What? You were fortunate as a kid, if you had the chance to play with one of these labyrinth marble mazes. Hey, we did not have video games growing up and it’s better than cans on a string. The concept was simple, move the knobs on the side to roll the marble through the maze without falling into a hole. Sounds simple, but the challenge was real. Everything had to be done with thought and finesse. Crazy moves often ended with a pitfall. This is what Jeep life can be like. Getting crazy often ends with someone in a mud hole or stuck on an obstacle.

   Saturday’s ride was like that, we rolled around in the Citrus WMA following a maze of roads filled with holes and obstacles that could get you stuck. The ride was made to teach you how to respond in different problems that you might encounter on any given trail ride. Here are a few questions and results on this day’s trail experience.
What do you do if someone breaks a leg or suffers a deep cut? First Aid.
How can a spotter help you? Trust.
How well do you work as a team? Two heads are better than one.
What’s articulation? Jeeps are capable vehicles.
How do you change a tire? Beware the high-lift.
How do you plug a tire? Carry a repair kit.
When and how do you winch someone? Safety first.
What is a tow strap and how do you tow someone? Don’t just launch it.
How can stepping back and thinking outside the box help? Sometimes the solution is too easy to see.
What is tread lightly? Preserve the environment for future generations.
How much trash is out there? Take out more then you take in.

    So what was it like? We started off pretty early. 7:30 am check in at the Holder Mine campground. Some camped the night before and others drove up that morning. 5AM … Wakey, Wakey… Here we go. Teams were pre assigned and numbers given, each group had three Jeeps. Sealed envelopes were passed out with maps and way points. The concept was simple, go to each point and follow the instructions. Then take a photo of you completing the challenge. The way points were shuffled so that each team would be scattered about the forest. Follow maps, follow instructions, work as a team, and solve problems. Lunch was on a lower part of the forest and we had some instruction on plugging a tire with a live demo. So how many plugs does it take to plug a tire slice to get you off the trail? 27? That’s more than an average kit contains, so get some extras. (Emergency repairs are for getting you back to civilization, when in town you should always do a proper fix.) While driving about we all took the time to pick up any trash we saw. By the end of the day a trailer was filled with everything from a Bumper to a baby crib. We gathered for a time of sharing what was learned and prizes were given out. Need that Buba Rope… That was followed with a BBQ dinner with all the fixins. 
  
     There was a good amount of things to be learned from this type of an event, and you can take that knowledge and apply it next time you get into a situation. So if you ever get the opportunity to attend this type of event make sure you go. Overall we had a fun day with opportunities to stretch your Jeep skills and learn new stuff. The event was part of a monthly ride by the Orlando Jeep Club a local club that puts on events and trail rides multiple times each month. Find out more about them at Http://www.orlandojeepclub.com See you on the next trail.

​    SO you went out and bought a Baofeng radio, but what do you do now? Why get one? They function much like a CB, less expensive, and easy to use. It probably won’t replace the CB any time soon, but is a great alternative.  One of the key benefits is that a spotter can communicate with the driver directly.
Our Model: BF-F8HP there are cheep ones but like anything in life you get what you paid for. 

​Programming:
Remove radio from package and put antenna on. A better antenna will give you slightly better range.
Charge the radio.
Make sure you know the exact model number.
Down load Chirp.
https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home
Connect radio to PC or lap top with a proper USB connection.
Download channels from your Club page.
Open file with CHIRP
Under Radio File select Upload to radio.
That’s it.
Under settings you can change the name of channels, set a welcome message, and change radio name.
If you are having issues with uploading make sure name is right. If not known keep selecting names till it works.
Got Questions? Comment below.

    The Clear Springs Ranch is home to the Jeepin with Judd event each year. This is a yearly fund raiser that benefits the Polk County sheriffs’ charities. It is held on private property but the club had permission to be there for the day. The Orlando Jeep Club leads the trails each year. They travel around exploring good routs though the 19,000 acres finding the track that provides a good amount of Jeeping fun. 
    Today we had the chance to see what it looks like in late summer. It was hot but a beautiful day to ride around in the tall lush green grass. In some places the grass was so high that it was hard to see where Randy was standing. The drivers meeting was a 9AM with the waivers signed and inspections done, we headed out to see Pine Run. So just what are we doing out here today? First off, it’s the club’s August trail ride. One of the things that drew us to the Orlando Jeep Club was that they were about trail rides. No supper shinny glitz, just Jeeps ready to explore the Orlando area in a family friendly group. This day when they asked who would lead I raised my hand to lead a somewhat stock friendly ride. No crazy stuff, just some small hills, shallow water, and a tad bit of mud. 
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​    Pine run was overrun with tall weeds and fallen trees. I opted to take the ride backwards and not use the GPS. We had 2 new Gladiators for the ride and took that opportunity to test the departure angles. A few recoveries on hill tops and mud holes, but they did well. Street tires with no lift and a 30day tag. We had some fun and before we knew it we were out of the run and heading to Gator Run. No gators insight but the lakes was up pretty high so some of the trail was bypassed. We made a turn to a new area that ran down the edge of the river till we found Abigail’s tree. (See story on Ghost Hill from last February.) After a quick recap of the story we drove right under the ghost tree and headed down to the side of one of the many small ponds. The ruts were deep and the mud was soft. “Stay to the top or you will get stuck.” Some tried to make it through and had to be pulled out. My son got to do a recovery and pulled one up and out. This is another good reason to ride with a club. Getting stuck way out in the sticks with no help can be a bummer. Time to head back to camp for lunch so we took a quick ride down though a creek that caused a issue with one of the Jeeps. His battery died right after the crossing and would not jump start. We ended up towing him back to camp and Clay took him to a local auto parts place. The battery was completely dead. End of life for that, but an easy fix. The new battery was installed and lunch was finished so off we went.

​    
    We found Jeep Cave! Yes you heard right there is a cave in Citrus called Jeep cave. Citrus Wildlife Management Area is a large track of land that can be found just south of Inverness Florida. Take Interstate 77 to hwy 44 and head west. There are several campgrounds in the forest that are a good place to base your adventure. Most of the trail travel North and South or East and West forming what they call a grid. There different classes of trail from foot hiking trails, horse trails, and off road vehicles. Like Jeeps and trucks, no side by side, or dirt bikes. This is a favorite for Jeep clubs because of the miles of trails that provide multiple situations and challenges. The trails are peppered with water holes to challenge your skills. Some holes are deeper than you might think so travel with another Jeep.  Stay on named and numbered trails and DON’T go off the path to play in a sand pit or you might face a ticket. This applies even if you see areas that have plenty of tire prints. If we respect the area we will continue to be able to use it. If we trash it then Citrus will become like most other WMAs that don’t allow vehicles. NO TRASH! Keep it clean.
     After a 3 hour tour of the south side we had lunch at "Ants on Candy" a fun area on the West side of trail 14. This area has some pretty deep wash out but that’s about all that’s left of the area. If you need to go around you can, but if you want to do a proper Jeep wave then drive slow and stretch your springs. If it has just rained then the area will provide a very different challenge. You will find sand, water, mud, and caves.
   Jeep cave has a clam shell entrance and a small hole that leads you to a crevice that looks like Godzilla's eye looking down at you. It’s a short hike down into an area that look like a Jurassic Park movie set. The cave will be off to the right after a small hill area and it stands out pretty good. In the area there are some other small holes that don’t appear to go anywhere. Be sure to point you camera up to take a photo of Godzilla’s eye. There are also caves to be found in the south area too. Park you Jeep, grab a bottle of water and take a hike. Be prepared to get a bit dirty on some of the spots that you can crawl through and a flashlight is helpful. The caves are all small and most have holes that let light in. Some are a tight squeeze and might be too claustrophobic for you.

TIME TO TAKE YOUR JEEP OUT!
A beginner’s trail ride.
   You’re driving down the trail following your drone, and then it happens…
You start to talk to the camera about what you see and realize the GoPro is not there. Stop, land the drone, go back. Randy I left the GoPro back there on a pole to record the clouds. So we head back knowing no one has passed us on the trail and find the thing sitting just where I left it. Ok, we are good, now let’s get on with the ride.
A few Questions:
Did you just buy your jeep?
Are you visiting the Central Florida area in a Jeep?
Could you be a Jeep owner who has never been off road?
Are you looking for a Jeep ride that won’t leave you stranded?
    Then check out Tosohatchee WMA. This Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has an abundance of birds, gators, flowers, trails, creeks, fishing holes, and panoramic views. Bring your camera, because you are going to be treated to repeated opportunities to capture real Florida in its natural setting. A day pass is less than 10 bucks and you can easily spend a half day here just riding around. This is an easy ride, so if you are looking for a trip with more opportunities to challenge your skills try Citrus. At Tosohatchee  you will be able to navigate the roads in two wheel drive. Getting stuck would take some work, unless you drive off the road, or where you are not supposed to. Stay on the roads while visiting because it is a sensitive environment. WMAs do have fees and you can check the link below to find out how to get an annual day use pass.
      During hunting season you need to be aware the hunters may have been sitting in an area for some time. Don’t go wandering off trail on foot too far you could get turned around. Always clean up after yourself and stay on the roads. Remember this is a maintained area with gravel a roadway that can be traversed by most vehicles. Always avoid puddles when you can so you don’t displace the dirt. If you can stop in the Ranger station, they will help you out and you can  and ask some questions. There are also some Geocaching spots to provide a cool treasure hunt aspect to your adventure. Pack a lunch and enjoy natural Florida. Till the next ride, get out and enjoy your Jeep, you will be glad you did.

​Jeep upgrades and equipment: 
https://www.1995wrangler.com/parts.html

WMA Permit:
Http://www.GoOutdoorsFlorida.com

TWO MINUTE TUESDAY: FIRST OFF... If you have never taken your doors off there is a nut holding the hinge pin on. Remove that before you spend 30 minutes pulling up on the door. It's a JEEP! Take your doors off. It's hot, it's dusty, it will get muddy.... I have had multiple Jeeps and let me tell you, it a great feeling when you are out there wheeling and the top is down and the doors are off. You are right there in the elements. Try it you will love it. It's better then cutting your Jeep in half.... for a girl. 1- Unfasten door wire under the dash. There is a small clip that has to slide out first. 2- Roll down the window and push your mirror in. 3- Wiggle and pull up on door. Wiggle the door.... 4- Once remove store in a safe place. 5- Put side mirrors on or use a round mirror disk on the AC vent. In Florida you are required to have side mirrors when on the road. I like the side mirrors and used them at Judd this year. They do good.
See amazon Link below:
​https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073ZBTSBV/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=floridajeepri-20&linkId=e8f395036bd8ae28af6210a49adbc400&language=en_US

Florida Jeep rides not responsible for mud, sticks or gators getting in doorless Jeeps.