Mountain State Overland - exploring and protecting appalachia

[msoverland]

Blue Ridge Overland Grear and an OutdoorX4 Coupon Code



Afternoon EXPO members - just thought we'd share some exciting news. As of the end of last week, it's official; Blue Ridge Overland Gear (BROG) is MSO's first supporting sponsor! For those of you haven't seen their gear shuffling around EXPO and other forums, BROG is home to a truly unique and creative line up of customizable packs, pouches and panels designed to keep your adventures organized. Throughout future episodes, BROG's craftsmanship will be supporting us as we continue to promote adventure and sustainable lifestyles in Appalachia.



OutdoorX4 Magazine also joined the lineup last week and we'll be working with them throughout the next several months to further develop what MSO started just 7 months ago. If you're looking to add something new to your next road trip, pick up a copy of OutdoorX4 and pack for adventure. For anyone that's spotted this post, use coupon code "msoverland2014" on the OutdoorX4 store for 20% OFF previous issues, new subscriptions or any other schwag they have for sale.

And hope to see those of you who are registered at the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival in Pennsylvania July 11-13, 2014 -> registration closes July 1!

 

[msoverland]

Just getting settled in and unloaded after the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival. We met some amazing people, had a great time filming and took home 1st Place in the Film Festival for Episode 4! Stay tuned - we hope to release Episode 6 by early to mid-August.

 

[verticaltrx]

Great thread and pics, haven't watched the videos yet but will when I get a chance. I'm another local, live in Floyd county now, used to live in Grayson county. I also went to VT and have wheeled all over SW VA with the 4wd club there. There are tons of places to explore in this region, many are places you wouldn't think to look. I've found a lot of the good trails are actually old state or county routes that have been abandon and are legal, but unknown to most people. They range from simple dirt roads with water crossings to ones that are all but impassible in anything less than a fully built trail rig.

Another thing to consider, (and I'm sure you may know this) is the seasonal aspect of the forest roads. There are a lot that are closed from December to April, and others that are only open for a couple months in the fall (Nov-Dec usually) for hunting season. I think the forest service has a PDF file with all the roads and the dates they are open.

Let me know if you are ever in this area and would like to see some of the lesser known trails.

 

[msoverland]

Good to have another rig close to home and you're right; the abandoned roads are typically the best ones. We've definitely uncovered a few of these in VA and WV since we formed MSO.

I think you're talking about the Motor Vehicle Use Maps for George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Its a great resource, but its certainly not 100%. We've learned that the USFS has tough time communicating road closures across the different districts; case made in Episode 4.

Keep us in mind if you're ever in Greenbrier County WV or up closer to Roanoke/Bedford VA and we'll tag up for a beer.

Great thread and pics, haven't watched the videos yet but will when I get a chance. I'm another local, live in Floyd county now, used to live in Grayson county. I also went to VT and have wheeled all over SW VA with the 4wd club there. There are tons of places to explore in this region, many are places you wouldn't think to look. I've found a lot of the good trails are actually old state or county routes that have been abandon and are legal, but unknown to most people. They range from simple dirt roads with water crossings to ones that are all but impassible in anything less than a fully built trail rig.

Another thing to consider, (and I'm sure you may know this) is the seasonal aspect of the forest roads. There are a lot that are closed from December to April, and others that are only open for a couple months in the fall (Nov-Dec usually) for hunting season. I think the forest service has a PDF file with all the roads and the dates they are open.

Let me know if you are ever in this area and would like to see some of the lesser known trails.

 

[msoverland]

Episode 6 - celebrating adventure

Episode 6 - celebrating adventure

In this episode, Jeremy, Jason and the guys at Blue Ridge Overland Gear head into western PA to celebrate the adventure spirit at the Mid Atlantic Overland Festival and learn more about this northern region of Appalachia.

music by Kalob Griffin Band

 

[FromRaleigh]

Keep up the good work

 

[msoverland]

We've been contacted by some EXPO members recently regarding route planning in Appalachia and we've gotten some great feedback as a result! More recently, we planned our latest route for two adventurers from Ontario.

The Morton brothers will be heading south from Canada into WV and PA this weekend for a week long adventure exploring some of the back roads and trails in Appalachia. Tune in and follow their adventure as it unfolds - A Week in the Heart of the Appalachian Mountains.

We'll be posting this route and some of our others on the MSO website in the coming weeks if you're interested in exploring some of this terrain on your own!

 

[fike]

Did you guys ski when you were at White Grass? I didn't see an footage in that video, so if you didn't, you need to plan a return visit.

 

[msoverland]

Did you guys ski when you were at White Grass? I didn't see an footage in that video, so if you didn't, you need to plan a return visit.

We defintely did ski but didn't stop to set up gear along the trails; it was bitter cold, 12F during the day and 5F at night. We tele and xcountry; and spend quite a bit of time up there in the winter. The trails, terrain and huts are a whole other element of Whitegrass.

 

[fike]

We defintely did ski but didn't stop to set up gear along the trails; it was bitter cold, 12F during the day and 5F at night. We tele and xcountry; and spend quite a bit of time up there in the winter. The trails, terrain and huts are a whole other element of Whitegrass.

Glad to hear it. The absence of trails video was disappointing to me. That is where the most wondrous comraderie of White Grass Happens....next to the sawmill flats shelter or on baldy grove where strangers meet like they have known each other for a lifetime. Truly a beautiful experience. If you want to come back, I can show you some of my fave spots for some video work.

 

[msoverland]

Glad to hear it. The absence of trails video was disappointing to me. That is where the most wondrous comraderie of White Grass Happens....next to the sawmill flats shelter or on baldy grove where strangers meet like they have known each other for a lifetime. Truly a beautiful experience. If you want to come back, I can show you some of my fave spots for some video work.

Thanks for watching Fike and sharing your comments! Agreed, the x country skiing, views and shelters are amazing retreats from the rich culture and spirit that surrounds the ski lodge. Hope to see you at Whitegrass in the future!

 

[msoverland]

Typing this hurts as we're missing out on Overland Expo East, but with a newborn in hands, it's easy to say - "staying home was worth it!"

Trip planning is underway for Episode 7 as we prepare to roll out next weekend. Team MSO and Blue Ridge Overland Gear are heading further south and overlanding from central WV into the Mountain State's southern coal fields. The route we've mapped out starts in Pax, WV and terminates in Elkhorn City, KY and we'll make the GPX files for this trip available on the website once we've validated the tracks. The trails and backroads from Episode 7 will compliment the 3 overland routes that we've already mapped out for overland buffs that are searching for terrain in Appalachia. Each route we've made available interconnect with each other making extended, week long trips an option on the East coast; check out the website for pictures and details.

We've made a few, much needed, mods to the truck in preparation for our last trip of 2014; at the top of the list was seeking out a solution for hands free navigation. Over the last 6 trips we've made, our iPhones and iPads either sat on a passenger's or driver's lap as we navigated our routes. For Episode 7, we've added a Bird Dawg Industries Mirror Riser to the Tacoma. Coupled with a Ram Mount X-Grip, we'll be navigating hands free through southern WV.

We recently swapped out the DIY steel roof rack for an much more practical, customizable, lighter weight version. Prinsu Design Studio hooked us up with a cap and cab rack for the Tacoma to help us carry our gear without compromising our payload.

Thanks to the efforts of Main Line Overland for putting on the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival and Outback Proven for donating a set of Maxtrax for the film festival, we'll be toting along some traction pads next weekend. We opted for QuickFists to secure the Maxtrax to the roof rack because the price point was under $10 and the reliability was proven. We had used Quickfists in our previous trips to carry a spade, skis and other items so there was no doubt they were a perfect for our application.

Stay tuned and we'll be sure to share some updates as we close in on and film our season finale of Mountain State Overland. Until then, travel AND live more responsibly.

 

[mortonm]

Looking good guys! Looks like a great solution for the GPS

 

[msoverland]

It's been only a week since the team returned from our trip to southern West Virginia and we've been sorting through over 2 hrs. of film to cut Episode 7.

We had mapped out 300 miles to complete in 3 days but the terrain proved to be much slower than we anticipated; and that's good news if you're wondering. Blue Ridge Overland Gear joined the team for filming our season finale along with three other friends to help us navigate the route.

For Episode 7, we split the crew up between the Tacoma, 4Runner and Blue Ridge Overland Gear's 80 Series Land Cruiser. The trip was filmed with a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon Rebel T3i, a couple of GoPro Hero 3s and a Garmin VIRB. We brought along a DJI Phantom to help us catch some aerial footage but two days of rain left the drone boxed up for most of the trip.

Look for the GPX file on the MSO Store when we release Episode 7 in couple weeks. Until then, we'll be sharing some still shots and updates from the trip here on EXPO and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Cheers!

 

[KcinSacco]

Hey guys love your videos, keep em coming ! Any idea if there is a build thread for that blue fj60? Thanks,