Post by spongetom on Nov 19, 2009 21:07:55 GMT -6
Okay, so maybe New Year’s Day belongs to football fans and Black Friday is for shopaholics.
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Every year as the sun rises on the last Thursday of November, hundreds of four-wheel –drive enthusiasts descend on the Mounds ORV Area to play in Genesee County’s biggest sandbox - or mud hole, to be more accurate. It’s a holiday tradition that’s been going on so long no one really remembers how or when it started, said Genesee County Parks recreation program specialist Nancy Edwards.
“What I’ve heard is the gentlemen are banished from the house so thanksgiving dinner can be prepared, but I think there’s actually a lot of women out there that day as well,” joked Edwards. “It’s a big get-out-of-the-house-and-go-four-wheeling thing, then they all leave by 2 p.m. and go home to eat turkey.”
It’s also one of the biggest days of the year for the county parks system, said Edwards, with at least 250 day passes sold that day alone.
“That’s just counting the daily entries that day. We sell about 420 annual permits each year and we have no idea how many of those show up on Thanksgiving too,” said Edwards. “Nobody gets that day off. I’ve got my whole staff out there selling daily permits, monitoring traffic and making sure people are following the rules while they’re out there having a good time.”
For the past several years, the What Lies Beyond Jeep Club of Genesee County has hosted a warming tent at the Mounds picnic pavilion, offering coffee, hot chocolate and donuts to fellow holiday off-roaders. At the same time, they try to collect a little holiday help for those less fortunate.
“The first year we took donations for Whaley’s Children’s Center, then last year we collected about 100 coats, mittens and hats for kids,” said club member Paul Hittie of Burton, one of the event’s organizers. “This year with all the folks in the community out of work, we figured we’d switch over and work with the Food Bank to make sure everybody’s fed.”
The free sustenance and camaraderie will still be provided but the club is hoping people will also remember to bring a nonperishable food item with them to help local families in need.
The holiday mudfest routinely draws off-roaders from as far away as Ohio and Canada, said Edwards. Part of it’s due to the site’s centralized location but it’s also because it offers features unlike those at other Michigan ORV areas.
“Some places just have sand. We’ve got mud and rocks,” said Edwards, laughing.
An added attraction this year: the parks system recently completed the second phase of a massive new rock crawl area, funded by a DNR grant. The popular feature is the only one of its kind in the lower peninsula.
Regardless of why they come, they should be there in droves if it’s anything like last year, said Atlas Township four-wheeler Tim Jagielo Sr., who came last year with his brother Randy and their two sons while their wives were home relaxing before a family get-together in Frankenmuth.
“I figured there’d be people out there but I was surprised how crowded it actually was. We were lucky to get a spot. It was tight,” said Jagielo, who said they came to watch rather than play.
“I actually don’t like to get my truck that muddy. I prefer sand myself. What’s fun is to go out there and watch all the people who enjoy mud just have a field day.”
The park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset. A state ORV permit is also required for entry. Details: www.geneseecountyparks.org.
For more information about the What Lies Beyond Jeep Club and its food drive and other events: www.whatliesbeyond.org. Those interested may also contact the club by e-mail at cody.whatliesbeyond@gmail.com
.
Every year as the sun rises on the last Thursday of November, hundreds of four-wheel –drive enthusiasts descend on the Mounds ORV Area to play in Genesee County’s biggest sandbox - or mud hole, to be more accurate. It’s a holiday tradition that’s been going on so long no one really remembers how or when it started, said Genesee County Parks recreation program specialist Nancy Edwards.
“What I’ve heard is the gentlemen are banished from the house so thanksgiving dinner can be prepared, but I think there’s actually a lot of women out there that day as well,” joked Edwards. “It’s a big get-out-of-the-house-and-go-four-wheeling thing, then they all leave by 2 p.m. and go home to eat turkey.”
It’s also one of the biggest days of the year for the county parks system, said Edwards, with at least 250 day passes sold that day alone.
“That’s just counting the daily entries that day. We sell about 420 annual permits each year and we have no idea how many of those show up on Thanksgiving too,” said Edwards. “Nobody gets that day off. I’ve got my whole staff out there selling daily permits, monitoring traffic and making sure people are following the rules while they’re out there having a good time.”
For the past several years, the What Lies Beyond Jeep Club of Genesee County has hosted a warming tent at the Mounds picnic pavilion, offering coffee, hot chocolate and donuts to fellow holiday off-roaders. At the same time, they try to collect a little holiday help for those less fortunate.
“The first year we took donations for Whaley’s Children’s Center, then last year we collected about 100 coats, mittens and hats for kids,” said club member Paul Hittie of Burton, one of the event’s organizers. “This year with all the folks in the community out of work, we figured we’d switch over and work with the Food Bank to make sure everybody’s fed.”
The free sustenance and camaraderie will still be provided but the club is hoping people will also remember to bring a nonperishable food item with them to help local families in need.
The holiday mudfest routinely draws off-roaders from as far away as Ohio and Canada, said Edwards. Part of it’s due to the site’s centralized location but it’s also because it offers features unlike those at other Michigan ORV areas.
“Some places just have sand. We’ve got mud and rocks,” said Edwards, laughing.
An added attraction this year: the parks system recently completed the second phase of a massive new rock crawl area, funded by a DNR grant. The popular feature is the only one of its kind in the lower peninsula.
Regardless of why they come, they should be there in droves if it’s anything like last year, said Atlas Township four-wheeler Tim Jagielo Sr., who came last year with his brother Randy and their two sons while their wives were home relaxing before a family get-together in Frankenmuth.
“I figured there’d be people out there but I was surprised how crowded it actually was. We were lucky to get a spot. It was tight,” said Jagielo, who said they came to watch rather than play.
“I actually don’t like to get my truck that muddy. I prefer sand myself. What’s fun is to go out there and watch all the people who enjoy mud just have a field day.”
The park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset. A state ORV permit is also required for entry. Details: www.geneseecountyparks.org.
For more information about the What Lies Beyond Jeep Club and its food drive and other events: www.whatliesbeyond.org. Those interested may also contact the club by e-mail at cody.whatliesbeyond@gmail.com