Nevada Backroaders

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but yesterday, Monday December 14th, we lost a great friend and long time club member, Dickie Bales. Wes talked to his wife Jean today and Dickie had been very sick for a long time and finally lost his battle. He will be missed.

Many of us knew Dickie and some of us spent a lot of time in the back country with him. My Father and I spent countless hours exploreing the Mojave with him. When Dickie joined the Nevada Backroaders he had an old VW Baja Bug he'd built. He had approched other clubs in the valley to see if he could join and was told no because the bug wasn't a 4x4. When he approched Maxine, the Backroaders Trail Boss at the time, and asked if he could join us Maxine said sure why not. And the adventures began.

Dickie went on to show us just how capable that bug was, even though it didn't like to be putt-putted, and he went every place the rest of us went. He even managed to get to places where some of us had to drop into 4-lo and do trail building to get our rigs thru. When he decided to buy a jeep he found a nice used 93 YJ and had my Dad take a look at it. My Dad said it's never been off-road and Dickie snapped it up. The picture above is from his first trip in that jeep, I took him over Wheeler Pass.

I will miss you Brother Rest in Peace

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???

Here is a picture of Dickie's bug leading the Backroaders on a Club Run to the Kokoweef Mine. This was the first Club Run he'd lead us on and he actually set it up for the club to get a little talk from the mines watchman about what was going on up there and the old storys about the lost underground river of gold. We ate lunch at one of the mine tunnels and were allowed to explore it at our lesiure. From there he took us to circumnavigate Cima Dome and explore some of the old cabins and rock formations there. It was a great trip and I'm sure all who were on it still remember it.

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???

The 2 pictures above are from a Club Run I lead thru Arrow Canyon when it was still open. The first one shows Dickie's bug making the left turn at the back of the canyon. This little step up has given 4x4's a hard time in the past but Dickie just blipped the gas and the bug jumped right up it.


Now the second one has a great story. There is an uphill climb near the end of the trail.It starts out ok but gets steeper and looser as you go. And at the top you have to make a right turn or risk running off the top of the butte and drop a couple hundred feet into a wash. Dickie started up and the bug made it a short way and fouled 2 spark plugs. No problem, he backed down, switched the plugs and gave it another try. Made it a little farther and fouled the other 2 plugs. Dickie backed down, switched those 2 and gasses it again. This time he made it almost half way up when the carb starved and the bug died again. I had him stand on the brakes and proceeded to grab tow straps from everyone allready up the hill. I moved Rescue Rita's big v8 Tahoe to the top of the trail and it took every single strap we had to reach Dickie's bug. Rita proceeded to pull him up and I would stop her, have Dickie stand on the brakes, take one strap out of the line, move Rita forward, and pull the dead bug up one more strap length. Once we got Dickie to the top he got the bug to fire and we finished the trail, the Nevada Backroaders leave no-one behind. Later the club took a vote and named the hill "Dead Bug Butte" in honor of Dickie's attempt. It was one of the only times Dickie's bug let him down on the trail.

Later after Dickie bought his jeep he and I re-ran Arrow Canyon, just the two of us. When we got to Dead Bug Butte Dickie dropped the jeep into 4-lo and tip toed up the hill like it wasn't there. He wanted to go back down and drive back up in reverse and I had a heck of a time talking him out of that. But that was Dickie.

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???

My Irish heart is aching at the loss of so many Backroaders and VV4Ws this year, I haven't Known any of them, but it seems to be an unbelievable number for one year. It makes me want to cry, and as an Irishman, that makes me want to fight, and I can't fight Death or God, or the universe, so I want to cry again, all of my heartfelt condolences, and prayers to the family and friends of the departed, your strength gives the rest of us the hope of being better people, and perhaps finding peace with the universe, God, and death, although I do have an undeniably combative nature, as an Irishman acceptance is one of my personal aspirations. In these unsure times I wish you all a very merry Christmas, all my best wishes and prayers, Scottie.

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Is a CJ-5 indefinitely confined to jack stands still considered a Jeep? OllllO Scottie.

Just like most people once Dickie had a jeep he couldn't leave it alone. It got a lift, 31" mudders, and a front lunch box locker. Dickie proceeded to explore a little farther into the back country. This picture is from a trip Rubicon Bob, Dickie, and I did over Echo Canyon from Amargosa Valley into Death Valley. This waterfall is the toughest part of the trail and Dickie had a blast conquering it. This was after he broke a tailpipe mount and we wired it up using a piece of god knows how old wire we found in an old mine camp dump. And it was before we stopped at the Inyo Mine and Bob noticed Dickie had lost a nut off one of his rear leaf spring hangers and the bolt was almost all the way backed out. I found a nut that fit in my tool box and we finished the trail. I will miss my adventures on the trail with Dickie Bales.

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???

Dickie was a hoot to be around. He'll be surely missed.

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All Jeep trails had to first be Scouted.

1978 IH Scout II Lifted, locked, blah,blah,blah.
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Her car.
1992 Ford F350 XLT 4x4

Glad I knew him and got to wheel with him. Thanks for the pics Brad

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WS7BR
2019 Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0T
Rescue Ranger & Training Dummy
I'm not stuck, I'm providing recovery training opportunities!

Makes me very sad. I once got a ticket for running a red light because of Dickie. I'll miss the fun I had wheeling with him. Thanks for the pics and the info, Brad.

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"Wizard Tom"

"Zeek, I don't think we're in Kansas any more"
"If I only had a brain"

Dickie clearly described the best parts of Nevada Backroaders, fun to talk with, fun to build jeeps with, and fun to trail with. Mary and I are deeply saddened by this news.

This is truely sad news... I met Dickey on a couple of runs and he impressed me as a fun loving, full of life kind of guy ! He will be missed by the 4x4 community... Brad,, would it impossible to get an exception from the BLM for the club to do a 'one time memorial run' thru Arrow Canyon and up 'Dead Bug Butte' as a tribute to Dickie ??? It would be great fun and I'm sure that Dickey would approve.... Just a thought... Phil

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'95 XJ Cherokee, dark green
2" lift
JKS discos
31" BFG Mud Terrains
NBOFC

I never met him, but I know how he impacted quite a few in the club.

and I've even gone up Dickie's Exit on Bitter Springs.

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