Land Rover Expedition America

[Finlayforprez]

Thanks for the update, Umberto!

Beautiful photos in UT.

 

[umbertob]

LAND ROVER EXPEDITION AMERICA: UPDATE 4
August 15, 2013

Land Rover continues through Colorado and Utah and on their month long cross country off-road drive from North Carolina to Oregon.

The Expedition spent a few days crossing the Rocky Mountains, the largest physical barrier on the expedition. The Colorado leg began in Trinidad, on the New Mexico border, and ran northwest through Lake City and Telluride, using some of the passes that carried the pioneer and stagecoach traffic of the past.

“The pioneers covered around 10 miles a day on similar roads you guys are using,” said Dave Shaw, who drives a horse-drawn stagecoach in the old gold mining town of Silverton, CO. LREA is averaging around 200 miles a day.

Atop Black Bear Pass, a 12,000ft mountain above Telluride, Colorado, the trail descends into a town along a steep face. The slippery rock and shale surface is dangerous and requires extreme caution. Slowly but surely, Expedition Leader and Colorado resident Tom Collins led the team safely into Telluride.

“Hurry this section and you could regret it,” Tom said after the successful crossing of the Rockies. “We are doing this event in August because any other month and the passes could be blocked by snow. Even on Black Bear we had some snow flurries.”

The expedition then pressed onto Utah. The trail runs a few hundred yards from sections of Interstate 70. The Interstate is so close you can hear the rumble of trucks and cars.

Threading its way among massive boulders is a sand track that is part of a challenging section of the 5000-mile Trans-America Trail. The challenging trail goes through Black Dragon Canyon, where razor-sharp rocks, rattlesnakes and the risk of flash flooding are the antithesis to the Interstate.

Each Land Rover LR4 progressed steadily at a walking pace, while being watched over by 1,000 year-old cave paintings under the lip of a canyon wall. With the air suspension set in lifted mode and the Terrain Response dialed to Rock Craw, the crews edged through in the Utah landscape for 14 hours.

The heat of the Nevada Desert awaits the crews as they continue onto the next segment of their westward journey from North Carolina to Oregon.

 

[bushway9172]

That last shot is awesome!

 

[umbertob]

That's a shot from Black Bear Pass as well, the very start of the amazing descent into Telluride. The switchbacks are something else, super tight and super steep turns with 1000-ft dropoffs just a few inches from your outer tires. Major rush, and major pucker factor if you suffer from vertigo. I took a few shots of the area myself when I went a few years back, although my hands were mostly glued to the steering wheel the entire way down.

 

[Finlayforprez]

These photos are all amazing. Thanks for keeping us updated!

Umberto, did you do that trail in your RRS?

-David

 

[umbertob]

Yeah, back when Adam Spiker used to lead the Great Divide trips in Colorado. Good times.

 

[umbertob]

Reports from the field are that the 3 LR4 involved in the expedition experienced at least 10 flat tires already - and they are not even close to being done, so more flats to come. Doing some quick math, even with the extra spare on the roof it means they must have managed to plug some tires on the trail and/or found plenty of tire shops on the way to fix or replace their flat Contis (or, LRNA air lifted a bunch of wheels along the way allowing them to continue their journey, which would be cheating though...)

Hopefully this will open Land Rover's eyes that the stock 19" and 20" wheels and tires supplied with these vehicles are woefully inadequate for any type of extensive off-roading, even of the milder dirt roads variety, at least on the type of terrain found here in North America. These cars need 18" wheels and beefed up AT or MT tires offered as a factory option. One shouldn't have to go buy wheels in the UK or add spacers and lift kits, voiding warranties in the process, to make these otherwise capable vehicles off-road worthy.

 

[Kaaae]

Thats interesting. I cant wait to hear the nuts and bolts of this trip.

 

[Finlayforprez]

Reports from the field are that the 3 LR4 involved in the expedition experienced at least 10 flat tires already - and they are not even close to being done, so more flats to come. Doing some quick math, even with the extra spare on the roof it means they must have managed to plug some tires on the trail and/or found plenty of tire shops on the way to fix or replace their flat Contis (or, LRNA air lifted a bunch of wheels along the way allowing them to continue their journey, which would be cheating though...)

Hopefully this will open Land Rover's eyes that the stock 19" and 20" wheels and tires supplied with these vehicles are woefully inadequate for any type of extensive off-roading, even of the milder dirt roads variety, at least on the type of terrain found here in North America. These cars need 18" wheels and beefed up AT or MT tires offered as a factory option. One shouldn't have to go buy wheels in the UK or add spacers and lift kits, voiding warranties in the process, to make these otherwise capable vehicles off-road worthy.

I completely agree. I would love to see them offer an off-road package that includes some important components such as 18" wheels, beefy off-road tires, underbody protection, etc. I think many of us would pay several thousand dollars for such an option as long as it's adequately fitted with decent products. I would even be happy with the Heavy Duty package offering a few extra components like the 18" wheel. I like my Compomotives, but they definitely do not have the sidewall protection that is available with the 18" wheels. As I said in a previous post, the 18" wheels are next on my list (likely this Fall).

Thanks for the update - very interesting!

-David

 

[SHS14]

Not going to happen, I've seen more LR's in the parking lot at the mall with a Jersey Shore wanna-be getting out than on the trail.

Side note: that's why I love this particular site -- you guys actually get your rig dirty.