< more recent | 28-31 December 2021 | older >
31 December 2021: We left Georgia in the morning and headed south and west, towards the Florida panhandle into the backwoods of the Apalachicola National Forest, to set up camp at Cash Creek in Tate’s Hell. It was sunny when we got there to set up camp but we had stopped in Tallahasse to buy fireworks and food to celebrate the new year and got caught in a monsoon-like downpour outside the local Walmart. The backwoods campsite was right on the edge of the creek, and we celebrated the New Year with Proseco and fireworks while sitting on the dock under the stars eating freshly-grilled kebabs and it was a marvelous way to welcome 2022 …
30 December 2021: Today we explored the west side of the swamp by kayak, paddling through the cypress alley ways looking for gators. We found quite a few of them including some large ones and even though the day was overcast and misting it turned out to be a really good day on the swamp. We decided to skip a visit to Billy’s Island for a hike and instead use the time out on the swamp to go further in search of wildlife. It was a lot of fun and a little bit eerie in some corners between the lily pads and the cypress trees with the heavy spanish moss drape over us — a bit like the swamp “should” be without any real daylight coming through. The whole swamp used to be like this before the logging and the big fires cleared out so much of it. After paddling all morning we went back to the park HQ and I photographed Sophie, the massive gator that hangs out near the dock, before we went off to do our laundry and prep for departure tomorrow. In the evening we sat out on the screen porch and watched a distant thunderstorm as it approached us. We were nice and dry on the porch and I enjoyed the rocking chairs as I gazed out into the darkness trying to capture the storm in a photo somehow (which didn’t work at all). It was nice to be in the Eco Lodge instead of our tents on a night like this …
29 December 2021: We went exploring on the east side of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge today, spending some time on the Swamp Island Drive and then doing a short hike down the Chesser Boardwalk to the Owl Roost Observation Tower before returning to the Suwanee Canal and joining a ranger-led boat trip on the swamp at sunset. We saw some more gators and some pretty birds and an absolutely fabulous sunset over the swamp that gave us a whole rainbow of colorful skies before returning to “base” at the Eco Lodge for the night …
28 December 2021: Today was a travel day and we packed up camp and said goodbye to Hopkins Prairie and set off northbound towards the Okefenokee Swamp which straddles the border with Florida and Georgia. We checked into the Eco Lodge near Fargo, GA for the next few days and it really seemed luxurious after so many days at camp. We enjoyed sitting out on the screen porch in the evening and it was nice out …
THIS MONTH:
The Annual Holiday Roadtrip south takes on a slightly different twist this year, as we are joined by some friends from France here to experience a backcountry adventure with USnomads.org. We will be spending two weeks overlanding through the wilderness from the Ocala National Forest to the Okefenokee Swamp and on into the Apalachicola National Forest, camping, kayaking and exploring as we go…
COMING UP SOON:
Every Day Is a Clean Up Day in 2021. Ladies Offroad Network has partnered with TreadLightly! to create a year-long program that encourages members to pick up trash on the trails whenever they are out off-roading. Participants simply pick up the trash, weigh it, take a photo, and log the location and time it took, then upload the details. At the end of the year there will be a series of prizes based on pounds of trash removed from the trails as well as participation in other TreadLightly! initiatives. This is a great way to do some good on a local level and make a larger impact via the national program…
Advanced sand dune training with Barlow Adventures at the Imperial Sand Dunes in southern California. This three day driving and navigation program focuses on moving safely and effectively through large dunefields. Skills-building exercises are intended to improve pace, line choice and vehicle control, as well as developing precision map and compass navigation technique…
Trail Guiding for the California 4-Wheel Drive Association’s second annual Death Valley Experience fundraiser event running in March. Each day will feature a choice of runs to some famous, some infamous and some secretive points of interest within Death Valley National Park. The runs will depart from Furnace Creek and from Stovepipe Wells. Some of the points of interest we will visit during Death Valley Experience 2021 include Zabriskie Point (famous), Barker Ranch (infamous) and the Racetrack (learn the secret of the moving rocks). Other points of interest include Dante’s View, 20 Mule Team Canyon, Artists’ Drive, Chloride Cliffs, Aguereberry Point, Skidoo, Titus Canyon, and Darwin Falls. All of the trail runs are suitable for novice drivers and SUVs with high clearance and 4-wheel drive…
USnomads.org is very proud to be presenting a brand new kind of rally experience for 2022 — the Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally a ten week event that participants can do from anywhere within the continental U.S.A. Competitors design their own routes as part of the rally, then drive it in a points-based online competition that includes optional activity tasks, quests and weekly challenges. The rally will run from 6 June – 14 August and is open to any driver within the United States who has an off-road capable vehicle — stock or modified. Registration is now open and continues until 31 March or until the event is full, whichever comes first. For more information see the Rally website or Register Now …
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
24-27 December – Ocala National Forest
19-23 December – Heading South
10-18 December – Long Island
1-9 December – Paris
16-30 November – Paris
1-15 November – Roadtrip East
25-31 October – Roadtrip East
17-24 October – LON Top Ten
7-16 October – Rebelle Rally
1-6 October – Rebelle Training
24-30 September – Rebelle Training
16-23 September – Roadtrip West
1-15 September – CT Training
August – Paris
July – LI & CT
June – LI & VA
16-31 May – Long Island
8-15 May – Return to NY
1-7 May – Southeast Utah
23-30 April – LON Bogi’s & 5+
16-22 April – LON Navigation
8-15 April – Sedona
1-7 April – Nevada
16-31 March – New York
8-15 March – Death Valley
1-7 March – Arizona
22-28 Februay – Alabama Hills
15-21 Februay – Mojave Road
8-14 Februay – Death Valley
1-7 Februay – Glamis
15-31 January – Roadtrip Southwest
1-14 January – Long Island
Archive
SPECIAL REPORT
All about exploring ghost towns and abandoned places in the USA and beyond, with tips, and information on the many different types of sites to be found across the globe, including detailed guides for eight specific sites… [read]
RE-OPENING
Report from the first trail run with the Off Road Consulting group at Rausch Creek Off Road Park as the post-pandemic phased re-openings begin in Pennsylvania and some of our favorite local trails re-open to the public after the two-month shutdown… [read]
REFLECTIONS
EGYPT: CAIRO REFLECTIONS
A quick overview of impressions from a stop in Cairo during our recent scouting mission in Egypt and Sudan … [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
A look into south-eastern Algeria on the border with Libya and Niger: overlanding with the Tuareg in one of the most remote corners of the Sahara … [read]
