2nd Annual Arkansas Trail Blazers Rally at the Gap

By Ed Fulton, Arkansas Trail Blazers

The 2009 2^nd Annual Rally At The Gap was held this year October 2^nd – 4^th. With nearly two hundred in attendance from seven states including Nevada, the rally was four times bigger then the 1^st Rally we held in 2008.

This year, new and upgraded events were added as Camp Wolfcreek Springs added a side by side mud drag pit and a clay based sled pull track. A new area was set up for the main drag races and we added a blind folded obstacle course along with the barrel races. Each event started with just one category and at the request of the participants we changed to three categories for each event. Although prize awards had to be changed when we made this change, everyone seemed to understand and a good time was had by all.

The Mud drags, main drags, and sled pull seemed to be the big draw events and are sure to be a hit again next year. Of course we will be prepared for all the added categories for each event and bigger and better prizes will be awarded. I am sorry to say that the list of names of event winners was destroyed by rain so I can not report on that.
Of special interest this year was the addition of several side by sides at the rally. Several members of the PRC Polaris Ranger Club were present and I can tell you they are a great bunch of people. We hope they continue coming to the rally every year.
An added feature this year was the presence of the CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) with several volunteers. They helped with the registration table, food lines and held a Sunday morning spiritual service given by Denver Dennis which was enjoyed by several rally goers. Jerrod McPhearson played guitar and sang several songs that were enjoyed by all. Many thanks to the CMA for all their help.
As always both guided and unguided trail rides both inside Wolf Pen Gap and trails in the Ouachita National Forest were part of the festivities. One night ride ended up with the riders spending several hours in a cold rain and gave them plenty of war stories to tell.

Always a big hit at the Rally is the food. Both Friday (burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings) and Saturday (smoked brisket and all the fixings) night meals are free with a request for trail donations. Saturday donations were donated to the fight to cure Breast Cancer. Saturday lunch was burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings for $8.00 with all funds going back towards trail upkeep, improvement and preservation. Saturday night after dinner event prizes were awarded and an auction of sponsor donated items was held. Again all funds raised go back to the trails in one form or another.
Sunday morning the rally ended with the Sled Pull run offs which was quite a challenge as the track was soaked from the rains Saturday night.
A big thank you to Camp Wolfcreek Springs, all the rally workers and especially the participants for making this year’s rally a big success. Next year’s rally is already in the planning stage and promises to be even bigger and better.

Tags: Arkansas, Camp Wolf Creek Springs, Ouachita National Forest, Polaris Ranger Club (PRC), Wolf Pen Gap

Category: Event Recap