Cat Island Grocery has reopened

It seems that Cat Island grocery and Campground will be OPEN for Marengo 2013.

If you desire Camping at Cat Island Grocery with Electric Hookups and water with an onsite dump station Call Cat Island Grocery (318-649-7884) and reserve your spot today. They have 14 spaces available for $30 per night. Cat Island is 3 miles from the entrance to the ride and you can ride your ATV from your campsite to the entrance to the Marengo Swamp Ride Next saturday.

BE SURE TO GET YOUR Hunting/Fishing/OR Wild Louisiana Stamps BEFORE coming to the swamp. These can be purchased at Cat Island but lines are usually long.

They are also available at any place that sells hunting/fishing licenses.  (Wal-Mart Sporting Goods Dept, Cat Island Grocery, etc.) or online at  http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/licenses)

If you are not a resident and already have a current hunting/fishing license I recommend a Wild Louisiana Stamp

Currently camping might be limited to the WMA campgrounds.  There is one at the entrance gate which usually fills up friday and one 5 miles away on Templeton Bend Road.

ATV’s are tolerated on the highway from Hebert to the ride entrance on SATURDAY ONLY.  It is possible to park as far away as Hebert or Templeton Bend Rd and ride your ATV to the Entrance Gate

 

Marengo 2013 schedule

The 2013 swamp ride will be held the first saturday in June.  June 1, 2013.   We are accepting preregistrations online and at the gate Thursday/Friday 
To purchase raffle tickets for the Grizzly 700
contact a WIC member or
contact John by email at wishnela@bayou.com

 For Marengo swamp ride info and preregistration questions contact John at 318-243-6292

The Wish I Could Office will be open from only an hour or so per day for processing Preregistrations.   We will also be taking preregistrations at the Blue Yamaha tent at the Entrance gate of the Swamp Ride Friday, May 31st from 9am till Dark.   If you have lost your ATV tag or preregistered online late you may pick up your tags at the BLUE YAMAHA TENT FRIDAY 9am till dark or at the entrance gate/registration station Saturday sunrise till 2pm.

 the 2013 mailout for the swamp ride is available if you wish to print it out and pay $25 per ATV at the gate

 

There has been extensive timber cutting in the swamp.   The trail remains around the perimeter of the cut along with an access road through the center of the loop.  We will give you updates and swamp conditions as the ride gets closer.  We hope and pray for more rain than last year.

The t shirt/ tank top color this year will be Daisy(yellow).

2011 Swamp conditions

2011 Swamp conditions

UPDATE!!!! The Swamp is really dry so bring your Goggles and bandanas and plenty of drinking water. Most of the holes have water in them if you wanna play. (So there is still plenty of mud).
Everything outside them is really dry and ruff.
From last Sunday the water has come up about 8-12 inches and one ditch we had to mark with high water signs but can be crossed easy by going upstream to places where there is no water.
So if you plan to just ride for a good cause (WISH I COULD) and have stock or non aggressive tires I would run them but if you wanna get muddy and try your luck in the Suicide hole bring it on because it is FULL OF WATER!

videos from preride inspection

video 2                  video 3             video 4
video 6                  video 7             video 8

 

2011 Marengo Ride Pictures


view more images from this album

Marengo Survival Tips

  Marengo Survival Tips

Online Preregistration  

 WMA Rules and Regulations  

 Marengo Survival Tips

 

Swamp conditions

mud by entrance May 16th 2010



The swamp conditions will be updated as members inspect the area. BTW, there will be a Yamaha outdoors 18 wheeler at the campsite for the day of the ride. CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FOR SOME PICS FROM THE PRERIDE Last Year

Atv raffle bike Grizzly 700

This year Yamaha donated a Grizzly 700 to be raffled off by Wish I Could for $5 per raffle ticket.
There were 2000 tickets available and the winners name is Ricky Rollins from Grayson.
The winner is responsible for paying the taxes on the ATV.
All proceeds from the raffle go towards funding the 2011 Wish I Could children’s Christmas party & gifts
Donating $5 for the WIC children is recommended.

Online Store will open March 13th


We will be selling 2011 T Shirts starting this sunday. The remaining 2010 Marengo Swamp Ride T Shirts will be on sale through the Online Store.

2010 Marengo Swamp Ride

The 2010 Marengo Swamp Ride will be held June 5th a few miles south of Hebert, La.
Online Preregistration will begin in February with the mail out forms hitting the mailboxes late Feb. Online Preregistration
This year we will be using paypal checkout to process advance online sales of the tee shirts and ATV registrations for the ride.
The ATV tags will be mailed out using the postal service. There will be a slight increase in the cost of online sales ($16) with the $1 increase due to the cost of using the paypal checkout system. If you choose to purchase from the WIC office or our satellite preregistration sites ($15 per ATV) you will not be charged the extra dollar. If you do not preregister, ATV registration the day of the ride wil be $20 per ATV. The online preregistration is open with the ATV tags getting mailed out within 24 hours.

A special thanks to Yamaha and Xtreme Products

Wish I Could would like to thank Yamaha and Xtreme Products
of West Monroe for their over and above sponsorship of the
2009 Marengo Swamp Ride.  

Xtreme is a locally owned suspension company,
that specializes in 2-3” ATV/UTV lift kits, wheels,
tires and accessories.

Wish I Could spokesperson, Jamie Parks said
“Xtreme really stepped up to the plate this year,
they were among our largest sponsors.
Xtreme pulled out all the stops and provided
3 side by sides and personnel fully armed for
the recovery effort.
They gave directions, winched bikes, passed out water,
bug spray and gas free of charge to weary, lost and
stuck riders.
They worked tirelessly until the last bikes were out.

Xtreme also sold their own shirts and donated
all proceeds to Wish I Could.”

Xtreme General Manager Joe Watts said
“Xtreme found participating to be a worthwhile and
rewarding experience.” He went on to say Xtreme
has participated in the past and plans to be a regular
and ongoing sponsor.
They plan on working with Wish I Could to expand our
advertising scope, as well as get the Wish I Could story
spread to more ATV activist.

You can visit Xtreme at 403 Downing Pines Rd.
in West Monroe, LA or check them out on the web @

www. XPATV.com

Yamaha has been a faithful sponsor for the
Marengo Swamp Ride for Many years. 

Yamaha donated a Big Bear 4×4 to be raffled off
by Wish I Could.  This was won by “Wild Bill” of Columbia.

The proceeds from this years raffle will go to buy christmas
presents for the Wish I Could Kids
(Kids who have had wishes granted by WIC in the past)

Yamaha also purchased the drinks and most of the food
for the concession for the ride.
   

This years ride had

2644 registered  participants

A few of the numbers are as follows:

2004 . . . . 4290
2005 . . . . 3914
2006 . . . . 3520
2007 . . . . 3426
2008 . . . . 3416
2009 . . . . 2644
2010 . . . .
2011 . . . .

Suggestions to improve the Marengo Swamp ride

There have been numerous suggestions to improve the swamp ride.  If you have any worthy suggestions please suggest them here.

  • GPS location points for the mile markers

  • Better trail marking/higher visability

  • communication access points every few miles for emergencies