Sunday, October 26, 2008

ATV & 4x4 Courses Competed!

Update from WCLEA (Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy) for the Week of October 20th, 2008.
We completed 3 days of the 4x4 Course and 3 days of the ATV Course.
I found out in a hurry that my truck isn't very good in the bush or in the pit! The Dodges proved to be far superior, both in power and clearance. My Chevy was continuously bottoming out and on one occasion we got it high centered and had to pull it out with one of the Dodges, even the F250 Fords fared better than the Chevy, what they lacked for in power they made up for in clearance. On top of everything my winch wouldn't work either!!!

After pounding the trucks to heck we switched to the ATVs. I found one thing that my truck was really good at and that was pulling a trailer loaded with 5 ATVs, plus mine in the back of the truck, the 6.0 liter engine had plenty of power for pulling!

One of my troop mates from Manitoba doing the fighter pilot pose!

All ready for a day of riding, it was just below freezing so I had the Helly Hanson's on.
After taking the trail through the bush from the highway we came out on the shores of the Athabasca River and the fun began. That's me making a climb out of the river bottom while the rest of the troop waited their turn.
Troop #5 posing for a photo on the shore of the Athabasca River, in the background is Folding Mountain and Jasper National Park. The scenery in the area was unreal, everywhere you looked the view took your breath away and the sand dunes were incredible, nothing like I've ever seen in my life!

Another group shot, this one from the top of a sand dune (I'm third from the right). We spent the day ripping it up in the sand, bush and river. When the day was done we had had one roll over, one runaway machine, one flat and several stuck machines, but no injuries. By 6pm we were all ready for bed, it was a very physically demanding course!

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