< more recent | 24 – 30 September 2021 | older >
30 September 2021: Took some time on backroads deeper into Death Valley practicing precision navigation and triangulation today. Really worked on getting exact with headings and reading the topo maps and matching it up with what we see in the landscape …
29 September 2021: We spent much of the day working on map skills, precision navigation and triangulation on the edge of Death Valley. Focused on trying to identify specific peaks in ranges where they essentially all look alike. It was about really trying to see the nuances of the topo map contour lines. We also took some time to just appreciate the beauty of the place, stopping to watch the sun set over Death Valley from Dante’s View…
28 September 2021: Today we got Bullwinkle out into the desert for the first time to do some team training in the kind of terrain we will be in for the rally. The Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is just outside Death Valley and has a series of dirt roads with some nice identifiable terrain features that make it a great “first” day of real rally practice…
27 September 2021: Team 127 met up in Pahrump for a pre-Rally week of training together with Bullwinkle out in the Nevada desert. We have some navigation exercises planned, and even a few “roadbook” challenges to work on. The week will also give us some time to get familiar with each other and build a good communication rapport inside the Jeep…
26 September 2021: Continued the drive through Utah into Nevada with a stop at the Fremont Indian State Park to see some rock art and learn more about the ancestral puebloan heritage in the area. The park houses artifacts that were found when construction crews dug up an ancient village site to build the Interstate highway. Archaeologists and Native American community members worked together to save as much of the site as they could, documenting everything and removing objects into an interpretive display at the park. There are several rock art sites in the area, and some great short hikes to explore them …
25 September 2021: Got a headstart into Utah this afternoon, after finishing up some work in Grand Junction. Made it as far as Richfield UT before stopping for the night …
THIS MONTH:
Overlanding trip across the country from east to west as we return to the deserts of the southwestern USA for some training, exploring and events happening this fall. The focus is simple: taking the slow road and enjoying the journey…
COMING UP SOON:
Joining Team 127 in this year’s Rebelle Rally from 7-16 October 2021. The Rebelle covers more than 2,000 kilometers of stunning terrain across the Nevada and California desert. Blending the love of driving with the ultimate challenge of precise navigation, the Rebelle pushes participants to test their skills over 8 days of competition. It is designed as the ultimate competition combining multiple navigation rally skills including headings, hidden checkpoints, time, and distance using maps, compass, and roadbook…
Taking part in the Ladies Offroad Network Top Ten Weekend, the “grand finale” of the Annual Ladies Offroad Challenge where ten ladies get to join Charlene Bower for a 4-day epic weekend experience. Participants earned their spot in the “Top Ten Weekend” by competing in a series of 11 Challenges over 10 weeks, and now get to enjoy a fun and action-packed weekend of learning and adventure …
Roadtrip time, again, as we turn around and start heading back east. The plan is to take the slow road from Arizona to New York with a few fun detours along the way…
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…
Return to Paris for a few weeks to connect with friends and favorite places, with a bit of urban exploration in between. Looking forward to familiar locales and fun times in the city of light once again…
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…
Stay tuned for a new kind of exciting adventure coming up in Summer 2022. Details will be released early next year…
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
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
22-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
15-21 December – Holiday Roadtrip
7-14 December – Holiday Roadtrip
1-6 December – Long Island
15-30 November – Long Island
1-14 November – Long Island
28-31 October – Roadtrip East
22-27 October – Moab
15-21 October – Moab
8-14 October – Moab
1-7 October – Roadtrip West
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]
