Mud bog 101 part 1

I live in an area that still has the good old county fair. It's full of livestock, crafts, carnival rides, all the new tractors and attachments, and best of all, the country and bluegrass bands that give the concerts for free every night. I have been a fan of the fair since I was a little kid. I had entered goats and vegetables to tried and win ribbons and trophies. I had a calf one year, but it didn't work out to good. When I was younger, back in the 70's, the biggest attractions were the demolition derby's and the old dirt circle track races. When the 80's rolled in, the dirt track was full of weeds, and that part of the fair was forgotten. In 1983, My then small town had groups of 4X4 guys that had branched off from each other and had organized trail rides, and late night diggin trips that allowed braggin rights and tall tales of super trucks that could go through bottomless pits and climb tree's. To this day, I'm not sure who brought about the idea, but one of the 4X4 clubs obtained the permission, insurance, and equipment to dig a pit and start the mud bogs. I have been to a lot of mud bogs, I mean, I have been attending and participating in them for over 20 years. And I have never seen the same type of pit. Different soils in different locations make up some of the difference, but everyone has their own idea of how a pit is to be laid out. Some construct a downward sloping pit at the entrance, that slopes back up at the exit. Some construct pits that have a few " speedbumps in them. Some build them shallow to ensure a full pull if you get good wheel speed from the start. The bogs in my area is a friends and family kind of crowd, and in the pits, everyone will lend a hand to change tires, tighten lugs, add some water to the radiator, and such. Our next bog is in a week, and I am ready to go now. Since I will be discussing this topic in the future, I thought this post would make for a good primer. Untill next time, GET OUTSIDE !!