The Hummer Network

Illiana Hummer Club Run, May 20-21, 2006

Finally sitting down after cleaning things up after a two day off-roading event with some of you, I thought that we could share some experiences and pictures with those that could not join us.

Saturday & Sunday mornings, we met at the rally point at the K-Mart in St. John and caravanned together 20 minutes to our off-roading location. There we were met by some of our guests from the southern end of Indiana as well as our hosts who made the two off-roading days possible. After a quick group introduction and drivers meeting, our hosts Jerry Gordon and Mark Sezpanski jumped into their trucks and led us to the beginning of the inner obstacle course. This course closely resembles the one at the AMG training facility in South Bend, IN thanks to the cooperation of Alec Cumming and John Camblin. Seeing how we had a diverse group of owners (H1, H2, H3, experienced, newbie) the obstacle course gave the drivers a taste of what to expect and how to maneuver when we finally hit the trail. Moguls, stair steps, log climbs, Moab crack, side slope, etc... the drivers really got the experience of why they purchased a Hummer.

After mastering the obstacle course, the group was finally ready to hit the trail. Jerry led us through a deep ditch crossing and over a log obstacle. Then the learning really began. One of the obstacles created for H1 owners only was a fallen tree that was about 24 inches high. The objective for the H1 owners was to approach at such an angle that one tire was on the log at a time. Without the correct approach, a driver would find themselves high centered and thus having to winch across. This was specifically a H1 obstacle and H2 & H3's were detoured via the bypass. Being that these trails were designed and created by H1 owners, they were/are very Hummer friendly but proper speed and approach lines were necessary. More moguls, whoopdee's, log crossings, tight squeezes, side slopes, and lots of other interesting obstacles all surrounded by beautiful woods and land made the trail ride outstanding. We all made it out the trails happy and without damage. After a quick de-briefing, the group was left to explore as they wished. Some chose to go back and hone their skills on the inner obstacle course and others went back into the trail for another round of excitement.

Jerry tried his deep water (mud) fording abilities in the deepest side of the tank trap. After 3 attempts, he decided to try his luck another day. The effort was thoroughly enjoyed by the group. Hours seemed to fly by and before long we were on our way back into town to grab some food @ Carlo's Pizzeria in Cedar Lake, IN. The owner John, offers our club 10% off of our food whenever we go there after an event. Following the meal, we all caravanned back up US41 and split off our own ways.

I could elaborate a lot more on specific obstacles, personal experiences, etc... but these are the things that everyone needs to gain by just taking some time and coming out to join us the next time we have a off-roading day. We had a really great time with everyone that came out for both days. The new members that came out really gave us more variety and we all had some great times.

Below are a few of the pics from this weekend and be sure to check our website in the next few days to see the rest.

Lastly, our sincere appreciation and gratitude go out to Jerry Gordon, Tara, and Mark Sezpanski for making our time down in Roselawn one great time. Keep up the great work guys and we'll see you down there maybe next month.

Have a great evening and remember to keep the dream alive.... "HUMMER, Like Nothing Else!!"

(click on a photo for a larger version)