Alaska 4 Wheel Drive Meet and Greet

Group shot of the camping area in 2003.

Click here to download the Meet and Greet Registration Packet (PDF 84.1KB)

Click here to download Meet and Greet Tri-fold (PDF 196KB)

If you cannot print a copy of the Registration Packet, please contact Dan Lance at dansvan@mtaonline.net or (907) 351-5790.

Date:

June 10, 11 and 12, 2005

Location:

Alaska State Fairgrounds in the Palmer, AK.

Purpose:

Bring together the 4x4 community to share technical knowledge, promote the safety of our sport, and make current land use issues known to everyone.  Planning of volunteer opportunities possible.

Introduction:

All are invited to attend the 4th Annual Alaska Meet and Greet! This will be a family oriented event with a focus on bringing the state’s large off highway vehicle community together. Come meet new friends and get re-acquainted with old ones.  Last year's location worked out well so the event will be held at the Alaska State Fairgrounds again which is at 2075 Glenn Highway in the city of Palmer. There will be lots of room with spectacular mountain views all around, close to downtown Palmer and close to multiple trail heads.

This is a 2 day event, with activities planned for Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday there will be equipment demonstrations, seminars, and trail runs on Sunday.

So come on out! Bring the family, and experience some good old fashioned Alaskan hospitality!

Itinerary:

Saturday will be full of activities both educational and fun.  The schedule is subject to change and some items maybe deleted prior to the event, but the following is a tentative outline for Saturday.

Demonstration/Activities:  RTI Ramp where all participants can get their score, Trail Preparedness, Hand Signals/ Spotting while on a trail, and Winching.

Seminars: GPS, Hi-Lift use, and First Aid

This year we are hoping to expand the seminars and activities offered to include more members of the families and provide information on more general outdoor interest such as trail cooking, photography, and scrap booking.

Saturday night will have another great potluck dinner like last year, with a raffle drawing after dinner, and conclude with a bonfire.

Special Guest:

This year we will be having a couple special guests from the Lower 48 speak on Saturday, Del Albright and Diane Olson.

Del Albright
Ambassador for the BlueRibbon Coalition, State Environmental Affairs Coordinator for California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, and Trail Boss for the Friends of the Rubicon.  These are Del's most notable positions, he has numerous jobs and affiliations with off highway vehicle organizations.  He is perhaps one of the most influential people to the sport of the century.  To learn more about Del visit his webpage at www.delalbright.com.

Diane Olson
We will also have Diane Olson from Tread Lightly!, she is in charge of their Master Tread Trainer Course Program.  In fact she is teaching a course on Friday June 10th in Anchorage and you can sign up for the course here http://www.treadlightly.org/trainer.mv?action=listcourses&coursetype=master&auth=

Items in the Raffle:

Below is a list of items to given away at Saturday night's raffle.  The list is continually being added to, so there will be even more stuff given away than is seen here.

Costs and Pre-registration:

The cost to attend will be $10 per adult and $5 per child with your pre-registration.  It will be $15 per adult and $5 per child at the gate.  

Pre-registration will continue through May 28.

Meals:

Saturday's lunch will be provided and dinner will be potluck style.  (The main courses for the potluck dinner will be provided, however we do need you folks to help by bringing a side dish, dessert, a family specialty, anything that you think might make it more memorable.)

On Sunday a trail breakfast will be provide before the staggered trail runs head out.  You will need to pack food for the trail run, and any snacks or meals not provided as noted above.

Camping and what to bring:

There will be lots of places to camp on-site.  This year there will be plenty of room for motorhomes.  There are no hook-ups however.  Here is a list of suggested items to bring with you.  A tent or something to sleep in.  A ground cloth for the tent.  Sleeping bags and pads.  Appropriate clothing for Alaska's unpredictable weather.  Mosquito repellant.  Lawn/camp chairs.  Baby wipes for the kids, however there is running water on the premises.  Food and water.  A cook stove for any food you wish to prepare as there can be NO open pit fires.  (Alaska Extreme Fourwheelers, Inc.'s grill will be available for use by all.)  Any photos or picture albums of your wheeling experiences.  Don't forget a camera!  Things for the kids to do.  A properly prepared 4x4 if you wish to participate in the runs on Sunday.  Please keep valuable personal items at home.  We don't need anything to come up missing.

Required Vehicle Checklist:

Group shot from 2002.

Here is a list of items required to attend one of the club sponsored trail runs on Sunday.  Waiver (if not already on record with host), Safety belts for every passenger.  Fire extinguisher.  First aid kit.  Vehicle insurance. For drives with trail only vehicles that do not have liability insurance, please contact the event organizers for further information.  Tow rope or strap (no metal hooks).  Spare tire with jack and tools to change it.  Tow hook or strap attachment point front and rear.  Pair or leather gloves.  CB or FRS radio.  Working headlights, tail/brake lights and wipers are required for any vehicle that will driven to the trail heads.  Vehicle must be in sound mechanical condition with no known major safety related defects to participate on a run.  Remember this is Alaska.  Help is not always going to be around the corner.  GO PREPARED!

Safety and Rules for the event:

The following will be strictly enforced for the safety of all attendees!

ABSOLUTELY NO unnecessary driving of vehicles due to small children present and per Ak. State Fairgrounds rules.
NO discharge of firearms!
NO dogs on premises, please make arrangements for Fido prior to the event.
NO open pit fires. Bring your own cooking fuel if needed.
NO fighting or abusive behavior will be tolerated!
NO spinning tires! Property damage will not be tolerated!
No excessive leaving from and returning to the M&G activities via vehicle through the gate. If you must make frequent trips, please park in outer lot only.

Please stay in designated areas. Do not go beyond flagging.
Please use designated trash receptacles. Pack out what you pack in.
Please no glass beverage containers.
Please use designated restroom facilities.

Camping and seminar area in 2004.

Alcohol will NOT be provided. Please refrain from consumption until Meet and Greet functions are done for the evening.
Drink responsibly. NO driving while drinking.

This function is being held on private land. Please follow the above guidelines for a fun and safe weekend.

Children and pets:

Children are of course welcome! This is a family event. Please be aware however that they must be supervised at all times. Childcare will not be provided. This will be a large gathering please keep track of your children at all times! Anything to keep them occupied would be encouraged, however bicycles and riding toys are not allowed.

Due to Ak. State Fairgrounds rules, pets of any sort are not allowed at the site. Please respect this and help us ensure the future of hosting the Meet and Greet at the Alaska State Fairgrounds by leaving the family pet at home.