April Pgh GTG - Get out of the City!

03/16/2005 02:42:56 PM · #1

ONe of us suggested getting our of the City for the next photoday GTG. I have an idea...the Beaver County Maple Syrup Festival!

This annual event, held at the Bradys Run Park Lodge celebrates the arrival of the maple syrup from the park trees each Spring. Each year approximately 30,000 people visit this unique event. (To handle crowds of this size, complimentary shuttles are provided throughout the park). The festival is typically held near the end of March or early April and usually includes tours of the maple syrup-making process, an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast, crafts and entertainment.

This year it is April 2 and 3, 8:30-4:30. There is lots to shoot at the park, including people.

Anyone intersted? Dogs are welcome, families, there are playgrounds and swings, a lake (bring a canoe), etc.

The Park Info
If you geocache or want to, there are LOTS of caches here - Alan and I can take you on a geocache if you want to try one. //www.geocaching.com/
And an article from last year in the Trib //www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/entertainment/events/s_125564.html

Some pics from the park...

Message edited by author 2005-03-16 15:03:41.

03/16/2005 09:48:29 PM · #2

Bump for the night crowd

03/16/2005 10:16:34 PM · #3

There are two things I hate in this world -- crowds and traffic. Sounds like there will be a crowd and traffic at this event. There are rare circumstances to which I will, however, brave traffic and crowds. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, Steeler games, Pirates games, once a year at the amusement park, but certainly not, and I mean certainly not to watch some people extract sap from a tree!

Haha, just kidding, if it catches on, I'll go...but I can honestly say I'm not exactly looking forward to it.

03/17/2005 11:05:57 AM · #4

We can go 4-wheeling instead - I got this thing and you got your thing, Mike has his thing (and experience at this) and I know of some trails...

I even know of a trail, an easy one, that has a geocache at the end (not an easy one) but it is fairly photogenic there. The other trails i have not been on.

Message edited by author 2005-03-17 11:06:26.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

03/17/2005 06:02:59 PM · #5

heh...I've been on some pretty tough trails. But I don't know if I feel like it anymore -- 4 wheeling is pretty expensive when it's in your daily driver. I'm actually thinking of taking my lift off.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

03/17/2005 06:15:54 PM · #6

I *think* I'd be up for the Bradys Run thing... although that date sounds ominously familiar for some reason. I've polished off all of the Bradys Run geocaches, so I know where they all are! :)

jeffzoet

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

03/17/2005 06:35:14 PM · #7

so do you want to clarify to all of us (or maybe just me) who have never even heard the word "geocashes", none the less know what it means. i'm feling rather dumb asking this, but i honestly never heard of it.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/17/2005 07:27:56 PM · #8

geo caches are little beacon like things that they hide in places and people with GPS's have to go find them.

Apparently you missed the whole discussion up on the West End Overlook -- which is exactly the same time I realized I was hanging out with a bunch of nerds. haha -- just kidding of course...but that's what I gathered from the discussion. I would get into it, but GPS's are expensive -- well, not that expensive, but I'd rather get a 50mm 1.8 or another memory card or a 420 ex or ... well, you get the picture.

lykofos

Canon EOS-40D

03/17/2005 07:59:10 PM · #9

Originally posted by deapee:

Apparently you missed the whole discussion up on the West End Overlook -- which is exactly the same time I realized I was hanging out with a bunch of nerds. haha -- just kidding of course...but that's what I gathered from the discussion. I would get into it, but GPS's are expensive -- well, not that expensive, but I'd rather get a 50mm 1.8 or another memory card or a 420 ex or ... well, you get the picture.

yea, if i remember correctly, he had to go pick up monica from class and wasn't at the outlook. I had never heard of geocaching before either, until Alan told me about it. It kind of reminds me of hide & seek but with sophisticated equipment.

I kinda agree with Dave on this one. Maple Syrup doesn't seem too exciting! As far as offroading, it can be very expensive! That's why I joined a group and would highly recommend going with people who have years of experience. If things get a bit close, they can help guide you through safely. Since the X is my daily driver as well, I make sure that I can handle the trail w/o damage before starting and will turn around if it gets too tough.

Plus, I still have shit street tires on it. I know people that have made the easy/moderate trails at Paragon & Rausch Creek w/ stocker tires, but it make things a hell of a lot more difficult. MTs are the ticket.Please donate to the Super Swamper Fund. I heard those bastards only get about 20-25,000 mi before they're shot w/ onroad daily driver & offroad use.

Btw, keep the lift on Dave, I think the jeep looks a hell of a lot better w/ it.

03/17/2005 08:10:01 PM · #10

Thanks Mike! My super swampers (trxus 33x12.5) had 4k on them when I sold them for my current MTR's and they wore down quite a bit in that 4k miles. My MTR's have 14k on them and they're probably at like 70% -- but I'm pretty easy on the skinny pedal. I only do the three-wheel wheelie thing every once in a while (heh -- yeah, did you know you could do that in a Jeep with a lift upon command -- it's quite scary really).

03/17/2005 11:15:16 PM · #11

Mudders 31x10.50, $79 each. got them at #1 snyders in wintersville ohio (take 22 into oh about 10 miles). Some reports i dug up gave them good reviews and 30,000+ miles of street use. they dig. boy do they dig in!

A GPS unit, a good one, can be had for about $150. Once you see all they can do, you'll wonder how you made do without it!
//www.gpsgames.org/
Great for 4 wheeling or hiking.

If we think we need experienced folk, i can probably dig a few up. The one trail is very easy.

Maple syrup may not be exciting, but eating is. and it is phtogenic, no not the eating, the tree tapping and stuff.

03/17/2005 11:18:30 PM · #12

$70 a piece Savero Radial MT's don't count mang. Get some real tires on that beast. ;-)

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/17/2005 11:42:42 PM · #13

Originally posted by deapee:

$70 a piece Savero Radial MT's don't count mang. Get some real tires on that beast. ;-)

So get a 1Ds Mk 2. That Rebel of yours, that don't count mang.

Hell, I got $2500 TOTAL in my Jeep. Purchase price, V8 engine, tires, new top, all of it! And I ain't afraid to get it dirty! (No, I can't afford to break it either, so i drive accordingly.)

lykofos

Canon EOS-40D

03/18/2005 12:09:40 AM · #14

Sounds like the wear on the TrXus may be even worse than I figured. I was looking at the 32" BFG MTs too, but I liked the sipping on the TrXus MTs better. Looks like they would handle better than the BFG MTs in rain and light snow.

One of the guys in the club has a jeep in addition to his X: lift, locked front and rear, etc:
Jeep articulation
Jeep Rocks
Jeep Hill

And here's a guy that SASed his Xterra:

SASed Xterra
SASed X articulation

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/18/2005 12:22:01 AM · #15

I don't think there'd be anything as hard as those pics show. Lots of mud though i'm pretty sure of that.

I need some quick dicos for my front swaybar to get any articulation at all. Perhaps i should be looking on ebay for that along with camera stuff.

Ok, I ordered some quick discos from rocky mountain suspension. Never hear of 'em. I bet i have no probs getting them. Why does the camera industry have such problems in being honest and just doing business?

BTW, the parts, on ebay $49.95+$7 shipping. From Rocky Mtn, $45+$6.53. Same item, both new.

Message edited by author 2005-03-18 00:42:31.

lykofos

Canon EOS-40D

03/18/2005 12:46:33 AM · #16

You should be able to find some quick discos for pretty cheap.

The front of the X is IFS and the front swaybar is a bitch to get on/off but is necessary for on-road driving. Plus, removing it for offroad doesn't give that much more to make it worth it. I plan on removing the rear swaybar completely, but I'm gonna wait until I get the bilsteins.

So many mods...so little money. Photography and Off-roading...I need to find some cheaper activities to occupy myself with.

03/18/2005 12:57:20 AM · #17

I have plans to make discos for about nothing, but i don't trust my welding that much. $45 is cheap. I suspect too cheap, rust is my concern, but i can soak them in POR15 before installation if need be. one scratch on powder coating and the rust gets under it. yuk.

I have solid axle and leafs up front (out back too) and some filks just remove the swaybar ...i like to have it there. I had a link break on my last jeep - i could tell. Add to that a lift (which makes you more top heavy) and i think you need it more. It should give me lots more articulation. They make really cool shackles...let me go find the link...and these folks //www.teraflx.com/ make a hemi conversion kit for TJ wranglers...345hp!

here it is Revolver shackles $189 a pair.

Message edited by author 2005-03-18 00:57:59.

03/18/2005 08:09:39 AM · #18

Chris, you really don't need a swaybar with leafs...believe me. If you have a rear, keep it because you'll flop.

Mike, if you like the looks of the BFG M/T's but like the siping of the trxus (which is the most siped M/T available), look at the procomp M/T -- just like the bfg but siped. They're running a special till the end of this month at //www.ntwonline.com for buy 3 get 1 free on the procomps.

03/28/2005 06:02:30 PM · #19

Maple Syrup Festival anyone?
Saturday morning? There is more to shoot than the food and people.

03/29/2005 01:59:25 PM · #20

bump for the day crowd

03/29/2005 03:16:03 PM · #21

I still don't think I'm down with that.