Dakota Hill

There is a feature approximately 20 miles west-north-west of Golden, CO named "Dakota Hill". At an elevation of 10,929 feet, it would probably be called a mountain most anywhere else, but out in the midst of the Rockies, its just a hill. Given that this is the Dakota Mailing List after all, we thought it made a natural place to check out. Based on aerial photos, there appears to be a clearing at the top, so the tentative plan is to try to get a group photo of our trucks parked at the top. Failing that, we can at the very least get a group photo of everybody standing at the top, and/or of the trucks with Dakota Hill in the background.

Offroad navigation

Instead of taking the interstate or surface roads back to camp, we can perhaps instead navigate back home using nothing but logging/fire roads and offroad trails.

Pike's Peak

Known as "America's Mountain", the views from the top inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write a poem in 1893 that would eventually become the song "America the Beautiful". It is also world famous as the site of the annual Pike's Peak hill climb race. Lone Duck Campground is literally at the foot of this mountain, so a trip to the top is a no brainer.

Okay, we're going to try something different with the meet report for the
national meet.  Usually what happens with the meet report is some poor sap
volunteers to write it up, then about six months after the meet is over when
people start harassing him for the report he has to try to track down everyone
who took pictures and figure out from memory what happened.



This time, we're going to try using a blog (which I know is a stupid sounding
word, but it's short for a web log) to keep track of all national meet related
events.  The address is http://dmlmeet.blogspot.com/



This is where we need your help.  We're asking for everyone coming to the
national meet to report any events on this blog.  This is not a place for
brainstorming of ideas, or discussion about what to do at the meet, or asking
questions.  The DML is the place for that.



Rather, the blog is a place for reporting of any events related to the meet.
This is the place that anyone can go who wants to read "The Story of the 2006
National DML Meet."  Maybe DML members who can't make the meet, our families
and friends, or just anyone on the web who wants to read about it.  If you
remember the BBQ updates that Tom likes to post to the DML, that's the sort of
thing that would be perfect to include in the blog.  Having them there will
keep them separate from the rest of the list traffic, and make it easier for
non DML members to read.



When I say events "related to" the meet, I'm hoping we can even include all of
the preparation work.  Tom and Josh, if you want to post regular progress
reports on your various wrenchfest projects, that would be an awesome thing to
have documented.  Or, if you just want to say "I got my camping gear out of
storage today that hasn't been used in 10 years" that's fine too.  As long as
it's related to the meet and contributes to the story of what's involved in
pulling this off, it's fair game.  Remember we'll be looking back on this in
five or ten years and saying "yeah, I remember that!"



Once we get to the meet, I want to keep this updated with the events at least
on a daily basis.  Some information is good, more is better.  Blogger will
even allow pictures to be uploaded, although for entire image galleries it
would probably be easier to find a different place to hold them.  More than a
couple of images per post gets a little clumsy.  This blog will act as the
live meet report while the meet is going on, and then it'll make it a whole
lot easier to write up the full meet report once the dust settles and we're
all back home.  Jon wants to print up a coffee table book as the meet report
this time, which I think is a great idea.  Let's make the job of getting this
book together as painless as possible.  It'll be much easier to remember
everything if we record it as we go.  With WiFi access back at the campground,
I'm sure we'll all be able to find a few minutes every night to post an
update.



If you're willing to help out with this effort, let me or Jon know and we'll
set you up as a contributor to the blog.  The drawback to using a service like
Blogger is that you'll need to have an account on their system before you'll
be able to post.  I don't think this is a big deal, but if you have a problem
with it let us know and we'll see what we can figure out.  There's nothing
that says you have to use your real name, so you can always make something up.



Thanks!


--
Jason Bleazard  http://drazaelb.blogspot.com  Burlington, Ontario
his:  '95 Dakota Sport 4x4, 3.9 V6, 5spd, Reg. Cab, white
hers: '01 Dakota Sport 4x4, 4.7 V8, Auto, Quad Cab, black

• When climbing steep hills, your best bet is to use low gear, maintain traction and use the torque of the engine to crawl up the hill without spinning the tires. If you get stopped, put the transmission in reverse and back down the hill slowly. Don't try to turn around on a side hill.
  
  
• When descending steep hills, use low gear, and rely engine compression instead of the brakes to keep your speed under control. If the vehicle starts to slide faster than the tires are turning, apply a small amount of throttle to speed up the tires and regain traction.
  
  
• If you meet another vehicle coming the other way, whoever is traveling uphill generally has the right of way, although this is negotiable depending on the situation. It's usually easier to stop when going downhill than to re-start a climb if you need to stop halfway up. Remember the other guy may not know this. You might have to back up in order to find a suitable spot to pull over to allow the other vehicle to pass.
  
  
• While there isn't much mud in Colorado, we will need to cross the occasional stream. Most of the water in the mountains is on its way to be collected in reservoirs where it's saved for drinking water. Once that's gone, there's no more water until next winter. Therefore, it's considered good form to cross the stream with a minimum of disturbance. (By the way, they do treat the water before drinking it. It isn't safe to drink from a mountain stream without purifying it first, no matter how clean and clear the beer commercials make it look.)
  
  
• Remember to keep an eye on the road while driving and not get distracted by the scenery. If you want to take a good look around, you might want to stop first. Everyone has a natural tendency to steer towards whatever they're looking at. As long as you're looking at the road, then that's where you'll have a natural tendency to steer.
  
  

• Agate Hill Inn (7 miles south)
• Blue Skies Inn (6 miles south)
• The Inn at Cascade (2 miles south)
• Onaledge B&B (6 miles south)
• Red Crags Bed & Breakfast (6 miles south)

• Diamond Campground (7 miles north)
• Lone Duck Campground (0 miles - This is the official DML campground for the meet. See below for reservation information.)
• Town and Country Resort (7 miles north)

• El Colorado Lodge (6 miles south)
• Green Willow Motel Cottages (6 miles south)
• Dillon Motel (6 miles south)
• Lakeside Cottages (2 miles north)
• Pinehaven Lodges (2 miles south)
• Town-N-Country Cottages (6 miles south)
• Town and Country Resort (7 miles north)

• The Cliff House Inn (7 miles south)

• Beckers Lane Lodge (6 miles south)
• Best Western Skyway Inn and Suites (6 miles south)
• Cascade Hills Motel (2 miles south)
• Cottonwood Court Motel (6 miles south)
• Country Lodge (7 miles north)
• Eagle Fire Lodge and Conference Center (7 miles north)
• Eagle Motel (6 miles south)
• Falls Motel (2 miles north)
• La Fon Motel (6 miles south)
• Lofthouse Inn (7 miles north)
• Park Row Lodge (6 miles south)
• Red Wing Motel (6 miles south)
• Silver Saddle Motel (6 miles south)
• Super 8 Motel (6 miles south)
• The Castaways Inn & Suites (6 miles south)
• Ute Pass Motel (7 miles south)
• Villa Motel (6 miles south)
• Wheeler House (7 miles south)

• The temperature drops approximately 4 degrees F for every 1,000 feet in altitude.
• The average July temperatures for the Lone Duck area are a low of 51° F at night and a high of 79° F during the day.
• If it is 80° F in Denver, it will be 71° F at Lone Duck, 56° F on Dakota Hill and 44° F at the top of Pike's Peak.
  
  
• Hypothermia: Also called "exposure", it begins when the body starts losing more heat than it generates. Two things contribute to this: inadequate food and lack of warm, dry clothing. The condition affects the brain, so victims show poor judgment about saving themselves. The best defense is to change into dry clothing and try to get the body's core temperature up by drinking something warm. Recovery may take six to eight hours so be patient. If you have a sleeping bag, double up with someone to aid in warming the body. Build a fire to help warm up if you are able. Remember: nourishment, dry clothes and warmth.

• Some people recommend taking regular doses of Ibuprofin, which will not only help with the symptoms such as headaches and nausea, but testing has indicated that it apparently alters the blood in a way that helps to prevent the onset of altitude sickness itself. Taking a couple of Ibuprofin every 4 hours is a technique used by mountain climbers and athletes who must compete at high altitudes. (Don't exceed the recommended dosage on the bottle.)
• Drink lots of water - 3 to 4 quarts per day. Your urine should be clear.
• Eat high carbohydrate foods. They produce energy faster than fats and require less oxygen to metabolize.
• Avoid taking sleeping pills, which will cause shallow breathing and compound the problem.
• Avoid high impact activities until you have had time to acclimate. (Acclimation can take a couple of weeks or months, which we don't have, but we have planned on putting the more sedentary activities at the beginning of the meet.) If you have the time, arriving a few days before the official start of the meet probably wouldn't hurt.

• You may want to bring along a nasal spray designed to treat dry nostrils.
• Some chapstick might come in handy.
• Keep plenty of water nearby to stay hydrated.
• Try to avoid anything containing caffeine such as coffee, tea and soft drinks as it is a diuretic, which will remove water from the body.
• Try to avoid alcohol, for the same reason; its also a diuretic.
• Some medications are also diuretic. If you are taking medications, it might not be a bad idea to consult your doctor to see if there could be any complications at altitude.

• Memorial Hospital, 1400 E Boulder St., Colorado Springs - (719) 365-5221 (14 miles south)
• Penrose Hospital, 2222 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs - (719) 776-5333 (13 miles south)
• Penrose Community Hospital, 3205 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs - (719) 776-3216 (17 miles south)

• All food, food containers and cooking utinsils should be stored inside your vehicle.
• Don't sleep in the same clothes you cook in; store your cooking clothes in your vehicle.
• Immediately dispose of all trash in designated containers.

• The chances of encountering a bear increase at dawn and dusk.
• Streams and berry patches are likely places to encounter a bear.
• Don't hike alone.
• Be extra careful in areas of low visibility.
• Make noise; chances are the bear will hear you and leave the area long before you get to its location.
• What is most likely to alert a bear to your presence is its nose. Be careful when the wind is at your face. This means that you are downwind, and more likely to stumble across a very surprised bear.
• Be alert (watch for signs of recent activity such as paw prints, etc.)
• Stay on designated trails, if possible.
• Keep pets (and children) on a short leash.

• Stay calm!
• If the bear hasn't seen you, leave the area. Do not approach the bear!
• If you must speak, do so quietly. Never shout or try to scare the bear away.
• If the bear has detected you, back away slowly, while still facing the bear, but be aware of other bears which might be in the area. (Especially if the bear you have just seen is a cub. This is a guarantee that an extremely protective mother is in the immediate area - maybe behind you!)
• Do not run! Running may trigger the bear's predatory instinct. The world's best track and field athletes can briefly sustain speeds of approximately 22 miles per hour, but a bear tops out around 30mph.
• If there is shelter such as a cabin or a vehicle very close by, that could be a good place to wait out the bear. You can figure on the bear being twice as fast as you though, so unless you are practically on top of the shelter, that might not be a viable option.
• Note that trees and water do not qualify as shelter. Bears are excellent climbers and love to swim.
• If the bear charges you, stand your ground, it is probably bluffing. (But be ready to defend yourself in case it doesn't veer off.)
• If the bear attacks you, fight back. Do not "play dead", this may work against a grizzly, but not a black bear, and certainly not against any hungry bear!
• There are pepper sprays available for bear defense. The types that spray a stream a long distance would appear to be the best since it keeps as much distance as possible between you and the bear, but be aware that a bear may have the ability to shake off even the most potent pepper sprays and resume the attack relatively quickly. (Its mood will not have improved in the meantime.)
• A firearm gives you the highest probability of surviving a bear attack, but you must be proficient in its use. A large caliber hunting rifle is best, but is not exactly convenient for hiking. As far as handguns go, the absolute smallest pipsqueak cartridge generally considered adequate for bear defense is the .44 Magnum. That said, any weapon is better than none, but chances are good that if you are attacked, you won't have time for a followup shot so you want the biggest, heaviest, fastest bullet you can chamber.

• Mountain lions are more likely to be found in wooded areas than open
• Many people who were being stalked as a potential food source were not aware of the mountain lion's presence until it pounced, so stay alert!
• Mountain lions are very unpredictable
• Mountain lions are used to stalking 4 legged animals, and an upright human can confuse it. Anything you can do to make yourself appear larger will help to intimidate it even further. You can do things such as standing on your toes, opening up your jacket or sticking your arms out to your sides. Because of their short stature, children are at more risk than adults. Also, a dog will not intimidate a mountain lion, and may in fact attract its attention (it looks like a tasty snack to the cat).
• Do not turn your back or run away. (A mountain lion's speed will make that 30mph bear I mentioned earlier look like a lumbering walrus - you have no chance.)
• You may be able to retreat by slowly walking backwards, still facing the cat. Putting some distance between you can open up the escape routes for it, rather than making it feel cornered which will almost always guarantee an attack.
• Same as with bears, if you are attacked, fight back.
• Pepper spray has been said to work well against mountain lions, however since they are so agile, they may be difficult to hit
• Naturally, if you are already "loaded for bear", a firearm makes a good defense. Like the pepper spray though, you must be able to hit the animal.
• If you don't have a firearm or pepper spray, rocks or a stick are better than nothing. Don't bend over to pick them up though, bend at the knees, always facing the cat, and stand back up quickly.
• If you come across a covered animal carcass, leave the area. The cat will be back and it will assume you are trying to steal its dinner. (This will not enhance its opinion of you...)

• The only poisonous snake naturally occurring in Colorado.
• Rattlers have been known to climb to timberline, but are more often seen at altitudes lower than 8,000 feet.
• Listen and watch for them, especially in the rocks and bluffs of the foothills.
• Generally they will leave the area if they detect you, but they will fight if they are cornered or if they are protecting their young.

• It is legal to to carry a loaded or unloaded firearm in a vehicle or posess it in a dwelling or business, however it cannot be carried concealed on your person unless you have a permit to do so.
• Note that it is legal to openly carry a firearm in Colorado (without any sort of permit), however it is probably not a good idea as people have been prosecuted for disorderly conduct when a "victim" becomes alarmed at seeing the firearm.
• Colorado recognizes the concealed carry permits of several other states. If your state of residence is not one of them, it may be possible to obtain a non-resident carry permit from one of the states that practices reciprocity with Colorado (for example Florida or New Hampshire). For more information on this topic, please consult Packing.org
• You must have your carry permit and photo identification with you at all times when you are carrying a concealed handgun. These documents must be produced upon the request of any law enforcement officer. (The law enforcement officer may legally confiscate the gun from you but must return it prior to discharging you from the scene.)
• Colorado's state firearms law has a preemption clause which means that no local municipality can override the state law with more restrictive regulations. (i.e. they cannot prevent you from carrying on public property) However, private property is another matter; if the owner has posted a sign banning firearms on their property, it is illegal to disobey it. An exception is open carry; local municipalities are allowed to ban the open carry of firearms if they post appropriate signage.
• There are certain public areas where carry is prohibted, for example schools and public buildings with secrity screening procedures in place. See the Packing.org site for more info on this.
• It is legal to carry in a national forest, but doing so in a national park is a felony.

• Packing.org
• Colorado Gun Laws
• Colorado Gun Law Links

• Colorado Springs Airport
• Denver International Airport
  (Rental car info for each airport is available at their respective links above.)
  
  
  
• Directions to Lone Duck Campground (from Colorado Springs)
  The campground is located on the south/west side of US 24, approximately 2 miles west of Cascade. Click the link above for detailed directions. Note: If you downloaded these directions prior to 4/28/06, please re-visit the link as the original directions had some mistakes which were corrected.
  
  
  
• Avoiding Denver is A Very Wise Thing To Do (whenever possible.) Legendary congested expressway traffic, and sorry folks, the E-470 beltway on the east side of town is one of the most expensive toll roads in America. $11.00 one way to take it the full length, double that at least if you're if you're towing something. When travelling to the meet from the east on I-70, strongly suggest taking US 24 at Limon directly into Colorado Springs (about 70 mi) & thus bypass Denver altogether.

• Ensure that your brakes are fully serviced before arriving at the meet. Highway grades of 7-9% are common, and expect grades of up to 12% on unpaved roads and/or trails. 'nuff said.
  
  
• Octane grades for gas sold in the Mountain Time Zone are 85 regular, 89 midgrade & 91 premium. Good old 87 octane regular or 93 octane rocket fuel you're used to aren't available. Reasoning behind this is that the higher grades aren't necessarily required when operating above 5000 ft, which is the norm out here, but let's not go there just now with other possible reasons. No one seems to have problems with running 85 (including my 4.7 V8 Dak with minimal mods) but if you have some fairly robust chip-type engine mods going on, or are just plain uncomfortable running 85, plan on adding some octane booster to the tank while out here. BTW, I usually fill up with 91 octane whenever I know I'll be going waaay up into the high country (above 9-10,000 ft) but that's just me looking for all the horsies I can get pulling the passes. And since you asked, running 85 at Lone Duck's altitude (7500 ft) will be just fine, IMHO.
  
  
• Gas is considerably more expensive in the mountain towns than it is in the Front Range (Denver/Colo Springs & etc.) Averages 15-20 cents higher per gallon up there. One of those (go figure) things around living here. Plan your fillups accordingly.