Now to the report and images. For the entire album of images, please see http://www.raddrives.com/offroad/albums.html Direct link to pictures: http://raddrives.com/albums/2016-Silver_State_Run/ The group meet up at 7:15 am to pass out lunches and go over the plans for the day. The morning of day one was planned to be the slowest section for the entire trip. Despite being slow, everyone had fun climbing up and down the mountains and dealing with a few trail challenges. Two area of the trail worth noting was a mud bog that the only way through was to get muddy and a hill climb that challenged a few trucks to make it up. Everyone getting ready for the last big hill climb. This was where all the 2wd trucks had to keep the foot down to make it up. It was a tad rocky which was why it was a challenge. After this last “hill”, we could see the promise land of flat trails for the rest of the trip. After a short pavement section, we hit the first fun trail to lunch stop at Churchill. After lunch, we made the run to the only Fuel Stop on the day. For some people they were limping into the gas station as they were on fumes. From the gas station it would be a straight fast shot to Tonopha where food and rooms awaited. Last section before entering into Tonopha was nice a smooth with a short canyon section. We got to Tonopha in time to see a great sun set over the hills.

Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even me the organizer pays my own way to attend. Organizing drives is my hobby and I enjoy organizing and hosting events for fellow enthusiasts. I pay for the website and store system out of my own pocket to make sharing information and registering easier on everyone. --------------------------------------------- Expectations of participants. Our trail runs are planned around having fun, seeing sites, and traveling specific amounts of mileage per day / event. This means if you participate, you are aware of the mileages needing to be covered per day and that you are expected to cover them in a reasonable time frame. Our group is NOT a "fly as fast as you can" group, but at the same time we are not a crawler group. We enjoy offroading with all types of trucks/SUVs , therefore the routes and daily mileage requirements are selected with non modified 4X4 vehicles in mind. By signing up, you understand we ask that when the trail conditions allow, you drive at a safe pace that can allow you to cover the terrain / distance as expected by the group. Offroad Poker Trail Run III – April 23rd For the third Poker Run, we are mixing it up. It will be an afternoon run with lunch on the trail followed by dinner in Fernley, NV. After dinner, we will be doing a shorter version of the trails we just ran for those who want to use their lights as intended. The Poker Run will be the day run and the night run will be for those who want to "double or nothing" as someone put it. Poker Run 3 (Trip Aces) is on April 23rd and will cover around 158 miles of dirt trails. These trails are a mix of everything the desert throws at you, from smooth sections to slow washouts. Please remember this is NOT a race or competition, so take it easy when on the trail. There are washouts that can snap axles if you're trying to be Robby Gordon. This is a fun run like always and open to any and all offroad trucks. Sign up here: http://raddrives.com/catalog/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=65 Meet time - 9:00am Depart - 9:30am to get to dirt air down ADDRESS: Flying J - 480 Truck Inn Way, Fernley, NV 89408 Black Bear Diner, Fernley: The final card stop will be the dinner stop. Address: 1190 E. Main St., Ste. B, Fernley, NV 89408 Planned arrival time is ~ 6:00pm Night run will start from the diner at 7:30pm and end around 10pm as we are doing a shorter loop. The $50 costs cover the following: - $15 - Poker buy-in - $30 - Decals (number of your choice as shown below) - Decals do not harm your paint and are a pick and stick product. Test to 189 MPH and stayed on. - $5 - PayPal Fee The poker run trail game: Players: A team consists of the participants riding in a single rig. A team can consist of a single driver, or as many passengers vehicle can legally hold. We encourage this as a family or couples event as the trails are as smooth as trails can get and is meant to be a fun outing. Objective: This is a 5 card stud game. Participants can stay in a group or if they want to do their own thing can drive ahead to the check points to pick up the next playing card. Check points will be noted by a flag so you know you to jump out and grab a playing card. How to Play: At the start of the event, teams are given a packet with GPS locations (street addresses and times checkpoints are open). At each checkpoint teams will be able to choose their playing card. Distance covered: The group will cover 150 miles off offroad trails and no pavement till the drive to the restaurant. NOTES: This is not a time and distance rally or the fastest car wins event. This is a meant to be a fun trail event with a “game” added to it to make it different. Goal of the outing is to be fun and social NOT a race! There is no “civilized” restroom on this run so plan accordingly. How to Win: This Poker Run is about the experiences and the adventure, but the prizes at the end are not bad either ;-). The winning team is the one with the best hand at the end at the lunch stop. Payouts are given to the teams with the top three hands. Payout: First place receives 50%, second place receives 30%, and third place receives 20%. The more participants there are, the bigger the pot will be. All fees collected go to the event as noted below. Costs: $30 for decal with number of your choice, $15 poker buy in, $5 for maps and PayPal collection fee (GRR) Lunch: Is pack it in and out this time Maps: GPS map files will be sent to those who register for the event. Printed maps will be made for those who don't have a GPS or GPS app. Weather: If the weather turns south on us, a full refund will be given a week prior to the event. After that partial refunds will be give as decals will have been printed. They will be mailed to you if canceled and a new date selected to do the run.

We made date change as several requests came in to do so. So instead of a fathers day weekend event we moved it up 1 week. Date for the event is June 11-13. Space is limited on this run as well so if you wish to sign up, sooner the better.

To register for this event please use the following link to register. Again this is open to any and all offroad vehicles and skill level. http://raddrives.com/catalog/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=66

ROC Attacks Area 51 - June 11-13 - 2016 Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even me the organizer pays my own way to attend. Organizing drives is my hobby and I enjoy organizing and hosting events for fellow enthusiasts. I pay for the website and store system out of my own pocket to make sharing information and registering easier on everyone. --------------------------------------------- Ever wanted to see the famous sights around Area 51? This is the trek for you. We will be doing a two day trail tour to see all the sights and maybe a UFO or two around Area 51. Open to any and all vehicles, this will be a fun two-day adventure that loops from Tonopah to Vegas and back. Expectations of participants. Our trail runs are planned around having fun, seeing sites, and traveling specific amounts of mileage per day / event. This means if you participate, you are aware of the mileages needing to be covered per day and that you are expected to cover them in a reasonable time frame. Our group is NOT a "fly as fast as you can" group, but at the same time we are not a crawler group. We enjoy offroading with all types of trucks/SUVs , therefore the routes and daily mileage requirements are selected with non modified 4X4 vehicles in mind. By signing up, you understand we ask that when the trail conditions allow, you drive at a safe pace that can allow you to cover the terrain / distance as expected by the group. Planned Trip Summary: Starting in Tonopah, NV, we will head south along the border of the Groom Lake test range, AKA Area 51. Day 1 will be the sightseeing day to make stops at the usual tourists' stops: the “black mail box”, Little Alie-Inn, and Groom Lake Road Gate, to name a few. There are a few other stops planned for those in attendance to get out and stretch and maybe see a UFO.. or two. The end of the day will be in Las Vegas, NV for the overnight stop. Day 2 will lead back to Tonopah. The stops will be at Devils Hole and a few abandoned mines that are on the way. Event cost break down $110 - Covers Decals, Event Insurance, PayPal. Optional items you can chose from upon registration are boxed lunchs for each day for Subway and Wholefoods. Night 1: Pre meeting For those who would like a more relaxed start for the weekend’s activities, we have arranged a group rate at the Best Western Tonopah right by the starting point. This will allow those of you who are coming from a distance to have a place to rest and relax before a weekend on the trail. Address: Best Western - 320 Main Street, Highways 6 & 95 Tonopah, Nevada, 89049 (Includes full hot breakfast) Day 1: Meeting Location - Driver meeting, meet up. Date: June 11th, 2016 Address: Shell 459 Erie St, Tonopah, NV 89049 Time: 7:30am Depart: 8:00am – Trip begins. A drivers’ meeting will be held to go over the rules of the trail as well as make sure everyone has the required gear. This is also a chance for participants to ask questions and get assistance on any part of trail setup. Lunch stop will be Little Alie-Inn Time: `1:00pm After lunch we will head out to complete the second leg of the trip to Las Vegas, NV Overnight Accommodations Address: Santa Fe Station - 4949 N Rancho Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89130 Dinner stop - Big Dog's Brewing Company - 4543 N Rancho Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89108 Day 2: Back to Tonopah Leave from the hotel at 8:00am on the DOT!!! This day has a more casual feel than the day before. While we are covering the same amount of trail miles, the biggest difference is we are making stops for fuel and restrooms at small towns vs. being out on the trail the entire day. Lunch stop will be in Ryholite Time: ~ 12:30 – 1:30 After lunch we will make the final push to Tonopah. Here we will see a few ghost mines and explore a few geological formations. Hotel stop for Tonopah: Address: Best Western - 320 Main Street, Highways 6 & 95 Tonopah, Nevada, 89049 (Includes full hot breakfast) (Note – Rates on hotel subject to change depending on when you sign up. The sooner you book the cheaper the rate, as this is the contract with hotel) June - 13th Drive home

The Silver State run has been booked for solid for a while now but I wanted to share some of the images the group has from the pre-run from Reno to Vegas. Sorry for the brief and not dedicated pre-run recap but it was a LONG day and there was so much a recap will not do it justice. I will do a full recap of the real run but for now enjoy the pre-run images. http://raddrives.com/albums/2016-PRE-Silver_State/

Hello Chris, I am sorry to say your kit is not a suspension upgrade in regards to desert trail runs. The kit you have would be fine on any of the other runs that I have planned but not this one. A kit with longer travel springs and bypass shocks would be considered an offroad upgrade. The lift you have does allow for 35's and they are 2.0 shocks but you still only have the stock 4" inches of travel. The bigger concern is the shocks and them fading on you as they can't handle long repeated abuse. I know this is not what you wanted to hear but I would hate for you to come and not have fun as something broke or you getting rattled to heck over the terrain. The rest of the runs planned this year your truck would be perfectly fine. Adam

Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even me the organizer pays my own way to attend. Organizing drives is my hobby and I enjoy organizing and hosting events for fellow enthusiasts. I pay for the website and store system out of my own pocket to make sharing information and registering easier on everyone. --------------------------------------------- Sign Up for the event here Silver State Run - 2016 - March 18-20 The Raptor Offroad Community (ROC) Silver State Run came up as an idea for those who live in Northern CA and Nevada to run a trail to Las Vegas. This trip covers over 500 miles in two days and is a different type of event than the ROC team typically does. This is a RUN, which means we are covering more miles and harder terrain than our normal trail adventures. As with all ROC events, this NOT a race and is a fun run done at cost for all who attended including team members. Space is limited for safety reasons so register soon. Expectations of participants. As this is a RUN event, we require participants to have the necessary safety gear and properly equipped vehicles for this event. Any make or model vehicle is welcome to attend as long as they can meet the safety and equipment requirements as outlined below. These requirements are to ensure everyone has a fun time as well as we keep any issues to a minimum. If you do not have the necessary requirements for this run, please look into our other trail adventures we host as those are open to any and all off road vehicles, stock to modified. This trip requires participants to be able to cover long distance stretches, which requires a stock Raptor or higher prepared vehicle. Participation requirements- MANDATORY for safety: VHF Radio set to channels - 152.00 and 162.400 - If you need radio programming help, a ROC team member will help you program any Icom or handheld Full Size Spare (2 preferred / better) 5 Gallon Fuel Can Tablet, Phone or Offroad capable GPS - If you need help loading maps, a ROC team member can assist you before we leave Upgraded suspension to handle longer and harder use - Equal or greater than a stock Ford Raptor for comparison Properly serviced / maintained vehicle I.E. all fluids full, good tires, belts and other items in good condition. Planned Trip Summary: Starting in Reno NV, the trip will cover 235 miles on the first day, with stops at a former Pony Express Station and a middle of nowhere landmark, Rod and Darlene's, in Gabbs NV. These stops give everyone a chance to get out and stretch as well as be social. Overnight accommodations will be at Tonopah NV, where the group will be able to freshen up and enjoy a social dinner. Day two is another 235 miles of trails before entering into Las Vegas. There will be three stops for the day: Ryolite Ghost Town, Lippincott Lead - Ghost Mine, and a fireworks stand that says they have “everything” you will ever need. Event cost break down $110 - Covers Decals, Event Insurance, PayPal. Optional items you can chose from upon registration are: Boxed lunch from Whole Foods for day one and Subway for day two, as well as group hotel rates. Night 1: Pre meeting For those who would like a more relaxed start for the weekend’s activities, we have arranged a group rate at the Western Village Casino right by the starting point. This will allow those of you who are coming from a distance to have a place to rest and relax before a weekend on the trail. Address: Western Village - 815 Nichols Blvd, Sparks, NV 89434 Day 1: Meeting Location Date: March 18th, 2016 Address: TA Sparks - 200 N McCarran Blvd, Sparks, NV 89431 Time: 7:30am Depart: 8:00am – Trip begins. A drivers’ meeting will be held to go over the rules of the trail as well as make sure everyone has the required gear. This is also a chance for participants to ask questions and get assistance on any part of trail setup. Lunch stop will be Time: `1:00pm After lunch, we will head out to complete the second leg of the trip to Tonopah for overnight accommodation and dinner. This is the most remote section of the trip and also the most breathtaking. If you ever wanted to know what being in the middle of nowhere felt like, this is the section for you. Address: Best Western - 320 Main Street, Highways 6 & 95 Tonopah, Nevada, 89049 (Includes full hot breakfast) Dinner stop - Tonopah Brewing Company - 320 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Tonopah, NV 89049 Day 2: Dash to Las Vegas Leave from the hotel at 8:00am on the DOT!!! This day has a more casual feel than the day before. While we are covering the same amount of trail miles, the biggest difference is we are making stops for fuel and restrooms at small towns vs. being out on the trail the entire day. Lunch stop will be in Ryholite Time: ~ 12:30 – 1:30 After lunch, we will make the final push to Las Vegas. On the way we will stop at a ghost mine and a fireworks store. The fireworks stop is the last stop before we hit Las Vegas. Hotel stop for Las Vegas: Address: Silverton Casino Hotel - 3333 Blue Diamond Rd Las Vegas NV (Note – Rates on hotel subject to change depending on when you sign up. The sooner you book the cheaper the rate as per contract with hotel) Sign Up for the event here

ROC Fest 2015 was the first of a new annual event for Northern CA and NV. Myself and the ROC Team would like to thank all those who participated and helped us make the event a great success. Those who missed this year, we are doing the event again next year on the 2nd weekend of October (weather dependent of course). As there were so many activities and events going on there is no way to do a play by play recap. You can see all the images and video on the ROC FEST - 2015 website. We have over 520 images so the images posted to the thread are some of the hilights of the three days activities. See the Event recap video here The recaps we have are from the group runs we did over the three days. There were many other outings and activities participants partaken in. They can share their stories on the forum they belong to if they so choose. Friday, 12 participants went out on a 45 mile fast trail loop with some great switch back sections. With the rain the weekend before, some parts of the trail had big mud puddles, which meant none of the trucks were going to stay clean for long. One of the large mud puddles reached up and grabbed one of the participants and wouldn't let him go. We quickly pulled him out of the mud and were able to move on. A first time Raptor owner found out in a wash out the stock tie rods on his truchk were not that strong. Luckily, we planned for such a thing and had spares. Saturday was our BIG group run to cover a 120-mile loop. We left camp later than planned because some people partied the night before. Who would have guessed? No major issues occurred during the loop other than we hit a lot more washouts than we saw on the pre-run. The rains really did a number on the trail to make it slow going in one section. At the 70% point, half the group turned to camp while the rest did a photo shoot at Calico Hills and did the last 30% of trails. Sunday many of the participants went home, as they had a long way to go. Those that had the short trek home did a 61 mile down and back fast trail with some very technical sections. We also played on the lakebed a little to get some fun shots of the trucks in action.

The Lost Coast Expedition was a fun off the beaten path trip on the Northern California Coast. Before we do the recap, the participants and the ROC team would like to thank all the fire fighters out there who were fighting the wild fires in Northern CA. The hotel we stayed at the night before the event was about 3/4 fire fighters resting to go back out to fight the fires. See all the images on the web album at raddrive.com See our video highlights of this laid back adventure On to the recap: The group was up bright and early to go over the drivers meeting and pass out all the decals and boxed lunches. After a quick meeting the group headed off to hit the first trail that led from the valley up and over the mountain range to the ocean. Once we hit HWY 1 we turned north toward the planned stops and the rest of the trails. Along the way we made a restroom stop to give people a chance to relax. Somehow, a bench turned into a surfboard to win one of the achievement decals. After the restroom stop, we made a stop at Point Cabrillo Lighthouse for lunch and to check out the sights. We got some great shots of the lighthouse using the drone, as the weather was perfect. From the lighthouse, we made a quick stop for fuel and headed to the winery. The winery has some amazing grounds to hang out at and just relax. Most of the group partook in the sampling of the vineyards different blends. From what I heard, everyone loved the wines, but more importantly enjoyed the wine bong (the thing that wine is poured into to aerate it). --- After a short drive from the winery we hit the long section of the trails. Turning up Usla Road we headed towards the beach stop to let people put their feet in the ocean. Since it was the end of the camping season, few people were there and we only had one car to navigate by on the way. Most of the group parked and walked to the beach once we arrived to avoid the chance of getting stuck. The few of us that braved the beach had a little fun kicking the sand up, though we had to make sure not to slow down as this was deep sand and you could easily get stuck. After some fun on the beach we headed up the trail on the long section of dirt. Mid way through we ran across a fallen tree. Of course the time I didn’t bring the chainsaw we needed it. Luckily we were able to navigate around the log and continue on the rest of the trail. Because we were having so much fun we got off the main trail section later than planned. Instead of chancing the last half of the trail we turned to the 101 freeway and headed to Eureka. After 50 minute drive we reached Eureka and the Lost Coast Brewery. Everyone was tired after a LONG day - 255 miles from start until end. The next morning we lost a few people who wanted to go direct to the Avenue of the Giants. The rest of the group headed to the shorter section of trail we missed the day before to get all the dirt miles in we could. --- After a morning playing on the last section of trails, the group stopped for lunch in an unknown small town. The lunch stop was good and the locals were, let’s say colorful. After lunch, half the group headed home and the other half hit the Avenue of the Giants. This was a different change of pace than the usual desert runs. Those who went on the trip had a blast and felt a sense of accomplishment after Saturday’s marathon day. As always, thank you to those who came, and see you on the next trail run.

Well we got all the prerunning wrapped up for ROC FEST. And man are the trails awesome. A little of everything for everyone. Just what we wanted. My personal favorite is a deep sandy/silty portion of one of the trails. It's a blast. Knocked out the prerun video to give you a taste of the trails and the fun ahead at ROC FEST! Open to any and all vehicles that want to go play in the dirt for a few days. Razors and other offroads toys welcome. Most of the group is camping for those who are still trying to deiced what to do. Enjoy the video

Still Plenty of time to sign up. See more details at the event page Final day to sign up is 10/5 so we have enough time to have shirts printed. For those who wish to camp there are no hook ups at the approved site. You must bring everything in and out.

Poker run video has been completed. See all the fun with the link below.

Reminder that there is still time to sign up. If you want decals mailed before the event you have till Monday the 7th to pre register. After that date decals will be handed out at the event to make sure the mail does not lose them. Final deadline to sign up is 9/15

NOTE: Any fees collected are to defray the costs of the BLM permit and required insurance. As per our permit, our records have to be open to the BLM. First Annual ROC FEST! - October 9th-11th 2015 Welcome to the first annual ROC FEST at the Proving Grounds! Raptor Off-Road Community (R.O.C.) invites you to an off-road desert style jamboree for all makes and models of offroad vehicles. ROC Fest is a three day desert off-road festival dedicated to share the experience and adventure around desert running. The event will be hosted in the Dead Camel Mountain area outside Fallon, NV with over 240 miles of mapped trails and one central base / camping location. Our goal is to make a fun three day event that brings the offroad community together and gives us an opportunity to get our vehicles dirty. This is also to show those who want to close down our public lands that we as an offroad community can have fun and leave a place the same as we found it. ROC Fest is a family friendly event centered on showcasing setups and being able to see them in action and ask questions of vendors. Therefore, we will have vendors in attendance showing off their products in a real world environment and allowing you to ask any questions you might have. Those vendors with vehicles will be able to give demo rides and show off their setups, products, and gear. The trails at the event are broken down into loops from one hour to multiple hours. Digital trail maps will be provided to those with GPS so you and your buddies can go get dirty. Those who are new to offroading and have no radios or GPS can go on the guided runs so you won’t get lost and so you will have back up if you get into trouble. There will be several night runs, which will allow you to test out your running lights and see how the different light products preform. The central base for staging is also the BLM approved campsite. Bring your RV, camper trailer, toy hauler, or tent gear to share evenings around the BBQ. Share your stories from the day and kick back a few adult beverages or sodas. For those with little ones, or if camping is not your thing, accommodations are available in Fallon, which is a short 12 mile trail ride away. As stated above, this is a BLM permitted event. This is not a competition or race, but a festival/jamboree to make an annual event for the off-roaders of Northern California and Nevada. This is a festival to share the enjoyment that is off-roading, to hang out with friends, meet loads of new ones and most importantly close down the desert off-road season in an epic fashion! Can’t wait to see everyone at ROC Fest R.O.C. direct contact for questions - Email us at - raptorcomm@gmail.com For up to date details on the event along with attending sponsors and raffle items, see event page at: ROC Fest Webpage Event registration $100 per vehicle. Fee covers Two T-Shirts, Two Raffle Tickets, Decals with your number of choice, needed permits, insurance, and PayPal fees. Register online here: Accommodations / Camping Discount rooms have been arranged at Comfort Inn Fallon for $85.00 a night (Tax/fees Inc), which can be booked on the registration page. If we run out of rooms at the Comfort Inn, we will add additional rooms as needed at the Best Value Inn Fallon. Camping is at a BLM approved campsite and is no cost. You are responsible for packing out everything you bring in and making sure we return the area back to how it was when we got there, if not better. AKA pick up after yourself. Weather If weather turns south on us, we will cancel the event so we do not tear up the trails and keep everyone safe. Refunds will be issued if canceled and the event will be rescheduled. Optional item If you wish to purchase additional T-shirts for friends or family members, they can be added to your registration for $15 a shirt. Register online here:

Thread bump to remind people about the outing. I have also had a few common questions across the threads so here is the Q&A. Q: Can my stock Truck make this event? A: Yes, no custom or heavy built vehicle is needed for this event. Just make sure to have a full size spare. Q: Do I need 4X4 ? A: No, as long as your vehicle has some descent ground clearance you are good to go. Pre run was done in two-wheel drive with no airing down. Q: Do I have to take the trail the whole way? A: No, there are 3 points if you find you or your passengers are getting tired can cut over to the freeway to get to Eureka. Just know the last part of the day is the most scenic. Current decals that have been claimed as of this post:

Images have been added to the Poker Run Album from a friend who is a pro photographer. As you can see by her work speaks for itself. If you have a event and wish to hire her to take pics, her website url is below. CM Photography

Lost Coast Pre Run was to verify what trails could be used to make a complete loop along the Northern California Coast. The pre run covered 340 miles of which a lot of it lead to locked gates and dead ends. The final road and trail tour that has been posted offers a great trip to see some amazing sights as well as stops to be social and get to know your fellow travelers. See the full album of pre run images here: http://www.raddrives.com/albums/2015-Lost_Coast-Pre-Run/ The images below are of the pre run done as a last minute family trip. The start of the pre run had lots of fun back roads which sadly were very rough and not good for those who have sports cars. After some pavement, we came to the first open stretch of dirt trail. This is a county road, which was fun and had some great views of the mountain range. The dirt trail ends right at the coast where we turned north to follow HWY 1. For those who have ever done this section of HWY 1 you know how amazing the sights are. We made a quick restroom stop in Mendocino as well as to allow our 14 month old to get out of the car seat for a little. We reached the main section of dirt trail past Fort Bragg where the trail was very tight and windy. This was as fun section of trail and lead to Usla beach. The second trail past Usla beach is more open as well as leads to a great overlook of the cost. http://www.raddrives.com/albums/2015-Lost_Coast-Pre-Run/slides/LostCoast-Pre%2841%29.jpg[/img] The end of the run to Eureka took us along the shoreline before making our way back inland to end a very long but fun day.

The second poker run Deuces Wild is now in the books. The winners were - first place with straight flush, Toyota, Second place with 3 of a kind, Raptor, and Third place with 2 pair, Toyota.. See all the images of the trip here: Start of the poker run was bright and early at 7:30am in Fernley. Everyone was checked in and decals and event packets passed out. After a short drivers meeting the group made their way to the start of the trails and started the air down process. The group consisted of 30 vehicles from, Ford F150, Raptor, Dodge 3500, F350's, Jeep's, Toyota's of all forms from Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra, and FJ. The first leg to check point one was the slowest section of trails followed by a great whoops section. This was also the rockiest section and led to two participants getting flat tires. Working together these flat tires where quickly changed thanks to an impact gun and a teenager with a strong back HAHA . All the participants made it to the first checkpoint for a group photo and social time. Heading to check point two was the last of the rough trails. With all the recent rains the washouts that were marked in pre-run were larger and in some cases deeper. This slower section was short and ended on a main trail that allowed participants to open things up to checkpoint 2. One of the Toyota’s on this section broke a shock mount as he just put the truck together the weekend before. Luckily, he was able to remove the shocks and just run the torsion bar. Everyone made it to the checkpoint 2 at the desert oasis. Checkpoint 3 was the longest running section. This was all about speed and making dust. The last part of this section heading into checkpoint three was the fun section. Here the group went up and down rollers for a mini desert rollercoaster. The last leg of dirt to checkpoint 4 was a mix of smooth trails and rougher trails from the recent rains. Biggest issues on this leg was the dust that was not clearing out, as there was no wind clear it off the trail. One of the Ford Raptor participants on this section was stuck in a rut and the Jeep known as “RRT” Raptor Rescue Team pulled him out. After this rescue, the rest of the trail was covered quickly and everyone arrived at checkpoint 4 only 40 minutes off the predicted time. After 158 miles of trail covered and very little issues, everyone started to air up to head to the restaurant for checkpoint 5. At this time, one of the team members tried to go in and out of a bowl of mud and promptly got stuck. Guess who was happy to yet again rescue a Raptor. You got it RRT to the rescue. That means in two events he has saved three raptors. Full length video is being edited and will be posted in the coming weeks. For now here is some clips taken by the drone at checkpoint 1 whoops section.

Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even I, the organizer, will pay my own way to attend. Organizing drives is my hobby and I enjoy organizing and hosting events for fellow enthusiasts. I pay for the website and store system out of my own pocket to make sharing information and registering easier on everyone. --------------------------------------------- Expedition Lost Coast – September 19th-20th, 2015 Register here for trip The Lost Coast run is a change of pace for an off-roading adventure than our usual desert runs. This two-day trip is a slower pace, more social event that has the group winding in and around the mountains along the Northern California Coast. While not a fast pace trip, we will still be exploring some great trails in order to get as much dirt under our wheels as possible. Families and couples are welcome, as we will be driving along the coast with some breath taking views. Planned Trip Summary: The group will meet in Cloverdale, CA to kick off 250 miles of a mix of back roads and dirt trails leading to Eureka, CA. Over the course of the day, you will see some amazing areas rarely seen by others and enjoy over 70 miles of dirt trails through the heart of the Northern California Coast. The planned stops for day one are as follows: Point Cabrillo Lighthouse for a group photo opportunity, Glass Beach for a little coast time, Pacific Star Winery for lunch and wine tasting, and Lost Coast beach. We will end the day in Eureka, where we will be staying overnight. The second day we will head down the Avenue of the Giants for a morning walk in the redwoods and a stop at the Drive Thru Tree to see if your rig fits. We will then make a stop in Willits for lunch before heading to one more winery to end the trip. Participation checklist Radio of some sort Full Size Spare Ability to have fun For Fun Along the way, participants will also have a few opportunities to earn four achievement decals. These are visiting the lighthouse, driving on the beach, and spotting a surfer or bigfoot. Expedition Lost Coast – September 19th-20th, 2015 Day 1: Meeting Location Date: 09-19-2015 Address: Super 8 Cloverdale - 1147 S Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, CA 95425 Time: 7:30am - Drivers meeting Depart: [/b]7:45am – Trip begins. Activity: Registration, assist with decal application and drivers meeting for day The drivers meeting is to go over the rules of the trail as well as make sure everyone has the required gear. This is also a chance for participants to ask questions and get assistance on any part of trail setup. There will be plenty of stops on this trail with civilized restrooms and fuel will be plentiful, so no need to pack the extra fuel cans. Stop 1: Point Cabrillo Light Station - 45300 Lighthouse Rd., Mendocino, CA 95460 Stop 2: Glass Beach - Fort Bragg, CA 95437 Lunch stop will be at the Pacific Star Winery Address: Pacific Star Winery, 33000 CA-1, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 After lunch, we will head to the Lost Coast Trail, which will take us along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This is the longest section of dirt trails for the day. The trails are very technical in regards to having lots of turns, washout transverses and tight quarters. Overnight Accommodations Address: Clarion - 2223 Fourth Street, Eureka, CA, 95501 Hotel includes a hot breakfast as noted on the website. Phone: (707) 443-1601 Dinner stop Address: Lost Coast Brewery & Café - 617 4th St., Eureka, CA 95501 Time: 7:00pm Expedition Lost Coast – September 19th-20th, 2015 Day 2: Leave from the hotel at 8:00am on the DOT!!! This day is a shorter day as we make out way back towards home. We will start with a freeway drive down to the Avenue of the Giants to check out the redwoods. Lunch stop will be in Willits, CA Time: ~ 12:30 – 1:30 for Lunch Lumberjack's Restaurant - Willits Address: 1700 S Main St., Willits, CA 95490 After lunch, participants can caravan home and/or start their own adventure on more trails. The official group event ends after lunch so those who have to make a longer trek home can start their long journey. Event Cost Base event fee is $70, which covers the Decals, Shipping, Event Insurance, Printed Maps / Docs and PayPal fees. Optional Items $15 for Whole Foods Boxed Lunch (Choice of sandwich and includes pasta salad, fruit cup, cookie, soda) Pre Run Accommodations[ For those who are making a long trek to get to the event start, we have rooms held at the Super 8 Cloverdale for $146 taxes included. We have 10 rooms on hold, so if you wish to get a room with the group the night before, register ASAP. If we book all these rooms we will attempt to get more if possible. Super 8 Cloverdale Address: 1147 S Cloverdale Blvd, Cloverdale, CA 95425 What to expect: A. Slower pace on the dirt as we are winding in and out of mountain trails. B. There is a more paved driving than dirt trails in order to make a complete run and not have a lot of down and back trails. C. Day one will be long, as we need to cover the mileage, but the effort to cover these miles offers some great scenic rewards rarely seen by others. Teaser video of what to expect on the trip along the coast. Register here for trip

With sun rising on a new pre run day, it brought hope of better trails and a run that would be memorable in a good way. Leaving way too early, two Raptors and a bone stock F350 headed up the hill to meet the NV members of the ROC crew to pre run the new trail. The crew meet up at the planned starting point to top off with fuel and head to the trail head. 14 miles of pavement and the crew was there. Everyone aired down and snapped a quick group photo before hitting the dirt. The first part of the new planned route started off fast and fun. There were still some remnants of the big rain storms with small washout bumps and some gullies that you needed to take easy on, but there were no major issues. After some fast trails, the crew turned off to a side trail that was technical but still fast and fun. Following the technical trail was a fast county road trail. The crew was able to make great time and had some fun drifting around some corners. Reaching the first check point, the crew took a group photo in front of the "Aeromater" windmill. Not spending too much time there, the crew hit the trail to checkpoint 2. On the way to check point two, the crew went on what I like to call "adventure trail." The reason for this is there is a trail... kind of. It was faint, but you could see it and it was a different change of pace to desert blasting. After this short adventure section, the group split into two. One group took the main route and the other group took the hook trail around the mountain. This section was added to the planned loop for everyone and made for a great canyon shot. This route also lead to finding a lot of "ass" on the trail. Coming out of this section, you could see the dry lake bed that the trail was making a big loop around. The two groups met at check point two and had lunch. The back half of the trail was a mix of FAST and easy turns. You still had to be on guard for wash outs, but over all they were fast and fun trails. Waiting at check point two, I was able to get a pick of the 2001 F350 bone stock with 250K on it. We affectionately called it "stage coach," as it just kept going. Bear in mind, the trail was no powder puff trail. On one major wash out, the driver had to work to get in and out because it was that steep. At the end of the trail, the crew made a quick stop at the Nightingale Mine. Our group likes to go out to find things vs. just running in the desert. So this was one of the many areas we have mapped to go check out. After taking a quick group photo, we explored the area for a bit. There's not much left as you can see, but the mine shaft was still open as were a few others. Watch your step. From the mine, it was a short 30 mile run to the end of the trail. Covering 145 and 165 miles, respectively (the group that split did more, HAHA), we averaged 40 mph and a few members were cruising in the 90s at points. This run promises to be a lot of fun and offer a great mix of terrain for a day run. See you all on the 18th and remember the deadline to sign up is the 14th so that decals can be made and the restaurant can be notified of how many people to expect.

The following trip report covers the two Pre Runs of the poker run trails for the Deuces event. The initial trail was based on an old VORRA map and looked promising for a great run. Between the two different days of trail runs, the ROC team covered over 300 miles of trails and had zero issues. In some stretches of the trail, the crew was able to run up to 100 mph, while in other stretches the ROC crew suffered through 10 mph crawler trails. Below are some of the highlight images of the Pre-runs. Here is the video of both days of Pre-running: Pre-run 1 - The start of the trail was not horrible, but was a bit of a climb. There wasn't anything too crazy, but little did the crew know what was in store. Keep in mind, this was after the BIG rain storms in Reno and the crew was out there while some lingering showers were still around. After the initial climb and a short flat section the crew came to what is quoted as the start of the "soul sucking trail" sections; slow crawler trails that the jeep guys love, but Raptor and Truck owners hate. After the first of these soulless trails, the group hit some great flat trails before starting the second set of climbs. This turned into a second set of soulless trails, but did offer a great view of the valley that the main course will be run on. Coming out of the last climb section, the trail opened up and hope was restored that some of the day would not be a total loss. The trail started off so so, and then ended with a fast trail as storms raged all around the crew. Lighting could be seen striking a lake bed, which was awe inspiring and kind of nerve racking all at the same time. After 140 miles, the crew exited the trail feeling gloomy because the route looked so promising but ended up as a painful endeavourer. But more on the fix next.

The pre-run of the planned Poker Run II route is complete. Details of the final plan were placed on hold, as the first pre-run the ROC group did revealed the proposed route was not going to work. To quote one of the crew members, it was "soul sucking slow". The ROC crew went out and tested a modified route, which offers a nice mix of terrain and is what we will be using for the run. Get ready to have fun in the dirt on July 18th. Final details for Poker Run II Deadline to sign up is July 14th. Decals are ordered the following day. As with the first poker run, please try to be at the starting address by 7:30am, as we need to pass out decals and event packets. The sooner we get that and our drives meeting done, the sooner we hit the trail. Meet time - 7:30am Depart ~ 8:00am NEW START ADDRESS: Flying J - 480 Truck Inn Way, Fernley, NV 89408 Those with trailers: If you are bringing your off roader via trailer, you can leave the trailer at the Pilot Travel Center and then caravan with the group the 14 miles down the freeway to the trail head. Alternatively, there is a area at the trail start you can also drive to and unload and leave the trailer. We are changing the lunch / after run stop to a local brewery, as we try to support the local guys when we can. Great Basin Brewing Company: Address: 846 Victorian Ave, Sparks, NV Planned arrive time is ~ 3:00pm Current claimed numbers:

Just a reminder to sign up for the event. Two more numbers claimed now.