LAND ROVER EXPEDITION AMERICA: UPDATE 3

After two weeks, 2,000 miles, two time zones and eight states, Land Rover Expedition America has reached its midpoint near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The marathon month-long crossing of America on dirt roads, tracks and trails has recently passed through the vast expanse of the Great Plains using back roads in remote parts of Northern Oklahoma, Southern Kansas and the far North East of New Mexico.

The Land Rover LR4 convoy crossed the famous Santa Fe Trail and into Colorado and the endless plain abruptly ended with the eastern wall of the Rocky Mountains. The 14,000 ft summit of Pike’s Peak loomed in the distance as a beacon to the expedition crew.

After a day of rest in Colorado Springs, the Land Rover Expedition America Team spent four days climbing remote mountain passes in the range. These passes are normally only snow-free in August. Storms have been buffeting the Rocky Mountains and the potential for snow at high altitude remains a possibility.

The team was welcomed to a cowboy fair where locals showed off their vintage tractors and, in return, inspected the mud-caked LR4s. In Kansas, the members of the Land Rover team were shown the craft of making wine against the climatic odds on the Great Plains.

Extreme weather has followed the event since Mississippi. Temperatures as high as 103 degrees, flooded roads, tornado warnings and dramatic thunderstorms have challenged the crew on their dawn to dusk days at the wheel.

The cars are factory specification Land Rover LR4 vehicles. The only equipment added to the vehicles was a factory winch kit, a roof rack, and a skid plate. When asked why the cars were not extensively modified for this journey, Land Rover Expedition Leader Tom Collins noted: “Doing this in stock vehicles is important as it clearly demonstrates the capability of the LR4 that anyone can buy at their local dealership.”

One of the highlights of the Oklahoma and Kansas sections was crossing Route 66 northeast of Tulsa at White Oak, Oklahoma. The legendary Mother Road runs over 2,400 miles from Illinois to California and was the route which forged so many westward dreams.

The Trans-America Trail, along which Land Rover Expedition America is traveling, is double the length of Route 66. In many respects it is closer to the experience faced by Pioneers in their covered wagons in the 19th century, while Route 66 defined westward migration in the 20th century.

The next week will bring 12,000-foot ascents of the Rocky Mountains. Land Rover Expedition America will then cross through Utah, and a week of desert driving onwards through Nevada. The varied climate and terrain of Oregon will be the last section before our finish on the Pacific Coast.