On Sunday August 8th, 1999, several members of Alpha Sigma Phi - Alpha Rho Chapter - including Alumni, Undergraduates, Friends, and Family - got together at Wharton State Forest in the Pine Barrens in Southern NJ for the 1st Alpha Sig Off-Road Adventure.  There were 18 people in 7 trucks and one dirt bike frolicking in the mud. Click the Crest to the left to return to the Alpha Rho Alumni Website or click here

Here is the short story.......

We met at the Getty Gas station just outside the park at 11:00 in a pouring rain.  We had 18 people in 5 Jeeps (a CJ, 3 Wranglers, and a Cherokee),  2 Chevy's (an S-10 pickup and a full size Blazer) and a Dirt Bike.   At 11:30, we loaded up and got on our way.

The plan was for us to start out at Atsion and work our way over to Speedwell. We would follow the West Branch Wading River down to Maxwell and then over to Batso.  From Batso, we would head back up to Atsion.

About 20 minutes in, we hit our 1st mud hole and had our 1st and 2nd stuck trucks.  There was no way around this obstacle and a few people ate mud.  There were a few problems with one of the trucks that delayed the group, but while we waited Brian Theiss entertained the troops by running thru another large mud/water hole.

The next few trails ranged from narrow and sandy with 'whoop-dee-doo' bumps (very entertaining) to wide and hard with a man made grove pattern that just caused the trucks to vibrate at all speeds

After we arrived in Speedwell, we had to figure out our next move.  As we did this, some of the drivers and passengers made friends with a Golden Retriever.  We couldn't take a trail that took us along the West Branch Wading River but found another one that was narrow, wavy, and sandy - but uneventful.

At about 2:45, we came up to a bridge and a stream.  Everyone was hungry, so we had lunch.  A few people cleaned up in the stream. After lunch, we headed back the way we came and ended up back at some Ruins that we had stopped at earlier.  Several of the guys were confused, so we had another meeting to figure out where to go next.  While this meeting went on, several people in the group checked out the Ruins and Jim worked on a clanking noise coming from the Cherokee.

We made our way back to the lunch spot and back onto some fun trails.  Rob made a left onto a really narrow path.  This one was notable for a quick uphill right - left combo that was littered with tree roots.  Very fun but unfortunately, this path was a dead end.

Back out on the main path, we came up to the deepest water hole of the day.   It was at least 2 feet deep at it's low point.  Fortunately, there was a large dry road to the right, so we didn't have to go thru it.  After much consideration, most of us decided to go around.  There were, of course, a couple of exceptions.   This was a great photo op, so everyone set up.  First was Big Red driven by Brian T's friend Christina.  It headed in nicely, slowed quickly in the deep water, and then clawed it's way out.  Next was the Beast.  It was after seeing the Blazer go thru this hole, I came up with that nickname.  It went right up the middle and just pwered it's way thru with no problem.

For the next 15 minutes, the paths were O.K., not overly challenging, but not a super bumpy or smooth.  We made our way thru Harrisville or Maxwell (I'm not really sure which) at this point and headed up a long road back towards Atsion. 

On this path, we came up to a clearing on our left with a lot of interesting features.  There was a large sand pit with deep, loose sand and a couple of steep, ragged paths into and out of the sand pit.  Rob was the first to try the ragged paths.  The S-10 made it look easy.  The next to try was Fletch (See the photo above).  He hit a deep groove going in causing his left rear tire to lift about 8" off the ground.  Rob O. gave him a few pointers and he made it in.  Getting out was another story..... He tried to make it up the other side, but the street tires on the Jeep just wouldn't grab.  He backed up into the deep sand in the pit and had trouble going forward.  Again with Rob's help, the Wrangler slowly clawed its way out.  The Beast went next.  He just rolled down the 1st part of this challenge as if it were a regular road.  Plowed thru the sand and shot up the other side.   To everyone's surprise, the Beast actually did not make it up the other side.   And in the process of trying, dug 2 foot deep holes where the back tires spun.   He backed it up and powered its way up and over the other side.  A most impressive display.  Next was Jim in the Cherokee.  His line in was good and it went in smooth.  Jim had the same problem at the bottom that Fletch did.  Too much sand, not enough tire.  But he managed to make it out using the same line that Fletch used.  As we made these runs, several other vehicles pulled up to watch in amazement what these guys were doing.  None of them tried tried it and no one else in our group was willing to go there either, so we went on our way.

The rest of the way was uneventfull as we headed back to Atsion.  Just before we got there, we pulled over and Rob O. asked if anyone wanted to do another trail that was about 5 miles long and just down Route 206 so off we went (minus the Griglacks who decided to head home in the daylight).  This was a very fun path with lots of deep sand and whoop-dee-doo's.

We came up on area with a sand pit to one side and a mud bog / water hole on the other.  After scouting it out, Rob O. figured 'what the heck' and made his way thru.  Again, the S-10 made it look easy so I figured 'what the heck' also.   Everyone else also said 'what the heck' and went thru this pit without any problems but you could see it getting harder as each pass made the ruts in the mud deeper.

As we headed a little farther in, we came upon a monstrous mud/water hole.   There was no way around this one and it was about 2 - 3 feet deep at its deepest.   There were also a few large branches (logs?) sticking out.  Everyone agreed this did not look good and we turned around and headed back.

There was one more mud hole on the way back that most of the trucks went thru and none had any problems.  We pulled over at a field near the exit to 206 and I got the info for the players list and took the group photo.

That's it.  Most of the trucks headed back to the gas station to gas up while others headed home.  All had some really good memories.  Next time we do this, everyone who has a 4x4 and didn't go, should make an effort to try it and get thier man cards back.