North America Overland: a trans continental trip in a Jeep Wrangler

[North America Overland]

In 2009 I took a 97 Jeep Wrangler from Connecticut to Mexico and Alaska and many interesting places in between. Here are some stories, photos and videos from this trip.

Video montage of the trip

Introduction to Overlanding
When I was 18 me and a friend drove an 87 jeep wrangler up to Canada from Connecticut. The jeep had over 200,000 miles and no top or doors. We loaded it up with tools and camping gear and headed north. The freedom I experienced in the Jeep put to shame my previous modes of transportation, hiking, canoes and 2wd cars. The jeep was able to follow even the most overgrown dirt track and then get back on paved roads to head to the next destination. What vehicle could be more prefect for exploring the world we live in? The fact that it rained most of the time did not phase us. We were completely enamored by our new mode of exploring, we saw tiny settlements miles off the beaten path, big cities like montreal, and the remote logging roads. Since that time I was hooked on this perfect mix of experiences we call overlanding. I don’t know any other form of travel that lets you enjoy such a vierity of scenery and experiences.



Finding A Vehicle
Years later I was thinking about a big trip. I wanted to see the most remote corners of North America and as much in between as I could manage. Alaska and Baja, the Rubicon trail and Death Valley, ghost towns and big cities. I wanted to see it all.
First I needed a vehicle. The key to a good overland vehicle is a purchase price low enough to keep as much of your travelling budget intact as possible while still being capable and reliable, or if not reliable then easily field repaired. The only vehicle I could find that met this criteria for me was a 1997 jeep wrangler with a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine, 5 speed transmission, 80,000 miles and no options, the price just $1000. The only catch was it had been in a roll over accident. Not a slow roll like what might happen off road, it rolled on the highway at about 50mph. The suspension was badly damaged and the roll cage was bent and the body and top mangled. I hammered out the body panels the best I could, put a new soft top on it, new control arms and shocks. I added some 1’’ coil spring spacers for some lift, front and rear lock right lockers, a winch, 31’’ tires and a whole bunch of recovery gear, tools and camping gear. This trip was going to be about 15,000 miles across much of North America so it was now time to thoroughly test out the jeep.

 

[North America Overland]

We were ready to go. Like that first trip that inspired it all we pointed the jeep north and set out. We drove up the coast to Bar Harbor Maine and mount desert island. We camped along the way, we visited nearly abandoned back woods settlements and coastal towns. We crossed the border from Maine into New Brunswick. We got off the paved roads and explored the rocky coastline and endless dirt roads of the interior. We stopped at the famous city market of St John, New Brunswick to stock up on cheap smoked salmon. We visited the Bay of Fundy where the tide rises and falls over 40’ every day. Oh yea and I’m on crutches because I am recovering from a broken leg but that’s another story. We nearly got stuck out on the beach because of my slow pace and the problem of the in coming tide blocking our path back to the trail but we made it- barely. We drove straight back to CT, having exhausted every last minute of our travelling time, content that the jeep was vetted and we were ready to take on the big trip that I had dreamed of!

Searching for an abandoned tungsten mine pretty far away from civilization.

We thought this tungsten mine was completely abandoned, but there was still a care taker who was happy to show us around. I don't think he gets many visitors!

Heading back to CT.

 

[North America Overland]

After a few months my broken leg had healed and we were ready to set off on the big trip. Every one we divulged our plans to were unconvinced that we could pull something like this off. Some common questions included: ''what happens if the jeep breaks down in the middle of nowhere or gets stuck and we are stranded?’’ and ''isn’t Mexico dangerous?’’ Also we really couldn’t take off 2 months to travel. We needed to do it in 3 segments each time we would leave the jeep in storage and fly back home. When we had time again we could fly out and retrieve the jeep and continue.

We set out Friday night and took the highway straight out to St Louis MI. We then got on highway 50 a sparsely populated 2 lane road that runs east -west across the US. We slowed our pace and enjoyed the monotonous scenery of the great plains.

Soon day turned to night and with snow flying horizontally we needed to find a spot to stop and sleep. We pulled into a deserted campground and began to learn one of the most important skills on our trips, how to sleep comfortably in the back of a jeep wrangler.

The next day took us across the national grass lands some of the only never plowed, never cultivated portions of the great plains.

The road went from sparsely populated to virtually deserted. We poked around old gas stations and abandoned buildings, with the frigid temperatures and howling winds we found it easy to image why the owners left long ago leaving behind old trucks and other artifacts that they no longer needed wherever it was that they were headed.

Rising above the plains almost like a desert mirage, the rocky mountains finally came into view, we were ready for a change of scenery anyway. As we gained elevation the Jeep's cruising speed began to slow giving us even more opportunities to take in the scenery.

We reached Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The snow covered dunes were surreal and forbidding, we were happy to admire them from a distance. As we were perusing the visitor center a ranger came in looking for the owner of the black jeep in the parking lot. They said a girl had gotten her truck stuck on snow covered, sandy trail on the edge of the dunes. Of course we obliged. We performed a well-executed rescue and were on our way.

The next day we found ourselves stranded as well. Well rested after a night in a hotel we were more than ready to hit the road, the jeep however was not. It turned over but would not start. Turning on the ignition and listening carefully revealed the absence of an important sound, the hum of the electric fuel pump. No problem at all! We walked across town to an auto parts store and bought a replacement fuel pump. In the hotel parking lot I managed to drop the gas tank and replace the pump. It was a huge relief to hear the jeep fire up right away. Now onto Moab!

We were much happier with the warmer climate as we headed into arches national park. We put the top down and headed for some dirt. We were in awe of the unusual rock formations all around us. As this perfect day drew to a close we headed back into Moab for some food and gas, when we turned the key the jeep turned over and over and over and refused to start. Again I listened for the hum of the fuel pump, again nothing. The new fuel pump lasted just under 2 days. We found ourselves walking down the street to the auto parts store this time to purchase not one but two fuel pumps, we needed to be prepared if this was to happen again in a remote place. I dropped the tank and replaced the pump and the Jeep came back to life. Instead of these situations scaring us from taking the Jeep into remote places it simply reinforced the fact that every problem has a solution this entire trip would be a great learning experience. Now we were ready for another day in the backcountry!

On our last day in Utah we drove up to Salt Lake City to put the Jeep in storage and catch our flight back to CT. We could have spent the entire time allotted for our trip just exploring Utah alone. We knew we would be back as soon as we could.

 

[YYCADM]

You're off to a great start on what sounds like it'll be an EPIC trip! Southern Utah is an incredible area. My wife and I spent three weeks down there two years ago, going from one park to the next to the next...we never did conclude which one we loved the best...we have to go back to do some more research!

Looking forward to the rest of your journey!

 

[Red Zebra]

Cool trip. I'll follow along for each episode.
I like your approach: 1. Low dollar "disposable" vehicle. 2. Add gear and pretty riding partner. 3. Go exploring. =)

 

[Ranger Steve]

Nice pictures and report this far!

 

[Gregster]

Right on! :smiley_drive:

 

[LR Max]

You are doing it right.

 

[North America Overland]

4 months later we flew back to Salt Lake city to resume our trip. When we arrived at storage we found that someone had slit our rear side window, got into the jeep and stole the first aid kit and a Moab sticker. They could have just unzipped the window instead of cutting it if they needed a bunch of band aids that badly. We began to head south, our destination: the states of Sonora and Baja in Mexico.

As we rambled down 2 lane roads well away from the highway we spotted a ghost town that we just had to check out.

This is Frisco once a quintessential wild west town that had sprung up around a rich silver mine. In 1885 the open pit mine caved in and the town was soon deserted. The ruins still standing were like a snapshot of a completely forgotten time. The cemetery was full of the graves of children, the best built structure were those directly associated with the mine, the other buildings were shacks with boarded up windows, full of tumble weed.

Utah has just so much to offer I can’t think of any other place that has such a wide variety of terrain and geological oddities. Bryce canyon is one such place, it’s hard to comprehend what exactly you are seeing when you look over the canyon.

Just outside the park we headed down some trails in the general south west direction and battled mud and snow until we eventually reached the highway, now happy to be making good time. As we barreled down the highway an erie glow rose from the desert.

It was Las Vegas. We drove into the city feeling very out of place in our Jeep completed covered from top to bottom in Utah mud. Although we managed to enjoy the city we left with a sort of empty feeling and somewhat unfulfilled.

Now we were ready to venture across the border and leave the US behind. We crossed from Yuma arizone to San luis Sonora Mexico. The border was not what we had expected. We assumed there would be a long line and we would need to declare our camera etc. Instead we drove the road leading into mexico not even relizng we had crossed a border until we saw Mexican lisence plates on every car.

We found a place to buy Mexican car insurance, they took the dust cover off a type writer like machine to print out our insurance document. Now we could safely head out of town and toward the coast. We drove thrugh El Golfo De Santa Clara a small village with dirt streets and then directly out onto the sandy beach of the Sea of Cortez.

The roads were so badly potholed that we were making better time driving on the sandy shoulder aired down to about 18psi amazingly buses were driving these potholed roads but it looked like they had a central tire inflation system fitted.

Finally we made to the coast.

 

[fo' runnin']

Wow, awesome photos and story! Thanks so much for sharing! Looks like the trip of a lifetime!

 

[ExploringNH]

Great trip. Keep sharing!

 

[GetOutThere]

Great stuff!

 

[gmwelder86]

This is an awesome trip and something you will never forget. Enjoy every second of it!!

 

[Sleam]

More please!

 

[cobra_4]

Awesome!! Subin' for more!! Such a cool trip. Just goes to show you that you don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a rig to go out and enjoy the country, or the world!