Camp Chaos 2007

[CR250R@WINTERS]

Someone has to post first! So here goes! All my pics are at home though!

Wow, what a weekend at Camp Chaos. I am 100% sure everyone there had a blast in a half! A HUGE THANK-YOU TO THE STEPHENSONS for letting us all spend a weekend camped all over their property and house! I think Woodsy would have been proud, someone even tried to put up an easy up on the roof! Pics will tell story!

Campers started rolling in on Friday afternoon and for the most part everyone was there by late Friday night. I think we were pushing 50 people this year! Some from 8 hours away! (Chicago gang!). After a very needed rain on Friday night and Sat. morning, the trails were in prime condition for some serious trail riding and racing on the Camp Chaos Harescramble course. All I can say is, what a race it was! Lots of pictures to follow! Help me out here smit-dog, I don’t have any of my pics at work right now. I will post later.

The kids sure were enjoying Camp this year! I literally had to drag Justin off his bike on Sunday when it was time to go! Man, the kid sure likes to ride! The little fifties were catching some serious air over that exhibition jump at the apple trees! And I am pretty sure someone name TEd was showing them how to do it! Pics to come.

What a great time………………………seeing friends and family and having soooo much fun and making memories for a lifetime!

Thanks again Sheila, Mike, Mitch, Mark, Mettzler, Sampson!

Mike K.

Post up Campers! :cool:

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

I did find a few pics left on the camera.

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

a few more

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

more

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

more pics

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

this is all I have right now

 

[crazytrails]

I had a great time as usual.. great to see everyone again, and everyone got to finish out the weekend with a perfect trail ride on sunday.. which last year didn't happen because of rain.. The weather couldn't have been any better.. Thanks again Stephensons for the hospitallity and letting us trash the place again.. Hopefully see ya all at trailfest.

 

[KTM Mike]

It was a great weekend wasnt it? It was our pleasure to have all you wackos invade our space - its not like we dont have any fun along with the rest of you!

Actually Cr, we had one rider from much more than 8 hours away - From what I understand, Diver Dog Nate planned his vacation time around this little get together, and came all the way from New Mexico!

Here are a few pics - the first 3, I am sure Smit Dog has been eagerly waiting to see posted. I wont comment beyond saying that he may have found a new business line to enter! :nener:

The next couple show our hero, Young Ted catch a bit of air - which he actually did several times, then one with him finding where his suspension ends!

I have many other pics - I will choose a few more highlites and post them as well.

 

[KTM Mike]

And here are the shots of Ted - he is a wild man. He rode 70 plus miles Saturday AM, arrived here for the HS a bit late, but before all the riders had started - so rolled directly up to the start line and did some laps! Sunday, he did about another 70 miles! I wanna be like Ted 35 years from now! :cool:

 

[KTM Mike]

Oh - on that shot of the bruise on top of Curtis's arm - he ended up with an even worse one on the bottom side of his arm just to keep it all balanced out! I wondered why I saw part of a Yamahaahaa fender stuck up in a tree alongside the trail!

 

[3KDXXR2]

Oh - on that shot of the bruise on top of Curtis's arm - he ended up with an even worse one on the bottom side of his arm just to keep it all balanced out! I wondered why I saw part of a Yamahaahaa fender stuck up in a tree alongside the trail!

The update on my arm : No broken bones except a chipped bone on my index finger. Thanks again Mike and family :cool:

 

[Smit-Dog]

Big Fun!!! Thank You All!

:) :cool: :nod:

What an awesome weekend of chaotic camping at the Stephenson (Slevinson?) property! From the friends, fun, food, and weather, it was PERFECT!

More to come later, but here are some pics that I have... (still need to get to a hold of the CD).

Pics:
http://www.wurx.com/Albums/CampChaosSummer2007

Slideshow:
http://wurx.com/Albums/slideshow.php?set_albumName=CampChaosSummer2007

 

[CR250R@WINTERS]

Smit-Dog, I would love to hear the Mr. Slevinson phone call. Somehow I was not around when you played it back! Sure sounded funny!! I'm sure Mr. Slevinson would love to hear it again too!! :laugh:

 

[Smit-Dog]

Dial-An-Audit started the chaos this year....

(turn speakers on, safe for work, broadband suggested - it's 3MB - slight pause at the beginning)

http://www.wurx.com/special/Dial-An-Audit.WAV

 

[BadgerMan]

This is Roy D Mercer...........how 'bout I just come down there and whup your azz?

ROFLMAO :rotfl:

Mike,

You handled that very well.

Kudos!

 

[Don Marsh]

The fishing seems to be good this time of year!
Mike you handled that great.

 

[Smit-Dog]

Mike handled it like a pro, and as you can see also got the last laugh!

 

[woodsy]

Thanks for putting the pics up!! Among other things, we got hit by a couple zillion volts of lightening rods last Thursday and it took till Sunday afternoon to get things straightened around.. It hit with so much ummpphh it even fried one of the lugs off the slot that the meter slides into!!
Anywayyy, its always nice to know you can depend on buddies to post up some awesome memories to fill in the blanks! Sure wish I could have been there!
Some of my favs are: The shot of "Airborne Ted" and "Shock Cruncher Ted" are awesome as well as Smitters Lemon Aid Stand and of course,, all the smiling faces.. Looks like you all made a very special MWeissen Memorial ride even more special!!
And Mike Stelvinson,, YOU DA MAN bro - excellent job of fielding that high pressure phone call!! Thank God theres only one Smitdoggy!!
Sir William,,, Billy BIlly Billy,, someday your gonna drop your line in and hook into a Tiger Shark.. Then you will understand the meaning of the old Chinese Proverb that says "he who rides on Tigers back can never dismount"
On the other hand - THAT was a good one!!
Woodsy

 

[Smit-Dog]

Sir William,,, Billy BIlly Billy,, someday your gonna drop your line in and hook into a Tiger Shark.. Then you will understand the meaning of the old Chinese Proverb that says "he who rides on Tigers back can never dismount"

上 得 山 多 终 遇 虎

(translated: shàng de shān duō zhōng yù hǔ )

;)

 

[Smit-Dog]

I’ve had some time to collect my thoughts, so wanted to share some of the great memories from Camp Chaos ’07, and provide some "explanation" behind a couple of the more disturbing photos.

Mike had been warning us that it was EXTREMELY dry up there, and to be prepared for lots of dust. Well we got hit with rain Friday evening and throughout the night, right up until about 10am Saturday morning – Perfect conditions and zero dust! A couple waves of riders went out Saturday morning - completely unorganized, unintentionally, and merely coincidentally ;) . I hung back to ride the property with my wife and kids.

It was a beautiful sunny day for riding, and at about 2-3pm the riders started coming back in. It was time for the big event – the annual harescramble race! KTM Mike held a riders meeting where the rules were set:

1. At the end of each lap you collect a zip-ty and put it on your handlebar.

2. If you’re riding team, your teammate then takes off for a lap while you take a break. If riding solo, you're a little crazy, so you just keep going.

3. At the end of the grass track section was an optional but short “hero” section that you could take for an additional zip-ty. Every 2 zip-ties collected in the optional section would count as 1 extra lap.

4. Zip-ties could be used for bike repairs, but if used this way, would not count towards laps completed.

5. At the end of the race you turned in each zip-ty collected for a playing card, with each card worth a certain point value. The rider or team with the highest number of points wins! It paid to be fast, lucky, or both!

After having some good fun with KTM Mike, I knew my time was coming at the harescramble. My suspicions were raised when Mike generously offered me a 3 minute head-start for the race, along with a special starting lane. This was all under the pretense of “accommodating” my shoulder injury… :think:

Alrighty then, I’ll take my well-deserved punishment! There were rumors circulating among the crowd that I’d be blasted with paintballs in the first tight thicket, subjected to some of Atlanta’s very own Bares in the woods, or worse yet – forced to proofread every one of Woodsy’s adventure stories!

So the smokin’ hot 30-second girl drops the card and I ready the kickstart for the dead-engine start. With heart pounding, muscles tense, and throttle-hand twitching, I launch off the line for a 2-hour battle of skill, endurance, and a chance to dance with lady luck. It was a 40-yard holeshot into a sharp, blind, left-hand off-camber turn into the woods. Not since the infamous ’07 Jack Pine enduro had I twisted the right grip so hard for so long. To dwell on the fact that I was the only guy to launch from the line would be nit-picking. Regardless, when the ink dries on Camp Chaos ’07 record books, it’ll state that happy camper Smit-Dog took the holeshot.

Pumped up with adrenaline and a 40-yard victory under my belt, that first hard corner into the deep woods was approaching faster than these 43 year old reflexes could process. With the Head Counselor’s stern warning barking in my head “DON’T RUN OVER THE STAKES!”, I went into self-sacrifice Kamikaze mode and laid my trusty yet resisting steed abruptly on her side. The crowd behind me let out a huge sigh of relief knowing that the lone white pine stake would survive at least one more lap.

So it was off into the woods to wage battle against the likes of Metzler’s Marsh, Sampson’s Swamp, and Elk Crossings. It was classic enduro trail, complete with some short, slimy rocky sections for keeping your foot dabbing skills sharp, lots of little up and down, off-camber sections, and a handful of whoa-where-did-that-turn-come-from-dang-overshot-it-again stuff. There were cut-offs for “A” sections and “B” sections, although with the rain the night before the signage looked more like bad Japanese Kanji (…. Or maybe Woodsy WAS there… :think: .

So here I am, still leading my one-man race after 1.7 miles in, and I come across a tight little thicket section strewn with pink ribbon. But wait, what the hell is this? A trail obstacle never before seen or encountered…. A man waving his arms, standing smack-dab in the middle of the trail, blocking my way and asking me to stop and get off the bike. At this point I was in race mode, and we all know what happens when someone is blocking your trail in race mode! What are you doing? Get the bleepity-bleep outta the way! Seconds are ticking away! Wait a minute, this guy with black leather boots is approaching me with a pink boa, and wants me to put it on. Recalling how I got out of this situation the last time it happened, I tried the fake submission, then attempted to break free… but the tight thicket section was the perfect trap for this unsuspecting single-tracker. Realizing that I was trapped deep in the woods on his property, my cries for help were deafened by the next wave of bikes roaring off the line. Feeling no way out but to oblige his demands, I cautiously got off the bike, removed my helmet, and was led to a table with a written list of demands that must be met before I could be freed.

With beads of sweat running into my eyes and unsure of my safety, I tried to focus on the page of detailed instructions:

1. Must wear bright, prickly, hot, and itchy pink boa.

2. Must wear apron to prevent running away or escaping on bike.

3. Must serve an unknown elixir to 15 riders that pass through the trail.

4. Must offer to clean goggles of riders.

5. Must offer to start bike for at least 1 rider.

6. Must perform jig or dance for riders.

7. Must interject jokes during all of above.

Once all of these demands were met, I would be released, humiliated yet otherwise unharmed, back into the race.

As the last knot in the apron is tied, the first set of 3 riders arrive at the Smit-Dog Humiliation Station. Under the watchful eye of my captor and his accomplice snapping pictures, under duress I offer the riders a drink. Like me, they too are in race mode, and see nothing but a pink, feathery, apron-donning fruitcake serving drinks – and I’m in their way! Realizing that I’m not leaving until they drink, the riders quickly find out that they aren’t leaving either until they partake in drink.

Techniques ranged from a quick under-the-helmet shot, over-the-shoulder SALUTE!, to pouring it all over their face and goggles like they had just completed the Tour de France (and those riders, especially the ones that rhyme with “Sparky”, would later realize that sugar + water + goggles = bad vision!).

After 20 minutes of servitude, and with my captor gone on his KTMBike, I spit the last of the pink feathers out of my mouth, tore off the apron, grabbed my helmet, and broke free. Never has the sight of a grass track looked so good!

I rode team with my son Zach, but since I was detained in the woods, he left the line early to help save me. We hooked up back on the grass track, where we went round and round creating what can only be interpreted as crop circles by roaming satellites. There were also 2 great jumps (track rats would call it a “1-whoop” section) to help break up the 53 left and 61 right-hand turns.

After 2 hours of racing it was time to find out who rode the most laps …. Or, well…. At least was the luckiest in pulling Jokers out of a deck! There were lots of trophies, laughs, and smiles out on the deck that evening, followed-up with a great food feast.

My many thanks to the entire Stephenson family for organizing and hosting this event… It is one of the highlights of the year for my family. Also thanks to all the other campers who help make the event what it is! It was the perfect weekend all the way around, and we greatly appreciate it!

We had to cut out a little early on Sunday... My wife and son had a bad case of poison ivy (contracted just before the weekend), and were itchin' to get back home to see a doctor.

Miscellaneous ramblings…

Ted: Those shots of you jumping are awe-inspiring. I wish I was there when those pictures were taken to see it firsthand. I showed them to my 73-years young father-in-law, a man not easily impressed… and he was impressed!

CrazyTrails: Better save your money, ‘cause you’ll be paying the fiddler next time!

Diver-Dog-Nate: Good seeing you again – Get on your bike and ride it more so that the mice don’t make it their summer home.

Justin: I think he went through a few tanks of gas on that 50, only stopping long enough to get his trophy! He asked me if my girls wanted to go riding on the grass track with him, but that he wanted to lead. I told him sure, but jokingly told him my girls are pretty fast and may end up passing him. He looked at me in disbelief and deadpanned “I don’t know about that…. I’m pretty fast too ya know!”.

Raden (sp?): Look out for this kid at a future FES event. Just turned 5 and started riding 4 weeks ago. He was riding this past weekend like he was born on a bike.

Kurt & Mike L: Thanks for the rides on the GAS GAS (Wow – what a motor) and YZ (razor-sharp handling). My 2-hundy felt like a play bike after getting off yours!

Young Ted: If you don’t find any taker for the three (3) fuel filters for a pre-’94 305 small-block Chevy w/ aluminum pan, try craigslist. I do admire your technique for cleaning out your garage!

 

[Matt R]

After 2 hours of racing it was time to find out who rode the most laps …. Or, well…. At least was the luckiest in pulling Jokers out of a deck!

For the record, I did complete 8 laps + bonus sections like the other 'faster' solo riders. :nod:
However, I did feel like an a$$ for drawing 4 jokers, queen, jack, ace, and bunch of other high point cards for almost double the points of other riders. Talk about embarrassing!

Oh well, the 1971 1st place trophy (with multiple tags)... it's been handed down a few times... will still be proudly displayed in my garage for surviving the event. :cool:

Thanks Smit-Dog for the great write-up and pics!
A very special thanks goes to Mike Slevinson ;) , Sheila, Mitch, and Mark for hosting such an unique event. Also, thanks to the other folks for helping out with cooking, setting up, etc... to make this weekend so enjoyable.

 

[INCA]

From Around The Lake

After being down for a while last winter, riding again is a little different - in some ways. The jumping is due to a comment made last spring. What better place to practice than at Camp Chaos. The picture here is the best one that I know of. It took a few tries for Connie and I to get co-ordinated.
Here is what happened behind the Garage Sale. About two weeks ahead of time, Mike asked for help on awards. Woodsy was empty and all I could do is try. The sign from Sparkey will be put to good use, as the ideas for the future are in the works already.

Young Ted

 

[Fred T]

Dial-An-Audit started the chaos this year....

(turn speakers on, safe for work, broadband suggested - it's 3MB - slight pause at the beginning)

http://www.wurx.com/Special/Dial-An-Audit.WAV

"how big a fellar are you?"

 

[SPARKEY]

Here is what happened behind the Garage Sale.

Here is what happened behind the Garage Sale. About two weeks ahead of time, Mike asked for help on awards. Woodsy was empty and all I could do is try. The sign from Sparkey will be put to good use, as the ideas for the future are in the works already.

Young Ted

A big thanks to the Stephens for hosting the chaos weekend! It was the end to our vacation week and what a great way to end our vacation, "Camp Chaos".
It was good to have my nephew Nate, "DiverDog" home from New Mexico for 10 days and was great to have him join us for the weekend.

The story be hind the Garage sale sign.
Last year at CC during the race a guy fell in front of Fred T I don't remember his name.
Believe that in Fred's attempt to go around, he got into more trouble than if he had waited. :bang:
After the event Fred gave him the Tag of Yard Sale.
Deb and I were trying to think of some joke type awards, we stopped Kmart to get a yard sale sign.
a few miles down the road, I pull it out of the bag and It's a Garage sale sign.
we thought that we had messed up.
At the awards gifts giveaway etc. "Young Ted" was handing out stuff, and I do mean stuff.
He had a small pull chain from a lamp, two old oil filters for an old 305/350 Chevy,a can of special paint for coating metal welds,and other miscellaneous items.
Smitdog says to Ted, looks like you're cleaning out the Garage or something?
Deb and I looked at each other, I went to the truck for the sign.
he did have a new t-shirt from Motorcycle hall of fame, tobigforKDX snapped that up it was an XL large.
when Ted was out of goodies, I said Ted I have a little something special give for you!
This is when and how the Garage sale sign came about.
It was a funny thing that our mess up for buying the wrong sign turned out to be a good laugh for everyone. :)

Sparkey

 

[Creeper9]

" If riding solo, you're a little crazy, so you just keep going."

Crazy? - More like stupid!!

You know what was funny about riding solo? By the end of the 8th lap working a zip tie had become the hardest thing in the world to do :uh: I just sat there yelling at my hands going "what's wrong with you? It's a ZIP TIE for crying out loud. You've used these before, now get with it!!" :bang:

Bill, no problem on the ride. Just think how much better it would have been with a real tire on the front! The 739FA is a supposedly a hard terrain tire. Don't look at me. It came stock.

Matt, Hey I need those 4 jokers you took out of my card deck back when you get a chance.......