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Alaska Highway Movie from 1943

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This somewhat silly movie included numerous jeeps and other war-time transport. It looks like the Sierras were substituted for Northwestern Canada. Perhaps the funniest part of the movie begins at 21:36 as a jeep rolls up behind a guy in a parka (a scene that looks fake). For some reason, two soldiers have climbed a Matterhorn-looking spire. One guy starts to fall, so the other uses a rope with a loop to keep him from falling. Then, somehow, the guy up top then climbs down on the same rope, but how does the top of the rope connect to anything?

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1942 Alaska Highway Report (and more) by Sigrid Arne

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

As I mentioned yesterday, Sigrid Arne (1894-1973) enjoyed a second big jeep adventure. This time it was a trip to Alaska, then a trip down part of the Alaska Highway while it was still under construction. As you’ll see below, there were a variety of photos that were included in newspapers related to her story about the highway.

Below the Alaska Highway articles are more information about Sigrid and other articles by her. Unfortunately, I can still not locate an obituary nor a biography related to her. So, I’m attaching these articles to this thread so that later I can draft a good wikipedia biography about her.

THE ALASKA HIGHWAY ARTICLE AND PHOTOS:

This first photo was published in the June 15, 1942, issue of the Decatur Journal. It shows Sigrid interviewing Pvt. Levi Schrock and and Prv. Albert Tomaino.

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A day earlier, in June 14, 1942, the Knoxville Journal published Sigrid’s experience watching the military build a road through thickly wooded and boggy areas.

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The June 15, 1942, issue of the Spokesman Review featured this series of photos on its back page. It’s hard to believe that Melba Bergeron Mince was working with the military in that outfit (how did the mosquitos not attack all the exposed skin?

1942-06-15-spokesman-review-sigrid-arne-alaskay-highway-loresOTHER SIGRID ARNE STORIES:

A month prior to the above articles, Sigrid wrote about a woman who lived by herself in Alaska and remained unafraid of the Japanese Military:

Continue reading

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Day 10: July 30th, Cruising the Alaska Highway

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 9: July 29, At Dawson Creek | Day 11: July 31st, Bison, Bears, and (no) Breakdowns –>

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A great group shot out front of Todd & Diana Penney’s business Dalex Auto Services. We really appreciate their hospitality! Todd is seen to the far left.

After months of planning, yesterday we finally got our chance to drive the Alaska Highway! Our stop for the evening would be in Fort Nelson, BC.

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Yesterday morning was filled by a sense of excitement for the trip to begin. It was the first day of our five day trek to Alaska. We’d planned to leave at 8am, so hustle and bustle was prevalent early.

I drove to the gas station right after waking. Having never filled up Patterson’s custom stainless steel tank, I had no idea how much it would take. But, after having to run into the store to pay for gas several times because I’d misjudged how much would fit into the tank, I returned to the hotel and staged the DJ, ready to lead the group north. Spoiler alert … up to this point, Patterson had started dependably for the past month.

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All prepared to lead the caravan.

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Emily and Joe ready to tackle the Alaska Highway

Naturally, when the big moment came and we were ready to take a quick tour of the local roundabout where Ann was positioned to do a Facebook Live event, I turned the key and …. Patterson wouldn’t start. Joe, quickly recognizing that I was having a problem, gave me a quick push. Heck, compression starting was old hat to me and I guess it wouldn’t be an old jeep if you didn’t have to compression start it every so often.

Now that I was rolling and, once Merlin also was pushed started (Mortimer and Patterson were in a groove), we drove a short distance, rounded the roundabout and waved at Ann as she streamed us live for everyone to see! Except, there was another slight hiccup. Facebook wasn’t full cooperating, so our FB live was a bust. No matter, we had fun with our little parade.

Our first stop for the day was at the Kiskatinaw wooden bridge, a part of the original (or early) Alaska Highway.

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We stopped just short of the bridge so Ann could ready her camera and Luis, Andreas’ son, could prep his drone. We agreed to wait a few minutes (no cell service) before dramatically entering the bridge.

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Staged and ready for the bridge.

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1942 Photo of Early Alaska Highway Bridge on Ebay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I sure hope they’ve updated this bridge!

“You are bidding on an original press photo of Truck & Jeep Cross Pontoon Bridge Alaska Highway Construction. Photo has some waving due to too much glue being used to attach the information sheet onto the back of the photo. If the photo in the listing shows any thin green, red, yellow and/or blue lines, they are the result of a bad scan & the lines are NOT on the actual photo. Photo measures 7 x 8 inches and is dated 9/3/1942.”

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Alaska Highway Museum Dawson Creek, Canada

• CATEGORIES: News This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The small Canadian town of Dawson Creek is home to several museums, including the Railway Station Museum and the Walter Wright Pioneer Museum. Because the town is considered the southern terminus of the ALCAN, or the Alaska – Canadian Highway, it’s also home to the Alaska Highway House, a small museum that chronicles the building of the highway. Inside the museum, is a jeep that participated in the building of the famous road.

EWillys has several photos and posts about the building of the highway, including this 1944 article by Herbert Lanks about a jeep trip up the new highway.

You may enjoy this humorous introduction to the museum (that includes the jeep):

Here are some still photos of the jeep:

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I can’t wait to see this sign some day:

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Early Photo of the Alaskan Highway

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s a neat postcard.

“Title: RPPC – Military Jeep on Alaska Highway thru Canada Postcard
Description: Card was mailed, has light wear, no major creases.
We are selling a large number of postcards in the near future. Some will be individual, some in large groups. Be sure to look at our other auctions as we list similar items simultaneously.”

View all the information on eBay

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Highways Across the Horizon by Dorothy Rogers

• CATEGORIES: Books, FC150-FC170-M677, Features, Women & Jeeps This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This ad published in the Los Angeles Times, June 15, 1962, by the Alaskan Camper Factory, welcomed Dorothy and Louise back into the United States after their trip around the world in an FC-170 (with an Alaskan camper, of course).

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===================

Originally Published October 06, 2012: Highways Across the Horizon was written by Dorothy Rogers, who previous wrote Jeopardy in the Jeep.  I received a copy of it in the mail last week.  I knew the book was about traveling through Asia, but there were two things I didn’t know.  The first think I learned was that she and her travel partner Louise, traveled all the way around the world, starting and ending in New York.  The second surprise was their vehicle of choice:  a FC-170 with a camper.   Craig confirmed today that Dorothy and Louise piloted only the third known FC to make it around the world.  I can’t wait to read about their adventure.

Here are FC related pics:

Continue reading

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1946-1949 Bike and Jeep Trip from Argentina to Alaska

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This is an extensive update to the 2017 post about Pedro and Carlos Rocasalvo’s 1946-1949 trip from Argentina to Alaska and back.

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CREDIT: February 1955 issue of the Willys News. The photo shows Pedro Rocasalvo and some helpers using boards and a railroad track to help the jeep cross a deep gorge. This was part of the return trip to Argentina.

On June 5, 1946, two brothers, 24-year-old Pedro and 19-year-old Carlos Rocasalvo, mounted bicycles at their home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began an adventure north. They carried 80lbs of baggage and $100. Their ultimate goal was to reach Fairbanks, Alaska. They expected the trip to last five years. Their father, a clothing goods salesman, was against the trip, but the boys were confident that they’d be okay.

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CREDIT: March 16th, 1948, issue the Wilmington Daily Press journal, Wilmington, California.

A budding journalist and photographer, Pedro and his brother supported their trip through serialized and syndicated reports to twenty-six newspapers back in Argentina. The pair planned to film their journey and use their notes and articles to write a book about their adventure.

During their trek to the United States, the pair survived four crossings of the Andes, a “ringside seat at Bolivia’s revolution”, and hacking their way through 300 miles of Colombian Jungle that proved the worst part of their trip. During their 26 days in the jungle, they shot and cooked their own food. In the evenings, the brothers slept in trees, but had to select the trees carefully due to snakes and other animals.

At Colon, Panama, the exhausted boys were diagnosed with Malaria; they were treated for the disease and slept for four days.

Once in the United States, the pair’s lack of English didn’t slow them down. Eventually, after twenty-seven months of riding, they reached Los Angeles, arriving in March of 1948. While in Hollywood, Pedro studied photography at Paramount’s photography school for a month.

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CREDIT: Pomona Progress Bulletin, Pomona, California. Pedro and Carlos Rocasalvo receive American Youth Hostel passes.

Soon, they were back on their bikes again, arriving at the YMCA in Portland, Oregon, in June of 1948. There, an interpreter named Celita Dextre, fluent in Spanish and English, was brought in to help the boys tell their story. There may have been some sparks between Pedro and twenty-three-year-old Celita, because she surfaced again later in the trip.

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June 17, 1948, issue of the Dayton Herald, Dayton, Ohio.

After additional stops in Seattle and Vancouver, the pair made a hard ride for Fairbanks.

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Post Trip Items: German Documentary w/ Alaska Or Rust Folks

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Post Trip Items: Alaska Or Rust Article inDispatcher Magazine –> | Post Trip Items: Alaska Or Rust!! 2107 …. The Book –>

UPDATE: Here’s the updated link: https://www.rbb-online.de/fernsehen/programm/18_02_2024/1929740.html

Karl Teuschl, a documentary filmmaker from Germany, included a couple of our Alaska Or Rust folks in his newest film that was released yesterday in parts of Europe (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). It’s a beautiful documentary that covers the Alaska Highway and gives viewers a good sense of the road conditions, the scenery and the feel of driving the highway.

Two of the Alaska Or Rust jeeps appear at the 18:30 mark. The interview with Marty Tilford, Don Brown, Rob and Diane Stafford starts at the 19:38 mark. It ends at 20:30. Most of it is in German. Unfortunately, Ann and I headed south just before the point where we would have met up with Karl, so after six months of emails he and I didn’t get a chance to meet.

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L to R: Diana Stafford, Rob Stafford, Don Brown, Marty Tilford

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A good shot of the remoteness of the highway.

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Nice inclusion of the eWillys sticker :-)

<– Post Trip Items: Alaska Or Rust Article in Dispatcher Magazine –> | Post Trip Items: Alaska Or Rust!! 2107 …. The Book –>

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Day 23: Aug 11, Patterson Ends His Alaska Journey

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Patterson, put to bed.

We were a little slow getting going, but eventually we got back on the road.

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This kindly Canadian waved us goodbye from Prince George.

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Upon leaving Prince George, we headed south, straight for the fires; and, it showed.

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We were driving south in hopes we could see the Frasier Valley (Hugo’s wish), but the relentless fires in BC drove us West at highway 24, a normally scenic backroad made a mess due to the traffic diversion coupled with road work. It made the short detour a very long one. When we finally reached the end of highway 24, we were greeted with a long, steep downhill drive that required I shift down to 2nd. Patterson was pushing us pretty good down that hill, the first time I’d felt that the entire trip.

At Hwy 5 we turned south toward Kamloops, then ran into stop and go traffic. We also picked up just enough cell reception to text. About then I received a text from Marty. We began texting back and forth about the fact that we were stuck in a traffic jam. It turns out we were only about fifteen minutes apart. Throughout this trip this group just found ways to run into each other.

Since the four of them planned to stop in Abbotsford, we stuck with our plan to reach Renton as soon as we could. What we didn’t expect were the mountains between Kelowna and Abbotsford. There were multiple climbs and multiple drops, larger than any others we’d experience anywhere else in the trip (the exception being the steep drop earlier in the day at the end of highway 24 .. it was steep, but not as long). It was the first time I felt our Grand Cherokee struggle a little as we pulled Patterson. It was relief when we left those mountains behind!
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It was also a relief when we arrived at the Sumas border and found a short line to cross into the US. We went through first. Fortunately, they didn’t ask where all our t-shirts went! Though our crossing was easy, the customs discovered that folks at the Alaska border hadn’t stamped Hugo’s passport, which meant they had to go inside and explain why. Inside, they asked when Hugo was flying out of the country. Fernando told them the correct date, but Hugo got confused and said a different date. This caused some confusion. Ann and I waited about twenty minutes before we saw their jeep approach us.

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In Sumas, the Vidals removed their stickers and gave them to me.

After that, we began our two hour drive to Renton, arriving in the dark. The next morning, we put Patterson away, effectively ending his trip. He might have only driven a small portion of the highway, but it was a blast while we were doing it. It worked out better that way in the end, as I could drive while Ann took video and snapped pictures.

EPILOGUE

On Saturday morning we unpacked quickly, carefully washing Patterson in the process. The ol’ DJ-3A needed a gentle wash before being put away. We plan to preserve all the signatures with a clear coat. Continue reading

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Day 14: Aug 3, Reaching Alaska

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 13: Aug 2, Perma-Grins Despite Melting Permafrost | Day 15: Aug 4, You Want to do WHAT? –>

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The mosquitoes are REALLY big up here.

On Thursday August 3rd we crossed into Canada, bound for Fairbanks.

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Some of the team decided to go camp, while others stayed at the Beavercreek Motel and RV Park. It’s rustic. It was the FCA videographer’s last day with us, so he got some last minute coverage, including a long sequence that had us driving away into the distance while a drone followed us.

I was also interviewed to give my thoughts on the trip and Hugo.

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Here’s a partial video from the morning:

https://youtu.be/ezKdqS2tBqw

Following the filming, we left for the border and to hunt down the campers. The early morning sunrise was very pretty, making for a good photo. The roads were the roughest we’d seen. Melting permafrost portions of the road pretty rough. Various sections were under construction.

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A welcome sign gave us our first glimpse of the US. First the campers went past the sign, then the remainder did.

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Continue reading

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It’s Official … Alaska Here We Come … (July/August 2017)

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

75TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALASKA HIGHWAY INSPIRES
VINTAGE JEEP CARAVAN, ‘ALASKA OR RUST’

alaska-or-rust-map-photo

Vintage Jeep Enthusiasts to Drive the Entire Alaska Highway
in ‘Willys’ Jeeps Over Five Day, 1,500 Mile Adventure —

PASCO, WASHINGTON– February 03, 2017– This July, to celebrate its 75th anniversary, a group of travelers from across the United States and Canada will drive the entire Alaska Highway in vintage Jeeps. The trip, dubbed ‘Alaska Or Rust,’ will span five days and cover the nearly 1,500 miles between the famed highway’s start in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and the end at Fairbank, AlaskaA

The group will launch as three separate caravans: one from the East Coast, led by Bill Reiss, one from the Midwest, led by Scott Gilbert, and one from the West Coast, led by David Eilers. On their way to Dawson Creek, each caravan will make scheduled stops where additional travelers can join. Upon arrival at the highway’s entrance, the three groups will merge and convoy together throughout the whole of the Alaska Highway.

“The beauty of this trip is that it isn’t the high-speed, air-conditioned affair that’s become so common on the Alaska Highway,” said Bill Reiss, another of the trip’s organizers. “We’re driving our old, beloved Jeeps—models from the 40s, 50s and 60s—and by doing so, we’re paying homage to the rugged and beautiful story of both the Jeep brand and the Alaska Highway. It’s an adventure for us and a tribute to some incredible history.”

The ‘Alaska or Rust’ caravan has already attracted attention from sponsors like JP Magazine, a favorite periodical of vintage Jeep lovers, which will send a contributor, Traci Clark, to document the journey. Two sponsors have already joined the effort, Allied Jeeps and Overland Diesel. Additional sponsors will be announced shortly.

Fans are encouraged to join the adventure by following the group’s Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, which will update as connectivity allows. Additionally, a daily trip recap will be posted on organizer Dave Eilers’ trade publication, eWillys.com.

To join the trip, learn more or sponsor a portion of the journey, visit www.alaskaorrust.com.

About the Alaskan Highway:

The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon. Completed in 1942 at a length of nearly 1,500 miles long, the highway was opened to the public in 1948. Legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway proved perfect for showing off the capabilities of early military Jeeps.

Media Contact:

David Eilers: 831-325-9616; david@alaskaorrust.com; d@ewillys.com

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1944 Article “By Jeep to Alaska” (Late One)

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Herbert Lanks wrote a newspaper article with the same name that was published in February of 1944. You can read it here.

Here’s a magazine article from the September 1944 issue of Popular Photography.  This must have been quite the trip, as the Alaska Highway had been completed less than two years previously in November of 1942.

The magazine was on eBay, so I decided to purchase it.  You can view the article at Google Books.

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Thank You Letter 2017 Alaska Or Rust

• CATEGORIES: News This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

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The Alaska Or Rust 2017 event was a great success, due in part to your support. Initially, Our goal had been to gather thirty jeeps together, but by the time we departed the list of people who wanted to go initially (more than 100) fell to eleven jeeps and twenty-four people. That turned out to be a blessing, because the size made the event more easily managed. Those that took the brave step to join us—knowing that we’d never put on anything like this—were a great bunch from all over the US and Brazil, with a wide range of experience and ages spanning twenty-two to eighty-four years old. Everyone bonded well and, even one month after the trip, we are in constant communication on Facebook. Our hope is to do another trip together, someday.

Highlights from the trip began the morning we grouped in Dawson Creek at our motel. There, a group of Canadian Mounties stopped to visit, take photos, and sign our jeeps. They even cut some patches off their vests to trade for Alaska Or Rust shirts.

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Another favorite highlight was our stop in Fort Nelson, Canada, where Todd Penney hosted a dinner for us at his auto shop, Dalex Auto, and invited folks from around the town to attend. We even landed on the front of the city’s newspaper!

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The next day we drove to Watson Lake. There, the chamber of commerce was thrilled to see all the jeeps, so everyone lined up in front of the sign forest (with tens of thousands of signs) and took pictures. A truly unique spot!

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In Whitehorse, the main capital of Yukon, we had rooms in a downtown hotel, where people could wander by, check out the jeeps, and sign them. Meanwhile, we celebrated Hugo Vidal’s 84th birthday with a free dinner hosted by the Discovery Yukon, the tourism arm of Whitehorse. A few days later, Hugo was featured in the Whitehorse Star newspaper.

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When we left Whitehorse the next day, the group stopped for lunch at a small gas station along the Alaska Highway. As we walked inside, we were surprised to hear Hugo’s voice. An interview he’d given the night before was broadcasting all over the Yukon! You can listen to it here:

https://soundcloud.com/cbcyukon/vidal-retraces-1955-alaska-highway-journey

Eventually, we reached Alaska, then Fairbanks. We celebrated with two public meet-n-greets, one at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum of Fairbanks and the other at the local Jeep Dealership. At both stops we met followers of the trip and jeep enthusiasts.

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In terms of visibility, Alaska Or Rust served up an average of 1000 pages a day over six months, meaning readers saw your logos over 180,000 times. Meanwhile, eWillys received an average view-rate of 10,000 pages a day, meaning logos were seen 1.8 million times between April and September. Of course, we can’t possibly count all the people who stopped to admire and sign jeeps along the way, but we certainly attracted attention wherever we went.

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Our one disappointment was that service was so bad throughout Canada and into Alaska that we could not do the Facebook Live videos like we’d hoped. We even had a radio personality along who could have done the spots well, but the technology failed us. In fact, updating the websites were a challenge at times, but fortunately, we were able to hunt down enough bandwidth to do that.

So, from all of us who experienced Alaska Or Rust, we offer a hearty thanks for your support!

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Epic Willys Adventure 4: Concord Cup – Concluded

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE II: On June 11th, eight different teams launched the race for the inaugural Concord Cup. One of the cool features employed is the map, which allows folks to follow racers: https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/epicwillysadventure/ . It also includes a REPLAY feature which allows viewers to revisit the race for all the days.

I was finally able to find some pics of the finish on Facebook, which shows two jeeps crossing the finishing line, one after the other:

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The winner was “Rusty Trombone” with Adam and Steve. Close behind, coming in second(?) looks to be “Roos Racer” with Scott and Joe.

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You can see more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/photos

It sounds like the event went well and those participants who did report on FB seemed to be having fun. When I saw reports on Facebook, I republished them on eWillys FB when I could. However, as a casual viewer, my tiny critique was the difficulty of figuring out what was happening, who was ahead and, even, who won (eventually I tracked down the info on FB). Timd32 had a similar sentiment when he wrote on OWF: “From what I can piece together on FB, Instagram and the sort they are doing awesome”. 

Having done many travelogues over an eight year period, trust me that I GET the challenge! It is hard and time consuming to be a participant, then have post-drive fraternization, and also update readers with progress updates (my late nights-into-early-mornings in motel rooms with crappy wifi along the Alaska Highway attest to that fact), along with context for those readers who might, for example, not be aware of the event until day 3. In fact, when on the road with Ann, we tried to stop by 5pm so I could write updates (that would take hours), which is why we did little to nothing in the evenings (thankfully, Ann was usually worn out by then).

The only answer I can think of is a dedicated reporter along the way with a dedicated location for updates accessible to all, probably to a website (a surprising number of people still don’t use FB). Myself, I don’t use Instagram or TikTok.

Again, that’s just a little critique. I’m glad to hear participants had fun and that the race was deemed a success. Based on the Bantam Festival’s post, they’d like to see the event held again.

===========================

UPDATE Posted Nov 9, 2022: Check on out this recent video that shares more information about this year’s Concord Cup.

=========================

Initially published June 22, 2022:

epic-willysThe 2023 Epic Willys Adventure 4 was announced at this year’s Bantam Festival. This time, there will be new twists to the event, including turning it into more of a competition or rally. Text from the video post:

“@mrmaxbilt and @jonahmhodgkins laying out the details for EWA 4! Pseudo live. June of 2023 we will depart from @bantamjeepfest on a 2000 mile adventure up through New England in 40s-60s period correct Willys Jeeps! New twist this trip, it’s a race! A challenge. A rally. Each day, each rig, it’s driver and co-pilot will be timed from stop to stop, with an array of challenges to complete. All while keeping their Willys running and rolling. Best time overall at the end wins the coveted Concord Cup!

Applications to compete will open this fall and all the rules, regulations, and stipulations will be announced later this summer. Follow Epic Willys Adventure here on IG, on FB, and at epicwillysadventure.com for updates!”

Here’s the video: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/videos/710182950204126/?_rdr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/
Website: https://www.epicwillysadventure.com

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Day 5 Aug 6th: Scooting Across to Nova Scotia

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 4 Aug 5th: Lobster Tales and Other Stories | The NF Trip 2019

UPDATE: It seems I landed flat on my face. It turns out that there is a Saint John, New Brunswick, and a St. John’s, Newfoundland, (thank you Ian). It’s all very hard to see that accurately from where I am on the West Coast. So my apologies! 

On Tuesday the crew drove from Saint John, NB, to Linwood, Nova Scotia, a distance of just under 300 miles.

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Yesterday the Newfoundland 2019 (or Rust) crew woke to a beautiful morning near the bustling city of Saint John, New Brunswick.

Here is a beautiful pic of St. John, NB:

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I learned Tuesday that the crew had been in Canada almost 24 hours, yet still hadn’t been to a Tim Horton’s, the second greatest thing Canada has ever produced; the greatest thing the country has produced, of course, are stand-in movie locations: Vancouver as Portland (I’m looking at you Grimm) or the Drumheller Valley in place of the US West (Unforgiven).

Continue reading

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Where Did March Go? Some Updates

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

March was a complete blur. Last I remember there was still snow on the ground here in Pasco. Now, the snow is long gone, the trees are budding, and the temperatures have warmed. I’m amazed I got any eWillys updates completed last month.

Speaking of updates, here are a few ….

The Funeral:

I wanted to say a final thanks to everyone who sent us well-wishes on dad’s passing. Anyone who has followed his story on here probably understands that, ever since his close call with death in 2011, all the years and time together since then have been a bonus. So, we were fortunate to have the extra time with him.

Thanks to perfect weather, my oldest son Karson and I drove Patterson to the funeral. The fact it was all back roads made it possible. I hadn’t driven the jeep that far since the Alaska Highway, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Still, we all agreed it was proper to have a jeep there, so we ignored the chance for a breakdown and drove anyway (but carried tow equipment just in case). The engine water temp gauge acted hot right away, so that made me a bit nervous on the drive, but there were no overheating signs, fortunately.

Just to make things interesting, the brakes were pulling to one side, so that made stopping all that more ‘fun’. And, the steering box was a little looser than I’d like, as I’d back off the ross box screw for towing it (but had forgotten about that), so we wandered a little. Still, the drive and purpose were worth any of those inconveniences.

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I gave a short eulogy at the funeral (a little longer than the piece I published here) and managed not to crack with emotion as I read it. That was a win. Then, Karson and I managed to make it all the way back home without breaking down. Another win.

All-in-all it was a relatively happy event. We all understood where Dad was at in life, so there were more smiles than tears.

The Memorial:

I know some of you will be joining us at Dad’s Memorial. It is tentatively set for May 11th (a Saturday). The location has not been determined just yet.

Travels: 

The only travel plan we have marked in our calendars is a visit to Utah in early May. My daughter Kasia is graduating from college with a Chemical Engineering degree. She already has a great job in California lined up working for a long-established industrial insurance company (so we’ll be in the bay area at least a couple times over the next two years).

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Kasia’s birthday just happened to be the same day as Dad’s funeral.

After that, we do not have any large trip planned (other than the White Rim trip below), though we are considering a September trip to Iowa to attend Dan’s FC Jamboree in Iowa. We haven’t traveled east that late in the year, so we thought it might be a nice change.

Canyonlands White Rim Trail:

My son Karson has invited me to join him on an exploration of the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park in early May, so after Kasia’s graduation, we’ll head down there.

He’s biked the length of the trail, but he thought I’d like to jeep it. So he offered, as an early birthday present, to rent a jeep in Moab and have us drive the trail’s 100 miles together. It was a very thoughtful present and I jumped at the chance.

I guess that’s all for now. I hope everyone is close to putting winter behind them and looking forward to some Spring weather!

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Happy 2018 and a Happy 10th Anniversary!!

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
August 3rd, 2017, just entering Alaska.

August 3rd, 2017, just entering Alaska.

It’s the 10 year anniversary of eWillys! Whoo hoo! Below are some thoughts, memories and photos from 2017, along with a brief preview of 2018.

eWillys now boasts more than 45,000 posts, which averages out to 12 posts per day for 10 years. In terms of photos, I’d guess there are more than 150,000 jeep photos. It’s a unique treasure trove (in my eyes anyway) of information bits, a gigantic database/puzzle that sometimes add up to interesting discoveries and articles. It also continues to serve as my jeep brain, as I have forgotten so much of what I’ve posted. The summer traffic was particularly good this year, reaching 300,000 page views a month. Given the niche-nature of this site, I’m pretty happy with that.

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Ann and I on the Alaska Highway just south of Watson Lake, entering the Yukon for the first time.

This year was certainly a unique year for me. I notched my 50th state (Alaska, finally) with the Alaska Or Rust group. In addition, over the past year I’ve published three Dispatcher Magazine articles (Laurel C. Worman’s biography, Free-Lock Hubs and The Alaska Or Rust trip). Worman’s family has been surprisingly appreciative of my efforts, as I uncovered some history they didn’t know.

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My Free-Lock hub article in the Dispatcher Magazine

I was gratified this year when my book SLAG received critical acclaim from a professional historian who wrote, “Reading SLAG was a real pleasure for me – it was SO WONDERFULLY READABLE – and moreover, I believe it’s a real contribution to the historical body of work on American mining/smelting.” The woman who wrote that had encouraged me years ago to write a book on my family, so to hear her acknowledge the quality of the work was particularly special.

Ann and I at lake Mead in March on our way to the FC-Roundup.

Ann and I at lake Mead in March on our way to the FC-Roundup.

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Day 19: Aug 8, Naps & Teslin Refugees

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 18: Aug 7, Long Drives | Day 20: Aug 9, Whitehorse to Lake Deese (On our own) –>

On Tuesday August 8th, the last remaining Alaska Or Rust folks decided to gather for breakfast at Tim Hortons in Whitehorse, Yukon, before everyone left for home (Except Ann and I … we planned to stay one more day).

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Left to right: Merlin, Brittany, Diana, Don, Marty, Rob, David, Ann.

After breakfast, Ann and I returned to our room at the Town & Mountain hotel. Even though I slept well Monday night, I went back to sleep for two hours (and that was after drinking some espresso), woke up, then slept an additional hour! I am finally feeling like I’m feeling more normal.

With two successive naps out of the way, we decided to walk around Whitehorse and visit the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. We spotted this neat statue on the way.

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When we reached the museum, we discovered there was a bunch of construction underway, so not everything could be seen. But the museum did have a great set of photos and explanations of the Alaska Highway construction (with lots of jeeps) and the Klondike and the effects of the stampede for gold.

Upstairs in the museum was an extensive look at Yukon’s wildlife:

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Downstairs was a great ALCAN exhibit:

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Day 13: Aug 2, Perma-Grins Despite Melting Permafrost

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 12: Aug 1, Feliz Aniversario Hugo Vidal | Day 14: Aug 3, The Journey Nears its End –>

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A few folks (Tom, left, and Jim and Ron, right) from the Alaska Or Rust crew spotted this passed out guy near our Whitehorse hotel. Now he’s kind of famous. This photo is one of my favorites from the trip.

Yesterday we travelled from beautiful Whitehorse to the tiny gas-motel-stop of Beavercreek, just at the edge of the Alaska border.

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Yesterday morning the Vidals and FCA’s cinematographer split off from the group and, thanks to Stephen Reynolds, enjoyed a plane ride over the mountains. Also, many thanks to Stephen and his employer The Department of Tourism & Culture who paid for the Convoy Team’s meal Tuesday night! So a big hearty thank you for making Hugo’s party even more special! On top of that, Stephen is an awesome guy!

After the Vidals left, I went down to check on our jeeps and found a pylon in the back of Patterson. I found that amusing. What I didn’t find amusing was that the case of flavored waters I had in the back of Patterson was still there. Why the heck won’t someone steal those flavored waters? They were bought accidentally by my lovely wife and neither of us found them palatable. I’ve left them in the back of Patterson for days, but I’ve had no takers … literally, no one will take them from us!!

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Maybe there’s a hint here … that Patterson is a hazard to be avoided???

With Hugo and Fernando on their own, the rest of the group hit the road at 8am, making it as far as the onramp to the Alaska Highway, before pulling off to do some patching. Andreas needed his exhaust patched again, Joe needed a part rewelded to his trailer, but most of all Bill had some cracks in his trailer arms at the elbows. Had they broke, he could have lost the trailer!

Always-Prepared-Marty and Miracle-Don pulled out the battery-powered portable welder and some flat steel. Then, with the help of several others, set out to create metal patches to reinforce both sides.

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2017-08-02-fixing-trailer4As they worked away, we encountered our second rude Canadian of the trip. The guy was upset that we had pulled off the highway and were sitting on a side road. He was all in a kerfluffle over the fact that we had parked on the government’s property (which made no sense since I would imagine most public roads are owned by the Canadian government??). We explained we were broken down and needed a little time to get going again, but that didn’t soothe him at all. Oh well, can’t please everyone. Continue reading

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Day 12: Aug 1, Feliz Aniversario Hugo Vidal

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 11: July 31st, Bison, Bears, and (no) Breakdowns | Day 13: Aug 2, Perma-Grins Despite Melting Permafrost –>

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Alaska Or Rust jeeps parked in front of Watson Lake’s Sign Forest. The sign forest was a pleasant surprise.

Yesterday the group split, with the Eilers and Vidals leaving Watson Lake early for a special event. Eventually, we met up again in Whitehorse.

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The group split for most of Tuesday. Ann and I and Fernando and Hugo took off earlier than the others for a special birthday event for Hugo. Before we left, we stopped at Watson Lake’s sign forest, which I thought was just a few hundred signs. In fact, one count places the number of signs at 75,000!! It truly is a forest of signs. It’s so big, that the convoy crew told me they spent almost an hour there. Here is a mix of photos from there.

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Ann took this Facebook Live video as we were driving away from the Sign Forest (before everyone else arrived). You can see just how large it is:

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