June 18, 2005 - Day Nine: Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau
Miles: 15
Miles-to-date: 3698
States-to-date: 9
Stopped By Cops: 0
Problems with Hummer: 0
Worst MPG: 8.5
Best MPG: 11.93
Average MPG: 10.9
Times We Wanted Another Vehicle: 0
Tech Editor Sean P. Holman:
It was the best of times, it was the first of times...
This has been a very long week through nine very different states and terrains. This adventure took us from the sand dunes of Oregon to a crossing of the Missouri River in Montana, and beyond. Our original goal in planning this trip was to visit as many states as possible on our way to Chicago and experience wheeling in each one of them. In addition to providing a great magazine story, our other goal was to see if we could provide our readers with daily updates on our progress to www.fourwheeler.com from the road, something that has never been done at our title before.
With those goals in mind we contacted a few select companies for assistance. Coleman was the first company to join up and provided us with more camping equipment than we knew what to do with. We really appreciated the super-comfy air mattresses and warm sleeping bags. Next on the list were our friends at Hummer who offered to outfit our long-term H2 for the trip with Hummer Genuine Accessory remote reservoir shocks, lights, and Warn winch. We used and appreciated all of it, and if there is a vehicle out there that would have been more appropriate or a better match for this trip, we can't think of it. What else is as quiet, smooth and comfortable on the highway, is as capable in the dirt with 35s, rear lockers, and short overhangs, and capable of carrying all of our gear, and ourselves, in style? We can't think of anything. Lastly Garmin hooked up with all the GPS mapping software, which came in handy when we decided to give unknown back roads a try. We can't thank those companies enough for helping to make this idea a reality. We'd also like to thank our boss, Four Wheeler Editor Douglas McColloch for agreeing to this crazy plot to get out of the office and letting two of his editors loose on America for nine-days (Sorry about all of the mail you are sure to get, Doug!).
At the end of the 9-days, we charged through sand, blew through dirt, blasted through mud, grew beards (well, at least I did) and rinsed off in ocean water. While it wasn't exactly a paid vacation, especially with the 18-hour days, we had a great time and we look forward to refining our uploading skills and attempting a similar trip again in the future. We hope you enjoyed reading our blogs as much as we enjoyed writing them, and we'd like to hear what your thoughts are, so go ahead and click on our names to send us a quick e-mail.
As for Ken (who I haven't killed) and the H2 (of which I'll miss), they'll be staying at the Midwest Bureau, where we hit our last trail of the trip - the Official Four Wheeler super secret Midwest Test Facility. With that out of the way, I am about to leave for Chicago's O' Hare airport to catch my flight back to Southern California, just in time to see my much-missed loved ones for the first time in two-weeks and have a beer with my Dad on Father's Day. Be sure to check out our H2our de Force magazine coverage (with unique photos and text), which will begin with the November 2005 issue. Until then, Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there, and happy wheeling to the rest of you! Thanks again for checking in.
Senior Editor Ken Brubaker:
Sleep is good. Last night we slept at the Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau in Illinois, and we actually got over 8 hours of much needed shut-eye. Our moods have improved substantially. Holman and I no longer want to kill each other (You wanted to kill me , Ken? -Sean) .
Before we hit the last trail of the trip, the top secret Four Wheeler Illinois Test Trail, we devoured some home-cooked breakfast burritos. This was our first (and last) home-cooked meal of the trip. After exploring the Illinois backcountry we aimed the H2 toward Chicago's O'Hare International Airport so Holman could catch his flight back to California. Even this was fun because it's not every day one gets to drive an H2 wearing mud from nine states to the passenger departure area at the airport. The looks we got were priceless.
Hence, H2our De Force has concluded. Personally, I'd like to thank Hummer for hooking us up, not only with the H2 SUT, but also with the awesome roof-mounted auxiliary lighting. It made night driving so much easier and safer. The Hummer/Warn winch was also hugely appreciated, as we probably couldn't have left the Idaho mountains without it. Finally, the Rod Hall remote-reservoir shocks are simply awesome.
Coleman, you guys rock. We love the tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, stove, lantern, cooking table, coffee maker, air compressors and everything else you sent. Our trip wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable if we didn't have your stuff.
Holman and I spent the better part of Saturday morning reflecting on our 3,500-mile trip. I have to admit that I'm sorry it's over. I've been a magazine dweeb for 16 years and I can honestly say that this was one of the best assignments I've ever had. I went off-highway in places I've never been before, and it was awesome. It was also cool to meet Four Wheeler readers along the way.
But hey! The H2our De Force coverage is just beginning. We're planning a three part series on H2our De Force in Four Wheeler Magazine beginning in the November issue. In it you'll see loads of all-new photos and get a detailed overview of our trip from our departure in Hollister, California to our arrival in Chicago.
Final notes:
1. Since I left my office June 3rd, I have traveled through 17 states, 9 of which included H2our De Force.
2. Holman finally sneezed his last sneeze of H2our De Force at 10:22 a.m. Central Standard Time on June18th. Not because I killed him, but because he was done, I guess.
3. We're ready for another H2our De Force-type run. Just not right now.
VIDEO introduction
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9