Ultimate Adventure

Part 1 of Ultimate Adventure 2018. While UA2017 started on one of the hottest days of the year, UA2018 kicked off in the cool climate of Wilton, Maine, right after the skies had dumped rain all night long. With little fear of dehydration this year, the group rolled out for the Rocky Mountain Terrain Park in Carthage, Maine, to wheel some of the toughest trails in the Northeast. Huge rolling boulders and severely steep climbs make these some of the most challenging trails around when it’s dry. But add a whopping 24-hour deluge which only tapered off as the group was airing down and you know the action is gonna be epic.

Part 2 of Ultimate Adventure 2018. Historically Ultimate Adventure has alternated between hardcore trail days followed by a long, slogging pavement-pounding road day, but not this year. On Ultimate Adventure 2018 the participants were surprised to learn every day would feature at least one hardcore trail. On Day 2 the Ultimate Adventure hooked up with the Western Maine Mountain Jeepers to hit the Dragon’s Tail trail in Bethel, Maine. With tight tree separation and super-squeezy turns it was a challenge getting the larger rigs through, but everybody tackled the long, snaking trail with enough daylight left to make a run to the top of Mt. Washington on the Auto Road. After a sunset tour of the historic New Hampshire mountain byway and enjoying the 20-something-degree weather and killer 100-mile views on the summit, the group high-tailed it back down and headed for camp to make repairs, cook dinner, and get ready for more hardcore wheeling through Jericho State Park on Day 3. We even had enough time to squeak in some Alpine slide fun before ending the day at the Mountain Mud Run park in Warren, New Hampshire. Wheeling, wacky fun, and repairs: It’s definitely a can’t-miss-episode.

Part 3 of Ultimate Adventure 2018. On Day Four of the Ultimate Adventure we packed up camp and headed for the next trail through quaint New England town, crossing rivers via covered wooden bridges and dirt roads passing ancient Revolution War era cemeteries before arriving in Brattleboro, Vermont, to ‘wheel the Crazy 8s trail with the Easter 4 Wheelers club. The conditions were slick, requiring lots and lots of throttle-down, smoky-tire-speed, and momentum to make it through. We had fullsizes and 4x4s bouncing off the rev limiters and the bumpstops all afternoon long and then it was time to air back up and keep heading on to the next adventure. Day Five began in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in a crazy downpour. After a soaking wet driver’s meeting we pulled out of town en route to the Sawmill trail, which lies on 240 acres of private land in Connecticut used by the Eastern 4 Wheelers club. We promptly proceeded to break parts and sling slop. With a jungle canopy above and gooey mud-covered rocks and roots below, we ended the day on the trail, arriving at camp in Ellensville, New York just before evening set.

Part 4 of Ultimate Adventure 2018. We awoke on Day Five in Ellenville, New York, at Northeast Off-Road Adventure facility. With 68 acres of trails running from beginner to expert, we restyled Rick Pewe’s hair after he lost a bet, locked the hubs, and hit the trail….and the trail hit back, pitching the Warn Golden Eagle LJ onto its lid. With the first rollover of UA2018 out of the way, we picked up the glass, thanked our EMT for making sure all occupants were okay, and then soldiered on, wrapping up our on-trail fun before heading to Red Hook, New York, to gawk at historic aircraft and early 20th century mechanical memorabilia at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Then we snaked through New York, cut through a corner of Pennsylvania on a historic toll bridge, hoofed it through a slice of New Jersey, and then arrived back into Pennsylvania where we headed due west for the Millersburg Ferry. Ending the day across the Susquehanna River on a vintage paddle wheel ferry is how it’s done on Ultimate Adventure.

Part 5 of Ultimate Adventure 2018. The final day of Ultimate Adventure 2018 and the whole group arrived at the Anthracite Off Road Adventure Area in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. Built atop reclaimed coal mining land, AOAA provided an incredible array of terrain, from snaky rock crawling to throttle-down ledges to everything in between. We wedged vehicles between trees, got hung up on huge boulders, employed high wheel speed to get up steep climbs, winched, and went in search of a shrubbery as we meandered through several trail systems at AOAA. This was some of the most challenging terrain of any Ultimate Adventure.