New thread on Matt's Presentation

[JeepKat]

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

After viewing what Blaine sent me, all I can say is wow. We have a friend in Australia that sent Blaine a work of art on his suggested way presenting our story. Blaine will post a link to it soon and you'll see that it can be the basis for probably 75% of the album. It's awesome.

It's a PDF file. I think that it is awesome!

http://www.justaddrocks.com/Our%20JV...as%204-6-8.pdf

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by JeepKat

It's a PDF file. I think that it is awesome!

http://www.justaddrocks.com/Our%20JV_Matts%20ideas%204-6-8.pdf

Hot damn, this is incredible work. Matt my hat's off to you, very professional, yet it touches you when you read the quotes. I bet that anyone reading it would want to get in their vehicle and take a trip out there.

[Joe Dillard]

All I can think of is WOW! Fantastic work.

I'm in Oxnard right now but will be traveling back & forth to San Diego/El Cajon several times over the next 8-9 weekends and should be home by ~2:00PM each Friday. If it needs to be hand delivered to the Congressmans office, I'd be honored to do that. I live pretty close to his office. If other arraingements have already been made, I understand.

Again, WOW!

[mrblaine]

Alright, we need some feedback here.

I suggest we run with Matt's work with a few additional things. I'd like to see the last page have a few more comments from us with no pictures in the same theme. As in "What JV has meant to me".

Post them up, put your name to them and we'll try to get a summary going on the last page.

I'd like to add a Pic from David and Lynn with a few words from them.

I'd like something from Lawrence and family.

I'd like something from Matt Pascoe with his family in it and a few words.

I'd like to sort of stress that it's neither or the people that show up, but the combination of both that produces the warm friendships and great experience that is JV.

Feel free to add to or shoot down my ideas. We need to get this completed.

[mrblaine]

Here's my addition to the last page.

I find no greater pleasure than the time spent in Johnson Valley with the great folks who have shown up over the years to challenge themselves on the trails out there. At the end of a wonderful day on trails, the comraderie around the campfires forges relationships of great and lasting value.

I've participated in many other hobbies and lifestyles ranging from competitive shotgun sports to many days spent saltwater fishing. By and large, the friendships made while out in Johnson Valley are more enjoyable, real, and enduring.

I am humbled and proud when I look around at the faces that have entered my life from our experiences out there and count myself truly blessed to call them friend.

Blaine

[Joe Dillard]

My typical day in Johnson Valley OHV begins with a friendly toot from somebody’s horn reminding us that we need to drag our tails out of our tents, campers, RVs. We do the finishing touches to best prepare ourselves, and our rigs for what will surely be a demanding fun filled day with friends & family.

What motivates us to do these crazy things? The camaraderie, the amazing teamwork, the joys of being with friends and family as we test our skills and our vehicles beyond what most would think prudent. I can't imagine it being any other way.

Joe

[Kiwi]

Awesome job Matt.

Here's something from Lynne and me.

---------

Johnson Valley is 1700 miles from our home in Iowa, yet each year we eagerly look forward to spending another week out there with friends.

It?s hard to describe to anyone who has not been there, the amazing sense of joy in sharing a week with such a diverse group of friends who all personally feel the frustrations and thrills of each other?s accomplishments as they meet and overcome the challenges of the trails.

It is always with mixed emotions as we pull out of camp each year, the memory of another amazing week, but the also with the realization that it will be another year before we come back to this unique and wonderful place that is Johnson Valley.

David & Lynne Sturzaker
Johnston, Iowa

[Jerry Bransford]

My 17 year old son Allen and I will always have our wonderful times together in Johnson Valley OHV to remember as he moves forward in life to begin his family.

The cold nights sharing a cramped tent, getting up and preparing for the day ahead, and then our first looks up the spectacular canyon we'll be sharing the challenges of getting our 4x4 Jeep through that day. These are among the many memories we have of Johnson Valley OHV that are precious and will never be forgotten by either of us.

Johnson Valley's pristine beauty, ruggedness, and isolation has allowed us time to talk and just enjoy being with each other without the distractions of home. Our shared taking on of its challenges, overcoming its obstacles, and learning to get up and go again after minor setbacks have all helped my son to learn much about how to succeed in life without the need for the usual father-son lecture.

The sheer excitement and exhilaration of overcoming the more difficult challenges are emotions we have shared together. My son has vividly learned first-hand through that excitement and exhilaration that you don't need drugs or alcohol to enjoy life. Our group of friends we enjoy going to Johnson Valley OHV with are not drinkers, so he also learned you don't need a 12-pack to have fun... what better lessons in life can a young man experience than he can learn with his dad in Johnson Valley OHV?

Johnson Valley OHV is such a unique national treasure. It may only look like barren windswept desert nothingness to many people but it's not to those of us who love it. Families will keep coming back, my son and I are certainly looking forward to our next trip there. Hopefully my son will be able to come back to Johnson Valley OHV with his son.

Jerry & Allen Bransford

[Paradiddle]

BEAUTIFUL JOB MATT! Sleeping in that little tent and walking around JV in winter in pair of shorts did not freeze your creative brain!

Me and my son Conner will post up our comments tonight - I'll also email you a picture.

[Tumbleweed]

I have been fortunate over the last 30 years to be able to wheel in 17 states, and 4 other countries. Johnson Valley OHV areas have rock trails that are unsurpassed anywhere I have been. The trails offer a unique beauty and unmatched difficulty.
I have made the 2000 mile round trip to Johnson Valley twice now, and I hope I can make it again soon.
The friendships I have made at Johnson Valley are solid and everlasting. Many of the trails I have visited are long forgotten, or just a wisp of memory; but, I can recall day by day my times in Johnson Valley.

Don Burton, 54y/o; Boise, Idaho

[Kiwi]

I'm not sure if you wanted me to post any pictures here or you were going to grab them from the many that have been posted, but here are a couple just in case:






Or there are some in this post that also have Lynne standing around with a camera (actually Ron is in the first one)

http://www.jeepbbs.net/forums/showpo...03&postcount=2

[Matt Pascoe]

Ive never been known as an eloquent writer - So who ever is doing the editing, free free to re-hash this


Born and raised in San Diego, I have been enjoying California?s deserts since I was a young boy with my dad. The lessons taught to me about respect for nature and self-reliance have certainly had a positive influence on my life.

I thought I knew California?s deserts, then I was introduced to Johnson Valley OHV. Not only is it one of the very few OPEN OHV areas in California , it contains the Hammers. If a person has any interest in rock crawling, they know that the Hammers are the holy grail of trails.

Every chance I get I pack up my family and test my skills and equipment against the best that California?s deserts have to offer.


Matt, Michele, Connor & Riley Pascoe
Escondido, CA

Thanksgiving 2007 (I'm working on getting the high res copy of this)

[Lawrence]

At first glance, Johnson Valley OHV may look like just another Hi-Desert OHV, but once you hit the trails, you realize how special it is. On my first outing, riding shotgun with Blaine, I asked him where the trail was, he smiled and said right in front of us. I just smiled back and made sure my seat belt was tight. What a treat.

But what makes this area so special is something most people wouldn’t expect. It is not about bragging rights for conquering an obstacle when others take a bypass, but rather the responsibility each person takes on for getting their friends through unscathed, and the faith the driver has in his spotter. It takes complete trust and special friends.

Every year, we all drive out there, some a couple days more than others, and each time it seems it was only yesterday that we were around the campfire enjoying each other’s company. I can’t think of a better place and better people to share some memorable moments with.

Laurent, Mitzi, and Aurelie Migault, La Crescenta, CA

http://www.pronografics.com/pictures.../DSC_6462.html

[speaceman]

Where else can you wake up with the sun, challenge yourself individually and work with others to get over a particularly hard trail and then wrap it up with the camaraderie of sitting around a campfire with a group of good friends?

I have made some really great friends as a direct result of making trips out to Johnson Valley and I consider myself lucky every time I am out there with them.

Shalom Babay
Los Angeles, California

[Jerry Bransford]

Matt asked me to pare my above thoughts down... take two:

Cold nights sharing a cramped tent in Johnson Valley OHV with my son, getting up and preparing for the day ahead, first looks up the spectacular canyon we'll be sharing the challenges of getting our Jeep through that day... precious memories of healthy outdoor times shared by a father and son.

We will always have our memories of great times being together in Johnson Valley OHV.

Jerry & Allen Bransford
Escondido, California

[Paradiddle]

My Johnson Valley experience was the most fun I?ve ever had. We use the Hammers for Jeeping and it is just flat out awesome. There are also cool animals that I saw like armadillos and coyotes. The place is totally laid back also you can drive anywhere it?s a blast. Johnson Valley is the coolest and funnest place ever!! Please let us keep this wonderful place. Conner Cassens ? age 13 ? Mission Viejo, California

To me, Johnson Valley offers an extremely rare experience. It is at the same time focused and relaxed, taxing and fun, and technical beyond words. I enjoy the true art of attempting to precisely pilot my Jeep over the rocks without backing up, or getting stuck, or taking a winch line ? rarely am I successful but the feeling of accomplishing a trail is second to none. Once back at camp the beautiful desert nights are full of great food, great conversation, and the best of friends. The bonds I?ve formed with those that share the hobby of extreme rock crawling are strong and fruitful. I?ve traveled to nearly 45 states in our beautiful country and never have I found a place that offers what Johnson Valley offers. Jeff Cassens ? age 40 ? Mission Viejo, California

I'll add a picture tomorrow.

Jeff - Conner

[Jeff Weston]

Somewhat tongue in cheek yet true at the same time ...

The money I've spent at California businesses, both in preparation and repairs for and as a result of 'running' the trails at Johnson Valley, dwarfs the forthcoming 'economic stimulus' package to be received from the federal government. In the interest of our nation's economy, it is imperative that the Johnson Valley OHV remain open and unchanged.

p.s. Cassens, 40?

[Tumbleweed]

Matt: You can add to my quote if you like.
I am a veteran of Viet Nam and Desert Storm, with over 17 years of military service.

[Matt N]

Yep, good stuff Don, it's added.

[Jerry Bransford]

By the way, I believe the album Matt is so kindly helping us with still needs to have a separate section in the rear with more photographs and their locations, as was originally requested when I was speaking with Congressman Hunter and his aides. The album format is great but they wanted some specific trail shots and their specific locations on a map, not just a nice sales pitch on why we want to keep JVOHV. His aide (Mike) wanted me to email some of those to him.

[Matt N]

Jerry, we could add some of that stuff in, but Sarah, Brian and others are still busily working away on the original book as well. That project has not been abandoned. This presentation will be a nice supplement to it. Maybe a few of you need to get together and consolidate your thoughts, let me know what you decide.

[TObject]

All the deadlines for contributions to the original book are past. The original book is finished; it is going to printers today, I believe, if not already gone.

Please concentrate on this effort now.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by TObject

All the deadlines for contributions to the original book are past. The original book is finished; it is going to printers today, I believe, if not already gone.

Please concentrate on this effort now.

Where is that info at?

[Kiwi]

If any of these woman quotes are of use, feel free to use them, I won't be offended if you choose not to.

Our homeland of New Zealand is a special and beautiful place, but nothing there compares to what we experience each time we visit JV.

It just takes your breath away with how blue and clear the sky can look, the colors as the shadows settle around the hills late in the day, and so many stars at night.

Sitting around the campfire catching up with "old" friends and making new ones makes JV special

Lynne Sturzaker 51, Iowa

This is about the only mug shot I have out there, and it's only because Blaine made me have it taken

[TObject]

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Where is that info at?

I am done with my participation in the creation the original book. Brian and Sarah did a fantastic job in my opinion, and I am happy with whatever little I could contribute.

I am now working on the new book, this one. My quote is pending. I am also working on contacting somebody whose quote maybe important. And I contacted a local print shop, and waiting on what they can recommend about full-bleed printing.

[Joe Dillard]

As per the request from the other thread:

Joe Dillard, age 48, San Diego, CA. Chief Petty Officer, United States Navy, retired.

Feel free to call me Chief.