As kids, how many of you had a wide-brimmed hat and a six-shootin' cap gun that you wore proudly as you roamed the wild ranges of your backyard playing cowboys? Or better yet, maybe you actually got to live the hardy life in the saddle, roping and brandingcattle in the wild fields of the West? And now, how many times in your life have you had the chance to ride into town on the back of your trusty steed, with your gang of dirty roughneck friends and just have the most rootin' tootin' good time ever? Well, this year Ultimate Adventure took our wild band of 18 rough and weathered trail machines, with 34 cowboys and two cowgirls, down to the biggest state in the lower 48 where we wrassled some of the meanest dirt climbs, roughest rock ledges, and mud so nasty it would leave some of our gang sniveling like babies.
So what is the point of all the trails of tears? It's just the most important week of the year for us. The week the editors of 4-Wheel & Off-Road leave our cluttered desks behind to go get some quality dirt under the tires, and rather than go alone we round up a group of like-minded wheelers to go with us. By "like-minded" we mean folks not scared of living in the dirt, wrenching nightly to keep our battered rides on the trail, and wholeheartedly leaving the grueling daily grind behind for a seven-plus day trip where we can recharge our batteries in the most exhaustingly fun week of off-roading possible. Basically the office is closed, we've gone wheeling, and when we get back our clothes will stink and be infested with bugs. Don't you wish you were with us?
So it's 2007 and the name of the game is Big: big state, big tires, big Jeep, big fun in big mud, big dirt, and big rocks. Every year we organize our Ultimate Adventure trip to cover about 1,000 miles across three or four states, where we go wheeling every other day, and commute between trails on deserted backroads in our trail rigs. Not on trailers, and not in air conditioning, but rather behind the wheel of our sometimes barely legal 4x4s with mud-terrain tires whirring underneath and the noise and heat of rugged powerplants filling our ears and frying our feet.
This year we chose to visit just one state-one big state called Texas. You would think we would show up like lethal outlaws in these small towns, what with our big machines and dirty clothes from camping and wrenching every night, but the fact is we usually find some of the most hospitable local wheelers to help lead our troop to the local wheeling spots, and those folks from Texas were as fun-loving as any we've ever met. Never before has the weather been so great (though slightly warm and just a wee bit humid), the trails so fun (though by fun we mean brutal), and the people so welcoming (helpful, fun, and outfitted with some of the best Bar-b-que-ing skills in the nation). It was truly an unforgettable trip, and in case you were wondering, we'll be doing it again next summer to another part of the country, so fill out your application in next month's issue to join the gang.
Day 1, Saturday:
Check in at Longview Driveshaft & 4x4, Longview, Texas
Just getting your truck done, getting packed, and getting there in one piece is as much an adventure as the trip itself. You'd think everyone would be completely prepared and not have any last-minute projects to do. We promise every year that this is the last year we'll be wrenching at check-in, though we're sure it will be the same next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.
Ultimate Adventure has got to be our most memorable week of the year here at Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road (4WOR), though it's not in any way due to the rest and relaxation we get during this wild week. The 2007 event started off in Longview, Texas, where the official sign-in was held at the Longview Driveshaft & 4x4 shop. Owner Cecil Derrick graciously opened his shop to our group of 18 4x4s from across the nation, where we all met for our pretrip inspection and last-minute preparations. | 
As usual, trip leader, Editor-in-Chief, and 4WOR front man Rick Pw had a list of equipment that was mandatory to keep the trip safe and vehicles moving. These included front and rear locking differentials, fire extinguishers, and a minimum of 35-inch-tall tires. Since BFGoodrich Tires was returning as the title sponsor this year it wasn't hard to find Krawlers, Baja TAs, and both new and old style Mud-Terrains under most of our posse. In case you haven't heard, there is a new style Mud-Terrain coming from BFGoodrich with a tough Krawleresque look and claimed 33 percent stronger sidewalls. | 
Other required equipment includes a winch with the cable properly spooled, a jack, proper recovery points front and rear, a first aid kit, and safety belts or harnesses for all occupants. Since the group will be seeing both on- and off-road sections, the drivers are required to have current registration and insurance on their vehicles as well as a rollcage and the ability to travel up to 150 miles without a fuel station. Full jerrycans were common amongst the camping gear, tool bags, and spare parts in each vehicle. |
Not to be outdone by any of the attendees to our own party, we had multiple teams helping us put the final touches on our Cummins diesel-powered Ultimate Adventure Jeep Wrangler, the Rubi Wagon. Read the buildup about it elsewhere in this and next month's issues. | 
Of course an event like this is supported by a bunch of great sponsors, and the check-in was when most of the trucks were outfitted with a bunch of new sponsor logos and decals. Not to mention every attendee got a handful of UA T-shirts to wear during the event and burn at the end of the week after being infested with all sorts of local insects. | 
In addition to all the preparations, there are always some last-minute stragglers who use check-in as a chance to fix long-forgotten issues with their trucks or finish up new upgrades that were put on hold while they raced across the nation to the start of UA. Here Tom Boyd gets help from Team Hobart to finish resurrecting his old Bronco turned faux Jeep CJ. This was after he lost a wheel bearing along the side of the road and suffered uncountable bouts with ghostly vaporlock. Tom, you have 11 months until next year's trip-how about a little preventive maintenance? |
Every day of Ultimate Adventure starts out with our sandal-clad scoutmaster, Pw, rounding up the troops with a hearty drivers' meeting. This is the part of the day when we go over what the trails ahead will be like, the local wheelers leading us are introduced, and any other topics are addressed such as who gets to wear the silly pink hats for the day. More often than not the drivers' meeting is held next to the BFGoodrich Tires tractor trailer, which shadows our group for most of the trip each year. This year BFGoodrich had a new Mud-Terrain tire that many of the attendees were testing out, and not a single one was punctured all week. | 
We headed to the dirt with tires aired down and nervous drivers ready to finally get this show on the road. Local shop owner Cecil Derrick was our trail leader and he slipped into the first crack of Twister like it was an old pair of boots. His tube buggy made short work of many of Barnwell's obstacles, and his crew of volunteer trail hands had our group of visiting wheelers moving smoothly down the trail. | 
Behind Cecil was Pw, and for the first time ever the UAJK Rubi Wagon was slipped into Low Range (remember this Jeep started out as a two-wheel-drive). Pw never looked so at home as when he gave the 5.9 diesel under the hood of that big Jeep some fuel and simply walked up that first obstacle. Ultimate Adventure 2007 had officially begun. |