Golf Carts at LDRS.

[teepot]

Will carts be available for rent. And on on other note, what is the elevation.

 

[troj]

The salt flats are at 4200 feet.

 

[Huxter]

I have not heard of any kind of vehicles to rent on the Slat Flats. I think there was some discussion about young people using a 4 wheeler to go get your rocket for a fee? I did not hear this was a sure thing tho?

I'd like to know more about driving your car to get the rockets... I know many do this. Does everyone do this? If not - why? I'll be in my 4x4 Dakota.

 

[troj]

If you go driving on the salt flats, understand that you do so with risk. There are places where the salt crust thins out, and there's thick mud underneath. If you get stuck, the fee to get your vehicle extracted is not cheap. When I was out there about 10 years ago, I think it was $400, and it may well have gone up since then.

I would also check with the launch organizers before driving beyond the range - they'll know what is and is not permitted.

 

[Jmhepworth]

Using your vehicle to recover a rocket is fine. You need to stay outside the range unless the range is open for recovery. As Kevin notes, there is considerable risk in driving too far from the launch site. You will have almost no warning that you are going to break through the salt crust and into the mud. Every year we have big four wheel drive trucks get stuck. Fortunately, it’s been a while since someone had to get the salt cat to pull them out, but even with lots of help, it can take hours to get pulled out.

We will have a small number of golf carts, but they will be used by the launch staff. I believe one enterprising rocketeer will be available to help retrieve rockets for a fee.

 

[teepot]

Using your vehicle to recover a rocket is fine. You need to stay outside the range unless the range is open for recovery. As Kevin notes, there is considerable risk in driving too far from the launch site. You will have almost no warning that you are going to break through the salt crust and into the mud. Every year we have big four wheel drive trucks get stuck. Fortunately, it’s been a while since someone had to get the salt cat to pull them out, but even with lots of help, it can take hours to get pulled out.

We will have a small number of golf carts, but they will be used by the launch staff. I believe one enterprising rocketeer will be available to help retrieve rockets for a fee.

The reason I ask is my wife is handicapped. I doubt she'll get her walker thru the salt. So she will be stuck at our shelter.

 

[troj]

The reason I ask is my wife is handicapped. I doubt she'll get her walker thru the salt. So she will be stuck at our shelter.

In my experience (I've been on the salt flats once), the crust is pretty hard and she'll be able to move around a bit. The biggest challenge is that it sticks to thinks, and being salt, rusts/corrodes them. You'll want to take the time to rinse the walker every evening, so that the axles don't get destroyed.

 

[Jmhepworth]

The reason I ask is my wife is handicapped. I doubt she'll get her walker thru the salt. So she will be stuck at our shelter.

We’ll work something out. I’ll make sure she gets a ride when she needs it.

 

[teepot]

We’ll work something out. I’ll make sure she gets a ride when she needs it.

Thanks

 

[kenstarr]

Salts fine until you magically find yourself on the edge. I ride my dirt bike around to collect rockets and I've seen where people get stuck and it's shocking that they spun out in a half inch of slick mud. I about lost the bike in some deeper stuff and it scared me half to death!

 

[Jmhepworth]

In my experience (I've been on the salt flats once), the crust is pretty hard and she'll be able to move around a bit. The biggest challenge is that it sticks to thinks, and being salt, rusts/corrodes them. You'll want to take the time to rinse the walker every evening, so that the axles don't get destroyed.

Neal reported to us last night that he went out to the salt and has never seen it so dry. It didn’t even stick to his tires. A lot depends on how much rain we get in the next three weeks, but it might be ideal (but unforgivingly hard if a parachute doesn’t open all the way).

 

[aerostadt]

Neal reported to us last night that he went out to the salt and has never seen it so dry. It didn’t even stick to his tires. A lot depends on how much rain we get in the next three weeks, but it might be ideal (but unforgivingly hard if a parachute doesn’t open all the way).

Yes, I like the dry salt better. It doesn't stick to the bottom of the shoes, either. Northern Utah is terribly hot and dry now. My garden and lawn is not doing well with this weather. Sometimes, July can be a fooler for hot and dry weather. The monsoons come up from the south across Arizona and rain on the Salt Flats towards the end of July. So far, nothing like a monsoon is happening.

 

[tbonerocketeer]

If you go driving on the salt flats, understand that you do so with risk. There are places where the salt crust thins out, and there's thick mud underneath. If you get stuck, the fee to get your vehicle extracted is not cheap. When I was out there about 10 years ago, I think it was $400, and it may well have gone up since then.

I would also check with the launch organizers before driving beyond the range - they'll know what is and is not permitted.

Pretty sure it is $2500 for a tow from the mud...i didn't see the bill though