2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[ramblinChet]

Let's start off with another heavy thunderstorm in the middle of the night. I have been resting well so staying awake for a few minutes to take some pictures sounded fun. On the left is just a regular picture with a very slight amount of lightening far off in the distance while on the right is a strike nearby. The red glow originates from the temperature reading on my National Luna refrigerator and it is really not as bright as it appears in the pictures. These exposures were for several seconds.


Here is the final section of the East Texas 450 Loop which required me to stop the vehicle and take a walk to assess the conditions ahead. This is County Road 265 just east of Chester, Texas. This section was so slippery and mushy it required four wheel drive. I walked ahead and followed a slight downgrade for several hundred yards which was followed by an equally slippery upgrade. I set my pride aside with a big smile and selected a short go around.


There is a tire in there somewhere. Much like an earlier section of the loop, this was a mixture of mud, clay, and pine straw that was heavy and very slippery. I could have easily made it down to the bottom but climbing the slight incline on the other side for a few hundred yards may have turned into a prolonged winching exercise. Electric winches are great for short pulls but not long duration ones. Decades ago I ran in an area that required continuous winching at times for several hours in duration. For that vehicle I specifically selected a Mile Marker hydraulic winch which never stopped running and ran cool.


After completing the East Texas 450 Loop I turned my ship towards the east and roamed through the backroads of Louisiana and ended up on the eastern shore of the Mississippi River deep in the Mississippi Delta. I slept at a boat launch one night and was amazed watching the tug boats and barges moving up and down river. In the photo below, this ship held fast facing into the current in the same place for over an hour while waiting for other traffic to pass in the opposite direction. What amazing skill. It felt good to sleep by the water and listen to those working boats.


Here I am on a levee road that follows the Mighty Mississippi for countless miles. Instead of driving normal paved roads through the many small towns I decided to follow this road for fifty or so miles. It was really cool following a maintenance road on top of a levee and I look forward to doing it again sometime.


Does anyone have an idea where I stopped for a few days to relaxed? I will give you a hint, the Delta Blues Museum is located there and just south of this city are the "crossroads" where Highways 49 and 61 intersect. Rumor has it, that is where some of the finest blues singers in history sold their souls to the devil. They would show up alone at the intersection with their guitar and bottle of whiskey. None were the same once they left. Take a moment to listen to some Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker.


Here is Muddy Water's childhood home on display inside the Delta Blues Museum. Credit for saving this home goes to ZZ Top.


Nearby is the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. You can always hear live music on the weekends and seeing how Clarksdale is the home of Delta Blues, I think the name is appropriate.


Back home in Memphis, Tennessee, which is just a few miles up the road from Clarksdale, Mississippi. Of course, I made my customary visit to Marlowe's for a full rack of ribs. If you meet me someday and we are sitting around a campfire, ask me to tell you the story of Marlowe's which nearly defies explanation. And yes, you are seeing a Bass Pro shop shaped like a pyramid in Memphis. Life is so damn cool so get out an adventure.

 

[ramblinChet]

This is a section of the Crystal Shrine Grotto at Memorial Park in Memphis, Tennessee. To the left is an artists interpretation of the Cave of Machpelah which is both the entrance to the Garden of Eden and the burial location of Adam and Eve. Slightly to the right of center, in the shade, you see Abraham's Oak which you can walk through and also has benches inside. The water represents the Pool of Hebron spoken of in 2 Samuel 4:12.


This is inside the Crystal Shrine Grotto which is the world's only man-made crystal cave. This cave has been described as “a subterranean art museum of religious dioramas.” To the left is "Jesus in the temple" which was created in 1939. Some of the work inside has been damaged by vandals and replaced with modern pieces which are not as attractive to me.


While passing though northern Alabama I enjoyed lunch at the Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia. Earlier in the morning I stopped to pay my respects at a Coon Hound Cemetery just a few miles away, that was established in 1937.


Some of you that know this area may have guessed where I was stopping next and that would be the FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. FAME began in 1959 and is responsible for introducing that Muscle Shoals Sound to artists such as Etta James with Tell Mama, Percy Sledge with When a Man Loves a Woman, and Clarence Carter with Patches. This is the control room in Studio B.


Here is Studio B where the Wurlitzer 140b Electric Piano in the forefront can be heard opening Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). This is the same studio where Wilson Pickett recorded Mustang Sally. Visiting this place left me with an interesting mixture of emotions and wonderment. I just can't explain it but there is something special there.


Just a few miles away is the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which was formed by the Swampers following a contract dispute with FAME in 1969. Guys, this is a deep place when you consider songs such as Loan Me a Dime by Boz Scaggs and Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones were recorded here in the late '60s and early '70s. This video called "Muscle Shoals (The River that Sings)" provides a beautiful story and deeper explanation of the magic that occurred decades ago in north-west Alabama.


After departing Muscle Shoals I turned my ship to the east and sailed over to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit Marshall Space Flight Center. Inside I was able to view my third Saturn V rocket so now I have been fortunate enough to view all three of the remaining Saturn Vs. The others are at Kennedy and Johnson Space Flight Centers.


The tour was nice although I enjoyed Johnson in Houston much more. If you have children you might be interested in having them attend Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.


Yes, I am a mechanical geek and a cut-away of a rocket motor kept me entertained for quite some time. It's really nice to examine and learn about equipment such as this in an ideal environment like this. I only wish I was exposed to more of these types of adventures at a much younger age. A child's mind is like a muscle and the more you exercise it the stronger it becomes.


After a few days in outer space I went to the opposite side of the spectrum and explored below ground. This is the famous Neversink Pit in Fackler, Alabama. Visiting this vertical cave requires a permit from SCCi which can be obtained online and only requires basic information and a few minutes of your time. Hiking up to this vertical cave is one thing but when you get close things become really serious. This pit is 162' deep and three people have died there in the past few years. The area surrounding the cave is steep and slippery, trees near the edge are perched on overhangs, and water is everywhere. Listening to the echos of the water falling into the cave while visually surveying the walls and moving about provides you with a mixture of intoxication and vertigo with a touch of near-death experience. "The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel." ~ James Hunt

 

[ramblinChet]

After finishing up my adventures in northern Alabama I began the Georgia Traverse which is a 390 miles trek through mostly mountainous areas of northern Georgia with occasional crossings into Tennessee and North Carolina. I took advantage of the optional loops and when finished, I recorded 463 miles traveled at 9.2 mpg and it took 29 hours. While researching this journey it seemed like approximately 1/3 of my time would be spent on pavement but that was untrue. My average speed off-road was around 10-12 mph while on pavement it was easily 50-60 mph. With that being said, maybe 4-5 hours out of the 29 was on pavement and that was intermittent.

This was one of several beautiful waterfalls in the Cohutta Wilderness where I stopped to enjoy the sounds, smells, and cool breeze. just minutes after taking this picture I encountered the first of several black bear sightings.


Much of my time was spent in mountainous terrain so switch backs and shelf roads were endless. It was lush and green and a beautiful time of the year for this trail.


One of the unexpected benefits of traveling full time and not really having a schedule is that not only do I meet the most interesting people, but I can spend hours conversing with them. If you are near Suches, Georgia, stop by the Skeenah Campground and Mill and say hello to Brian. This mill was built in the mid-1800s on Indian land and has so much history.


Although the mill is currently undergoing repairs before it is reopened for tours Brian was kind enough to show me some of the work that is underway. Being able to see and touch tooling that was manufactured so long ago, that was driven by large belts, that were themselves driven by a water wheel - just so cool! And they have dozens of beautiful spots to camp right next to the river. I will be back for sure.


You will spend much time in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest which is 867,000 acres, has thousands of miles of beautiful streams, and hundreds of miles of trails. I know that many adventurers who were born east of the Mississippi rush out west to explore and I fully understand why but there are so many millions of acres to explore here in the east. When I am making plans to visit a state the first terms I search for are "national forest"and "state forest." There's just so much out there.


Here is the Toccoa River Bridge which, at 270 feet, is the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River. This is a hiking bridge and is really fun to cross since it swings left and right and up and down as you cross it. I love stumbling upon interesting things such as this and taking time to learn and enjoy them.


On this day I stopped early as I found a really nice camping area deep in the forest, enjoyed an early dinner, and read for a few hours. Of course, as the sun was going down I decided it was the perfect time to knock out a few more hours on the trail. This was around 2230 at one of the few gas stations along the route. Just in case you are curious, I only refuel at Top Tier Fuel Stations. Anyway, this professional man rolls up in an immaculate Land Rover and there I am in the same clothes I have been wearing for three days, I had not showered in over a week, etc. Let's just say we stood outside in the cold and talked for nearly two hours. Again, I have met so many interesting people traveling full time and the really cool thing is I cross paths with some of them at different places in the future.


This is a stream crossing in the middle of the night in the eastern half of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and provides an accurate representation of how tight and twisty some of the trails were. The folks that laid out the Georgia Traverse did a really fine job since it is a broad mixture of relatively normal forest service roads, water crossings, tighter trails, some pavement, some flat sections, and lots of mountains.


If you are planning to explore the Georgia Traverse I would suggest you have the ability to air down your tires since many of the trails are rough. It's not mandatory but it will smooth out the ride considerably. Also, I would carry at least one extra fuel tank since stations are generally far apart and usually 20-30 miles off the trail in some areas. When I am in an unfamiliar location off road I generally begin looking for fuel at 1/2 tank while I continue the trail. If I have not come across fuel and I hit 1/4 tank I immediately shift and finding fuel becomes my primary objective. Having additional fuel available is nice but generally is not part of my calculations - that fuel is for an emergency. Another nice feature of this trail is all of the water crossings were around one foot deep and had level rocky bottoms. The water was clear also so it was easy to read the conditions. I still recommend and practice getting out and walking across the ascertain the conditions first hand.


Sitting on a mountain top with the windows down and listening to some Led Zeppelin. "I ain't tellin' no lie, mine's a tale that can't be told. My freedom I hold dear. How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air...I guess I keep on rambling, I'm gonna, yeah, yeah, yeah..."

 

[ollicat]

I can imagine how much more challenging this trip would be if you had to plug in your truck instead of refueling

 

[ramblinChet]

I can imagine how much more challenging this trip would be if you had to plug in your truck instead of refueling

This trip would never have happened if this truck was electric.

I was born a free man and I will die free.

 

[ramblinChet]

Earlier this month I stopped by a military base where a long list of wonderful memories was created with life-long friends. In a previous post I mentioned my best friend, Tony, who had passed away unexpectedly back in 2021. Tony, Dan, Dave, myself, and others attended Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Millington, just outside of Memphis, back in the 80s. Here are just one of the many stories:

Prince Mongo's Planet - It was a hot Saturday night and we decided to head into town to enjoy some cool drinks and stir up trouble. My vehicle at the time was a 1979 Oldsmobile '98 Regency with a plush leather interior and power everything. In the trunk we had a cooler filled with cold drinks and ice. As we entered Memphis we passed through urban neighborhoods and after passing by one particular home with a dozen or so young men hanging out on the porch I pulled over a few houses down the street and asked Tony to grab some fresh drinks out of the cooler in the trunk. My Oldsmobile, a.k.a. Landshark, even had a power trunk release so Tony hopped out as soon as I stopped and popped the trunk. Immediately my devious mind conjured up a plan - keep in mind Tony was from rural Idaho so he was not aware of the working of an inner-city urban neighborhood. I tool full advantage of that fact.

As Tony was pulling out a few cold refreshments I rolled down the rear window and began yelling some awful remarks to the young men a few houses away. They heard me and quickly sprang off the porch and began running down the street towards my car, with Tony still outside. That same instant I heard the trunk slam and caught a glimpse of Tony quickly coming around to the passenger side so I began rolling forward. Like a great friend I laughed so hard I hit the gas and sprung forward as his heavy door slammed shut. I don't remember if it was intentional or not but I hit the master door lock just as Tony attempted to open his door and jump in. Keep in mind, Tony is a farm boy, we are in the city, I just angered a dozen young men, I am rolling away, Tony has some cold bottles in his hand, and the doors are locked. When Tony came to the conclusion that he just might be in a horrible situation the look in his eyes was priceless. I was still laughing as I slowed and unlocked the doors. In a millisecond Tony threw the door open, jumped in, and before his butt was in the seat he began telling GO, GO, GO!!! The gang of angry young men were literally feet away. We both laughed and Tony punched me several times and let me tell you - a punch from Tony is like being kicked by a mule. I deserved it though but it was common for us to play potentially deadly tricks on each other.

Our destination downtown was Prince Mongo's Planet which was owned and operated by a fella called Prince Mongo who would look you right in the eye and say he was several hundred years old and was here from the planet Zambodia to save earth. This bar was wild and crazy to the point that after only a few years it was shut down. It was not uncommon to step up to the bar and see a 15 or 16 year old female bartender and with other underage teens drinking right next to you. Anyway, we showed up in our Navy issue tank tops complete with "So Others May Live" and crossed fins logos on the chest and as soon as we entered I made a bee-line for the restroom. As I was standing in front of the urinal with my super sexy Navy issue UDT shorts open and pulled down a bit, a guy comes up behind me, grabs me by my right arm and throws me backwards into an unoccupied stall. Yes, the cool drinks that had been processed by my body were now warm and sprayed everywhere. I sprung from the stall like a leopard and the fight was on.

After several minutes of kicking, punching, grunting, and swearing my fast acting brain saw the opportunity to grab a handful of this guys long hair and smash his head into a metal paper towel dispenser on the wall. If you remember, these were the metal dispensers that held a big roll of paper and had a small crank on the side with teeth underneath to tear off the length you selected. Well, I was so successful that when his head hit the dispenser it knocked it off the wall and the roll of paper popped out, unwound, and covered the floor. As soon as that happened the guy stood up and wrapped his arms around me and began laughing. He congratulated me on a great fight and offered to buy me beer for the remainder of the night. As we walked out of the men's room there stood Tony smiling like a Cheshire cat - maybe it was because my shirt and shorts had large wet spots. We laughed the rest of the night and Tony became louder and more convinced that what happened to me was a direct result of what I did to him. After decades of consideration, I believe Tony was correct and I got exactly what I deserved. It was fun though!

Tony and I first began training together at NAS Pensacola and part of his heart and soul will always be in Pensacola, that's why I stopped there first to commerate him months ago. After Pensacola, we transitioned and trained at NATTC Memphis for a long time and part of Tony's heart and soul will always be at that small training base just outside Memphis on the banks of the Mississippi River. We rode horses together, were thrown in jail together, etc. One unusual fact - when I returned to NATTC Millington I was confused since I was now visiting NSA Millington. I drove around the base for hours and it was like I had never been there. I talked to an older man on base and he confirmed that many of the old barracks and schools had been torn down decades ago and NATTC had been moved down to NAS Pensacola following base realignments in the mid-90s. There were still a few signs of the old base though, parking lots, building foundations, etc. I was fortunate enough to find the exact location on base where Tony, Dan, Dave, and myself, shared many struggles and even more laughs. Here is a picture of that location down below.

May God bless you brother Tony! And thank you for all the carefree, reckless, self-destructive time we spent together!!!

 

[ramblinChet]

Following my completion of the Georgia Traverse, I jumped over the state line and camped on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina. This is a great location since you are on the southern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the northern border of the Nantahala National Forest, and just minutes west of Maggie Valley which is the birthplace of Popcorn Sutton. An independent movie named "This is the Last Damn Run of Likker I'll Ever Make" featured Popcorn. Talk about an amazing place with so much to do! As you may have guessed from the picture below, there is a casino on the reservation that I visited and later camped in a large parking lot across the street.


This is inside the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, in Cherokee. The museum was a nice experience overall although there were various sections in disrepair with poor lighting and it seemed like there were fewer artifacts compared to modern handcrafted items and art work. Maybe I have been spoiled by some of the other museums I have visited although I still consider this a good place to stop and spend the day.


This depicts the sadness and cruelty experienced on the Trail of Tears following the Indian Removal Act. Cherokee, North Carolina, is also the start of the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway so I began my own journey on a long road that wound through the mountains that had no stop signs or traffic lights.


A short way into my travels I jumped off the parkway to visit Asheville Vehicle Outfitters. It's a nice overland and off-road vehicle shop which has three Toyota Master Certified Technicians on staff.


Inside they had a product in stock from ARB, Old Man Emu, Alu-Cab, Maxtrax, etc. I spent an hour plus talking with Heather (844.667.3687) and specifically examining the Alu-Cab 270° awning that I have been considering for some time.


In back I became excited and though I had come upon an AEV Prospector XL to examine. To my disappointment, it only had AEV bumpers, a Carli suspension, with wheel and tires by other companies. It did have the new hood though which looks nice but I still like mine just as much. It's just a hood and adds no real value other than looks.


This is what I came here for, the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

I enjoyed some sun on the road today. Window down, the breeze rushing in, the rhythmic monotone of the engine firing away on all cylinders. There’s something about it. It’s in the rhythmic hum of the tarmac beneath the tires. It’s in the nearly hypnotic sight of trees whipping past in parallax to the ever-slow horizon. It’s in the vibrations sneaking up your spine as the metal beast beneath you purrs and roars, chewing up the distance between you and the objective.

There’s something cathartic about that. It speaks to the soul. The wind blows away the gathered dust of recent existence. The hum of the tarmac becomes the white noise orchestra that plays the calming tune. The soothing vibrations provided by the metal hulk seep into your very bones and slowly shake off the dirt. And the sights. It’s all about the sights. Like a child exposed to the world for the first time, the explorer within us beckons. Nay, shouts for action. A clarion call to chase the horizon. A will to solve the mystery of the next hill, to cross the next valley, to rush across the plain and embrace the setting sun. We seek to find what’s beyond and the machine we ride takes us there at speeds we could never fathom. There’s something primal about it and it is O so satisfying.

~ Of Long Drives and Nostalgia, by Lawrence Muthoga


Atop Mount Mitchell is the tomb of Reverend Elisha Mitchell, D.D. This professor of four decades died in an accident while conducting scientific exploration of this mountain. He correctly claimed, and later proved, that Mount Mitchell was the highest peak above sea level in the Eastern United States.


An engineering marvel - a section of the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway.


My final sunrise on the parkway just south of Afton, Virginia. This was a wonderful trip and it took around 4-5 days with just a few stops. The speed limit is 35 to 45 mph along the parkway and you will spend much of your time in curves, ascents, and descents. My AEV Prospector with a Four Wheel Camper on the back handled like a dream. The corrected steering geometry, raised roll center, matched front and rear springs, and optimized shock absorber valving, all really come together to set this suspension modification far apart from all others. This is the second time I have traveled the parkway and next time I plan to really slow down the journey and take at least 7-10 days. There are just so many overlooks, hikes, campgrounds, and other interesting stops along the way.

 

[ramblinChet]

One wiper has begun to fail after two years of use so two OEM replacements have been ordered. The originals performed well so I see no reason to risk trying another brand.

 

[flan]

I’m still rocking the oem on mine as well. I’ll go with another set for sure.

 

[ramblinChet]

It was time to manually defrost the interior of my National Luna 12v refrigerator so I broke out my Snow Joe brass blade ice scraper and went to work. This actually worked very well and quickly removed the build up of ice on the interior walls. It was also a good time to empty the plastic baskets and scrub them under hot water with a brush and soap.


This Friday at 0900 I will be meeting with others at OK4WD in Stewartsville, New Jersey, which is just across the state line from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is a really nice full service shop and I have been dealing with them since the mid-90s. I have purchased several Old Man Emu suspensions, ARB air lockers, Safari snorkels, and even a James Baroud Evasion roof top tent with a matching awning.


Friday afternoon we will tour America's oldest brewery, D.G. Yuengling & Son, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. This will be my third time visiting and second tour. After the tour we will be invited into a private bar for samples - I will once again opt for a nice cool root bear soda.


Once our group departs Yuengling, will will caravan to Coal Township, Pennsylvania, and set up camp at Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area. Dinner will be provided at AEV and OK4WD. When we wake up on Saturday morning it will be time to hit the trails for the full day. It will be really interesting to see who else will be attending the event, what vehicles they are driving, and how they are equipped.

 

[ramblinChet]

Some of you are aware of my lifelong interest in horology so recently I visited the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. We really don't think much about time today but as recently as several hundreds of years ago time was a unit of measurement that had a direct impact on the future of civilization. Consider early nautical explorers working to establish trade routes, discover new resources, and share knowledge with others. Calculating latitude (N-S) at sea is easy by using Polaris (north star) as a reference, or the sun precisely at noon. To calculate longitude (E-W) we must establish the time difference between our location and the Prime Meridian, or Greenwich Mean Time.


If you plan to visit I would schedule at least 3-4 hours to move through at an average pace. If you have the time, pun intended, I would set aside a full day. You will be able to see everything from very old church clock mechanisms that rang large bells, to grandfather clocks, watches, etc. It was interesting to see all the different mechanical designs used to measure time over the years and how changes improved the accuracy,


To the left is the Grand Statuary Clock manufactured by Eugène Farcot in Paris. Eugène specialized in conical pendulum clocks and was awarded nearly two dozen patents for his horological inventions. And just in case you are interested, they operate the Engle Monumental Clock which is also referred to as the 8th Wonder. So, what are you spending your time on?


Sunrise is approximately 0530 and here is Ringing Rocks Park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.


Just a short walk down the trail is an eight-acre field of primordial igneous diabase boulders that ring when struck by a hammer. It was fun hopping from boulder to boulder and testing them for different musical sounds.


You can quickly identify the most popular and best sounding boulders since they display these dished areas from countless strickes over the years.


At the same location there is also a beautiful loop trail if you are up for a short hike and also a twenty-foot waterfall for relaxation.


The next morning I visited OK4WD just across the state line in New Jersey. My earliest dealing with this beautiful shop were in the mid-90s when I outfitted several of my vehicles with Old Man Emu suspensions, ARB air-lockers, etc. I also have two James Baroud roof top tents from them that I still own but really do not use since I am in my truck full-time. This is a big shop with a great service department and one of the premier shops east of the Mississippi. They are also an AEV authorized dealer.


While browsing in the shop I wanted to examine the jack bases they had in stock to see if one would work with my OEM Ram jack. We looked at several and I decided this jack base manufactured for a Chevy Colorado would be perfect for me application. It also serves as a wheel chock and is perfect for driving up on when parking and leveling my AEV Prospector.


There are always a dozen-plus really cool vehicles outside the shop and here is Jim's personal truck. It began as a RAM 3500 dually chassis cab and has been upfitted with many AEV parts, 40" tires, and a tray-bed from Germany that rotates on three axis. That's right, it can dump to the rear, or to the left or right side. This is a very cool daily-driver!

 

[flan]

Chet IDK if you are on FB but here’s a couple pics I saw on AEVs page, figured I’d share.

 

[ramblinChet]

This past weekend was the AEV Conversions and OK4WD Customer Camp Out and Trail Day at Anthracite Off-road Adventure Area (AOAA) in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. After spending time meeting everyone in our group, touring OK4WD's shop, and enjoying a lunch provided, we saddled up and convoyed a few hours over the oldest brewery in these United States: D. G. Yuengling & Son, which was founded in 1829. This beautiful stained glass ceiling was installed over top the copper kettle to reduce the glare of the sun. It was a fun tour and everyone enjoyed samples.


Later that evening we set up camp and gathered around for a wonderful dinner provided by OK4WD. Early the next morning everyone was up and excite to be spending the day on the trails at AOAA. We broke up into two groups with the largest being Jeeps and Toyotas led by Rin from OK4WD who would be hitting the tighter and more technically challenging trails. My group had three full size trucks plus a Rubicon 392. Jim from OK4WD led us and our first stop was the Whaleback rock formation. This natural wonder has been studied by geology teams from all over and is "arguably one of the best exposures of folded rock structure in the United States. In this small area, all the structural elements and (6) stages of deformation for the Valley and Ridge Province can seen and studied."


Here is a shot of Jim dropping down Pennsylvania's version of "high dive hill." After watching Jim muscle his way down the drop I was inclined to see if my AEV Prospector and FWC combo could complete the same obstacle. The shelf road is really narrow so backing up and getting the nose pointed down was critical - my regular cab and long bed wheelbase made it possible. This was steep enough to lock the seatbelt and pin both knees on the dash.


We stopped for lunch near a small lake and minutes later we were joined by our other group. It was a beautiful day and slightly on the warm side.


While exploring the trails at AOAA we had the chance to stop and examine old strip mines, lots of heavy equipment, and even a few small active mines such as this one. It was really interesting to observe an area and see just how much earth has been moved. The scale is mind-boggling and massive pieces of equipment seem like small toys as they disassemble mountains.


This image is courtesy of OK4WD and shows some of us gathered around the endless fire after spending all day on the trail. Prizes were raffled off by AEV and OK4WD and everyone won nice gear. One lucky winner walked away with an AEV Mid-Size Recovery Gear Kit, another with an Alu-Cab Can Crusher, etc. Everyone I met were really nice folks and we had fun exchanging stories, checking out vehicles and gear, and discussing future adventures. I look forward to sharing some trails again with everyone who attended.


I spent a full day in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. My gosh, you talk about a man among men - Jim Thorpe was one. He was a Native American from the Sac and Fox Tribe in Oklahoma who won both gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Sweden, and also played professional baseball and football simultaneously. Jim Thorpe was without argue the greatest athlete of the 20th century. His true name is Wa-tho-huck, which in the Sac and Fox language means "Bright Path."


One of the members of our group had a farm nearby and offered me the opportunity to camp so of course I quickly accepted and spent a relaxing evening in a very secluded location. This fine gentleman joined me that evening and we spend a few hours sipping cold Yuenglings and talking about off-roading, overlanding, and life in general.


Although drive-in movies are rare and sometimes a long drive away - they are worth it! I honestly thought there would only be a few vehicles on a Sunday night but this place was packed. The movie for this night would be Pee-Wee's Big Adventure in 35mm on a Cinemascope screen, under the stars.


“You don’t wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner, a rebel.” ~ Pee-Wee Herman

 

[ramblinChet]

Many times I find myself in strange places while at the same time I feel as if I should be there. It is difficult to explain; I'm not sure where I am going or what I am supposed to do, but I am certain I am on the right path - I have faith. Recently I awoke and discovered I was near the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in New Jersey. It was nice to walk around the Shrine and relax for a few hours on a warm and sunny day. If you have never researched Our Lady of Fatima I would encourage you to do so. Here is a related video which is quite relevant considering the times we are in.


Jim from OK4WD urged me to visit Bethlehem Steel since I was in the area and I am thankful that I visited. It was like walking around the decaying corpse of a larger-than-life fire breathing monster that had been alive for one-hundred years. It was strange to stand inside of the mechanical monster and hear nothing, to not see any movement, or to only occasionally see another visitor.


Here are the silent soldiers of the Gas Blowing Engine House erected in 1911. These were the lungs of the monster which blew pressurized air through the gas-fired stoves heating the air to 1,800°F before being blown into the furnace to super-heat the coke. The fly wheels you see are 28' in diameter - amazing.


I believe the front half of this building is the No. 2 Machine Shop where long products such as artillery barrels were milled, drilled, turned, and bored. In the back is the High House where the same pieces were heat treated in a vertical oven and then quenched in oil or water baths.


Beauty can be found in death. It would be interesting for an artist who specializes in watercolor paintings to visit the plant and document the decay in paintings.


Heading west and slightly south I came upon the smallest church in these Continental United States, or so they claim. Our Lady Of The Pines church is located in Eglon, West Virginia. What's cool is that the church is always open and you can walk in, turn on the lights, and say prayers.


Early the next morning I met my buddy Dennis just west of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and together we began our 350 mile journey on the Allegheny Discovery Route. The first ten miles were just normal forest service roads but as soon as we turned off Union Spring Road atop the mountain the fun began. Here is Dennis in his Power Wagon pushing though a big mud hole with a fairly firm bottom. Being the gentleman he always is, he insisted that I go first!


It's unfortunate that pictures just never quite display the obstacles in an accurate way since we are attempting to visually recreate a three-dimensional image in two dimensions. Along this section of the trail there were several rocky ascents and descents mixed in with very tight sections of trail. If you had a CJ-5 you would be receiving pinstripes - in a full size overlander with a camper we were most likely the largest vehicles that had passed through in some time.


Here I am preparing to cross yet another mud-hole. On unfamiliar trails I routinely take a moment to survey the crossings by visually inspecting, grabbing a branch and probing for depth and condition of the bottom, etc. One of these days I am still planning to purchase a nice set of waders so I can really perform an accurate assessment of stream and mud-hole crossings especially since I am alone the majority of the time.


Taking a final look back at Bethlehem Steel and an equally interesting vehicle parked nearby. How ironic...

 

[Darkone]

I pass that little church in Elgon quite often. Stopped a few times but never been inside.

 

[ollicat]

The decaying industrial sector of this country is so disheartening.

 

[ramblinChet]

I pass that little church in Elgon quite often. Stopped a few times but never been inside.

It's nice and small. The door is always open and they only ask that you turn the lights off when you are departing. There are six tiny pews so there is enough room for a dozen skinny folks or six regular ones. There is always something beautiful about natural light radiating through stained glass.

 

[ramblinChet]

We are enjoying the hundreds of miles of beautiful scenery along the Allegheny Discovery Route filled with climbs up mountains and descents into valleys. Some of the shelf roads were narrow and rough while others were wide and smooth like this one. All in all this was turning out to be a fun adventure with much variation.


Up atop Flagpole Knob we happened upon the Woodbridge Wireless Amateur Radio Club who were preparing for a radio competition. Even though they were busy erecting large antennas, hooking up and tuning equipment, they took time to answer our questions.


Later that day we located a camping spot in the George Washington National Forest and prepared our evening meal. With no concrete plans sometimes it can be challenging to locate primitive camping sites in the forest large enough for two full sized vehicles. Our solution is to plan to begin looking 2-3 hours prior to sundown and if we come across a nice campsite we grab it. If it does not appear to be ideal we press on.


Here is Dennis and his wife enjoying a warm campfire on a slightly chilly mountain night. Dennis and I have a great habit over the years of selling each other on expensive toys. He convinced me to buy an HD truck. I pushed back and convinced him to go with a Four Wheel Pop-Up Camper. Now I am suggesting he consider the new AEV Prospector XL Cab Chassis (RAM 5500) and Bliss Mobil 13-foot unit combination. Personally, I would never consider a vehicle such as that


While taking a break after hiking around the top of Spruce Knob in West Virginia we crossed paths with @k9daddy and took time to compare rigs and share adventure stories and future plans. The one thing I really enjoy about this overland community is meeting so many interesting people with a wide variety of vehicles.


While following the trail we came upon a washed out bridge. There was evidence that others had recently driven over the bridge so Dennis and I walked out to inspect the remaining structure. Dennis is a Civil Engineer and I have experience long ago managing heavy construction projects such as buildings, bridges, etc. We both agreed that this was a no-go for a number of valid reasons. Maybe a side-by-side or stock Jeep could squeeze though but not either of us.


Here was my solution just a few miles away from the washed out bridge. I am crossing a trail on the Dry Fork of the Cheat just south of Mozark Mountain in West Virginia. Most of the river crossings in this area can be characterized as shallow with a flat rock bottom. The rocks are somewhat slippery and there can be larger ones to surprise you but generally these are all 2WD crossings.


Dennis has sold me on the value of an electric saw. We came upon several trees along the trails that might be ok for a Jeep or mid-sized truck to squeeze under but full size adventure vehicles with campers on the back are just too large. One night we had great cellular service so I watched Project Farm test and compare electric chainsaws - I enjoy reviews such as this. Here is Round One and Round Two.


Here is a washed out section of trail that required us to step out of the vehicles and take a look to review possible routes. Of course I took the picture a few seconds too late and it would have looked much more challenging just a few feet earlier as Dennis was dropping into the washed out area. It only takes a few minutes of observation and planning to avoid situations where damage or delays are probable.


Well into West Virginia now we pushed hard on this day to make it into the resort town of Davis. This small town is in the heart of the Canaan Valley which itself is a four-season playground. Here we are camping just south of Davis along Canaan Loop Road. After 250 miles and four days of adventure Dennis would be breaking away to return home. For me, I am looking forward to another 150 or so miles and a few days of exploration.

 

[DevilDodge]

We were just down in Canaan Valley and the town of Davis and Thomas a few weeks ago.

I sure can not wait to get back

Great adventure as usual...wish I could travel like you, but in 2 weeks we head of for 3 weeks in the Central PA forests

 

[ramblinChet]

We were just down in Canaan Valley and the town of Davis and Thomas a few weeks ago.

I sure can not wait to get back

Great adventure as usual...wish I could travel like you, but in 2 weeks we head of for 3 weeks in the Central PA forests

It's a sweet area and too bad we didn't cross paths - I have an eye for adventure rigs and always have time to stop and share stories.

Will be working trails in western Pennsylvania for the next few weeks and my plans are to cross the northern part of the Commonwealth from west to east.