J2 Rolls On

Wild Wilderness Weekend at Dornfeld Land - 5/31/09

Being outdoors and enjoying nature is something J2 has enjoyed all his life. Before he was injured he had many different camping experiences and adventure outings in the wild. On may 29th J2 and one of his best friends Shaun drove up to Ontario Wisconsin where they met 9 other friends who were staying in Dornfeld land. Mike and Dave Dornfeld are two good friends of there are who they have known since high school. The Dornfeld family owns a beautiful cabin and 50 acres of land 4 hours into Wisconsin.

Shortly after arriving and getting unloaded, J2 was thrown into Mike's jeep and they took off to do some off roading. A few others all joined him including Dave, Pat, Michele, and Shaun who took his dirt bike. They drove on narrow trails through the woods, up and down steep hills, and barely squeezing in between some trees. After a 2 hour off roading adventure up and down the forest trails they came back to the cabin to have a few drinks and a great cooked meal by BVP (Brian Van Patent).

After drinks and dinner they went outside and watched the sunset go down behind the country hills. When the dark came someone came up with the idea of hooking up an open trailer to Mike’s jeep and going for a modern day hay ride. After hooking up and everyone loading up in the car and in the trailer they took off. J2 was put in the front of the trailer and sat in his manual chair. Just about 5 minutes into the trip and on there way to the top of the hill everyone in the trailer was struck by insects in the face. Thankfully they bypassed the insect swarms quickly and after a bumpy crazy ride they reached the top of the Dornfeld land hill. There they picked up fire wood and gazed at the millions of stars in the sky. On the trip back J2 traded his trailer seat for 1 in the jeep. It’s a good thing he did because when pulling out Mike’s jeep struggled to get up 1 hill with the trailer that was now filled with wood. Everyone in the trailer needed to get out and after some maneuvering Mike was able to back up the trailer and point the jeep down a safer route down. When they arrived back at the cabin they lit a large bon fire, sat around with drinks and listened to Dave play the guitar and sing a few tunes.

On Day 2 everyone woke up and was getting prepared for a canoe and kayaking trip that was taking place down the Kickapoo River. J2 not a huge fan of water sports was excited about the day of adventure on the river. When arriving at the river the gang went to go rent canoes and kayaks, but J2 had brought his own vessel. He had purchased a blow up kayak that would suit him better then a canoe due to not being able to sit without a back rest. Once everyone was loaded and J2 was placed in his and his paddler Shaun’s kayak they all took off down the river. Everyone on the trip had there own cooler and beverages. The trip was going smoothly and after being on the river for 1 hour no one had fallen in, until BVP hit a log in the water sideways with his kayak and was tossed in the fringed water. Thankfully the weather was decent and the sun was out and was warm.

The trip was going great and the nature and scenery was amazing. Two hours into the trip and after finding a small island to rest at everyone got out of there boat and stretched there legs, well accept J2 who had to sit in his kayak and wait. On this island they met about 9

young kid’s fresh out of high school that were also enjoying the river trip. They were also enjoying some of there own beverages on there trip. They called themselves the Tacoma Crew. After 20 minutes of conversation the J2 Crew got back on the river.

The river trip was going great. 4 hours into the trip there were tall cliffs and bluffs forming right next to the river. The guys decided to stop and see if the water was deep enough to make a jump off a 15 foot cliff. Once the depth was checked and okayed Shaun was the first to get on top of the cliff and go for the jump. Once he jumped and made it with no injuries, Mike & Dave ran up the cliff to give it a go. They were both hesitant at first but after Shaun pointed out the spot to jump into they took the plunge one after the other. Then Brian came paddling in and also wanted in on the jumping experience. When he reached the top and right before jumping in 2 girls came paddling in the area and stopped to watch him jump. After Brian took the leap the girls were hooked and also wanted to jump. They docked there canoe on the small island and made there way up a hill that

led to the cliff. Once up there 3 more boats came paddling in, it was friends of the girls who were about to jump. They noticed Shaun in the river standing near the landing of the jump and noticed the water was only knee deep. They did not realize that right under the cliff there was a 7 foot deep drop under the water. They pleaded with there friends not to jump and were convinced that J2’s crew only wanted to do the girls harm. To ease there worries Mike & Dave had gone up to help the girls jump from the right spot. To ease the friends worry Mike jumped first to prove the landing was safe. The girls were now convinced that they would not hurt themselves if they jumped correctly. The first girl stepped to the edge and jumped. She landed successfully and swam out of the deep water. The next girls jump would not be as smooth. She crept to the edge as was unsure of taking the leap, but before she could think twice she slipped on the edge and went in. Her landing was not pretty, but she made it with no injuries.

Everyone got in there canoes and proceeded down the river.

The rest of the trip went smoothly. There were a few more island stops and 1 more meeting with the Tacoma Crew. The trip came to an end 6 hours after it was started. The Day was long and filled with many fun and exciting moments. After being picked up by a river bus everyone headed back to the cabin and relaxed the rest of the night.

On day 3 everyone woke up and was beat from the pre day or river tripping and night time parting. They spent the early day packing and cleaning up around the cabin. Overall the trip was adventurous, fun, and filled with many memories they won’t forget. J2 had a great time and will definitely be going up to Dornfeld Land again.