When October comes around, we know it only means two things. The first is that everything will be pumpkin flavored till Christmas, the second is that we’ll be up in Vermont for the annual Northeast Overland Rally & Workshop.
Getting to Vermont this year was a little bit of a challenge for us. With both Ben and I running low on vacation time, we knew it was going to be a quick weekend trip consisting of 20 hours driving for 30 hours in Vermont. We packed up the trucks on Friday night after work and headed to the land of Maple Creemees.
This year’s turnout at the Lillie Brook Farm was substantially larger than previous years, with registration almost reaching the 150 vehicle limit. Sponsors this year included our friends from Main Line Overland, Adventure Trailers, and Equipt Expedition Outfitters. A/T had their awesome Habitat on display, and the guys from Main Line drove up a 57′ Chevy proving that you can Overland in anything.
There was a huge variety of vehicles this year ranging from dual sport motorcycles to Unimogs, and everything in-between.
Let’s be honest though, we come to Vermont to watch Peter do karaokee for the trails, so we linked up with some of our good friends and headed out to the class 4 roads.
Right down the street from the farm is the Grafton loop, and due to some recent rain the trails were wet, just how we like it.
After wandering through the woods of Vermont, we ended up at the local Grafton fire station fall festival as well as a local chain saw competition (two separate events…). In case any of you are wondering, chainsaw art makes the perfect gift for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries;)
After a Saturday out on the trails and exploring the local treasures, we all settled in for the evening partying and drinking a quiet evening around the fire.
Sadly Sunday morning we had to pack it up. After leaving the farm I made a bee line for the closest Maple Creemee stand and hit the road to knock out the 500-mile ride home. Despite only having what felt like a few hours up in Vermont, we’d do it again in a heartbeat. If you haven’t made it for one of the Vermont Overland events yet you’re really missing out, so pack up the truck and register for next year.
There are a couple of guys we have to give a shout out to. The first is Peter Vollers Jr. A.K.A. Key A.K.A. The Bravest Man in the world (you earn this title by being the designated driver of a Series I A with 13.5 grown adults as passengers). Without him and the rest of the top notch professional Vermont Overland Staff these events couldn’t/wouldn’t happen, so pack an extra case of beer in the cooler for these guys on your next trip up.
The second guy is our good friend Titan Pat, not only did he let us spend time in his heated military headquarters tent but he kept us fed with Texas lollipops. I’m pretty sure his BBQ sauce could be a substitute for an opioid, it’s that good.
Finally, Ben would like to thank DRT reader / family member Will Kunasek for generously saving him a coveted Heady Topper Beer Saturday night. These things are about as hard to find as a diesel JK at your local jeep dealer!
Thank you to everyone that came by, we had a great time and we can’t wait to catch all of you next year.
Had a great time good catching up with you.
It was good to see you guys there, hopefully we’ll run into you again at Happy Hour or on the trail.
What a blast…thanks Dirt Road Trip for such good company!
Anytime Pat, thanks for all the Texas Lollipops.
Great write up, Awesome pics! It was great having you guys come along on the trail ride.
Thanks Ron, we had a great time tagging along with your group. We’ll see you guys again soon out on the trail.