I got the following from Crystal Crowder of Pistons Wild Motorsports Club. kind of long.. but worth it to see what volunteer effort is worth for the cause. Help anywhere you can because it does help our cause in the end.. here is the letter..
" Dear Piston’s Wild Club Members & Guests:
For those of you who missed the fun – here are some pics from the November 23rd stolen vehicle recovery in the Yacolt Burn.
Here’s the story:
One 1992 Jeep Cherokee with throttle wired wide open and shot off a cliff in the Yacolt Burn forest -- courtesy of local thugs.
4 Club Members (Dave Huttula, Bill Manbeck, Darel & Crystal Crowder)
1 Law Enforcement Officer (Steve Rhodes)
4 Spectators (owners of uninsured stolen vehicle)
2 Winches
250+ feet of cable
6 tow straps
10 clevis’
4 snatch blocks
35 degrees Fahrenheit (high temp for the day)
45 degree hill surface
9 (nine) hours recovery time
1 little Jeep that could
Picture # 4671 – my view from the cheap seats (in the Jeep) just inches from the edge -- PRICELESS!
We missed you all very much– NO REALLY – we missed you more than you will ever know…
FOLLOWING the recovery
1 dead battery (in the Jeep)
8 screaming quads (not ATV’s)
4 aching backs
2 thrashed winch cables
and a piece of crap Cherokee still in my front yard
ta ta ta
The reason we do this crazy shit:
- We donated 48 hours to the Department of Natural Resource which comes out to approximately $750 in matching grant value
- We saved the DNR approximately $500 (what they would have been charged by the tow truck company to remove it from the forest)
- The owner donated the vehicle to our club (scrap may only be $50 – but it’s the thought that counts)
- For a net benefit of over $2000 that can go towards building trails in the Yacolt Burn Forest Area – now that’s what’s PRICELESS…
If this sounds like fun to you – stay tuned…
Steve has shared with me that there are approximately 5-7 vehicles being abandoned in the forest EVERY WEEK. DNR is currently out of funds to recover these vehicles and is not expecting much funding for the 2009 budget – only the abandoned cars with full coverage insurance will be removed by a tow company. The rest will be left until some good stewards of the land step up to clean them out of the forest.
Happy Holidays!
Crystal Crowder
Club President
Piston’s Wild Motorsports