Young Edward Brown Jr. of...
Young Edward Brown Jr. of Dumfries, Virginia, flexed his well-equipped TJ for our lenses on the massive rocks of the Insanity Trail. Sporting a pair of full-width Dana 60s, coilovers front and rear, and full hydraulic steering, this Jeep seemed ready to tackle anything.
The state of Virginia has earned the nickname "Mother of Presidents" because eight of our nation's commanders-in-chief were born there. In our humble opinion, Virginia should be called "Den of the Big Dogs" because it's also the birthplace of the Big Dogs Offroad, a company that hosts a series of family-oriented trail ride events each year. John Hunt, the man behind Big Dogs, shares a passion for bringing together families, individuals, and 4x4 clubs, at a venue that is otherwise off-limits to 4x4s throughout the year. The location where all Big Dogs events are held is near the sleepy little town of Gore, in northwestern Virginia.
Each September, a convergence of nearly 200 vehicles sets out upon 50-plus Jeep trails. Known as the Main Jambo, the event is the largest of its kind in the region, and draws participants from each of the surrounding states-some from as far away as North Carolina. Virtually every type of terrain, from muddy bogs to extreme boulder gardens, keeps participants busy during the three-day-long event. When not out on the trails, patrons typically enjoy campfire socials and award-winning brisket from Paulie's Cook'n. There was also an RTI ramp on hand for folks to test their rigs' suspension flex. A Saturday night raffle lured participation from event-goers, with two grand prize winches donated by Madmatz Unique Jeeps of Ruckersville, Virginia. Also on Saturday night was a slideshow highlighting the weekend's trail rides, and an evening of music and games around a massive bonfire. All Big Dogs events are family-oriented, and as such, children are encouraged to enjoy the festivities too; they even had a bounce-house to romp in, along with face-painting and other games to keep them occupied on Saturday evening.
Camping out under the stars each night guaranteed everyone, including us, a serene piece of the Appalachian wilderness. Modern showers and restroom facilities allowed participants to refresh and feel civilized all weekend long. Altogether, the event was a blast, and throughout all the festivities, the KGB 4-Wheelers raised just over $3,000 to help a single mother and her two young children, who recently lost their father, Michael "Mick" Payran, in a tragic auto accident. That's something even a President's mother could be proud of.
Supporting a Good Cause
As mentioned earlier in the story, members of the KGB 4-Wheelers were on hand at the Big Dogs Main Jambo to help raise donations for a very worthwhile cause.
Zachary and Paxton Payran lost their father to an auto accident on June 14, 2009. At Saturday night's bonfire, KGB members organized a club fund-raising challenge designed to pit the many clubs present at the event against one another. We decided to shine the spotlight on the winners of this challenge. The Western New York Offroad club pooled their money together and made a $1,010 donation to the benefit of these young boys. All together, the night brought in over $3,000 in donations. Shown here are the generous men and women of the Western New York Offroad club. Way to go!
Doug Bigelow of Emmitsburg,...
Doug Bigelow of Emmitsburg, Maryland, showed off his awesome moon buggy's hill-climbing ability on the Hell Hole Trail. Bigelow is a well-known rock racer and is scheduled to participate at the 2010 King of the Hammers event
Young drivers such as Daniel...
Young drivers such as Daniel Smith and friends from Weyers Cave, Virginia, look forward to the Main Jambo each year. Guys and gals of all ages love the social aspect of the Big Dogs Main Jambo.
At the Friday night mud bogs,...
At the Friday night mud bogs, Mike Whittington from Middletown, Virginia, attacked the first hole with vengeance in his '86 Ramcharger. Whittington had just finished building the rig two weeks prior to the event. Despite a Powertrax locker out back and a welded front diff, as well as 37-inch Super Swamper SSRs, the bottomless goo got the best of this Mopar machine's maiden voyage.
Here, active members of Delaware's...
Here, active members of Delaware's largest Jeep club posed for our cameras. Incorporated in '02, the Delaware Jeep Association offers its members monthly organized trail rides, as well as events such as their annual Jeeps for Joy toy drive, benefitting the A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital. We love seeing clubs that get involved in community-related activities of this type.
Mindy Keller and co-pilot...
Mindy Keller and co-pilot Megan Khun showed us that New York gals like it rough and won't back down from a challenge. Keller was spotted through this super-technical section of the Insanity Trail by her boyfriend, and owner of this massive Samurai buggy, Ryan Knoche of Hamburg, New York.
It's all about the food: Paulie's...
It's all about the food: Paulie's award-winning barbeque kept everyone fed throughout the weekend. We sampled a few of Paulie's offerings-yum yum.
Young and in love: Steve proposed...
Young and in love: Steve proposed to his girlfriend Ashley at the Big Dogs Main Jambo on Saturday evening. We wish these two the best of luck.
In the backwoods, deep mud...
In the backwoods, deep mud holes taunt those who brave their depths. This YJ owner had to rely on his winch for extrication from one of the deeper holes on the Dynamite Trail.
This clean flatfender belongs...
This clean flatfender belongs to Dave Learman of North Tonawanda, New York. It sports a Chevy 350 V8, Turbo 400, an Atlas II and Dana 44 axles. Once featured in Jp magazine, this rig was among the cleanest at the event.
The many hill climbs of the...
The many hill climbs of the Big Dogs Main Jambo provided plenty of opportunity for action shots. This TJ, piloted by Travis Oliver of Salem, Virginia, was one of the larger rigs we witnessed catching some air on Saturday afternoon.
This trail-prepped '96 XJ...
This trail-prepped '96 XJ belongs to Eric Schaefer of Lockport, New York. This rig worked so well on the rocky terrain of the Penciltuckey Trail, we thought we were watching a rehearsed routine. Come to find out, Schaefer had only driven this particular section once before.
At all Big Dogs events, organizers...
At all Big Dogs events, organizers welcome drivers of every experience level. If fact, a majority of participants are new to the four-wheeling community. Here, a group of mildly-built Jeeps wait to tackle the U-Turn Trail.