Up-yers!!!! (Expedition Trophy)

Ruffin' It

Explorer
Big thanks

Thank you so much to all those that helped put the Trophy on this year AND to all those who attended making it another great experience. It was, yet again, one of the higlights of my year (even though I didn't get a chance to visit with a number of people that I was really looking forward to catching up with).
For those of you who were on the Southern overland route we (black Discovery) are doing fine. The decision to bail out on the route turned out to be the right one. By the time I rolled into the dealer, I was having to shift manually so I could keep the revs high enough to continue moving forward. We are still in Scottsdale as our Rover isn't expected to be out of the dealer until Monday. The diagnosis was a cracked coil. Much to my dismay, they also found a blown head gasket (an issue I have known about but could not get the LA Rover dealer to even look at because they would have had to fix it under warranty), a leaking transfer case, broken engine mounts (presumably from the very very shaky engine on the way to the dealer), and a dead windshield washer pump. I also found out the spark plug wires for a Disco cost $340 - uninstalled! In case anyone is wondering, the Rover dealer in Scottsdale is top notch. Charlie has been really great and they have done a MUCH better job than any dealer I have been to in Southern California.

On a side note, if anyone wants to buy a 2004 Disco, mine is for sale. Sure I'm asking more than it is worth (since I owe more than it is worth), but on the bright side it already comes with custom "pin-stripping" and dents to give you that instant trail cred you really want to have. :yikes:

Andrea says thank you to everyone and that she LOVED meeting all the wonderful people. You all are a much better group than we could have ever hoped for.

Tyler & Andrea
 

Connie

Day walker, Overland Certified OC0013
Ruffin' It said:
By the time I rolled into the dealer, I was having to shift manually so I could keep the revs high enough to continue moving forward. We are still in Scottsdale as our Rover isn't expected to be out of the dealer until Monday. The diagnosis was a cracked coil. Much to my dismay, they also found a blown head gasket (an issue I have known about but could not get the LA Rover dealer to even look at because they would have had to fix it under warranty), a leaking transfer case, broken engine mounts (presumably from the very very shaky engine on the way to the dealer), and a dead windshield washer pump. I also found out the spark plug wires for a Disco cost $340 - uninstalled!

Yeeeouch! :smilies27 Glad you made it though, that's the thing, at least a Rover lets you know she's hurting before she dies, usually doesn't leave you physically stranded, maybe financially stranded, but there you are.

Still, we missed you both out on the trail.
 

flyingwil

Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
Well, it was indeed a blast and it was sad to have to depart. I enjoyed meeting every one!

I was kinda busy, and didn't have much camera time, or forgot I had the camera with me during the main camp.

Here's a few shots Wen and I did manage to capture:
DSC00678.JPG


DSC00687.JPG
 

jcbrandon

Explorer
A few pictures from the event:

Just can't get enough of the airborne angry blue lemming:



...

Trail Monkey shows us how they drive in New York:



...

And the newly-crowned champion gets a preview of some of the obscure rituals of the Overland Society:



...
 

DesertRose

Safari Chick & Supporting Sponsor
Great pictures, J - thanks so much. It was great to meet you and thanks for participating! (Your Happy Hour Trophy entries were awesome, too)

I posted some images on the Overland Journal blog - more to come!
 

viatierra

Explorer
Unexpected perks!

In this last week since the trophy I've experienced a couple of added life bonuses as a direct result in participating in the fun with you guys.

1. To say that my girlfriend Christine was dubious about hanging out in a competitive environment with a bunch of boys and their trucks for FOUR days is a serious understatement. Well she had a blast! She really caught the vision of what Overlanding is about. She was impressed that the classes presented her with practical skills and plenty of great information. She said she wished she had taken notes! Martyn might be glad to know that she picked up a basic tire repair kit for her Paseo. She's now confident enough to put in a plug herself the next time she gets a flat. She wants to learn more about wilderness first aid, and she's interested in exploring orienteering via compass and map.

The bottom line is on the way home she said, "Wow Greg, we need to get out and travel more!" My quality of life just improved because Christine is inspired to load up and go more often... and go farther!

2. For those who didn't know, I am a High School math teacher for ELL students (English Language Learner). In Phoenix, that means I work with students from Mexico. I've built rapport with those students by sharing my Mexico adventures and working on my Spanish. At least, that is what I've done until this year. This year I've had a shift with at least half of my students now being refugees. A large percentage of those are from the African continent: Libya, Liberia, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Congo, Sierra Leon, Ethiopia... Well, I showed my classes pictures of the weekend. My African students were excited to see all the Safari ready vehicles! A new connection was made as we traded stories and showed a renewed interest in one another.

Then we sharpened our pencils and solved a bunch of equations... Good times!
 

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
viatierra said:
In this last week since the trophy I've experienced a couple of added life bonuses as a direct result in participating in the fun with you guys.

. . .


:victory:

Oh, we have to ban you from future events. Math teachers are evil beings...and we don't associate with evil. Sorry.

:sombrero:
 

Rock FJ

Observer
Thanks to everyone at the trophy. It is by far the best event I attend every year. Although we didn't win this year, we had a fantastic time with old and new friends and Lance was finally able to launch the FJ higher than everyone expected. (including us)

There is so many people I would like to thank that I won't start with names as I may forget one or two. They all know what a blast we had, best camping food ever and perfect score to the organization.

Can't wait for next years !!! We will post some more pics soon.

UP YERSSSS !!!
 

Hltoppr

El Gringo Spectacular!
Greg,

So cool to hear that! It's exactly what we're hoping for by putting the ET together!

-H-
 

BlueFly

Observer
A raised glass and cheers to Scott, Andrew, Ed, Jeremy, Wendy, Graham, Connie, Roseann, Jonathan, Wil, Wendy, Chris, Al, Martyn and Paul and everyone else I’ve missed, for putting together a fantastic weekend.
A special toast to Scott Brady for everything, right down to the :cow:and :26_34_3:


The thought and creativity that went into the event planning really showed- while there were plenty of challenges, they were all the good kind. And the schedule left plenty of time for relaxing and enjoying the surroundings and great people who participated. I had a blast meeting everyone – a very fine weekend! I still have a big grin on my face.
 

DesertRose

Safari Chick & Supporting Sponsor
viatierra said:
In this last week since the trophy I've experienced a couple of added life bonuses as a direct result in participating in the fun with you guys.

1. To say that my girlfriend Christine was dubious about hanging out in a competitive environment with a bunch of boys and their trucks for FOUR days is a serious understatement. Well she had a blast! She really caught the vision of what Overlanding is about. She was impressed that the classes presented her with practical skills and plenty of great information. She said she wished she had taken notes! Martyn might be glad to know that she picked up a basic tire repair kit for her Paseo. She's now confident enough to put in a plug herself the next time she gets a flat. She wants to learn more about wilderness first aid, and she's interested in exploring orienteering via compass and map.

The bottom line is on the way home she said, "Wow Greg, we need to get out and travel more!" My quality of life just improved because Christine is inspired to load up and go more often... and go farther!

2. For those who didn't know, I am a High School math teacher for ELL students (English Language Learner). In Phoenix, that means I work with students from Mexico. I've built rapport with those students by sharing my Mexico adventures and working on my Spanish. At least, that is what I've done until this year. This year I've had a shift with at least half of my students now being refugees. A large percentage of those are from the African continent: Libya, Liberia, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Congo, Sierra Leon, Ethiopia... Well, I showed my classes pictures of the weekend. My African students were excited to see all the Safari ready vehicles! A new connection was made as we traded stories and showed a renewed interest in one another.

Then we sharpened our pencils and solved a bunch of equations... Good times!

Greg,

That is really fantastic - it is what we want to accomplish with events such as this! Explore - educate - conserve. It's such a great connection. Thanks for sharing your and Christine's experiences.

We are figuring out how we can expand it to include more people in the future - without having a negative impact on the landscape.

Looking forward to more explorations in the future!

Roseann
 

jcbrandon

Explorer
DesertRose said:
... We are figuring out how we can expand it to include more people in the future - without having a negative impact on the landscape...
Concurrent events in multiple locations? Perhaps with trail rides from one location to another in the middle of the event? Think of a vollyball team rotating spots...

Just my haphazard thoughts.

Outstanding event. Great people. Wonderful concept.
 

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