"The poker run!""No, the rodeo!""Muddin'!"
"All four of the events are different, and have their own draw," Swigart summarizes. "At the last jamboree, we incorporated a poker run, and we had 64 people. We had a five-mile loop, and they loved it. ... We charge two bucks for it."
Club cofounder Jim Harris, Rob Kahle and Caylen Harris wait for the rest of the group to catch up on the Mill Creek trails.
One of the key factors in putting on the rodeo is support from the club's six dealer members, who offer space for the club to set up booths during open-house events, donate door prizes for club events and include flyers for the club with the packets that go out each time a customer buys a new ATV.
"I tell you what, without our dealer member support ..." Swigart trails off. "That's a big thing in our club."
They also work with other local clubs to host trail maintenance days and record their hours with the forestry service to receive credit for that time.
"And we're getting more involved with them doing trail maintenance. We have a quarterly ride where we do trail maintenance, and that helps the forestry service to collect money," Mardella explains. "We're going there next weekend, and that will be our first one for this quarter."
The club also does some charity work, particularly around Christmas. They give money to Youth Bridge, a charity that provides counseling and therapy to at-risk teens.
"At our Xmas party, we have people bring at least one unwrapped toy and donate that," Mardella says.
When I met up with them in early March, the club was running the trails at Mill Creek Riding Area in Arkansas' Ozark Mountains. About 30 members gathered and took to the hills on a mix of sport and utility ATVs. The Mill Creek Riding Area has about 42 miles of trails that wind through a portion of the vast Ozark National Forest on the western side-not far from White Rock Mountain-ranging in difficulty from easy to quite technical. Most of the loops offer options, and less experienced riders can avoid the more demanding terrain.
The system is still undergoing the designation process, with only phase one complete. The only open trails are those designated as such. The local forest ranger service is currently in phase two and making adjustments in deciding which trails are open and closed.
The NWAARC places a lot of emphasis on good, clean fun on the trail. Drinking is not tolerated during its rides.
"That's a big deal with our club. You can drink if you want, but not on trail rides," Swigart says.
Longtime local ATV rider Tom Scates adds that he had quit drinking years ago because it gave him headaches, but has found a new vice to replace it.
"I don't drink bourbon or coffee anymore. ... My vice is my Rhino," Scates says with a laugh.
He is one of several members who ride (or used to ride) touring motorcycles. "My wife, I finally burned her out on that," he explains, "so I got to riding ATVs."