trip report: 4states-4days. #justicewv #boonenc #overland #appalachia
Trip Report: Justice WV to Boone NC
This trip was the Season Opener of the 2015 year, so we knew it had to be epic….what better way to start out than to invite some new (and old) friends along for the ride. We have done several videos and a few PS (pre-season) trips but this officially marks the beginning for us. We were fortunate enough to have a great group along with us on this adventure. Stay tuned for the videos (notice that video was plural) they’ll be coming out soon!!
Gist of the trip:
When we started planning this trip we wanted to make our season opener something to remember, and I think that we did just that. As we travel deeper into Appalachia we found new challenges, and our team’s talent began to shine almost immediately. We began our journey in Justice WV, where we met up with Jason and Matt A. (owner of Blue Ridge Overland Gear). We also invite Joe along again and the gang from 4xFish (Matt and Caitie) and Venture4wd.com (Chris and Brandie) accompanied us as well. Also along for the ride was our old friend from Season 1, Rick Stowe and of course Jason, Jeremy and I from Team MSO. The goal was to hit the trail starting out in Justice and end up in Boone, NC where we would spend one last night before heading our separate ways. We are calling the expedition “4states4days” and we covered 400 miles of back country roadways and some pavement along the way.
Highlights:
We traveled through parts of West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee before reaching our destination in Boone, NC. We had a great time with these guys/gals and they all brought their own energy to this trip which made it that much better. Matt A., more than demonstrated his expertise on the trail, directing us through some of the most challenging sections we have faced yet. There were definitely numerous times we felt that we might lose a vehicle early on in our journey on the first day. We also hit a point on the trail that we all felt turning around wasn’t an option, even if we wanted to, as we couldn’t get back through the obstacles that we had already overcome. We ate some good food and filmed more "Backcountry Cooking" as well on this trip. We had some killer campsites and some unusual visitors, a group horses came in to check us out...you don't see that often.
The next to last day of the trip we hit a great swimming hole and then went into Boone and met up with the owners of Lost Province Brewing Company for an interview and then had some great pizza and even better beer!
What we learned:
We know our equipment is solid and all the modifications were worth it. We learned that Maxtrax and our Warn Zeon winches are our best friends, and the ARB USA Bull Bar Bumper rounded off the trifecta to get the job done. We found out that some good team work with a great group of people is key to the success of the trip. Matt A. is a wealth of off-road wisdom and was responsible for helping get us through a really tough section of trail toward the beginning of the trip. The Land Cruiser is still a beast…..it made it through terrain that I still can hardly believe, course Matt A. was driving so really there shouldn't have been any surprise there. We learned that there are times that you have to winch from the front of the vehicle and the back…at the same time! The gang from 4xFish taught us that you should always bring a shovel or digging tool with you on a trip. Chris showed us his driving skills in the Cherokee, getting past the toughest obstacles....and making it look easy! We learned that a hammock at camp is another key item, I will personally bring one from here on out. Jason brought them in the past, but seeing Rick camping in one and Chris and Brandie lounging in one around camp really confirmed it.
Final thoughts:
I highly recommend bringing new friends, and old ones, on trips as they make the experience that much more memorable. We will definitely incorporate a shovel into our tool bag from now on as they can be instrumental to success. This was a challenging and awesome experience, one that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I think that if you are inclined to get out and explore there are a lot of offerings throughout Appalachia. Just spend some time doing the research and picking the brains of those who have been there before you head out, and then go have your own adventure. Oh, don’t forget to keep an eye open for our first of two videos that we will be making from this trip, coming June 24th, along with a “Back Country Cooking” episode. The second video will be out later in July. I leave you with this thought, when you look back at at your experiences what would you like to see…..I think it might be that you did something memorable, not that you put in time at the office or on the job. Get out and make some memories, whatever they may be!!
Photo Credits: 4xFish, Rick Stowe, Venture4wd.com and Mountain State Overland
Sponsor by: Blue Ridge Overland Gear
And in part by: OutdoorX4 Magazine
Special Thanks: Lost Province Brewing Co.
a review: the tembo tusk front pull slide - @tembotusk #fridgeslide #overland #cooking
Tembo Tusk Fridge Slide w/Cutting Board
When the team decided that we wanted to run refrigerator systems in the vehicle this season we were met with the challenge of deciding where and how we wanted to mount said systems. We went with the iconic Engel MT45 for its stellar reputation in the overland community and its incredible efficiency ratings. For the 4runner we only have but so much room in the rear cargo area and we try to maximize space so that things stay orderly and accessible. With the cargo box/drawer built into the back already we felt a pull out fridge slide would be optimal and would allow us the ability to mount the fridge on top of the existing box.
With that decision process over we immediately thought of Tembo Tusk as a possibility for making our Engel fridge even better. We were in contact with Jerry shortly thereafter and soon enough had a pair of Extreme Duty Flat Slides with the cutting board attachment in our possession. The first thing noticed when we grabbed the box was the weight. It feels like you could drop this thing off of a building and it might maybe bend it a little. The material and production quality utilized is amazing and is obviously built for years and years of hard use over rough terrain.
At the heart of this system is a set of Accuride slides that I believe are rated at 500 pounds. They lock both in and out (which is nice on uneven terrain) and they are very smooth and easy to operate. If you check out the Tembo Tusk website you can see a picture of a man sitting on one of these slides with no failure, which is impressive. So filling an Engel Fridge/Freezer full of food and beverage and putting it on this slide is no worry at all.
Another very nice feature that Jerry included was the cutting board attachment, which slides out from under the fridge and gives a nice working surface for prepping meals, snacks, or mixed drinks. The board itself easily lifts out for cleaning or moving food around camp. At first we wondered if we would really use that feature much since we already have a pretty well thought out camp kitchen, but we have since found it indispensable and having extra food prep surfaces in camp is always good. It has been used for anything from chopping onions/peppers for fajitas to slicing limes for camp brew to chopping mint for mojitos. We wouldn't leave home without it now that we have that option.
Jerry has been an amazing guy to work with since day 1 and has been very supportive of our endeavors. His product is made entirely in the US and it is built to work...plain and simple. We also utilized the "buffalo straps" which are used to secure the Engel to the slide with webbing and a cam buckle. These are very handy and do the trick quite well. The fridge is certainly not coming off of that slide even in heavy off-road applications, trust me...we have tried. The only minor issue we had was the Engel likes to "walk around" some in the slide on rough and bumpy terrain which we fixed by placing a 1/4 inch rubber mat under the fridge which seems to have worked. This may not be the case for other brands of refrigeration and its really a nominal issue.
All in all we couldn't be more pleased with Tembo Tusk and their products. True American craftsmanship that fills a very important role in our overland travels. They also make the Skottle cooker (see previous blog post) as well, which is another amazing product we continue to use and appreciate time and again. (note: Blue Ridge Overland Gear also produces a Skottle Carrying Bag that you can get on the Tembo Tusk Site)
More at Tembo Tusk
a review: the new blue ridge cookbook - @carolinafoodie #blueridge #cuisine
The New Blue Ridge Cookbook: Written by Elizabeth Wiegand
History/Connection to Area:
The New Blue Ridge Cookbook is a fun read as well as a great place to learn about the history and culture of this area. One of the reasons that we are showcasing this cookbook is to shine a light on where we come from and how awesome it truly is.
The Farm to Table movement is thriving right now from North Carolina up to Central Virginia around Charlottesville. This enables restaurants to use locally grown food and prepare meals around what is in season. Thus adding to the variety and authenticity of what is being served on the menu. The farmers of the this region also practice “do the right thing” in which they let the animals free range and don’t use chemicals on their vegetable in order to grow better-for-you, better tasting produce and meats. Reducing their carbon footprint, renewing the soil, and conserve energy are all a part of their efforts to produce better tasting food.
Overland Applications:
This is a great read and full of wonderful stories and equally great food. However, some of the recipes in this cookbook would not be ideal for overland cooking as they require too many steps and too much preparation that could be more easily done in our own kitchens. That being said, there are adaptations and recipes that are simple enough, such as the Red Lentil and Vegetable Stew that I made in the first Back Country Cooking Episode, and the Sweet Potato Biscuits that I made in the second episode. I found both of these recipes to be tasty and they went well together too. You could make enough of the biscuits to have as a side for dinner and for breakfast too. That is important because if your like me and practice the cook once eat twice method of food preparation it saves time. I cooked the biscuits in a Dutch Oven and found that with some tending this worked out well, the stew could be cooked that way as well or on the camp stove just as easily! Would I recommend this cookbook as a staple on the trail, possibly not as it really was not meant for that purpose, however as with all recipes and cookbooks one can always improvise and use it as a guide and take away what you can use from it.
Day to Day Applications:
As far as the day to day applications of this cookbook I can see myself using it for years to come. There are recipes for every day as well as recipes that you can pull out for special occasions. I feel that this would be a welcome addition to anyone’s collection that was interested in having some great recipes from the Appalachian Region. There are great recipes like Mountain Trout with Seabeans and Garlic Aioli Butter, and Pear Glazed Chicken!! Don’t know about you but my mouth is watering now! You will find everything from meats and potatoes to vegetarian dishes alike in this wonderfully original cookbook. As you read through the cookbook you’ll see pictures and read stories all centered around the Blue Ridge way of life! Take the time to get a copy and you won’t regret it.
Final Thoughts:
Overall the cookbook is a great addition to any kitchen, it is full of great recipes that you will enjoy for years to come. Some of the items will be hard to find in your local markets and you may need to substitute or order them online….but I feel that with a little ingenuity you can work it out. If I could only make one point in all of this it would be this; the purpose of any good meal it to bring together the people that you are with for the purpose of enjoying the moment! So in my opinion this cookbook and the meals inside would do just that, and if you can make them on the trail, or in your kitchen prior to heading out then so be it. Bottom line, I definitely recommend checking it out and for $18.95 it’s a deal, besides where else are you going to find Blue Ridge recipes like these.
Author Contact/Website: The New Blue Ridge Cookbook
a review: arb bull bar - @arb_usa #bullbar #bumper #overland #travel
ARB Bull Bar (bumper) -
After contacting Matt Glass at ARB USA and getting to know him and the company a little better it was decided that a big area of need for the vehicles was some solid front end protection that would also offer recovery and self-recovery options as well. The ARB bull bar does this and it does it well. For my 3rd Generation 4Runner (circa 200) this has been a nice match and the bull bar continues to prove itself time and again in both durability and functionality. And for those that know me they know I am not easy on anything that I own. I may have met my match with this piece.
When we started working with ARB we knew a fair bit about their product line and how we could work some of their product into our vehicle builds. For the 3rd gen we had to obtain the bull bar designed for the 2nd Gen Tacoma. After removing the stock bumper from the 4runner and making some modifications we were ready to fit the bumper. While this wasn't the hardest task in the world it definitely took some thought and modifications on our part, particularly when considering we would be adding a winch in the near future and we had to make sure everything would go together well. As designed the 2nd gen bumper was too snug to the vehicle and would not allow for the winch to be mounted and accessed readily. A few welds here...a few welds there (thanks to Matt at Blue Ridge Overland Gear!!) and we were in business. The bumper is mounted out a bit more than anticipated but with the winch we were going with it was required to allow the winch to be dropped out of the bottom for service/maintenance.
Having this level of protection on the front end of your vehicle really is a game changer. One of the more noticeable changes is in the approach angle of the vehicle as compared to the stock (plastic behemoth) bumper it came with. The bumper sweeps up nicely on both sides exposing the front wheels and really improving the vehicles capability. This is the more traditional looking ARB bull bar with turn signals only and no fog light cutouts. It has mounts for driving/off-road lights as well as mounts for a variety of winching options. ARB was kind enough to hook us up with the IPF dual beam lights which match very nicely with this bumper (more to come on those later). It also has two connection points on the front to attach D ring shackles for recovery points, which also work well.
In day to day driving and off-road driving situations one of the main things you notice about this bumper is how robust it is. As you drive along a dirt road you cant help but notice the rounded tubes riding just above the front of your hood and you soon realize you have a very high quality piece of protection on your vehicle. MSO has been running the ARB bull bars for several months now and we have had several chances to put it through the paces including some heavy winching situations as well as negotiating some very technical and challenging off-road routes here locally. The bumper has performed flawlessly. It is confidence inspiring knowing you have a bumper that will take some abuse...allowing you to jump into terrain you likely wouldn't have with that stock bumper you had before. We have winched hard on this bumper and plowed loads of mud with it and other than some scratches it shows no sign of giving up and likely wont for a very long time. After all, we buy gear to be used and ARB is no slouch when it comes to making gear to fill that need. We are excited to put the bull bars to use and hope everyone will pull up a chair and follow us into 2015 as we overland through Appalachia and share some interesting stories along the way.
trip report: greenbrier off-road adventures llc. @gboffroad #overland #extreme #appalachia
Trip Report: Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC
Gist of the trip:
When we started planning this excursion it was a means to an ends, we were hoping to get out in the woods and have a little fun while filming some footage of the new gear. We also wanted to be able to show off some of the cool things that are in our back yards….literally. Let me give you some details about our hosts, Chris who is the owner of Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC, and Tracy who is one of the instructors and a great resource when we found ourselves in a pickle. They were kind enough to take us out on the trails, which happens to be located on the property of the world famous Greenbrier Resort. Their vehicles of choice are specially equipped Jeep Wrangler Rubicons, and let me tell you they are beefy rigs! These highly trained Off Road Adventures guides accompany and instruct guests on advanced driving techniques necessary to traverse The Greenbrier's private 10,000 acre mountain preserve. The terrain varies from modest unpaved roads to some of the most extreme on the East Coast. The thirty-mile course has rocks, ruts, creek crossings, steep hills, gulleys and mud pits. We felt this was the perfect place for us to test out our skills on this off road course.
Highlights:
We had a great time with Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC! They are a solid group of guys and they love getting out on the trails and showing people how it’s done. They were able to help us cut our teeth as it were using the ARB bumpers with Warn Zeon winches and Maxtrax to help navigate the obstacle that presented themselves, and they didn't take it easy on us either. Within the first hour we were up to our waists in mud pits and rocky rutted terrain. There were several occasion that we got in a little over our head and thanks to the efforts and training of our hosts we were able to get out of the “deep water” we were in and keep pushing forward. The entire trip lasted around 4-6 hours. It was some of the most extreme 4X4 action that I personally have ever seen. We gained a lot of knowledge and experience that will aid us in all of our adventures to come.
What we learned:
Put a tow strap on the bumper first!! Ha, seriously though planning ahead can save you a lot of worry and damage later. As we traveled through the tight terrain and crossed streams, sometimes driving in the creek bed the entirety of that particular leg of the trail we gained confidence in our skills as a team and in our abilities to manage whatever the landscape threw at us. We used the winches a few times and tested out the suspensions and the BFG KM2’s on the Tacoma, all performed great! We learned that there will always be things that are out of our control when in the backcountry but with a little knowledge, teamwork and sound judgment we can conquer whatever we come across.
Final thoughts:
This was one awesome experience, I highly recommend it to anybody that wants to spend half a day on some seriously challenging terrain. The guys at Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC were nice enough to take us out on the trail at no cost to us, however there is a fee for their trips (see the link below for more details). If you want to do something really cool and you’re anywhere the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs WV check it out. I promise you won’t regret it.
See more on: Facebook
See more at: http://www.greenbrier.com/Activities/Outdoor-Activities/Off-Road-Adventures.aspx#sthash.op5xgHcr.dpuf
