Todd Adams
Grammy's Spotter
- Location
- Salt Lake City
On June 26th & 27th 2004 the Rock Hoppers 4x4 club of Salt Lake City Utah went on their annual Woman’s 4x4 run. This run, for the last 4 years, has been given the title of Sudie Memorial run. Sudie Ferris, a friend and fellow club member lost here life doing what she loved to do and that was to 4 wheel with her husband Gene. 5 years ago in the West Desert of Utah, where they would explore in separate Jeeps, Sudie lost control on a curve not far from the Great Salt Lake Salt Flats. This year the run culminated at the spot Sudie died to pay respects at a small shrine that Gene has placed there.
This year was an overnight trip staying in Wendover Nevada for the night instead of camping out as usual for an overnighter. Some of our club members took advantage of a free concert performed by Juice Newton and some of us party poops just took it easy.
The trip on Saturday morning started us across the Pony Express Trail from our meeting spot in Lehi Utah across State Highway 73 until we reached 5 Mile Pass recreation area where we have played quite often. The Pony Express Trail is paved out to Faust Utah where we continued on dirt passing Simpson Springs a remnant Pony Express stop. The long washboard route took us around Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, which is an unlikely wildlife sanctuary so close to the Great Salt Lake salt beds.
Our goal for the day was Tom’s Creek Road. The trail starts just to the south of Callao Utah, a small ranch community founded in the late 1800’s as a gold mining town. This trail ends at the edge of a wilderness area overlooking Scotty’s Basin named after former Utah Governor Scott Milne Matheson. This very steep trail climbs from the desert floor at about 4300-ft. to a spot overlooking the basin at over 9,000-ft. in the shadow of Haystack Peak at 12020-ft. The trail is just a little over 4 miles long. One would not expect to have views like this in the west desert of Utah.
The next morning we met with Gene who was not able to accompany us the day before. Geene lead us out to Sudie’s memorial, where he had fashioned an iron cross with Sudie’s name plasma cut in relief. The coating that was applied is claimed to last for thousands of years and the cross is set in concrete so that it should stand for a very long time.
The Rock Hoppers 4x4 Club of Salt Lake City is a family oriented club. Rock Hoppers is a Charter Member of Utah Trail Patrol and member of Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association. Our members, who number over 30 families, include those that are just starting out in the hobby to those that are in Professional Rock Crawling. We are committed to Tread Lightly Principles and work to keep our access open.
For information on Rock Hoppers, Utah 4-Wheel Drive Association or the Utah Trail Patrol: call Daynene Snyder at 801-942-3488
This year was an overnight trip staying in Wendover Nevada for the night instead of camping out as usual for an overnighter. Some of our club members took advantage of a free concert performed by Juice Newton and some of us party poops just took it easy.
The trip on Saturday morning started us across the Pony Express Trail from our meeting spot in Lehi Utah across State Highway 73 until we reached 5 Mile Pass recreation area where we have played quite often. The Pony Express Trail is paved out to Faust Utah where we continued on dirt passing Simpson Springs a remnant Pony Express stop. The long washboard route took us around Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, which is an unlikely wildlife sanctuary so close to the Great Salt Lake salt beds.
Our goal for the day was Tom’s Creek Road. The trail starts just to the south of Callao Utah, a small ranch community founded in the late 1800’s as a gold mining town. This trail ends at the edge of a wilderness area overlooking Scotty’s Basin named after former Utah Governor Scott Milne Matheson. This very steep trail climbs from the desert floor at about 4300-ft. to a spot overlooking the basin at over 9,000-ft. in the shadow of Haystack Peak at 12020-ft. The trail is just a little over 4 miles long. One would not expect to have views like this in the west desert of Utah.
The next morning we met with Gene who was not able to accompany us the day before. Geene lead us out to Sudie’s memorial, where he had fashioned an iron cross with Sudie’s name plasma cut in relief. The coating that was applied is claimed to last for thousands of years and the cross is set in concrete so that it should stand for a very long time.
The Rock Hoppers 4x4 Club of Salt Lake City is a family oriented club. Rock Hoppers is a Charter Member of Utah Trail Patrol and member of Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association. Our members, who number over 30 families, include those that are just starting out in the hobby to those that are in Professional Rock Crawling. We are committed to Tread Lightly Principles and work to keep our access open.
For information on Rock Hoppers, Utah 4-Wheel Drive Association or the Utah Trail Patrol: call Daynene Snyder at 801-942-3488
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