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15 February 2019: Left Sedona for Phoenix as bad weather settled in, and even Phoenix was colder than it should be this time of year …
14 February 2019: Late night “Open Mic” at Olde Sedona Bar and Grill can always be interesting, with a variety of musicians jamming different vibes and having some fun. Always a great evening to connect with some of the locals in a town that has such a “transient” population…
13 February 2019: A quick run on Broken Arrow to say goodbye to Sedona for awhile. The day was cold and grey but this trail always pleases…
12 February 2019: Getting time on some favorite trails around the Sedona area and just appreciating the details of taking the “slow road.” Even with the extremely cold weather it is just such a pleasure to revisit such special places…
11 February 2019: Back in Sedona, taking some time to just relax among the red rocks and enjoy the positive energy of a special place. It is cold and wintery, and even snowed last night, but out on the trails the sunlight on the rocks has its own warmth …
10 February 2019: We dove deeper into the bigger dunes today in search of the “Swingset” working on more challenging climbs and picking lines through the seemingly unending sand sea. It took us a bit of time to reach our goal, but we made it, and everyone had a chance to practice their core navigation skills with some fun driving mixed in …
9 February 2019: Pushing some limits in dune driving skills and seeing what the Jeeps are capable of on Oldsmobile Hill, then moving on to some of the finer points of navigation, line selection and recovery with Barlow Adventures …
8 February 2019: Felt good to be back in the familiar sand dunes of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area at Glamis for the Barlow Adventures Intermediate Dunes Driving and Navigation training. It was colder than usual and had rained recently so the sand was nice and firm and the whole dune field was beautiful to look at — as always …
7 February 2019: Did the drive from Sedona to Yuma in the evening and caught the sunset at about the halfway point on a lonely two-lane road with a few majestic saguaros standing guard …
6 February 2019: Back to the other side of the world in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona for the start of a few weeks rambling around the southwest of the United States. Coming out to participate in some trainings and workshops in various locations, and hoping to get a little fun exploration in too …
THIS MONTH:
Headed back to the deserts of the southwest for some more fun in the sun and sand…
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…
COMING UP SOON:
Learning more about what goes on under the hood via a hands-on “Engine Building Basics” workshop with Pistons and Pixie Dust in San Antonio. During this three day intensive class we will completely tear down an engine, learn about the internal components and how an engine works, and then reassemble the engine ourselves…
Trail Leader training with Barlow Adventures at Table Mesa. This three day series is designed to strengthen skills for leading 4WD excursions, focusing on the many facets necessary to successfully lead a trip, with hands-on practice in group logistics and common challenges. The program starts with a refresher on driving techniques, reading trails and analyzing obstacles, and anticipating how a vehicle is going to react in different circumstances. Day Two is all about recovery, with practice in winching, hi-lift and straps in various scenarios. The final day brings it all together with expedition scenarios and techniques in detail…
Back to Paris to visit friends and familiar places…
Heading to Pennsylvania Coal Country for the Women’s Wheeling Day Trail Guide Training with theOffRoad Consulting group at Rausch Creek. The full-day training focuses on the most important aspects of trail guiding and covers what is expected of Guides both on and off the trails during the event …
Joining the ladies at Woman and Machine New England for a day of automotive learning fun focused on cars, engines, welding, and more. This automotive educational and networking event is designed for those who want to understand more about their vehicles and/or explore the skill sets that make up various realms within the automotive industry. The event is open to everyone from seasoned professionals to the wrench-curious ladies who are interested in learning more about cars from other women …
Back to Pennsylvania Coal Country to guide for the 2019 Women’s Wheeling Day at Rausch Creek Offroad Park hosted by Jeep Girls Rock. The day focuses on learning, enjoying the trails and meeting new friends, and is for all trail levels, from beginners to advanced. Female Guides will be assigned to each group and will encourage those who have never wheeled before as they build confidence out on the trails and learn what their vehicle is capable of (guys are welcomed to attend and ride along with women drivers at this family event) …
HIKING AROUND SEDONA
Sedona’s Red Rocks create a paradise for scenic hikes all around the area. With so many options it can be hard to choose a trail and many visitors default to the most popular onces, which can lead to crowded stretches and a decidedly “un-wilderness” experience. Here are a couple of links to some list of less-crowded, shorter hikes from different sources: 8 Beautiful Hikes without the Crowds, 6 Easy Sedona Hikes with Fabulous Views, Best easy hikes in Sedona…
BROKEN ARROW JEEP TRAIL
The Broken Arrow Trail, easily reached just off Hwy 179 on the south side of Sedona, is a very popular jeep track an hiking trail, climbing gently up a wide valley, lined with amazing red rock formations that tower into the sky. It ends at Chicken point, a low pass which has good views south towards Oak Creek village, and north to Sedona and the high mountains beyond. Though heavily trafficked the trail offers a great introduction to Sedona’s famous red rock scenery, with a few optional fun obstacles along the way. The highlight of the drive is the “Staircase,” a steep and somewhat intimidating downhill drive over rock “steps” which is always exciting…
SEDONA, ARIZONA
Number one on USA Weekend’s “Most Beautiful Places in America list,” Sedona, AZ is surrounded by 1.8 million acres of national forest land, with great jeep trails that wind in and out of a rugged landscape defined by pinnacles, spires, buttes and domes. …
THE IMPERIAL SAND DUNES
The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, located in the southeast corner of California, is the largest mass of sand dunes in the state. Formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla, the dune system extends for more than 40 miles in a band averaging 5 miles wide (map). Widely known as “Glamis” it is an off-road paradise, with an extensive open area for OHV use.
HISTORY: YUMA, ARIZONA
On the bank of the Colorado River, Yuma is tucked in Arizona’s southwest corner, and shares borders with Mexico and California. Unique geography created the Yuma Crossing and shaped the history of the community and the entire Southwest. Two outcroppings of granite that held their place against the Colorado river’s might and squeezed it into a narrower channel made it possible to cross the river here. The location was strategically important, and the first european explorers in the area noted it as a potential site for settlement in 1540. However, it was the gold rush of 1849 that put Yuma on the map for most Americans. Thousands of fortune hunters headed west, seeking the quickest way to reach California, and in one year, more than 60,000 travelers passed through Yuma to the rope ferry across the Colorado. Reflecting the town’s new importance, the U.S. Army in 1852 established Fort Yuma on Indian Hill, overlooking the strategic crossing…
Nesconset | Paris | Sedona | El Centro | San Antonio
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
January – Iran
December – Holiday Road Trip
16-30 November – Senegal
1-15 November – Paris
October – New York
September – Southwestern Deserts
22-31 August – New York
8-21 August – Serbia
1-7 August – Ladies Offroad Network
22-31 July – Moab
9-21 July – Woman and Machine
1-8 July – DC Dirt Camp
25-30 June – Orienteering
1-24 June – Paris
7-10 June – Bantam Jeep Festival
1-6 June – Roadtrip to Bantam JeepFest
May – Wheelers Overland
16-30 April – New York
4-15 April – Sudan
29 March – 3 April – Egypt
22-28 March – Paris
16-21 March – Paris
1-15 March – New York
Archive
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]
