In a recent Overland Journal podcast on Understanding the Overland Industry, our Chief Business Development Officer, Brian McVickers, stated that the overlanding boom is in its infancy. That statement may seem implausible considering the remarkable size of the community and industry at present. However, only recently have mainstream car manufacturers recognized the potential of the sector, with companies like Toyota publicly stating they’re “all-in on overlanding.” The popularity of vehicle travel is awesome, but with that comes a critical responsibility to protect nature, Leave No Trace, and adhere to responsible trail etiquette (something that big manufacturers have a responsibility to promote). With this in mind, I commend Dirt Lifestyle, aka Nate Pickel, for turning an overlanding adventure with friends into an opportunity to give back to public lands and leave trails better than they found them.
Dirt Lifestyle is an impressive YouTube channel with 243 videos and 337,000 subscribers. In this episode, Nate embarks on an adventure with friends (David, Chevy Suburban; Jason, Jeep Wrangler; and Jake, joining in Nate’s Tacoma) to complete the Washington State Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR), which sees them traverse approximately 600 miles on largely dirt roads over 10 days. It quickly becomes apparent that they’re the first people to tackle the route that season, and subsequently, the BDR is littered with fallen trees, snow drifts, mud bogs, and washed-out trails. At this point, the group could’ve chosen to bypass obstacles, but instead, they step up to the challenge, and the trip instead evolves into a demonstration of trail stewardship. Nate states: “The BDR is primarily for motorbikes and is subsequently impassable for these folks when the trails are in this condition, so our primary objective is to be good stewards and clear the route so that others may enjoy it safely. I’ll also be picking up every piece of trash I see between Canada and Oregon.”
All three rigs on the adventure showcase some impressive modifications (although I think we can agree that the Chevrolet Suburban is next-level cool). As they enter the fourth-day conditions worsen as they enter a “rats nest” of fallen trees, they coin the “jungle.” Undeterred, they battle for nine hours to clear the way before setting up camp for a well-earned ribeye and movie night. A common theme throughout is that nothing good ever came easy and that everything tastes better when you’ve earned it. On day six, things go from challenging to dangerous as work evolves from tree clearing to trail building. The struggle continues the following day with 9.5 hours of clearing trees before the team sends the drone up and realizes it would take two to three days to clear a path. The difficult decision is made to bypass the section. As they enter their final days, they find their stride with stunning views, fewer obstructions, fun mud pits, and finally cross the Bridge of the Gods, marking the end of their trip.
If you’d like to learn more about the Washington State BDR then check out ridebdr.com.
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