February 16, 2013 was the date for the First Annual Snowball Express.  This event was an unofficial event held by a handful of members of the Arkansas MV Travelers.  The main purpose of this event was to get out in the flat fender jeeps and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains.

Planning was limited by design.  We wanted to remove the restraints of an organized event so we could enjoy the scenery, each other’s company, our jeeps, and winter weather in the Ozarks.  The only rules were that there were no rules.

As the week before the event took place arrived, the weather forcast wasn’t the best but we were all pumped and super excited.  Dave and I talked on the Monday before the event.  Dave told me he was so excited that he was vibrating!  BJ called and left a phone message that he had run the circle (the loop that we would run on the trail ride).  My daughter heard the phone message and said BJ is so excited he is driving in circles.

Was the weather going to stop us.  No.  The only way we were going to cancel the event was if the roads were not passable due to snow or ice.  The weather forecast of a high of 39 and sunny on Saturday was “good to go”.

Our preparation included wearing multiple layers of clothes.  We just kept putting on clothes until we could no longer bend our legs or arms.  I had to remove one layer of clothing just to be able to drive the jeep.  For the most part I stayed plenty warm.  We had 4 wool blankets in the jeep and they didn’t all get used.

Dave and I camped out with the boys Friday evening at Woolum on the Buffalo River.  We got a chance to play around with the jeeps a bit Friday as the sun set.  We were prepared for a cold night.  It must have gotten down to about 28 or so Friday night.

I had taken note of the road down to the campground from the highway as we drove down Friday afternoon.  It was a gravel road with some steep down grades.  I was pulling a 20 foot trailer with the jeep on it and was noting that it would be a challenge to get the rig back out Saturday morning, but shouldn’t be any problem. 

Dave and I and the boys woke early Saturday morning ready for the trail ride.  We were excited.  The nip in the air was not discouraging.  The sky was clear when I woke up.  I took the jeep for a quick ride down to the gravel bar on the Buffalo River and watched a couple of fisherman put their boat into the river.  It was encouraging to know that we weren’t the only crazy people up this early.

Back to camp I went to get the boys all packed up and camp broke.  As Luke, Nathan, and Daniel packed up the tent and sleeping bags, I loaded the jeep onto the trailer and strapped it down.  I noticed it was getting cloudy.  I looked up at the ridge line above the camp area and noticed that one of the high valleys up on the ridge was “all white”.  It looked like a low hanging cloud but I knew it wasn’t a cloud.  It was snowing up there. I called out to Dave to look up there at that white stuff.  “It is snowing up there” I said.

Before we knew what was happening, it was snowing on us down in the campground.  In less than 5 minutes the ground went from no snow to snow covered.  It was snowing in blizzard conditions.  Dave was hooking his GPW up to his jeep and making final preparations to pull out when it occured to me that the snow was accumulating way too fast and the ground was all white. 

I remembered the steep hill that I had to climp to get up to the highway.  Snow covered steep hills are not a good thing for a 2wd truck pulling a heavy trailer and jeep.  I told Dave we were pulling out and would meet him at the top of the hill.  We took off to try to get to the top of the hill before the snow closed the road for us.  We had a mile or so of steep road.

We got a good run at the hill and had some serious trouble with the steep climps.  The back wheels of the truck spun all the way up the long hills but by the Grace of God we made it.  It would have been a disaster if we had lost traction on one of the hills as backing down one of the hills with the long trailer would have not been easy, especially with the snow on the road.

It all just added to the adventure.  The event took on the the name “The Snowball Express”.  This was fitting because of the snow early Saturday Morning and the tiny town of Snowball that we visited on the trail ride.

By the time we made it to the highway the snow had stopped and the clouds were breaking.  On the short drive from St. Joe to our meeting spot at Tyler Bend, we caught up with some other members of our group who were just arriving.  Everyone’s timing was perfect and the brief snow burst had only confirmed that we were all in fact crazy.  It is a good kind of crazy…. jeep crazy.  Ron Naef showed up with a couple boxes of donuts which were a hit.  Thanks Ron!

The route was great.  It must have been 60 or 70 miles.  With the exception of a short bit of pavement, we were on gravel or dirt roads the whole day.

We did not have a single break down.  The cold weather did not cause any engine problems.  The only mechanical issue was when Dave’s tail pipe came off.  I had seen it when I stopped to shift out of 4 wheel drive but didn’t think anything about it until I saw Nick stopped and backing up.  If I had known it was Dave’s tail pipe, I would have run over it.

We all had a great time.  Everyone’s since of humor was turned way up and we cut up quite a bit.  The best part was when BJ took his jeep up on the grassy area in front of the visitor’s center at Tyler Bend and cut donuts in the grass.  These marks will be in that grass next summer. 

The “Snowball Express” has surely become an annual event or at least I hope so.  Dave and I are already planning to take the boys camping in the area with the jeeps and 1/4 ton trailers. 

Plan on being part of this event next February.  But don’t ask us for any of the details.  There won’t be very many. 

Below are some images of our event.  The event exceeded by far my greatest expectations.  The weather was picture perfect with lows Friday night in the mid to upper 20’s and the high during the warmest part of Saturday afternoon maybe 39 or 40.

Dan Sharon, 2/17/2013.

Be sure to click on any image below for a larger view!  Enjoy.

One of our stops along a “jeep road” in the Buffalo National River was this overlook.  The scenery was beautiful.  Arkansas certainly has some beautiful places to visit.  Some of them must be visited by jeeps to really be appreciated.  Thanks BJ for planning this route!

The town of Snowball, Arkansas.

Crossing Richland Creek.  The creek crossings were great.  I guess I had better plan to drain the fluids and replace.  Also, it might be a good time to pack the wheel bearings again.  Many of us crossed the creek several times.  Nick who drove Dave’s jeep the entire route explored the creek extensively with the jeep. 

On one of BJ’s trips across the creek, Dave gave him a push trying to send BJ in for a swim.  Click on the image for a larger view.

Lunch was provided and served by Dave.  Dave had run over a “possum” on the drive up from Little Rock.  He skinned it with the knife that BJ found while crossing Richland Creek.  Dave then wrapped the possum meat in foil and cooked it up on the engine block and manifold of his jeep as we drove along.  These pictures are of Dave’s cooking and the serving line forming.  A short discussion period ended in a vote.  It was decided that this method would be used in September to help simplify the Pettit Jean rally.

Dave and BJ planning the afternoon route.  We were looking for Falling Water Falls.

Marsha was toasty warm.  Can you find her in this photo?  She had on the yellow scarf so we wouldn’t loose her.

2/19/13.  In response to a very hateful message that I received suggesting that we were only out tearing up the environment, I would like to state that we never left established and maintained National Park Service, National Forest Service, or county roads including the creek crossings.  The reference to BJ tearing up the grass in front of the Tyler Bend visitors center was only a joke to poke fun at one of the greatest guys on earth, BJ.  This group of folks has a wonderful since of humor.  Before you spend too much time telling us what we did wrong, why not come join us next time and see for yourself!

Dan Sharon