Silver Lake Sand Dunes

[TheChknhwk]

Anyone going to Silver Lake this weekend or want to go? My buddies are all punks & would rather go to birthday parties or organize their closets or spank their monkies. Anyways, to make a short story long, anyone want to ride w/me & do some partying & skirt chasing this weekend???

Hawk

[TheChknhwk]

Now no one is going to see it; I was just thinking that someone was going to hose me on this while I was out cutting the grass. No one browses this forum; guess I won't bother checking on this.

Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

Go check out the dunes section of ATVConnection.com forum. There is a few guys going to Silver Lake this weekend. We are heading down to Wayne National Forest this weekend. We are planning a silver lake trip on Sept 21 & 22. You are welcome to join us. We are camping at the state park. Almost all 400ex's in the group.

[TheChknhwk]

What kind of Camping accomodations are there at WNF?

Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

The camping accomodations vary at Wayne National Forest. You can park and camp anywhere in the forest, including the parking areas, for free. However, there is no water or electric, ie true primative camping. There are two private campgrounds in the Wayne National Forest (the national forest has private property mixed in it). We stay at one called Camp Ohio. We are able to ride from the campground to the trailhead. It is not a five star campground, but has electric, flush toliets, and showers. Most of the people that stay there are riders and the owner is a rider also. Always a good time and never have to worry about getting things stolen. Camp Ohio charges $9 per person per night. The other campground is very similar. There is also a state park about 20 minutes away that is a little nicer. However, you have to trailer your quad to the parking area to ride. I would rather leave out of the campground. We are leaving tomorrow morning to meet up with a group at Camp Ohio. We usually ride all day Sat. and have a nice cookout and follow it up with some fire side chat and a few frosty beverage. Let me know if you ever want to venture down.

[TheChknhwk]

I am debating going down, but it is like a 6hr drive - BLAH! Have to talk the old man into it - they get so prudish after 40, lol. He thought we were going to Silver lake though. Is it dusty down there this time of year? I know we have got a bunch of rain here the last couple of days & according to weather.com it will be raining about everywhere in MI tomorrow.

Do you have a number for Camp Ohio in case I need to make a reservation?

thanks ~ Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

The trails at Wayne should not be very dusty. They have been getting some rain this week. Wayne is in the hills of southern ohio. The trails that are on the ridge tops and in the open tend to dry out pretty fast and get a little dusty, but the trails in the woods stay pretty tacky. Camp Ohio's phone number 740-753-2303. However, they don't take reservations. It is first come, first serve. But don't worry about getting a spot. The campground is very informal. You just find a spot to park and that is cool. If you come down, look us up in the campground and we will find you a spot. You are welcome to ride with us. We usually brake up into a fast group and a slow group. Let me know if you are coming and we will look for you. I am going down tommorow morning, but there will be some there tonight. We usually take off riding around 10:00 am on Saturday. It is worth the 6 hour drive. Takes me around 4 hours to get there and is worth every mile. Not sure if you need directions. I will give you directions to Camp Ohio from Columbus. Let me know if you need directions to Columbus.

Take 270 around Columbus and exit at State Route 33 East. Take SR 33 east through Lancaster (pain in the @ss to get through) and continue past Logan. Just past Logan, exit SR 33 at SR 595. Take SR 595 north (left turn) about 4.5 miles. Careful, this road is real curvy. You will see at sign for Camp Ohio and you will want to take a left at Gore-Greendale road. Go about a mile on Gore Greendale and the campground is on the left. I have a dark blue and gray dodge dakota quad cab pulling a white v nose trailer. Other exriders in the group:

Jennys400ex - They will be driving a 2002 Chevy HD Silverado with about 4 ex's and camping in tents. They should be there tonight about 8 pm

Buckeye400ex - He drives a bronze colored Ford F-250 superduty quad cab pulling a 30 foot wilderness trailer. He has a 400ex and a Praire 650.

If you go tonight, as for the ATV time group or ask for Jenny or Buckeye. They will be parked in the center of the campground. You will understand that when you get there.

Jim
(AKA MagnumMudMan in other forums)

[TheChknhwk]

Thanks for all the insight to the area, I'm going to try to talk him into it. If we come we'll be in a black Avalanche w/2 400ex's & a Polaris Trail blazer pulling a 16' open trailer, or if the ol man is whiny I may drive my Peuter Cherokee Classic.

It sounds good to get out exploring some new county & I went to south ohio to buy my dog I know there are some good hills out there. There is not too much climbing around here.

thanks ~ Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

Hope to see you there. You will not be disappointed if you come. Try to get there before 9:30 am if you come tomorrow so we can get you hooked up on trail permits. They are $5 per day and we can get them right near the campground. We are going to be eating good on Saturday night. I am smoking up some ribs, and cooking corn and beans. Others are making walleye and some other good food. There is always plenty of good food. It is kind of an informal potluck. Just bring some food and enjoy. We will probably go on a night ride on Saturday. If you have never been on a night ride, you will have to go. Talk about an adrenaline rush.

[TheChknhwk]

Cool, thanks for the info & hospitality. I was wondering about permits. We have to have ORV stickers here that are 16.25, but they last all year.

Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

These permits are for Wayne forest only. They are $5 per day, $12 for 3 days, or $25 annual. They use the money for trail maintenance. The trails are in good shape this year. For the most part, they are doing a good job of maintaining the trails this year, unlike last year. I will let Jenny and Buckeye know to watch for you. Are you trying to come tonight or tomorrow morning?

[TheChknhwk]

I really do not know if we are going yet or not, I am at work until 4pm & my dad works 3rd shift so he's sleeping right now. But we would definately be leaving tonight if we are coming.

Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

Hope you can make it. Wayne is a cool place. I let some of them know you may be coming tonight. I will be there tomorrow morning.

[buckeye400ex]

Hawk, come on down, it's always a good time when we get this bunch together. My quads will be side loaded (both of them) on the bed of my truck, so if you see me pulling in, come over and say hello!

Hope to see ya down there!

[TheChknhwk]

Well we probably will not be there... I will be checkin around the campground if we happen to show up.

thanks for all the info tho, old men are just hard to convince....

Hawk

[RytM1]

Hawk, wish I could make SL this weekend, but I have to work. I'm planning on heading up there next friday though. Probably gonna stay at Silver Citty II campground.

[TheChknhwk]

The dunes were wicked, there was about a 15-30 mile an hour wind out there this weekend & there were huge lips everywhere. There was big air everywhere. I'm talking 10ft ledges onto a tabletop landing. I was hitting them in 4th WOT & getting some pretty big air (for me). Oh well we had fun anyways....

Hawk

[400ex Magnum]

Hawk

Glad you had fun at Silver lake. We had an awesome weekend at Wayne. Sorry you couldn't make it. Maybe next year. There is about 10 of us in our group that is going to be heading to Silver Lake on Sept 21 & 22. We will be camping at the State park. Hope you can join us.

[MeatHead]

Hawk, we were out there on Friday. It was great. I'm still a bit shy of getting big air, so I only caught about 5 feet of air max all day, but it was fun anyway. I only live an hour and a half from there, and now that I am reading this forum, just post when you are going again and we can hook up. We are planning on being at the Badlands on Labor Day weekend. I was there once, but I didn't have my own quad at the time, so I was sitting most of the time. Now I have a 300EX, so I am looking forward to having fun.

RytM1 - If you are going to be at SL this Friday, just let me know, I can take a half day at work and be there by 1:00.

[RytM1]

If things go as expected, we are gonna head up there by 8 am, and should be there by 12 or 1 pm. I'll be driving a grey Ford Exploder with the license plate of "RYTM1". I will probably have a blue canopy set up too.

[MeatHead]

That sounds good. Weather permitting I'll be there around 1:00. I will be driving a '98 Ranger, white, ex-cab. And I will be on a '00 300EX. I'll look for the Explorer and blue canopy.

[TheChknhwk]

What dates are you guys talking about going now? I'm soo confused:confused:

[RytM1]

Hawk, I'm heading up there this Friday, for the weekend.

Meathead, I'll keep my eyes open for ya.

[RytM1]

Ok, a slight change in plans. I won't be able to head up there until at least noon, so I won't get there until at least 4. (My friends job decided not to let him have the whole day off). We are going to take our chances with the weather, and hope for the best.

[MeatHead]

Well, its suppose to be raining tomorrow for a few hours in the evening. It is suppose to start sometime around 3:00PM and rain until around 6:00PM. But what does the weather man know. I'll look for you around 4:00PM then. I am still planning on getting there around 1:00. Hope to be able to find you there.

[RytM1]

Meathead, sorry I missed ya. Between the rain F'n up traffic, and a jack-knifed semi blocking 3 of 4 lanes on the highwaay, I din't get up there until about 6. We got our vouchers for Saturday right away, and rode until about 8. I saw two Rangers up there, but didn't see anyone around them, and my buddies didn't wasnt to sit around waiting. We got lucky with the weather once we got there, it rained a little bit on us Friday, but was pretty nice all day Saturday, and then we rode for a few hours today before heading home. Man, the sand was nice this weekend, tons of jumps. I have never seen so many people carted off in ambulances from there either. Two Saturday, and one today. Also saw a Bronco on his roof, on the last hill by the exit road. The thing was upside down, and had the roof caved in. I have no idea what happend to the people in it. One of these days we will have to get a site ride together out there.

[MeatHead]

I ended up not making up there on Saturday. I tore into my front end instead. I was up there until 7:00 on Friday. I firgured you guys probably got delayed, and that you were just going to ride on Saturday. It was still fairly wet on Friday, so the sand was pretty firm. My 300 was hooking up great. I can verify the fact that the dunes change from week to week. The only thing that was the same was the BIG dunes. I ended up riding with some guys on motorcycles, they were not hitting big air so I kept up with them just fine. I saw one guy on a Yamaha YZ250 go nose first off one of the drop offs, he wasn't expecting it and it wasn't pretty. He ended up not getting hurt too bad, but it could have been serious. He has a cut just under his eye, it looked like a broken nose, and other injuries in his mouth. He was spitting up blood. Then when the guys he rode with came back, they just made fun of him and roosted all over him instead of making sure he was alright. I thought what @$$holes. Oh well, maybe next time we can hook up. Next weekend I will be at Haspin Acres in Indiana.