Dad and Isabelle do Wallace

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

So, for our first Daddy daughter Jeep trip, Isabelle and I decided to attend the Jeep Jamboree in Wallace, Idaho. After scrambling to install the new engine on Wednesday night, we got loaded up and headed out. I gave her one of those point and click digital cameras to record the trip, and we were on our way.

Most of this trip will be viewed from the lens of a 6 year old. Enjoy.

Seconds after giving her the camera and showing her how to work it.

The obligatory photo of me before we set off.

What she was really interested in on the drive over. I told her she couldn't watch it till we got to the road with the "90" on it. Took her a while to figure it out.

So she looked at the scenery and took photos while she waited.

And she read books.

When she finally got to the "90" road, she watched movies. (Good lord I am bald)

And took selfies.

And more photos of the scenery.

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

Some photos of the mountains she wanted to drive up in the jeep.

Great shot of her finger.

Moses lake. (photo hosting site righted the picture, but it was sideways)

More selfies.

Arrival at the tech site.

We got to tech and registration and the conversation was amusing. A gentleman came over to my rig and started asking questions. He was rather flabbergasted after walking up to my rig.
"So you have tow points?"
Yes
"How much lift? You can't have over 6 inches of lift"
Well there is 5 inches of up travel in the shocks, so let's call it 5.
"You have lockers?"
Yes, front and rear
"Are those mud tires or all terrain tires?"
Lets call them mud tires
"Do you have a low range transfer case?"
Yes, two.
"how big are those tires?" (the writing was worn off the sidewalls)
37, I've got a tape measure in the truck if you want.
"No sir, that will be fine"
"on a scale of one to ten what is your level of off road expierience"
10
"sir, that's the highest rating we give, and your vehicle doesn't seem like you have that much experience, it's basically destroyed"
10
"okay, you passed tech, please proceed to registration"

So after tech, and signing up for our trail, we headed to downtown Wallace (the center of the universe, btw) and saw the sights, had some killer bbq, and then went swimming at the hotel pool.

In the morning we got breakfast and lined up for our run.

Someone is super stoked to go play.

Line up and ready to go.

Isabelle is a huge fan of yellow cars, every time we saw a yellow jeep, she had to let everyone know.

Apparently someone gave her some stickers to apply to my rig. (Thanks guys)

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

Heading up the first trail (grouse gulch). All in all it was a phenomenal trail. You drove up an active creek for about 6 miles. At the top is about a 3.5 foot waterfall you have to drive up. It was loose with lots of logs. Really good time. Too bad it is open for permit only, cause I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Anywho, the start of the trail.

Making the turn into the creek.

Rigs behind us.

I told Isabelle about all the controls in the jeep and said she could be my "locker and brake man" so she took pictures of the switches and cutting brake so she could "remember" how to use them. It was really fun to sit on a small hill and watch her hold the brake, lose interest and forget and then panic to stop the jeep as it started rolling.

Shots she took of the water.

Good shot of the group.

Having fun. The trail guides were razzing her pretty good, so she took to throwing peanuts at them.

Ben, the organizer/coordinator of the event. I'm sure all the squirrels will be fed for a long time with all the peanuts she threw at him.

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

You guessed it, yellow Jeep.

In this photo you can see the main trail to the right, we took the bonus line to the left. I make the kiddo squeal a few times. It was phenomenal.

Selfie with yellow Jeep in the background.

We found this cool tree. Dad took the picture with a potato.

This was the highlight obstacle on the trail (the waterfall). I was going to take the camera from the kiddo, but saw she was really trying to get good shots, so I let her run with it. She got a few good ones in there.

The final climb of the day up a very loose shale hill. I discovered about 15 feet up that I had WAY too much air in my tires and had to stop and air down in the middle of the hill. There was much heckling about me being the "big dog" as everyone passed me. After getting to the top (there were 4 other Timber Tamers on the run) and getting razzed pretty good, I did a bunch of front wheel drive doughnuts with Isabelle running the cutting brakes to show off for the crowd.

Day two. Isabelle got a little spooked on the previous day, so she wanted to sign up for the easiest trail there. We got signed up and ready for the day.

Staging in the morning in downtown Mullan.

Headed to the trails.

You guessed it, yellow jeep.

First stop of the day.

Isabelle taking pictures of one of the switchbacks.

Being silly with her binoculars.

At the top of one of the hills. This trail climbed some elevation and fast. Not so hard or technical, but you basically drove straight up all day.

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

Getting out to watch folks attempt the hillclimb of the trail. A few folks bypassed it, but everyone that tried made it up.

She wants to come back here for next years christmass tree.

The ominous hillclimb of doom. I had to keep reminding myself these folks don't wheel like I do and this is pretty hardcore stuff for them.

One of the guys getting himself psyched up to do it.

Cool old 5 (6 maybe?) at the top.

Lunch stop.

We weren't hungry so we went on a hike while folks were having lunch.

Isabelle picking out more christmas trees.

We found this cool old tree.

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

Go where few have gone before. Only in a jeep. :roflmao:

Ready to head out after lunch.

She farted. It was bad.

Cool flatty. I'd wheel it.

Group stopped at an abandoned mine. There were a bunch of cool rocks there. Isabelle brought home a bunch of green (copper) ones. It was really neat.

The highest point we got to. It was WAY up there.

Looking down on the town and I-90.

At dinner we found this stump. Dad and his potato again.

Another cool 5.

Rigs lined up at dinner.

Last photo she took. After dinner we had the cannonball championship of the world at the hotel pool.

TreeClimber · Jun 29, 2017

Great story. Great pictures. Good job daddy.

KarlVP · Jun 29, 2017

All in all this trip kicked ass. Not the hard wheeling I'm normally up for, but it was a great trip to bring the kiddo on for her first real wheeling adventure.

I can't say enough about the Jeep Jamboree crew that put this on. You get 3 damn good meals a day and guided trail runs. I highly recommend it. The trails were very cool and the guides knew a lot about the area. Grouse gulch trail itself was phenomenal. It will test you even locked on 40's if you do the bonus lines.

If you are looking for a really awesome time, sign up for next year. The people of Wallace and Mullan were very accommodating one even bought parts for our club out of his own pocket when we learned the auto parts store was going to close before we got there. There is lots of silver mining history/exploring to do there, and it isn't too far away from home.

This whole Jamboree experience really felt like family. There were lots of families with kids to old geezers in 1940's jeeps. I will be back. :thumbsup:

joeyf · Jun 30, 2017

Wallace is a great town to stop in. A lot of breweries for how small of a town it is. Last time I was there we did the mine tour, its not that long but was still very cool. You can't beat a place that gives you a keg cup at the bar if you wont to walk around town.