Tonite, maybe mom will let me stay up late and help dad work on the buggy.
Cool, she lets me, knowing how excited I am about our first trip of the season.
Together my Dad and I work on putting on new pulleys to overdrive the blower some more, and rejetting the carbs on the Blown front-engined waterpumper. This was one of the fastest Cars at the hill, COMPETITION HILL! The next nite we go through the routine again trying to get the combination just right, this takes a couple of nights, but we do it.
In the coming nights I turn into the parts chaser, riding my bicycle to the corner auto parts store,King Tut Auto Supply, which I really dont mind because the owners daughters were hot! If Dad needed something big or special we would drive down to Tops Auto supply, they had everything, and knew about hi-performance engines.
We would also eat dinner in the garage, mom would make sandwiches, and bring them out, then we would have to wash our hands to eat, with GAS, remember those days?
We would clean filters on the bikes, and buggy, we had two ATC 90's one of which was bored out and was a real racer, souped up by a Powroll power kit! The other one was bone stock, and we also had a yamaha 100, that mean machine was mine. We would make sure everything was in good running order, by running up and down the street a few times.
The day of the trip has finally arrived! This would probably turn into a week long trip, because somehow every Sunday when it was time to pack up and drive home, the damn transmission would go out, or the flash floods would hit, or the wind was blowin over 100 mph, at least thats what Dad would end up telling his boss.
If mine and my Dads con game was really workin, my dad would tell my mom that I needed to stay home from school to get things ready to be loaded, and that he would be home early from work. This usually worked.
My Dad would get home from work around 2pm, and all the gear, and bikes would be sitting out by the trailer waiting be loaded, all the tie-downs would be laid out and untangled, gas cans would be sitting nearby, tool boxes by the curb, cooler next to camper door, and me sittin on the curb sippin a cactus cooler, my desert drink of choice.
Dad would crack open a Coors, and ask me if I was ready to load up and I'd tell him, I was, just waiting for him to get home to load. We would load up check all the trailer lights, and this was always an adventure, after not being used for four or five months, do the necessary repairs, and now we were ready to roll.
Dad would take a seat on the cooler, tell me to get Mom and Sis, and tell them we were ready, lets go.
Mom would close and ck up the house, and get my little sister, and get in the back of the Camper, a Caveman sleep over cab Chevy. Dad and I would get in the front and head down the street.
All my friends would be outside watching us leave, they knew where we were going because I had told them about it a million times. I could'nt wait to get on the road, to watch the people drive by and look at our off-road machines in awe, they woulstare in disbelief, and then drive up next to us and give us the big thumbs up, and holler at us"Where you Goin?" we would tell Glamis, and they would look confused ask "where the hell is that?" We would just laugh at 'em and keep driving, we new where paradise was! 218 miles away.
Onto the 91 frwy, and there was no stopping us now, Dad would looked a little stressed out, but knowing what I know now, he just wanted to be there, to hell with this long drive! We would be a little more t half way there, around Salton Sea, and dad would ask me to climb thru to the back and him a beer. The conversation would start to pick up around this time, because we were getting closer and we could feel the excitement growing. The conversation would end up on the topic of vehicle accidents while we were driving thru slaughter alley, and all the wash dips next to Salton Sea.
We had seen quite a few over the past few years.
When the conversatiotapered off, I would look ou the window the terrain zipping by, and start thinking about how I would maneuver my bike thru the turns, and bumps, and jumps, daydreaming about how I was Brad Lackey, or Roger Decoster
It seemed like an eternity, but we were now driving thru Thermal, and I was looking at all the farmland, and knew we were close, as we turned left onto 86, and headed out to the dunes my heart started pumping harder, and the adrenaline was really flowing, this always resulted in a piss break, just after the turn onto 78, in front of all the cows.
Glamis was upon us, we are lugging up the grade towards Comp. we cruise back down all the while I'm trying to pick out the line I'm gonna take on tomorrows ride. We pull onto the dirt road on the Nort Side of 78, and pull up to the old store in front of the old hand crank gas pumps. Honk and make a bunch of noise to let the store owmers Bill and Judy, know were there, and its time to re-open the bar, for some refreshements, and B.S. session before we pull into camp.
This is a typical story of what my thoughts and feelings were, being fortunate enough to enjoy Glamis and her Beauty at a young age. I still relive those thoughts each visit that I pay to this wonderful place, and at the same time wonder what is going through my boys minds, and if those thoughts and feelings are similar to mine.
Although a lot has changed in Glamis over the past 30 years plus, I really do believe that the excitement level is just the same for my boys, as it was for me.
I really do enjoy sharing these experiences with people that have no idea what Glamis is really about,or have never experienced her beauty.
I know this was an extremely long post, but felt the need to share with my Family (fellow duners).
