2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[ramblinChet]

Dropped down into Durango and spent some time enjoying this western city. I crossed paths with Chris Shontz from Venture4WD at Fired Up Pizza and was planning to thank him for his inspirational videos. Although we were a few feet away, we were both busy, and the timing was just not right. Another time, another place.

Here is a picture of the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad passing in back of the iconic Strater Hotel.


Here is the front of the Strater Hotel - the inside will take your breath away.


Fast forward to the next morning - the wind blew me south to New Mexico. Here I am exploring some Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the Glade Run Recreation Area.


Here is Aztec Ruins National Monument in Aztec, New Mexico. This site is from around 1100 AD and has over 400 rooms. Some areas are two or three stories tall and represent Chacoan architecture.


This is Angel Peak Scenic Area with awesome dispersed camping available. I will be back for sure.


Out in the high-desert alone, I had to cross a sandy and soggy riverbed. I figured it was time to go big or go home so I maintained 2WD as always. Approximately one centimeter of sand coated the tires and the crossing was soft and slippery. The crossing was approximately 100 meters.


Hiking in Chaco Canyon between rocks the size of tiny homes. My plans were to camp there although the campground was full. I met some really cool people who were also all about exploring and living life. They invited me to their group camping area and although I considered joining my mind was already in Albuquerque. My very late night in ABQ was one for the record books - I could share the details but none would believe it to be true. After a 0300 visit to a nearby Waffle House, I slept exceptionally well that night. Qui audet adipiscitur.

 

[ramblinChet]

Next stop was spending time in historic downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since it originally began in the early 1600s as a Spanish Colony the downtown has the traditional plaza with many of the buildings displaying Pueblo-style architecture. Arts and culture are big and I had a great time.


Of course, there are vendors selling things on blankets and old ladies believing if they wear it they will look a half-century younger, lol.


And my favorite place to spend hours...the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.


Lunch was enjoyed in one of the most desirable places to eat in Santa Fe, The Shed. Then next three photos are not mine but are from their web page.


The Shed webpage photo.


The Shed webpage photo.


That night I ventured into the Santa Fe mountains and camped in an area called Holy Ghost. After a good fire was started and the sun dropped I felt good knowing I was the only one for several miles. The sound of the nearby stream filled the air as the temperature dropped into the high 20s. I looked up into the heavens above and though about my family and how much I love them. For the next hour or so I tended to the fire and openly prayed for each one of them.


The next morning I spotted a rafter of turkeys and followed them for a bit. I think they recognized me as a turkey so they were okay with me being so close, lol.


Exploring Pecos Valley early in the morning and climbing up towards Iron Gate.

 

[Regcabguy]

Thanks!

 

[ramblinChet]

Did you know that Boise City, Oklahoma, was bombed during WWII? While following the Santa Fe Trail east, I stopped in to visit the small town.


I recently spent the night camping near Shores Lake, in Ozark National Forest, in Arkansas. It it a small campground in the forest and very nice overall.


Trees in Ozark National Forest. I spoke with a local adventurer and he stated they had not had rain in over a month. He also stated it was impacting the fall coloration of many trees.


Sometimes you discover interesting situations deep in the forest, like disappearing roads. This is on FR-1003 just southeast of White Rock Mountain.


Here is a picture from the top of White Rock Mountain in the Ozark National Forest - you can see approximately one-hundred miles from here. Thirty miles to the left is Clarksville, fifteen miles dead ahead is Ozark, and thirty-five miles to the right is Fort Smith.

 

[ramblinChet]

What keeps me warm when sleeping in the wilderness? These bags are around a decade old but still function very well. They were purchased for hiking, eventually used for overlanding in my Jeep TJ, and now are at home in my AEV Prospector and Four Wheel Pop-Up Camper combo.

If you are serious about keeping comfortable spend time and do you own research. Talk with people who sleep in bags all the time. Years ago, I lived in a tent for over three years and these bags were used every night with very few exceptions during the summer. If you demand top performance, prepare to pay top dollar. Buy goose down...good goose down. It's not all the same. If these bags were purchased for overlanding and not hiking I may have made some different choices since weight and size is not quite as critical in a one-ton rig. When hiking and backpacking, ounces add up to pounds and pounds equal pain. Here is some of my gear.

Both my bags are Mountain Hard Wear. There are many other good companies and choices but these worked for me a decade ago hiking sections of the AT and they still do fine today.


This is my three season bag - it is used the most.


This is my winter bag for when the temperatures really drop. I have spent nights in this bag down to 12° F and was comfortable. Keep in mind that the temperature advertised does not necessarily represent comfort. Add around 10° F for men and maybe 15° F for women and you are in the comfort zone. If you sleep in a base layer you can add around 10° F back into your calculation.


If you are spending good money on good bags pick up a roll of Tenacious Tape Repair Tape and have it available so when you do tear the bag you can repair it immediately and save the down. This repair is from 7-8 years ago and still holds as good as the first day of the repair.


Here is another repair from a down jacket that has been work so frequently the name has been worn off the front. This is maybe a 6-7 year old repair.


Interesting turn of events. I was in the Ozark National Forest and bumped into a girl who asked if I was attending the overland event nearby. I pulled out my map and she pointed me to an around around an hour away. I explored a bit more and headed over late Friday afternoon to join the 2022 Rendezvous in the Ozarks. I have been having a great time and have met many cool people here.

 

[Kingsize24]

The Ozarks are absolutely beautiful. We spent 5 nights there in the hills about 3yrs ago, then visited the botanical gardens of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. We then rode down south to Lake Kathryn, an old German settlement, and canoed from damn to damn. My wife also wanted to see the Garvan botanical gardens near there as well on our way back home. I think that whole state is beautiful actually.

 

[ramblinChet]

A heavy storm is rolling in so most packed up and departed the event. Just a few of us all weather adventurers remained and one of them was Matt and Cara of Ozark Overland Adventures. They were so kind to invite me to join their group and watch the storm roll in. Matt and Cara are focused on educating and inspiring others to adventure and explore in a safe and responsible manner while having fun and creating memories. Make sure to check out some of their really cool videos.

Here is a picture of the storm rolling in on us. Nature can be simultaneously and beautiful and dangerous.

 

[ramblinChet]

This past weekend I also met Chad from Oklahoma Overland. He had a very interesting story to tell regarding how he lost his Land Cruiser during a "low water" crossing in Oklahoma.

I know exactly what he is talking about when the rear of his vehicle lifted - the same thing happened to me during Hurricane Isabel in 2003. During the storm we were rescuing people trapped down near the York River in Historic Yorktown. My headlights were under water for minutes at a time and when a wave rolled in the rear of my Jeep would lift and yaw to the side. I had an ARB Safari snorkel though so my engine ran fine that entire day.

Here is Chad's story...

 

[FAW3]

Great advice on down sleeping bags. I have a Exped Dreamwalker that works as a typical zip up bag, or as a hammock under quilt, or unzipped as a flat quilt.
Always have it in the Hawk…because furnaces might not run and propane tanks run out.

 

[jbaucom]

I have a couple down sleeping bags that I use too. My favorite, and most used, is my Kelty Galactic 30. It's an economical rectangular bag with 600 FP DriDown, though new versions advertise 550 FP duck down and don't mention DriDown. Rectangular down bags weren't the easiest to find when I bought mine, and the Galactic 30 packs reasonably small and light for backpacking while remaining roomy and comfortable. It can also be fully unzipped and used as a blanket. I've slept in mine when temps dipped into the upper 20's, and I wasn't exactly warm, but with an extra layer and a hat I was able to sleep through the night without too much shivering until just before dawn.

 

[ramblinChet]

Spent time this weekend in Wayne National Forest in Ohio.

While passing through Nelsonville, Ohio, I visited the remains of Nelsonville Brick Plant. It is interesting to note that Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally paved entirely with salt-glazed Nelsonville bricks. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is also know as the Brickyard.


Exploring Utah Ridge in Wayne National Forest, Ohio. It was a beautiful weekend and the AEV Prospector did well.


During my exploration it is common to come across abandoned cemeteries. This one was on top of a hill, in the forest, due north of Truetown, Ohio. The moon was shining bright while I was there.


Just in case you wondered what a Howe trussed bridge structure looked like: here I am climbing up into Kidwell Covered Bridge crossing over Sunday Creek. It is important to know the accurate weight of your loaded vehicle when crossing older bridges like this. I have encountered several where I was too heavy.


I wrapped up the weekend in Athens, Ohio. Athens is the home to Ohio University and has a very active nightlife downtown.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

I wrapped up the weekend in Athens, Ohio. Athens is the home to Ohio University and has a very active nightlife downtown.
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I keep expecting to see a DeLorean speeding past with a giant hook on it when I look at this picture....

 

[ramblinChet]

I purchased two Rotopax two gallon water GEN2 and two Rotopax holders from AT Overland today. These will be used for back-up water and fill up some unused space between the cab and camper. I spoke with ATO and they said to make sure I have a minimum of 4.0" between the cab and camper. I verified and have 5.0-5.5" since the glass is curved.

All pictures from AT Overland web site.

 

[ramblinChet]

My recent travels included time spent in Scioto Trail State Forest, Tar Hallow State Forest, and Zaleski State Forest; all in Ohio. All three forests are within a an hours drive from each other. You can spend a day at either Scioto or Tar Hallow and cover much of each forest. Zaleski has much more to offer and is directly south of Wayne National Forest. You could easily spend a week or more exploring both forests.

Here is a picture in Scioto Trail State Forest. Do you know who created Scioto Trail and what it was used for?


Time was spent exploring lesser used trail off Martin Road in Scioto. This one started out OK although the combination of slippery wet leaves, elevation changes, and overgrowth, convinced me to turn around a quarter-mile later. I am never afraid to park, walk, and assess the conditions up ahead.


Some time later I came upon logging equipment. This was not really big machinery but parking my truck adjacent to it made my truck look small.


While exploring Tar Hallow State Forest I came upon a wonderful camp site along the shore of Pine Lake. After dinner I did some reading, turned in early, and slept very well. In the morning I discovered the temperature was in the low 30s and there had been some light snowfall.


Sometimes I end up in places where I have no idea where I am. No map for the area, GPS is searching for a signal, etc. This is one of those places. It is a nice gazebo on a small lake...somewhere.


Maybe it's just me but I truly enjoy slowing down and exploring nature. Nature is the most beautiful example of chaos and order blended to become one. If you are a geek like me and enjoy fractals, the golden ratio, Fibonacci numbers, etc. then get lost in nature and find your true path.

 

[ramblinChet]

Zaleski State Forest is one that I will visit again for sure - there is just so much to see and explore. Purple Lizard has a great map of the area with many details.

Not far from here I visited an Indian Burial Mound built by Adena Indians between 800 B.C. and 200 A.D.


Moonville Tunnel's legends have inspired a bluegrass song, orchestral piece, and a fictional horror story. It can be found deep in Zaleski State Forest, Ohio.


Each lock has a sad story to tell...


This was an interesting water crossing - nice and low profile. During normal conditions it's much like a bridge but during high water it overflows still permitting passage in some conditions. I like the design and wonder if it has a name?


Nothing special - just some more natural beauty.