Thanksgiving Week in Glamis
By Jon Crowley, UTVGuide.net
I spent the first half of my Thanksgiving break over on Gecko Rd. in Glamis. If you have never been to Glamis, Gecko Road is typically packed on every weekend during the season, and especially so during Thanksgiving week.
Thankfully some friends I had met in Glamis last season were already on pad 1.5 and had a spot for me when I arrived Saturday evening.
I had brought along a 2010 Polaris RZR S, and was excited that there were going to be four other RZRs in camp along with a few sand cars. Fast dune rides were on my agenda. Lots of them. I often get teased in camp about being a ride Nazi, but I have to drive 12 hours to get the the Imperial Sand Dunes, and I don’t want to waste it hanging out in camp!
I was fine leading a group of RZRs through the dunes, but on a few rides we had one or two 600 HP sand cars breathing down my neck too. Being a former sand car junkie myself, I stepped up the pace a bit more than usual so they wouldn’t get too bored.
Well, it just so happens that I ran out of talent on one of those rides and put the my RZR S on its side. And just like all good friends, one in our group had to get a picture of my mishap just to rub it in.
The roll was real easy, and to the passenger side, but it did reinforce the importance of wearing a helmet in a side x side for me. Just because you have a roll cage doesn’t mean you are in a bubble and can’t hit your head. And as I proved, sometimes things just happen. Best to play it safe and wear your helmet.
On Monday, we made the trek to the south dunes for breakfast at the Duner’s Diner near Gordons Well. Having a destination for breakfast makes it fun, and the 20 something mile ride down sand highway is different. Breakfast at the Duner’s Diner is always low calorie and heart-smart, so there is no reason not to just load up. My favorite is the Breakfast Bowl. They start with a bowl (duh!), then add a biscuit, hash browns, bacon, sausage, gravy and top it off with a little cheddar cheese. Now that is what I am talking about!
After breakfast, we headed across the I8 overpass to check out the border fence. Building a fence through the dunes that can handle the wind and piles of blown sand is quite an engineering feat and this is no 6 ft. chain link job. The fence was completed through the dunes last year, and so far it looks to be holding up quite well.
We went on lots of fast dune rides over the next few days. Some with me leading, and a few with me behind so I could get roosted while getting some in-car video footage.
I always dread the 12 hour drive for me to get to Glamis, but once I am there running through the dunes, it makes it all worth it. I headed home to spend Thanksgiving with my family, but the Bailey’s, Garrahan’s and Wynia’s stayed through and had turkey in the dunes. Stay tuned for an article on the Bailey’s RZRs. They have three in their family, and love to play in the dunes.
Following Jeff’s long travel Polaris RZR
Following Steve’s 2010 Polaris RZR S
Charlene visited Glamis Flats later in the week. Here is her photo gallery:
For this trip, I had made a few upgrades to the RZR S. First off were a set of 2″ adjustable shocks from Fox Racing Shox. I like to ride hard in the dunes, and the aftermarket shocks can handle hard g-outs and smooth out the whoops better than the factory 1.5″ shocks. I really like the 24 clicks of adjustablity so I can firm up for the dunes and then soften things up for normal trail rides.
Second upgrade was a set of tires and wheels designed for the dunes from ITP. Their new T9 aluminum wheels with SandStar tires are much lighter than OEM Bighorns and give more performance in the sand. The package weighs in at just 19 lbs. for the front and 22 lbs. for the rear!
Lastly, I tried out a new bolt-on iPod audio system from SSV Works. This system installed in 15 minutes. Simple two-wire install. The unit is designed for a stock Polaris RZR roll cage. The enclosure is form fitted to one side of the cage and mounting brackets support the other. The unit is weatherproof and contains a 50 watt amp, two speakers and a dock for your iPod. SSV Works also makes another universal unit that fits the Yamaha Rhino, Kawasaki Teryx and Polaris RANGER.
Links:
- Todd’s Custom Dune RZR
- Long Term 2010 Polaris RZR S Review
- Glamis Camping Area Guide
- ISDRA GPS Coordinates
- ISDRA Dune Guide
Category: Featured, Polaris, Trail Rides
Comments (1)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Sites That Link to this Post