What day?
The Sunday following the third Wednesday of each month unless there is a scheduling conflict.
Where?
We meet at the King Sooper’s parking lot at 1842 North College Avenue in Fort Collins. (Northwest corner look for lots of 4×4’s!). We depart promptly at 9 am.
Please attend the meeting prior to the trip for destination details.
What time?
Unless otherwise specified, we depart the parking lot at 9:00 A.M. Longer trips will sometimes leave at 8:00 A.M. Please check calendar page for updated times and locations. We will notify members on the Home page and at the Club Meeting of departures earlier than 9:00 A.M. Be sure to be here in plenty of time to find us and sign our guestbook which is maintained by one of our trip planners.
What if?
This will always be the day and location unless otherwise specified the prior month. Occasionally, we’ll schedule an additional meeting place for those outside the Fort Collins area to meet with the rest of the club after we’ve departed the normal location, but we almost always start our trips in the same place.
Who can come?
Anyone with a 4×4 (no AWD vehicles) or anyone thinking about getting a 4×4. Bring a friend or two or three. If you don’t own a 4×4, but would like to ride along, please contact a member of the board on the Contacts page and arrange to ride with one of our members. If you own a 4×4 and don’t feel confident enough to drive yourself, you can also ride along.
What does it cost?
Still nothing, although most of our members would readily give up a limb or a couple of eye-teeth to go four wheeling. Some may even give up a firstborn child, unless that firstborn child has their own 4×4. Others consider their 4×4 their firstborn child, or so they’d have the rest of the world believe by the way they take care of it.
What to bring?
Yourself and a 4×4 if you have one. Be sure to top off your gas tank if you have more horsepower than the average Yugo. (Guess that’s everybody, huh?) Our trips can last most of the day, although often we’re on our way back by mid-afternoon, so bring something for lunch and plenty to drink, but please save the adult beverages for after the trip. We want everyone to be safe. Members or guests found to be intoxicated while on a club trip will be asked to give up their keys to a sober passenger or club member and may be subject to membership loss or application rejection. Have your vehicle in good running condition so that you are able to complete the trip without undo delays to the group. Front and rear recovery points are required so we can pull you over/out when needed. During the colder months bring appropriate clothing and footwear in case your vehicle or another around you becomes stuck or incapacitated.
No alcohol or drugs are to be consumed during the trip. No exceptions, if you are suspected of alcohol or drug use you will be asked to leave.
What if I get stuck or breakdown?
As a matter of pride, we never leave a member’s or guest’s vehicle on the trail unless it is impossible to bring it home the day of the trip. In such a case, members always assist in getting the vehicle either to a shop or back to the owners home, even if a return trip is needed a day or days after the club trip. We won’t leave you stranded!
Who runs things?
Each trip is overseen by our club-elected trip planners. Trip planners have the final say on where the trip goes and any deviations from the planned route. At a minimum, one planner leads the trip and another brings up the rear. Normally, another trip planner or two is placed in the middle of a group to help extract stuck vehicles and give additional assistance. Many members are former trip planners, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. Please keep the vehicle behind you in sight, particularly at turn-offs or forks in the road or trail. Doing this avoids people getting lost. If we have a large group and on more difficult trails we try to split into 2 groups–one for more capable vehicles (those with lifts, larger tires, lockers, lunatic operators, etc. and one for more stock vehicles. Again, trip planners have the ultimate say based on driver expertise and vehicle equipment.
Current Trip Planners
Nick Pasica
Eric Schulz
Cotton Riley
Michelle Shadows
Other Club Trips
Along with our normally scheduled monthly club trips, the Mountaineers also schedule additional club trips that are optional for club members and guests. These trips are usually longer, sometimes going out of state or to scheduled national or regional events. These can include such places as Moab, Utah; Los Cruces, New Mexico; Grand Junction, or the Mile High Jeep Club’s All-4-Fun Week. When participating in a trip or event with the club, these count as official club functions regarding club membership applications or club attendance. Usually if 3 or more members attend an event or make a particularly long trip to run a trail, the board will sanction such an event as a club function. The club has a banner which can be used to designate a camping or meeting area for attendance and get-togethers. If you, as a member, are interested in scheduling such a trip, are planing to attend an regional or national event, or want to know if anyone else is attending, please contact a board member on the Contacts page to either get approval or get information on who is going where and when.
Trip Information and Waiver
Click here for trip information and waiver.
Map:
USFS Road Status:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5300963