68 Jp jpmagazine.com OCTOBER 2019
NENA KNOWS JEEPS
Trail teamwork
By Nena Barlow
[email protected]
Photography: Nena BarlowWhen Ken Brubaker of
Four Wheeler magazine,
Jp’s sister publication,
asked me to guide the first Overland
Adventure, one of my biggest concerns
was how to bring together a group that
was going to be far more diverse than
the usual all-Jeep run. With everything
from rockcrawling Wranglers to overland
monsters like John Marshall’s U-600
Unimog, and a smattering of various
off-road trailers, the vehicles and the
experience of the participants were
vastly different.
We planned to travel from W ic kenburg
to Presc ot t and onward to O verland E xpo
in Flagstaff—via 260 miles of backroads
over three days. W hat c ame of this e clec-
tic event was a lesson in teamwork and
camaraderie unparalleled in any other
large groups I have led.
The first test of the group was just
getting through registration. With 38
vehicles in the line, I expected us to
stretch out up to a mile at times. That
makes communication by radio difficultin Arizona’s famous c anyon - lac ed terrain.
Rugged Radios provided handheld radios
for the event, and as powerful as they
were, we were lucky to have several
helpers and staff members, including our
mid-gunner Rick Péwé, to relay communi-
cations back and forth—ensuring that even
in the tight, t wis t y c anyons, ever yone took
the correct turns in the trail. This worked
even more effectively because everyone
observed good radio etiquette, keeping
transmissions clear and brief.
The second test of the group was our
first mechanical breakdown—less than
two hours into the trail on the first day.
One of the Ram 1500s broke a front axle
and was mid-hill on a nasty optional
4x4 climb out of a wash. Though we had
plans to handle such c ontingencies, the
preparation of the participants changed
this from a significant breakdown to a
minor 30-minute lunchtime fix. Guido
Kimble offered up the power tools on his
M-1078 LMTV, and Dan Cressall offered
up the spare axle (and vehicle knowledge)
from his Ram 1500. Both jumped on the
challenge enthusiastically, and the injured
15 0 0 was able to f inish the res t of the trip
on its own.
Then there were the multiple vehicles
pulling trailers, which were having
overheating issues on our brutal Arizona- You really get to find out how well the group is going to bond when the first breakdown
happens. It’s awesome when other participants jump in and have the broken truck back in action
before lunch is over. Left to right: Ken Brubaker, Dan Cressall, and Jason Lewis. 2. This diverse
group could have focused on their tribal differences, but they chose to have fun and support each
other throughout the 260 miles of Arizona backcountry. 3. There was room for everyone—even
the locals. 4. Dan and Brooke Cressall sent around cinnamon rolls every morning, freshly baked
in their overland oven. It was a great way to set the tone for the day! They made camp with Matt
Jackson and his cool Defender 110 and Curtis Cole with a new-to-his-stable RHD Hilux. 5. John
Marshall and his fully stocked Unimog kept me fortified with frothy iced coffees during the day
and...other beverages in the evening. 6. Every viewpoint on the trail was a chance to hang out
and get to know each other, talk about rigs, swap trail stories, and just soak in the scenery. 7. If
one person was to receive an outstanding participant award, it would have been Dan Cressall.
He fixed Jason’s 1500, fought fires, and towed other people’s trailers! Here are Dan, Brooke, and
Dana in their Ram 1500, with the group stretching down the mountain behind.
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