2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[406to417]

It looks like the Black Hills South Dakota BDR-X is a dirt bike route? Can a full size 4x4 do most of it, or did you need to pick and chose which parts to do?

 

[ramblinChet]

It looks like the Black Hills South Dakota BDR-X is a dirt bike route? Can a full size 4x4 do most of it, or did you need to pick and chose which parts to do?

Great question - the team at Backcountry Discovery Routes do a great job of answering questions like this in their Frequently Asked Questions for each route.

I drove the entire route with no problems. Here is their answer to "Can I drive a 4x4 on this route?"

All of the roads used on the BDR-X are public roads and as such, are open to vehicles. If you do decide to drive this route you will want a 4×4 with high clearance as the route has deep puddles, large rocks, ruts and steep, loose grades. Always stay to the right and go slow around blind corners to avoid head-on accidents with others using the roads. We recommend traveling the loop counter-clockwise to minimize head-on traffic.

 

[mog]

My thoughts over the past half-year have been, certainly experiencing an irreparable flat tire 50-100 miles away from a good sized city can't happen twice! Well, I was wrong and here I was with an irreparable tire far away from civilization. A sharp rock that looked like a small dinosaur tooth was the culprit and I could easily push my thumb through the hole in the middle of the tread.​

You are in quite elite company. And this rig is much farther from town

 

[ramblinChet]

Eastern Kansas Flint Hills Overland Route

Part Two of Two​

We are back on the Eastern Kansas Flint Hills Overland Route with a new BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 tire to replace the irreparable one. Correcting this problem was a combined effort between BF Goodrich and Discount Tire - here is exactly what took place:

When I damaged the tire I was in an area with spotty cellular service so I pulled up a map of the area which included topographical information. Using the map I identified the nearest city, which was Topeka, Kansas, which I estimated to be 075° at 30 miles direct, and then moved in that direction towards high ground. It wasn't too long before I had reliable signal and while walking towards my destination I thought of a few options and began to prioritize them - this is a good example of when things begin to go sideways and you have not trained for a situation, you must immediately begin to slow the process down and think it through. My first call was to the manufacturer and my goal was to accomplish two specific tasks.

1. Express to BF Goodrich how disappointed I was with the performance of their tire considering I had just suffered a similar puncture from a rock in Texas just six months ago while navigating the 1,358 mile Five Tribes Overland Trail.
2. Ask if I had any available roadside warranty or qualified for another program that would provide help in a situation such as this.

The young lady listened to my questions and then informed me that even though we were transitioning from afternoon to evening, she would initiate a claim and it would be processed immediately. Since I keep all of my paperwork I was able to provide her with all of the details she required and within twenty minutes or so we concluded our conversation and she stated that a local towing company would be arriving within the next hour to take me anywhere I desire for repair as long as it was within one hundred miles. I made sure to make it very clear that the last time my truck was on a certified scale it weighed 8,660 pounds and likely weight maybe 5-10% more right now, and I had a modified suspension, larger tires, and a pop-up camper in the bed. My goal was to avoid the tow company sending out the wrong truck for this application and thus refusing service.

Within a few hours we were loaded up and inbound to a Discount Tire in Topeka since that is the company I purchased these replacement tires from in Texas.



For the record, here is a copy of my invoice from Discount Tire - a new replacement tire cost me $137.88 and I consider that a bargain considering the tow was covered by BF Goodrich. Just to let you know, BFG also offered to provide a discounted replacement tire although the I opted for the Discount Tire offer since they were a few dollars cheaper. After all of this I am still somewhat disappointed the I had two tire failures within six months but then again I spend a ton of time on the trails compared to 99.997% of normal people so I can accept this as the "cost of doing business" to some degree. I really do appreciate BFG and Discount Tire being able to save my butt in a situation that I played a large part in creating. I most likely will try the new KO3s in a few years when these are due to be replaced.


Okay, we have returned to the scene of the crime and are rolling back down the same rocky section of trail - I just could not drive around and let that section of trail defeat me. I figured although the odds were significantly against another flat occurring, if it did happen, I already knew exactly what to do this time since I was now trained. I believe it was the Greek philosopher Archilochus who stated, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” This is why training is so very critical when things go sideways in a hurry.


Much of my third day on the trail was a mixture of dirt or gravel farm roads with some occasional interesting sections - I was really enjoying traveling along the Eastern Kansas Flint Hills Overland Route and would recommend it to anyone willing to set aside two or three days of travel who was nearby or passing though the area. During the evening the sun was slowly falling and there is just something special about watching the sun slowly sink in the Midwest. Unfortunately the picture below does not include sound and feeling but imagine absolute silence with light airy winds just barely perceptible at 1-2 mph.


On my final night I elected to push into the night since I truly love exploring a new area at night part of the time - things take on an entirely different appearance. It is really interesting to form an opinion of a particular area late at night only to wake up in the morning and have it appear so very different compared to how you imagined it. If you are going to an area of the country where you have not been previously I would encourage you to set aside some time at night for exploration. Just make sure you have proper lighting - it makes all the difference in the world and increases your safety margin to a somewhat reasonable level even in dangerous terrain such as steep and narrow shelf-roads.


I'm always up for a night water crossing and this one would be the perfect way to finish the night and the trail at the same time. This crossing was at the Caney River on the outskirts of Cedar Vale, Kansas, which is a small town of just over 400 residents. It always feels strange rolling into these small towns in a strange looking vehicle especially late at night since most all of the folks know everything about everyone else around and my AEV Prospector stands out like a ship from outer space. Although many folks are curious and take a long second look when I roll through most all are friendly and some even stop over to take a closer look. This was a calm and shallow river with a fairly firm bottom so I crossed in two-wheel drive and was just happy to be wrapping up this trail. When I began it seemed like it would be one of the easier ones I have done but a punctured tire threw quite a curve ball into the trip!


The next morning I stumbled into Wah-Sha-She Park just across the order in Oklahoma. The weather was beautiful and being able to enjoy a nice hot shower after a week of being out in the wild was quite nice. When I began traveling it seemed like although I wanted to take a shower every single day it really was not that necessary. Many times a few baby wipes would work just fine, occasionally I would was my hair by boiling water and mixing it with some really cold water creating nice warm water pouring over my head - I find one part boiling and two parts cold seems to work well. Anyway, I average a full shower maybe every five days or so - sometimes more, sometimes less. Now if I happen upon an opportunity to take a legitimate shower a few days in a row I will not hesitate, especially this time of year. But in the end, I really don't think humans were designed to have a requirement for a full shower daily.


There are a few interesting places to visit along this overland route with one of them being the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve just a few miles west of Emporia, Kansas. Of course I stopped in a spent a few hours observing, learning, and relaxing. Me, I sort of love to learn something new each and every day - if I am falling asleep and have not learned something, anything, I feel some degree of regret. My final shot below was taken on a moonlit night - this was a long exposure picture of Teter Rock, which can be found along the trail. It was a chilly night and the the wind varied from a gentle breeze to moderate, there were sounds this night which consisted of hoofs nearby and howls from afar.

Do me a favor, put on some headphones, click on the song below, and take time to study the picture below - I took it for you.

No one else was in the area, time began to distort, and slipped away and began to dream like a kid...

...I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife. It's lonely out in space, on such a timeless flight...

 

[kmacafee]

I had a similar experience but in Anza Borrego State Park. A rock cut a deep slash in a sidewall miles from pavement and after getting it changed, I limped to an area with cell coverage and found the nearest Discount Tire (where I buy all my tires). My spare was adequate but I feared it would fail as well and was hoping to avoid a tow. When I called DT in El Centro, they advised they did not have a replacement in stock (Cooper Discovery AT) but they could get one in a few days. When I asked if another store in the area had one, the manager said he would check and in 15 minutes, called me back to say that he had located one and would have it at the store the next day.

To make a long story short, I had the tire replaced free of charge (I always buy the replacement insurance) and bought a second, replacing my spare with one of the other truck tires. Discount Tire has saved me more than once (similar issue on another trip) and their customer service is top notch. As for tires, I found the KO's noisy after they wear and tread life much shorter than other brands I've used. Unfortunately, Cooper was recently bought by Goodrich and the Discovery has been replaced so we'll see what the future brings.

 

[ramblinChet]

Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour

Part One of Two​

Earlier this year, after completing the five day, 300+ mile, Ouachita Traverse in Arkansas, a long time friend of mine reached out and wanted to plan a trip to the Ozarks with me later in the fall. Dennis lives in Delaware and we have been sharing trails all over the country for the past seven years or so. Our original plans were for September but between both of our schedules, our date slipped back to November which aligned with the schedule of another buddy. Paul is from Massachusetts and we met camping in the Ocala National Forest in Florida, nearly two years ago. He was completing the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route and I suggested he head over and meet us in the Ozarks for a few weeks.

No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength. ~ Helmuth von Moltke

We planned, we arrived, and as soon as we began, everything changed. There had been significant rain the first week of November in the Ozarks and the Buffalo River swelled from a normal 3.5' deep to over 35' deep in some areas. Of course, I had an alternate plan in my back pocket just in case and the Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour (GOAT) was that plan.


Paul arrived first and then me - while we waited for Dennis to arrive the next day, we engaged in an old fashioned staring contest. Many times I stare at random men in public to gauge their reaction and the results can be quite entertaining - try it sometime. I won this battle when I whispered to Paul, "Did you ever think that you may be bisexual?" Paul smiled really big and blinked.

The Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour makes a nearly 500-mile loop through some of eastern Oklahoma's most scenic lands. The verdant rolling hills are also home to numerous Native American tribes like the Cherokee Nation, Quapaw, Peoria, Miami, and Ottawa tribes. While the route can be easily managed by a stock 4x4 or AWD crossover, there are a few bumpier sections that will keep you on your toes. And like many other places in the Ozarks, expect tight trails with plenty of encroaching brush and low-hanging limbs (limb risers certainly don't hurt!).

Dennis arrived and we waited an additional day just to relax and check river levels one more time - still too high. The next morning we work up, drove a few hour to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, the eastern most section of the GOAT, gassed up, and our adventure began.

The town was officially founded in 1880 by Simon Sager, who had settled there years earlier, and it was initially called "Hico." The name was later changed to Siloam Springs, named after the Biblical Pool of Siloam, in recognition of the area's healing springs.

I always love driving along side rivers and here we were along side the Illinois River which begins as a spring in the Ozark Mountains and then flows southwest into Oklahoma to join the Arkansas River, which is a major tributary of the mighty Mississippi River. It wasn't too long ago when rivers such as this and others serves as transportation routes for a wide variety of purposes. Maybe it's the way I am wired but I have always lived very near an ocean, lake, or river. This was another beautiful section of the trail and we were all amazed to find something such as this in Oklahoma.


Since this trail switched between public and private land so frequently, finding a camping area large enough to fit three full-sized trucks took a bit more work compared to what I am accustomed to. Since I spend much of my time alone in the mountains, forest, or desert, finding a spot to camp alone is so easy I rarely even think about it. Now that we had three of us traveling together finding a large camp was more work. Here is one of the spots we found, the Round Hollow Public Access Area, just a few miles off the trail along the shore of the Illinois River.


This is a picture of my fuse box, under the hood, on the drivers side. During our trip Paul didn't believe he was receiving any DC-DC power from his alternator to his house battery while driving. He began to diagnose the issue himself and was first removing fuses and visually inspecting them, something we have all done; he then realized that one of fuses he had just removed, he was unable to remember exactly where it belonged. For reference, I popped my hood, snapped this picture, and we compared it to his box and were able to confirm where the fuse should be reinstalled. I'll keep this picture here for me, just in case...


Considering this is a 500+ mile trail passing through a nearly constant mixture of public and private land, there is a little bit of everything to enjoy - gravel, dirt, or paved roads; smooth or rocky trails, dozens of river crossings, some mild to moderately sized ones, others just a trickle. We were all very impressed after the first few days and a common call out on the radio was "I just can't believe we are in Oklahoma and seeing all of this." The creators of the route did a fantastic job.


Breathtaking.

The J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve is the largest privately protected conservation area in the Ozarks thanks to a land gift from the John Nickel family in 2000. This 17,000 acre landscape rests in eastern Oklahoma's rolling Cookson Hills and overlooks the Illinois River where spring-fed creeks meander amid a rugged topography of steep slopes and narrow valleys harboring a mosaic of oak-hickory forest, lofty pine woodland, and a diverse mix of savanna, shrubland and prairie.

Here is Paul crossing a stream in his beautiful blue Power Wagon with a Palomino pop-up camper in the bed. He has had the camper for a few years and is beginning to strongly consider purchasing a Four Wheel Camper like Dennis and I have. Although Paul loves his home on wheels and has spent quite a bit of money and time upgrading and modifying it, he still points out a few of it's shortcomings for our applications. I guess the three key issues he speaks of most often are:

1. construction - Palomino are not all aluminum like the Four Wheel Camper and they weight quite a bit more. Even after adding airbags to the rear suspension he is still way over GVWR and the handling suffers.
2. membrane roof - I never though much of this but now I understand why Paul has always been hesitant to explore some of the tighter trails with branches - he was worried about tearing his membrane roof. When he found out the FWC had a solid one-piece aluminum roof he was impressed. He has also experienced leaks a few times whereas Dennis and I have never experienced any.
3. electric lift motors - If you ever meet Paul on the trail, ask him what he thinks of the electric motors used to lift his roof. All four had to be replaced at the dealership on the day he purchased the unit when brand new and this is not a joke but Paul now carries two extra motors and is very familiar with rebuilding and repairing them in the field.

On a trip this long with multiple vehicles it is important to recognize the fact that different drivers, with nonidentical equipment, goals, and experience levels, travel at mismatched speeds over distinct sections. There is no right or wrong, it's just a simple fact that speeds vary and must be taken into account. It is important to sit down as a group before your journey begins, discuss options, and finalize some general guidelines.

In this case, we had a 500 mile trail ahead and our target was 100 miles per day. After the first day I noticed adjustments must be made or this trail was going to be a seven or eight day journey. In addition to varying speeds of travel through different sections we had other issues to resolve, one of us liked to sleep in late and begin the trail around 1000, another insisted on stopping for an hour for lunch, and another wanted to pull off the trail and set up camp site by 1500-1600 at the very latest. This left around four or five hours of travel time each day and with an average speed of 15 mph, adjustments had to be made. Things became a bit more interesting during the next few days.

Pushing late into the evening one night to stack up some miles, we found ourselves on an old stagecoach line near Sequoyah’s Cabin. Over centuries the trail has not changed much and as the sun slowly faded away I wondered if the trail could speak what it would say. Then ever so softly, over the mechanical drone of my engine and tires rolling over this old trail, I heard it whisper in my ear...I've watched you change...

 

[ITTOG]

That route is nice country but you aren't even in the best part of the state for beautiful scenery.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

 

[Kingsize24]

That route is nice country but you aren't even in the best part of the state for beautiful scenery.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

Do tell... I've been all over Oklahoma. I'm curious which part you are talking about. I take free GPX files. Haha 😄

 

[mog]

After the first day I noticed adjustments must be made or this trail was going to be a seven or eight day journey. . . . . Things became a bit more interesting during the next few days.

good idea on the fuse block photo

 

[ramblinChet]

For the past year or so I have been wrestling with exactly how I would permanently install my Wallas NORDIC DT diesel heater/cooktop, Victron Energy electrical gear, and ExtremeAire Magnum compressor with ARB 1-gallon aluminum air tank. The standard solution would be to purchase plywood, cut it up, apply wood veneer, and that would work just fine - but it weighs quite a bit and is susceptible to moisture, and in the case of a fire, it provides more fuel. Ideally, I desire something that would help contain an unexpected diesel or electrical fire since I sleep inside the vehicle every night - some times with the heater running, and always with a live electronic system.

The recent picture below is of a buddy, Todd Greenberg (Go Native Overland), who suffered burns over the majority of his body and lost his two dogs in an overland vehicle fire in early September of this year. Interestingly, earlier this year I completed the 1,358 mile Five Tribes Overland Trail (part one / part two) that was created by Todd. He is a really good guy who coordinated helping me when I experienced my first irreparable flat in the middle-of-nowhere, Texas. I'll pray for Todd tonight and look forward to joining him on a trail somewhere soon.


I considered working with a custom metal fabricator back home in Virginia that is really good but the logical side of me argued against that. When producing a one-of-a-kind product in a metal fabrication shop it takes much time so the price is very high and since this is the first time the initial prototype may not be the best overall design. With that in mind I shifted my focus to searching for a product that was mature, produced in large volume, was light, durable, and available right now.

For years I have owned and used my seven Zarges heavy duty aluminum cases (three 40568 / four 40678) and they have never let me down - I exercise them daily. Naturally, I began to consider the possibly of using Zarges once again since they met virtually all of my criteria but there was one catch, would they have the correct size for my application. The good thing is that the K470 lineup has thirty different sizes available. Here are some details provided on their site:



For this application I selected one 40564 and one 40567, along with two Goose Gear top plates for my 40568s. The 40564 (23"L x 15"W x 16"H) will possibly house a small sink, water pump, and dispenser, on the passenger side to the rear. The 40567 (39"L x 19"W x 16"H) is much larger and will contain the Wallas unit along with most of the Victron Energy gear and be placed on the drivers side towards the rear. One of my goals was to separate all of the electronic equipment from any water source while also containing it in a largely fire-proof container just in case. If an unexpected spark or overheating of an electrical component does take place I would much rather have that occur inside a sealed metal container than a wooden structure.

Many are shocked when they initially view the prices but if you are looking for a permanent storage solution that has proven itself worldwide in every condition, and can be passed down to your offspring, there is none better than Zarges. If you are unsure of what they are able to withstand - I visited Zarges USA two years ago and examined two abused but fully functional cases that had traveled the world for three-plus decades.



My most critical measurement for this application was the overall height of the installed containers since their top surface would be used as a work space while standing in front and cooking, cleaning, etc. For kitchens a height of 36" is preferred while in industrial applications 33-36" is an acceptable range; some say the height of your hip should be flush with the top. Since the height of the shelf along the interior of my Four Wheel Camper was fixed at 21.75" these cases end up with an acceptable 37.25" top surface height. If I were going to be standing there for many hours ever day, I might make some modification but for my intermittent use, a surface height of 37.25" should be fine.

The Goose Gear tops have been on my mind for a few months now since there have been times when I wanted a flat surface on top of my 40568s for preparing meals, a shelf for my laptop, etc. They were only a few dollars more and there was a bit of savings to be recognized so what the heck - we will try them out and see how useful they are for what I do. It may have taken me quite some time to decide upon this solution but I think it is the right one for me. These are premium commercial off-the-shelf aluminum cases and delivery will take place within days, they may not perfect, but are well above good enough for this application. What I really like is the fact that they are durable, lightweight, and I can easily pop the top to examine and perform maintenance on the equipment mounted inside. They also offer a level of protection from bad things happening outside, like water, and inside, like fire, should something unfortunate take place.

Here is the Goose Gear top plate - picture taken by Goose Gear:


Through the years I have noticed that in general there are two categories of overland folks: one is the builder while the other is the adventurer. Of course there is always some degree of overlap and one is should not be considered superior to the other. For some, the project itself is the joy - creating something, building it over months or years, and then finally completing it! For others, their joy is found outdoors and the technical details and project completion are not that big of a deal - they love exploration and adventure! Me, I guess I'm maybe 20% builder and 80% adventurer - sure, I like projects and such but at this point in my life, I just wanted to cobble something together and hit the trails.

Sometimes we need to step back and reassess what we are doing and how we are doing it: are you a builder who loves projects or an explorer who melts into the forest, mountains, and desert? Again, there is nothing wrong with either one...

And here are a few videos which provide additional details regarding the Zarges cases:

 

[ITTOG]

Do tell... I've been all over Oklahoma. I'm curious which part you are talking about. I take free GPX files. Haha

I think you have been to the area, SE OK. Down in the following mountain ranges: Ouachita's, Kiamichi's, and the Arbuckles. Unfortunately I don't have any gpx files.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

 

[Kingsize24]

I think you have been to the area, SE OK. Down in the following mountain ranges: Ouachita's, Kiamichi's, and the Arbuckles. Unfortunately I don't have any gpx files.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

Ahh yes, I have. Absolutely beautiful areas.

 

[Dougnuts]

This was taken on my final full day on the trail just a few hours on the trail south of a city named Lead. As might have imagined there was much mining that tool place in these hills over the past 150 years or so. The largest, deepest, and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere was located here up until recently and the deepest of it's mine-shafts stretched almost a full two miles straight down. It's a small town but it has it's own character and I look forward to spending more time in Lead during the summer sometime.​

View attachment 863886

This is a shot of Main Street in downtown Deadwood, South Dakota - just a few miles up the road from Lead. Famous people such as Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, John Wayne, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Babe Ruth, stayed at the famous Franklin Hotel on the left in this photo. This entire area seems to be centered around gambling and having fun.

View attachment 863887

Cool! My Dad was raised in Lead, SD, and my Aunt and Uncle still live there, in their childhood home, next to the Homestake Mansion.

My Grandfather worked in the gold mine until he retired, not long after I was born. There are two parts of the mine, the open cut and the underground mines. My Grandfather worked underground.

I grew up in the SouthEast, but I would go out that way every year. I can still remember some things about Deadwood from when I was a kid, like when they took up the concrete to expose the cobblestone streets. I also remember a white fox body Mustang GT in a Saloon front window. About 15 years later, I owned one of my own.

 

[ramblinChet]

Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour

Part Two of Two​

This picture shows a hint of dust being kicked up on the trail although at other times when the air is still and the sun is low, a dusty trail can have such low visibility it forces us to spread out very far. It's for this reason I installed a Sy-Klone engine pre-cleaner on my AEV Snorkel.


During my travels I always enjoy jumping off the trail to explore interesting places nearby - this time we landed in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which has been the capital of the Cherokee Nation since 1839. We enjoyed a lunch and then spent a few hours touring the Cherokee National History Museum which was very interesting. I am a big supporter of preserving and protecting history. Others, not so much...

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right." ~ George Orwell, 1984

This is the Fort Gibson Dam on the Neosho (Osage Indian for "clear water") River where we slept one night. Since virtually ever night of the year I am sleeping somewhere I have never visited, I have become pretty good at finding places. In this case, whenever I see a river or lake I immediately begin searching maps for boat launches, overlooks, a dam, campground, etc. Once I locate several potential spots I begin to filter depending upon what my plans are. If I have been in the wild for a week I focus on finding places that have a flush toilet which means there is a high probability they also have potable water available. If they mention electric then there is a good chance they will also have warm showers.


There was some confusion this night although everything worked out well. I had located this site just off of the trail and reviewed the information on the RECREATION.GOV site which stated "The campground is open for day use and free primitive camping." Soon after arriving and setting up the volunteer campground manager came over and informed us that camping was not permitted for a multitude of reasons but we were welcome to sleep overnight in the parking lot at the entrance to the campground. It was late, cold, we were all hungry, and tired after several days on the trail. We thanked the volunteer, crawled over to the parking lot, ate, and fell asleep listening to the roar of the dam just outside our windows. It was beautiful, and free.


This is the unfinished church at Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey which is home to fifty-five Benedictine monks who live a Consecrated life of chastity, poverty, and obedience. The traditional motto of the Benedictines is, Ora et Labora (Pray and Work), the monks come to the church seven times each day and once at night to praise God in liturgical prayer.

My good friend, I am going to ask a favor of you and I hope and pray you consider my request and within the next few days or weeks, experience something that is beyond your wildest dreams. Please understand that I am not trying to convert anyone over to a Traditional Catholic life, or begin a debate regarding this religion versus that - my goal is for you to experience something that 99.997% of people are unaware of.

I am asking you to attend a Traditional High Latin Mass so you will know what it feels like to hear the nearly continuous singing of prayer and Gregorian chant, the chant of the Priest and congregation in Latin, the smell of the incense, and the supernatural feeling of being in the presence of God. The "Mass is one continuous action, reproducing in a mysterious way the Life, Passion and Death of ************************." What I am attempting to explain is that time will disappear and you yourself will be present during these historic events which we believe took place two millennia ago. On the altar, every single movement that takes place, and word spoken, has a deep traditional meaning and significance. Everything means something.

This is my gift to you my friend - click on this link to find a High Mass (not a Low one), and don't worry about any details. Dress well, men can wear a tie if they wish, ladies can wear a modest dress with a veil. Just show up a mimic what others are doing; sit, kneel, bow, and stand as everyone else does. One key note: during the Consecration itself, the priest quietly prays the words of Consecration, in which the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Unless you are Catholic, in a state of Grace, and have fasted prior to Communion, you may not approach the altar, kneel, open your mouth, and receive Holy Communion. You can remain in your pew, and observe others. Trust me, if you have never attended a Traditional High Latin Mass, you will walk away speechless...



Crossing the Spavinaw Creek bridge on a frosty Oklahoma morning. The water level was a bit low during all of our crossing but that was fine with us!


The weather became brutally cold for a few days so one of the nights we decided to take advantage of the Applegate Cove Campground on the shore Robert Kerr Lake. Our cost was $15 per night so once again I was able to plug into shore power and enjoy heat from my temporary electric heater. This is us posing for a group photo the next morning after taking long warm showers.


A good trail will take you into places that require you to stop and think twice before continuing. We were on a maintained farm road with Paul leading when he stopped in the middle of the road and jumped on the radio stating he was not sure where to go. The area he was turning into was overgrown and seldom used, after a moment we could see some indication of a trail a bit in front of us so we continued.


One of the primary rules I have on the trail is to constantly monitor my fuel state along with various other temperatures and pressures. I always begin a trail with a full tank of gas and once I drop below one-half tank, I begin to keep an eye out for a station nearby to refuel. Once I drop to one-quarter tank my mission immediately shifts to locating fuel. We were all just under one-half tank of fuel and we noticed Miami, just a few minutes off the trail, and it was time for lunch anyway. We topped off our tanks and enjoy really good burgers at Otter-Cove Diner, alongside historic Route 66.


Near the end of the trail it became very dusty and slow so I opted to shift from tail-gunner to lead. My 6.4L Hemi was happy as the pace picked up on the home stretch - I was just on the ragged edge of communication with Dennis and Paul when out of the corner of my eye, I caught this beautiful sight. Immediately the following words came to mind...

And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and with justice doth He judge and fight. ~ Revelations 19:11

Yet another beautiful adventure came to a close with another 500+ miles of roads and trails taking us on an amazing tour of Green Country in Oklahoma. We have another week together before everyone goes their separate ways so we must talk about where to head next. Maybe we will cross the border and disappear into the Ozark Mountains once again, maybe not...

 

[ramblinChet]

The day after completing the Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour we crossed back over from Oklahoma into Arkansas and returned to Tyler Bend Campground along the Buffalo National River. Although this was a campground with showers and flush toilets within a National Park and normally there is normally a fee to camp, if you visit during the off-season (November 15 - March 15) you may stay for free. After performing some additional research using the graph for a NOAA gauge located at our first river crossing at Saint Joe, it was decided that we should scuttle our plans for the Ozark Overland Adventure Trail and make other arrangements. We had spoke with locals and most agreed that the Saint Joe river level was a critical measurement and generally, it represents one of the deepest of several dozen river crossings.

From what I was able to gather, the few locals we spoke with agreed that a river level between 2.5 to maybe 3.5 feet was okay but above that level would lead to problems. Although we plan to return to complete the OOAT one of these days one thing I plan to complete would be additional research on the river levels during different times of the year. As you can see from the graph below there was a significant flooding event in early November and it appeared to still be impacting the local river system.



Since our campground was just a few miles from the beginning the the trail we decided to drive down to the Buffalo River crossing at Saint Joe to confirm how accurately the gauge measurement reflected the actual depth at the crossing. Within a few hundred yards of the river we encountered these barriers and although we were all somewhat disappointed, we were also happy that none of us ended up fifty miles deep into the Ozark Mountains, during very cold weather, broke down or stuck.


As you might have expected, I had yet another plan in place so after scrubbing the OOAT we hit the road and began to knock down some miles. Along the way we stopped into a nice Mexican restaurant for lunch and I took advantage of snapping this funny picture of Dennis and Flor. The great thing about overlanding is it represents the essence of vehicle based adventure and exploration. It's not just rugged trails with a mixture of campfires and primitive food and drink. It's a little bit of everything to include eating in restaurants, sleeping in motels, and driving on pavement. Overlanding is more about the spirit of adventure and exploration than big fancy rigs with satellite connectivity so don't limit yourself because you don't have this or that - just get outside and go places. Have fun and seek the joy in life.


The sun has begun to set on the shore of Lake Columbia in SW Arkansas near the borders with Texas and Louisiana. It's warmer down here and life moves just a bit slower - everything feels good. Many thanks to Paul for finding this location and I guess this is a good time to discuss group size for events such as this. Over the past three decades of off-roading and now overlanding, I have noticed that there are three major metrics that generally define how long it will take to accomplish a trail - they are trail length, trail conditions, and size of group. It's easy to see how trail length and conditions impact the speed of travel but many people do not accurately consider how group size can slow down, or speed up, a trail.

On long trails, with a group, I usually like to cover at least 50-75 miles per day which is a fairly quick pace but keep in mind some of the group members have a limited amount of time. For me, two or three vehicles total seems to work best. As mentioned in my Green Country Oklahoma Adventure Tour, there are also minor metrics that impact the speed of travel on the trail but these deal more with individual vehicles and include driver experience level, vehicle configuration, and overall goals. Within a small group it is easy to make adjustments for these minor metrics although the larger the group becomes the more complex the solutions must become. If I was to lead a large group I guess the most logical solution would be to create smaller sub-groups that share many common traits. Send the most experienced and fastest group off first, followed by the next fastest, etc.


You may notice I occasionally like to include pictures of the stars. I guess the reason I do it because many of the areas I find myself in have very limited amounts of light pollution so I am able to view the heavens much like our ancestors have for thousands of years. There is something primitive and beautiful about being outside on a very dark night, enjoying the silence, and the beautiful show above. I smile knowing that I am literally looking back in time, with my naked eyes, at light that began traveling from stars between five and fifteen thousand years ago. Yes, there are many much farther but we are unable to see them with our naked eyes. I would encourage you to get outside when there is no moon, and find a place with low light pollution - here is a map to help you.


So, here is another funny story-within-a-story; we pulled into a populated area in Arkansas to gas up and Matt from Ozark Overland Adventures happened to see us rolling by so he stopped in to say hello, ask where we were heading, and chat it up a bit. I had met Matt for the first time at the 2022 Rendezvous in the Ozarks and spent an evening sitting around the fire. In general, I think he is a nice guy and provides some semi-useful information since he hit trails frequently and has been able to put hands on a wide variety of equipment - much like a overland shop. Well, that sounded quite inflammatory...semi-useful information!

Why do I use the term semi-useful? I guess my main gripe is all these social media influencers, not necessarily Matt, pass themselves off as independent and objective, yet they do this for a living and are being paid or compensated for their work. Again, kind of like a dealer - "of course, the aftermarket lights I have available are the greatest!" I'm sorry, money influences people, some more and some less; money has an unfair impact on virtually everyone it comes into contact with. And to rub salt into an open wound, in general they have limited experience with the products they promote or the real world application and use of the products. After talking with a few key influencers face-to-face, I have been shocked to hear that when the produce a report on a popular trail they often only complete sections, not the full trail. And it's even more frustrating to see them promote gear and equipment after "testing it" or "using it a few times." My gosh, people are preparing to spend their hard-earned money! I guess it's just a numbers game to some, more companies, more equipment, more sections of famous trails, and more videos with click-worthy tags equals more cash.

Throughout my career I have been accustomed to receiving and sharing information with subject matter experts - maybe this is why I am a bit biased. Me, I like to complete entire trails because guess what - the primary reason I am out there is to enjoy the trail and have some fun. I may snap a few pictures and share a few paragraphs with friends and family but I certainly am not doing any of this for money or compensation of any sort. I am doing this because I love what I am doing and hope to encourage others to get out and adventure. Maybe some day I will talk about how my choices of equipment or upgrades have worked over the past few years, maybe not. But rest assured, every single piece of my vehicle and upgrades have been selected and paid for by me - no discounts, no buddy deals; just a man who worked hard, saved a few bucks to spend hitting the trails and having fun. And sharing a few pics and paragraphs...

Man is enslaved by vanities and luxuries. He forgets that happiness is in the simple things. ~ Don Quixote