new years in gilmer

is any one going to gilmer for new years there is a group going to leave out friday  me too sounds like a good way to start off the new year.

If you are talking about our group then ya we are still going.  There are a few of us that are going to convoy it up there from Mansfield.  But if not most of us are planning on getting there after 7pm on friday the 31st so we dont get charged for wheeling that day..just camping.  Plan is to camp and wheel through sunday afternoon then pack it up and get outta there.  If you have a facebook msg me your name and Ill invite you to the event....where most of the details are.

As far as fees go its $15 a night for primitive camping, $30 a night for electric camping, $5 a day for passengers, and $25 a day to wheel.  We plan on having around 20 people in our group with various rigs...all from built trail rigs to dd'ers.  So some will be taking it on the hard trails and others on easy trails.  I will most likely be doing some easy trails first and go from there since I have never wheeled there before.  As far as food and drinks go its byob and byof.  I believe someone is bringing a pit so you can bring some grillin food....I may be wrong here.

Prices sound like non TMTC member pricing...
that said, new years may be in the cards.  There may be some TX4WD members, some LSJC members and some DFW-TX4WD chapter members there.

Squeaky


Prices sound like non TMTC member pricing...
that said, new years may be in the cards.  There may be some TX4WD members, some LSJC members and some DFW-TX4WD chapter members there.

and the texasjks will also be there.

sounds like a good time.

Hey guys, I will have a small group (7-9 Jeeps) out there. Will arrive midday Friday and will be leaving Sunday morning. Hoping to meet some of you guys. I have talked to Squeaky about using your awesome campsite. He said it wouldn't be a problem. Please, feel free to come up and introduce yourself. Maybe we can wheel together. If not, we can break bread, and enjoy a beverage together around the campfire!

Sounds like a plan to me, we have around 20 guys in our group most of which will be wheeling.  Rigs range from full size trucks to jeeps and yotas....we will send the guys that get bored on the lame trails to yall so you can put them through their paces :D

My group is backing out, but I'm still going. Not afraid of a little cool weather! I'll be there around midday Friday, leaving Sunday.

We went from 25 down to around 18 cause of the "weather"  I will be there along with a few others.  Bringing plenty of warm clothes and my zero degree sleeping bag lol.  Does anybody know if there is a burn ban at all?  I know it rained there recently And I sure as heck hope there is not otherwise we will freeze our butts off hah.  We are planning on leaving mansfield around 2 and its a 2hr drive but a few are trailering rigs so we will likely be going slower.  Hope to see some of yall out there!

I'll call tomorrow and check if there is a burn ban. Certainly hope not. Gonna need a nice fire at night!

Reguarding the TMTC membership, I was looking at the price differences and such and I think imma go for it.  I called up there and the guy that answered the phone was pretty short with me but he did say that if I print out the recipt for the membership that he would give the discount rates.  I really hope he sticks to his word on that, cause id be ticked if i payed 40 bucks and didnt get anything from it lol.  Forgot to ask about the burn ban, since the guy pretty much hung up on me 

That must have been Lauton. He is like that! The receipt for the membership is fine. I have had no problems before. You should be able to get one there also. Thats what I did.

No burn ban as of today for Upshur county.
http://tfsfrp.tamu.edu/wildfires/DecBan.png
 
Yes, the printed rcpt should be fine for proof of membership.  I think they have a printed register of all members but not sure how up to date it will be if you join between now and this weekend.  I also believe they can access the member list from their computer as a last resort.
 
Quick tip, if Lawton is the only one in the office and you are not used to dealing with him...take a smoke break, air down, disconnect, do something until Karen is back in the office.  She is usually there around 8 in the morning, takes a break for lunch mid day and I think a dinner break as well.
Same goes if there looks to be a big crowd in the office.  Wait 5 or 10 minutes for the crowd to thin before going in.
Personally, I have no problems with either of them but Karen is definitely easier to work with when checking in...just be patient (they are both slow and methodical) and if you think something is not correct ask for it to be explained.  They do this every weekend so more than likely they are correct, but people do make mistakes.
Oh yeah, another tip.  No credit cards.  Bring a check or cash.  If you bring cash, try to have a few quarters and some ones.  With the current price setup your total fee usually ends up at x dollars and 25 cents or 50 cents.  The office is usually out of quarters and sometimes low on small bills.  Bring exact change and you will be Karen's favorite visitor.

Thanks for all the tips man, id like to have as smooth a chekin as possible since its all of our groups first time at the park so we will be pretty lost, esp in terms of trying to figure out the camping situation haha.

No prob...the fee structure is actually pretty simple.
-You will pay a park fee per rig per day, members are $12.50 and non-members are $25 per day.
-If you arrive after 6pm on Friday or Saturday you do not pay park fees for that day.  Also, if you are leaving on Sunday morning before 10am you will not pay Sunday's park fee.
-Camping is per night per tent.  $7.50 member / $15 non member each night for primitive camping.  Double that for the electric camp sites (typically for RV's but you can tent camp there as well if you want power)
-Passengers are $5 per passenger per day (same time definitions as park fees above)
 
 
Camping is all over the park.  Check out the attached map...

-The front office is upper left. 
-Just below the office on the map is the Houston camp.  More of an open area by a few trailheads. Close to front office, bathrooms and showers.
-Continuing down the main yellow access road the next camp is the RV (electric) camping sites.  These cost extra, there are like 20 or 30 of them and they are first come first serve when you check in at the office.
-As you continue down the main road past Twister, the next camp is the new DFW Chapter camp.  Lots of room with small "sites", many fire rings, a big main fire ring and a small pavilion.  Center of the park, one porta-potty
-At the very south end of the park is "Old Camp".  Prepare for some trail riding to get there, far from everything and I think they pulled the porta-potties from the landing area near the top of Dewoody.
-Moving east from the DFW camp is the old DFW camp on Linda Gail.  Very eroded and now probably overgrown, but not a bad site.  Down in a valley so out of the wind.  I think they may have pulled this porta-potty out as well.
-TTR Camp.  Also a great camp with a large pavilion and a power outlet under the pavilion.  Pretty sure it has a porta-potty.
-Rover Camp is kind of an open area, I can't recall many details though.
-Xterra Camp is a nice secluded camp site.  Not huge and I can't recall if there is a can there or not, but a nice site for a small to medium group.
 
I think there are one or two other area that have popped up as well...I think along the east road between TTR and Rover.
 
All primitive camping is open to anyone unless the club that sponsors a particular camp reserves it for their use that weekend.  Try to keep fires to the established fire pits.  If there is some wood at a camp, use it.  If you bring wood and have some left over, leave it for the next group.  Pack out all your trash.  Feel free to trim and prune in the camps (and on the trails) and pick up trash that may have been left.  Basically leave the camps and trails better than you found them.

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Well, I was looking forward to meeting and wheelin' with some you guys, but after spending all day getting my camping gear ready to go, my tow rig is now acting up. I'm gonna have to use the weekend to fix it so I can drive it to work Monday. Maybe next time.
 
Later,
Ron

Just got back in, had a blast on the trip! I chose to stick to riding for the first part of saturday so I could see what trails I could run confidently, so I mainly stuck to 2's and some easy 3's.  I personally ran Lindagail, Angry Jeep,  Humdinger, Whatever, Binder Blvd, and Soilhull.  Ran most of them a few times just cause im limited by my ifs, open front and lsd rear.  But no doubt will def be going back, shame none of yall could make it!

Glad you had a good time. I got my tow rig fixed Friday night, and came out for a day trip Saturday. Linked up with the TexasJK group. Also had a blast. The park conditions were great. Minimal dust and mud! Drove by your campsite, looked like a nice turnout. See ya'll next time.

Pics please!