Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 03:28:08 -0400
Reply-To: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Syncro de Mayo Oeste (East) The Details
In-Reply-To: <20030502173539.57381.qmail@web21303.mail.yahoo.com>
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Answers to questions scattered throughout.
On Friday, May 2, 2003, at 01:35 PM, Tom Forhan wrote:
>
> Dates: Friday May 30 (early arrivals) through Sunday
> June 1.
Someone will be there at all times, of course, but I'll be showing up
on Friday or Thursday night.
> Place: An undisclosed location in West Virginia, near
> Harrisonburg VA and Interstate 81. Syncro de Mayo East
> will be held on a private farm with off-road
> possibilities on site as well in nearby George
> Washington National Forest. As guests we will be
> deferring to our host - lets call him Farmer B.- as he
> sees fit.
Did I send directions to you, Tom? I haven't spent the time to open up
the "challenging" road to Vanagon travel yet (might still be possible
to get it opened on that Friday or an earlier weekend. I checked with a
neighbor, but unfortunately the "up the mountain" challenge will have
to wait at least for another year. (would have meant crossing a couple
of other folks properties, but one of the owners is being nasty...and
not just to me, and not just about this.)
>
> Who: Syncros and assorted hangers on. Looks like about
> a dozen folks have indicated they are planning to
> come. Dogs, children, significant others are welcome.
>
> Detailed schedule: there is none, but we should have a
> group cook-out dinner Saturday night, for sure.
> Offroading on demand. Informal technical seminars at
> all hours of the day and night. Old friends and
> putting faces on email addresses.
>
> Why come: We will have some of the most interesting
> Syncros on the east coast in attendance. Expect to see
> 16" conversions, non-WBX engines, and vehicles that VW
> of America wishes never got into the country. Lots of
> technical expertise, too, without naming names,
> whatever you are thining about doing to your syncro,
> you'll find someone who has BTDT and can offer great
> advice. The biggest reason to come is that you will
> get stuck. Until you get your syncro stuck, you aren't
> using it to its potential. Finally, the real reason to
> come is that syncro owners are a great bunch of
> people- so please try to make it since that includes
> you.
>
> Unresolved Issues:
>
> Sponsors- anyone that would like to provide door
> prizes, hatch prizes, whatever, please contact me at
> fourwdvw@yahoo.com. Otherwise, the best you will get
> is a bunch of greasy gag gifts that I might find in my
> garage.
>
> On-site Vendors: Unless I hear otherwise from Farmer
> B. I think the rules from the Holiday Bus Fest will
> suffice: word-of-mouth buying, selling and trading is
> cool, but please don't bring a trailer full of parts
> or plan to set up a table.
Getting a short trailer down the driveway is possible (or at least it
was before the driveway got prettied up this spring.) But it's safe to
assume that this is more a camping get-together than a swap meet.
>
> Sanitation - Farmer B. might appreciate us to renting
> a porta-pottie or two, in which case we may need to
> charge $10 or so a vehicle for expenses. I'll wait to
> hear from the farmer on that one.
If only a dozen folks (or a dozen Vanagons) are showing up, I don't
think a porta pottie will be entirely needed. I can accomodate folks up
at the house. Though hot water for the shower will be stressed. :) Kids
can be dumped in the swimming pool, and save hot shower water for the
adults. :)
>
> Non-syncros: Occasionally non-syncro owners inquire
> about attending. Since we don't have a huge crowd, it
> might be fine, but I am not sure just exactly where
> the farmer will have us camping. If its down in his
> old pig sty, that slippery stuff will make it hard for
> 2wd vehicles to move about. I'll wait until I hear
> from Farmer B on this one, too.
There are several places that 2 wd Vanagons can get to (and get out
of). Even if it turns rainy. However, the prime spot is the only
(relatively) level area. There are (essentially) 4 fairly widely
separated camping areas. All quite a distance from the house. 2 areas
(closest to the house) are relatively adjacent to each other. The first
of those areas is the most level (outside of the driveway itself.)
Each of these areas can accomodate 3 or 4 Vanagons comfortably. There
are additional spots, but I make no guarantees that you won't have to
deal with low hanging branches.
>
> T-Shirts: We gotta have'em, right? I have no
> experience in this area. Who can help?
>
> Other unresolved issues I haven't thought about?
Wildlife. There have been bears sighted in the area (and on the
property). If you see one, leave it alone and it will likely leave you
alone. There are poisonous snakes, Timber rattlesnakes and Copperheads.
I've seen copperheads ON THE PROPERTY. I've seen Timber rattlesnakes on
the next ridge over. Please leave them alone (they're good at killing
rodents.) If anybody gets bitten, my sister is an EMT and we can get
the rescue squad up to deal with that or any other emergencies. Skunks.
I've only seen one small one. The raccoon was exiled, but another one
could have wandered in.
Other wildlife. There are foxes (rarely seen), Coyotes, lots of deer
(some of you campers will be camping where the deer normally sleep).
Eagles, Turkey, Grouse, Ravens. The turkey are pretty wary and you're
more likely to hear then see them. The grouse frequently are on the
driveway (they're another ground bird, just smaller than turkeys).
Let's see. There are red squirrels (much larger than gray squirrels)
and fox squirrels (size of gray squirrels but with reddish edges and
tufted ears.) Lots of other rodents, especially in the grassy areas
(and hence why there are snakes, poisonous and non-poisonous.)
Groundhogs (woodchucks.) You're welcome to run them over. Rabbits
(ditto.) They both breed incredibly fast.
Each of the main camp areas is grassy (though also treed.) There are
other areas on the property which can get very muddy (especially the
nearby area of one camp area closest to the spring/stream).
One camp area (most isolated from the others) has several sinkholes
nearby. I've not explored their safety. I don't recommend anyone else
do so either, without a rope on. There are other sinkholes and a cave
on the property (the cave is not near any of the camp areas.) Since the
cave essentially is a hole in the ground I do not recommend amateur
spelunkers (kids) poking into it.
Travel time. 1 hour from Harrisonburg VA (42 miles, and it >WILL< take
an hour.) I suggest you get gas (or diesel) on the way in. I figure 3
hours from DC's Virginia Suburbs. The rest of you can calculate from
there. Directions in p-mail for attendees (I'll either send them to
Tom, or get the email addresses of attendees.) Since getting there can
be half the fun, I'll include directions for a fast journey,
interesting journey, short journey, challenging (of various levels)
journey, scenic journey, historic journey and maybe one incredible
journey.
Camp fires. This spring (and the preceeding winter) have been fairly
rainy, so the moisture level in the area is pretty good (and likely to
remain so through this event.) Two of the camp areas have a pile of
rocks that can be rearranged into ad hoc campfires, if so desired. I'll
try to make sure some cut wood is available in those areas. Rock moving
I'll leave up to the individual campers :) I've already done (and
continue to do) my share. Migratory rocks may be encountered on the
driveway.
