The Background
This past spring I had the opportunity to meet our CEO, Jim, for lunch, during which we shared our interests and experiences. When it was time to share my interests, I had to really consider the question since the past four years have been a blur of academics as I pursued my degree. However, one hobby that comes to mind easily is “Overlanding.” Overlanding is a relatively new concept in travelling and I was happy to share my interest and some background with Jim over lunch. Right after we left the restaurant, he called me:
Photo by: Ethan Taylor
“Ethan! Is that your white 4Runner that just crossed the intersection?”
“Hey Jim, yes, sir, it is!”
“You know what would be really cool? An AMSG decal for your adventures in the future!”
“I love that idea! Let’s make it happen!”
The next day, Jim connected me with an amazing nonprofit organization assisting disabled Veterans called Heroes Night Out. They provide service member assistance, support, counseling, and resource information at no cost. It was through Jim’s assistance that I was able to meet the leadership and tell them my interest in assisting their cause. Heroes Night Out also has an outreach branch called “Fox Bravo Overland (FBO).”
Just the introduction itself turned into a source of inspiration for myself and encouraged me to plan my own excursions with friends. Several weeks later, Jim asked if I’d like to be a part of this year’s event hosted by Fox Bravo Overland. My heart jumped at the chance and it took no time to tell him I was on board!
Even as I write this story, I think back at how gracious they were to let me participate in this adventure as a part of their support team. Let me share with you exactly what ‘overlanding’ is and how amazing this trip was.
What is Overlanding?
Photo by: Sam Cullimore
Overlanding is a relatively new and rapidly growing travel concept of exploring the world primarily by vehicle, setting up camp, and usually doing some off-roading to your next destination. Overlanding is as much about the trip as it is the destination. For the Fox Bravo Overlanding trip, we travelled for seven days and made two “camps.”
In reality, overlanding is what you make it. For me, it is a great way of spending time with friends (old and new), sharing stories, and tackling the many different challenges the outdoors presents to the group while exploring the world around you.
The Trip Before the Trip
Getting to Albuquerque was such a cool experience in and of itself. This was the first time I had flown solo. As a first-time flyer, I stayed nervous about everything. I feared something in my camping gear would get flagged by security or I would mess up flight information and end up in Tahiti.
I arrived in Albuquerque and connected with Greg and Brandon, the leaders of the trip, who drove me to the hotel we stayed at before heading out.
AMSG sponsored and hosted an awesome breakfast for the Fox Bravo team, with delicious breakfast burritos made by a local restaurant, doughnuts, and coffee. Additionally, FBO received an abundance of equipment, clothing, camping gear, and everything in between for all of us from different sponsors. It was a very cool experience to contribute to the setup and watch the participants’ reactions as they had no idea they’d receive all of these gifts.
That night we enjoyed a wonderful meal that a close friend of FBO graciously hosted in their home, which allowed us to get to know everyone in a more casual setting.
The Journey Begins
Photo by: Ethan Taylor
It was an early morning for the first leg of the journey. There were several teams travelling together, each with a different purpose. Team Sierra began with getting to Durango, Colorado. This is where we set up Camp 1 at Chris Park. Before we reached Camp 1, we had a very special mission. We needed to surprise a team member, Ben, with a celebratory cake who would be celebrating his Alive Day a few days after the trip. Alive Day is the anniversary of the date when a Veteran almost lost their life in combat but instead, they are still alive that day.
Once we finally arrived at camp. It was all about setting up. My contribution was helping the camp chef prepare dinner for these 30 men. That night’s dinner was spaghetti and garlic bread. My personal goal in my own overlanding adventures is to provide high-quality dishes, so this was a fantastic opportunity to learn and see how a “camp chef” went about making such large meals in the woods.
Days in Durango
Photo by: Micheal Tinsley
The next morning after getting to camp, Team Sierra prepared breakfast for all the teams going out to the off-road trails. I was fortunate to not only tag along but drive
Photo by: Micheal Tinsley
most of the trails that day. We also stopped as a group to learn the ways of appropriate and safe vehicle recovery if stuck in a ditch, mud, etc. For me, that day provided a valuable lesson in that you must understand your vehicle’s capabilities and limits and then prioritize your vehicle’s needs to ensure a good overlanding experience.
The next day we tackled Engineer Pass, which had breathtaking views and provided a great challenge to put the lessons learned the prior day into use. The pass itself took you over 12,000 feet of elevation and back down to around 9,000 feet. That led to the next section of that day’s excursion, Cinnamon Pass, which was was filled with wonderful scenery and views, from an abandoned gold mining facility to dramatic mountain landscapes.
The last full day at Camp 1 in Chris Park was a day for darts, archery, firemaking, and land navigation. After that, the day was left to enjoy the camp and scenery before the long drive to Los Alamos.
Camp 2
Photo by: Kris Coleman
The roads to Los Alamos offered beautiful high desert scenery. It was amazing to see the random little towns that would pop up out of seemingly nowhere on the drive to camp.
Over the next couple days the teams flipped between Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve.
After all of those adventures, it was time to let my nerdiness really shine by visiting all of the Los Alamos museums and history. This is the area where all of the research, testing, and planning for the Manhattan Project took place, including Oppenheimer’s house.
Our trip back to Albuquerque was scenic, and we had one more night at the hotel before our independent departures for home, which was a nice change to tents and sleeping bags. We did a prize exchange for the winners of the camp competitions at Camp 1 before we all said our goodbyes.
Reflections
Photo by: Matthew Killam
This trip in its entirety was simply unforgettable. It is truly a testament to the FBO group, the leaders, and the men themselves that created a comfortable and supportive environment where Veterans could share and support one another. One outstanding aspect of this trip was how content I felt with a bunch of people I had never met. We all seemed like family as soon as we met. However, I cannot thank Jim and AMSG enough for such a cool experience where I was able to provide support to others yet also found so many rewards in the experience myself. I love the idea of exploration and this was definitely a step out of my comfort zone so I am happy I was invited to tag along on this adventure. I hope this story unlocked an element of curiosity, exploration, and openness to accept new challenges for you, too!
Written by: Ethan Taylor