The 2015 Northwest Overland Rally! - Part 1
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the 2015 NW Overland Rally in Washington just a few days ago. I had the most fun I've had in a long time. It was completely worth the long two day drive from central Montana. I met some fantastic people and did some fantastic things. But, let's get into it!
I left my folks' house in Seeley Lake early, forgetting that there was a time change in between Montana and Washington. I was out and on the road at 7:00 AM. I really enjoyed the drive through the Idaho panhandle and into Spokane, but after Spokane, Washington's high desert is a little boring. But it wasn't too long before I made my way into the hilly wine country as I pulled into Wenatchee. After a quick gas up and a short drive, I made it to plain and checked in at the rally. I was so stoked to see all the decked out rigs and vendors. I got set up as the temps started to soar.
After I got camp set up, I took a walk around the field and checked out some of the really cool rigs. These people are from South Africa, and they are a delight to chat with.
This van belongs to overlanders Pablo and Anna, who have been on the road and traveling for 15 years full time. Theirs is a really inspiring story that I really enjoyed hearing and reading about.
This guy's FJ40 is really awesome and really well setup for overland travel. It's so cool to see such an old truck being used for what it was built for even today.
This was a very cool and very subtle Tacoma build. I really liked the style of this particular truck.
These folks were from up in Canada, and they had one seriously cool 4Runner. It's totally decked out with bumpers, RTT, drawers, fridge, everything. I was drooling over it a bit, I'll admit.
This sweet truck is Nitro Gear and Axle's shop rig, and it really is as cool in person as it is in the pictures, and the Nitro guys are really cool people.
I got to watch the new Expedition Overland episode early, which was really damn cool. It's got me super stoked to see the new season. After that, I got the opportunity to cook dinner and get to know my neighbors. Everyone I met was really cool. There were a couple of Xterra owners next to me who were really welcoming and awesome to talk to. The folks in the 4Runner next to me were really nice people with two dogs who I became friends with. The folks in the 4Runner behind me were from Canada and offered to show me around when I finally make it up there this August. The people next to them were in a really decked out Porsche Cayenne that they use to do time-distance rallies all around the world. Everyone was so welcoming and warm. I was really impressed by the sense of camaraderie and community that this group has. It's made me so excited to move out that direction once I'm out of school.
On Friday morning, I did the advanced 4x4 trail run, which was an absolute blast. The trail we ran up above the historic town of Liberty was one of the more technical runs I've ever done, and I was having a ball with it. I showed up in the line and my truck was the least lifted and on the smallest tires, but the trail leader said I should be fine. It was awesome. I used my sliders a couple of times, and was on three wheels once or twice. There were some really off-camber parts and the trail got really tight a couple times, but I was never in danger of damage or getting really stuck. Sadly, I didn't get any pics while on the trail.
This guy actually did the run with this genuine Camel Trophy Defender 110, which was an awesome thing to witness. It was handling it like a champ.
The track was really dusty, and I now have a good coating of dust on everything.
Lola has a few extra pinstripes now....
So jazzed about it now. Once again, it's tough to believe this is my truck.
