< more recent | 23-30 April 2021 | older >
29 April 2021: Today’s trail was another iconic Arizona Jeep run, as our LON group took on the Backway to Crown King and included the optional obstacles. It was a fun day on an incredibly scenic trail with a nice combination of challenges and easy scenic driving to an awesome destination. Bonus fun when we ran across a flat fender group that was on a multi-day overlanding expedition …
28 April 2021: For the first day of the Ladies Offroad Network “5+ Edition” event, LON founder Charlene Bower took the group out to Table Mesa to run the technical rock crawling trail known as “Terminator.” We worked on picking lines by walking them first, and were encouraged to take some more challenging lines. Of course we had some stuck scenarios and got to practice winching and using the HiLift jack, but we all made it through…
27 April 2021: It was a strange weather day today with wind and even some rain as we took a short break today to handle some administrative details and prepare for the next Ladies Offroad Network event that starts tomorrow…
26 April 2021: Continuing with the bodywork on the Volvo today, we had the chance to do some metal work, including cutting, grinding and welding and plenty of sanding and filling to smooth out the vehicle’s shape to perfection. By the end of the day the Volvo had its doors on and was beginning to really take on form…
25 April 2021: A small group from Ladies Offroad Network joined the crew at Girl Gang Garage in Phoenix today to help with this year’s SEMA build, a 1960s era Volvo. The ladies got to learn the finer points of body work from Bogi Lateiner, star of Motortrends’ All Girls Garage series, then set to work on restoring the Volvo…
24 April 2021: Took a short detour to see the “Glen Canyon Dam” before leaving Page for the drive south. The weather was better this morning and the wind was a little bit less bad, though still quite strong. That wind accompanied us all the way down to Phoenix where we set up at Ladies Offroad Network’s Mesa HQ for another set of LON events starting tomorrow…
23 April 2021: The weather continues to worsen with 50mph winds expected later in the day into the overnight. Broke camp and made a decision to hotel in the town of Page overnight for safety, but took some time to explore the Vermilion Cliffs a bit more on the way. Randomly chose a dirt road on the map that looked like it went to the base of the Cliffs and had to pass through one of those cattle gates that was not locked — just closed with a sign asking us to keep it closed after passing through. The sandy trail wound through the desert brush in a nice easy drive, continuing towards the red rock walls and a small abandoned ranch structure came into view. It seems all roads lead to something, even if it is not noted on the map. The trail did indeed go all the way to the base of the cliffs and there was a dispersed campsite there that looked superb — noted for next time. From there it was back to the paved road with a stop at the Navajo Bridge and another stop at Horseshoe Bend en route to Page…
22 April 2021: First thing in the morning headed out to the Toadstools for a quiet hike into a surreal landscape of giant mushroom-shaped rock pillars. The scale of the Toadstools definitely leave one feeling a bit like “Alice in Wonderland” but the short hike is magnificent, going from seemingly ordinary desert into an otherworldly place via a path that follows a wash and includes some beautiful views. Then in the afternoon did the drive to White Pocket which was described as difficult deep sand, but which was not that difficult as long as one is aired down. Wandering around the trail-less terrain of “White Pocket” was a singular pleasure of individual discovery and somewhat magical, though the wind was pretty strong towards the top of the formation, giving the sense that it was actually possible to get “blown away” literally…
THIS MONTH:
Navigation and Tread Trainer principles are the focus of the next Ladies Offroad Network camping adventure in Arizona. The group will be spending five days working on navigation skills covering everything from paper maps to GPS and the various navigation apps currently in use, then they will head out to test their knowledge on Arizona trails…
COMING UP SOON:
Joining in on a Ladies Offroad Network camping adventure in Arizona: Five days of fun learning out on the trail and in camp with Charlene Bower and a small group of adventure-minded ladies. The event consists of three core days of trail runs and training, and two days with additional optional activities designed around the event theme…
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…
Looking ahead to a return to Paris as soon as possible to reconnect with friends and some favorite places in the city of light. Timing is still uncertain due to the pandemic, but we hope the trip is back on the calendar for early 2021…
TABLE MESA
The Table Mesa trails lie just north of Phoenix metro near the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains. This area started to be known as a rockcrawling destination in the late 1990s, and it remains popular to this day. Like many rockcrawling places in the Sonoran Desert, trails consist largely of sandy washes with boulders and waterfall ledges. Some years back, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) created a public use plan for this area including a handful of legal trails in the area designated “Technical Vehicle trails.” One of the more popular technical trails is “Terminator”, which has two parts, lower TV-2 and upper TV-3. These trails are typically run one way and the Table Mesa area is well marked. The trails are difficult through a narrow, rocky wash with tight turns and huge obstacles. Winch, lockers, and 35″ tires are recommended. Experienced drivers only…
GIRL GANG GARAGE
Girl Gang Garage is a catalyst for gender diversity in the male-dominated automotive industry. In 2016, long-standing TV host and proponent for female empowerment in the trades, Bogi Lateiner began an all-female “Chevy Montage” truck build. The response was overwhelming, highlighting an undeniable need within the industry and want from women at large. She soon partnered with Shawnda Williams, design technologist and strategist, to found Girl Gang Garage. Girl Gang Garage now hosts more than 200 women a year in various project builds and professional development opportunities. Girl Gang Garage is more than a physical location. It is a living, breathing network of women, ranging from novices to industry veterans, all coming together with the singular goal of growing stronger together and developing new opportunities for the next generation. Girl Gang Garage brings women in the trades together to work, meet one another, share their skills, challenge their abilities, and inspire each other’s confidence. The annual SEMA all-female builds provide women with little to no automotive experience access to hands-on training and the chance to participate in first-hand in an automotive restoration project. This year’s build, the 1961 Volvo PV544, is the third All Female Build and the most complicated. The vehicle was literally plucked from a farm on the outer fringe of Phoenix’s city limits. It was unconventionally styled and unusual-—the perfect fodder for conversation and provocative enough to raise an eyebrow. In true Girl Gang Garage style, this will not be an ordinary restoration. The plan is to amp up this modest coupe by honoring its past as a “family sports car”: Emphasizing it’s sportiness, giving it a more aggressive stance, modern refinements, and a beefed-up engine. The result will be revealed at the 2021 SEMA show in October…
THE NAVAJO BRIDGE
Navajo Bridge is the name of each of a pair of steel spandrel arch bridges that cross the Colorado River near Lees Ferry. The newer bridge of the pair carries vehicular traffic on U.S. Route 89A over Marble Canyon between Bitter Springs and Jacob Lake, allowing travel into a remote region north of the Colorado River. Prior to completion of the first Navajo Bridge, one of the only Colorado River crossings between Arizona and Utah was located about 5 miles upstream from the bridge site, at the mouth of Glen Canyon where Lees Ferry service had operated since 1873. In the 1870s, pioneers from Utah began to expand their settlements into northern Arizona but nearly 600 miles of deep canyons along the Colorado River stood in their way. One of the only places a wagon could reach the river from both north and south was at the mouth of Glen Canyon. Since the area was accessible and was a natural corridor, the ferry was established there. Lees Ferry became an important route for pioneers, settlers and local traffic. In the 1920s, automobiles began using the ferry as a means to cross the Colorado River. It was recognized that it was time to find a safer, more reliable way for vehicles to cross. A bridge site was selected 5 miles (8km) downriver at Marble Canyon. Construction of the bridge began in June of 1927. The original bridge was dedicated in 1929, and was only closed to vehicular traffic when the new bridge was opened in 1995. Today the original bridge is open for pedestrian and equestrian use. These two bridges, one historic and one new, still represent one of only seven land crossings of the Colorado River for 750 miles…
WHITE POCKET
White Pocket is a remote region of the Paria Plateau with swirling, multicolored formations of Navajo sandstone, including domes, hoodoos, gullies and potholes. This group of domes and ridges covers about one square mile below a larger mesa lined by similar rocks. The “pocket” refers to a relatively small area of land markedly different to its surroundings, which here, like most of the plateau, are sandy plains sparsely covered by bushes and small trees. White, or light grey is the dominant rock color, in contrast to the red of the Coyote Buttes, but the general features are similar – swirling, thin-layered strata, adjacent layers of contrasting color, and curious erosive features. White Pocket can be reached by a long drive on unpaved roads with deep sand, some requiring a high clearance 4WD vehicle. Like Coyote Buttes, the White Pocket includes some formations that are delicate and could be damaged if subject to a large number of hikers, but there is no permit system and visitation is unlimited; it is however naturally restricted due to the difficulty of access. The closest formations to the end of the road are 1,000 feet west, part of a broad, low relief ridge of white sandstone…
Nesconset | Paris | Belgrade | Akron | St. Louis | Clinton | Grants | Yuma | Borrego Springs | Laughlin | Baker | Barstow | Ridgecrest | Lone Pine | Death Valley | Beatty | Sedona | Phoenix
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
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
16-30 September – Roadtrip West
1-15 September – Long Island
16-31 August – Long Island
1-15 August – Summer Roadtrip
22-31 July – Summer Roadtrip
14-21 July – Summer Roadtrip
1-13 July – Long Island
16-30 June – Long Island
1-15 June – Bald Eagle
16-31 May – Central PA
1-15 May – Re-opening Trails
April – Lockdown NY
Archive
EVENTS
LADIES OFFROAD NETWORK NONCON 2020
Recap from the Ladies Offroad Network camping and wheeling event, dubbed the “NonCon” as in “not the convention,” that came together after the official convention was cancelled due to the pandemic… [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]
