Several years ago, I put together a portable 12VDC power pack. OutdoorX4 has kindly published my article on how to build one.
You can find the article in issue 34 of OutdoorX4 magazine.
When you start reading the magazine you will be asked to register your e-mail to continue reading the issue. This is free.
I do encourage you to subscribe to the magazine as each issue is full of interesting articles about trips , DIY , recipes and more.
Building a DIY power pack on a budget
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During the summer of 2018, my wife and I embarked on an Alaska trip. We thought we’d be gone about four weeks. 92 days, two trips to the Arctic Ocean and 13,000 miles later we made it home in late August.
While on the trip, I was contacted, via Instagram , by the editor of TCT magazine and asked if I would write an article about the trip. Below are the links to the articles.
I hope you enjoy them and welcome your comments.
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After my cooking demo at the AVID Fall outdoor Expo, I’ve had people ask for my Zucchini and Badlands Chili recipe. Here they are.
INGREDIENTS:
1LB CHOPPED MEAT
1 LARGE ONION CHOPPED
1 15OZ CAN KIDNEY BEANS, DRAINED
1 15OZ CAN DICED TOMATOES
1 PACKAGE MCCORMICK CHILI MIX
1 500ML WINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON (BLACK BOX)
1 BEEF BOUILLON CUBE
1PACKAGE OF MUSHROOMS (SLICED)
OPTIONAL:
1 JALAPENO FINELY CHOPPED OR
GREEN CHILI FINELY CHOPPED
TABASCO OR HOT SAUCE TO TASTE
ADDITIONAL CHILI POWDER TO TASTE
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO THROW IN
GARNISH:
CHOPPED ONION
SHREDDED CHEESE
BROWN THE MEAT WITH THE CHOPPED ONIONS
ONCE BROWNED, ADD CHILI MIX, BOUILLON CUBE AND A THIRD OF THE RED WINE.
ONCE EVENLY MIXED ALL TOGETHER, ADD BEANS AND TOMATOES FOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
FOLD IN THE MUSHROOMS.
YOU CAN ADD YOUR EXTRA INGREDIENTS AT THIS STAGE.
ALLOW THE CHILI TO SIMMER AT LEAST 30 MINUTES STIRRING OCCASIONALLY FOR GET ALL THE FLAVORS TO BLEND.
ADD A LITTLE MORE WINE IF NEEDED, THEN ADD WINE TO YOUR STOMACH.
THIS RECIPE IS EASILY DOUBLED FOR A LARGER GROUP.
SERVE UP AND ENJOY.
MICHAEL E. PEREZ
@BADLANDSEXPEDITIONS
This is a perfect dish for the Skottle or large skillet.
Ingredients:
1 1Lb Package of hot Italian sausage, cut into pieces
2 Red onions, cut into large chunks
1T chopped garlic (I use the prechopped in a small bottle)
1 Package of mushrooms, sliced
4-5 zucchini or squash, sliced
1-2 Cans of diced tomatoes
2 Cups of Cabernet Sauvignon (500ml Black Box)
1 large bouillon cube
Italian Seasoning
EVOO
1 pkg precooked pasta
Directions:
Over low heat, add a little EVOO to the Skottle.
Sauté sausage and onion until the sausage is browned and releases some oil. Increase heat as needed.
Add zucchini, mushrooms, 1T Italian seasonings, bouillon cube, diced tomatoes, and Cabernet Sauvignon, fold into the sausage and onions.
Cook until the zucchini is softened, adding wine as needed.
When the zucchini is ready, add the precooked pasta and cook until the pasta is hot.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese and enjoy with your leftover wine.
This dish pairs wonderfully with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Spanish Rioja.
Michael E. Perez
@badlandsexpeditions
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My latest article “War Cruisers” has been published in the 2019 July/August 2019 issue of 4WD Toyota Owners Magazine. I hope you enjoy and welcome your comments.
If you are not a subscriber of 4WD Toyota Owner magazine now is a good time to subscribe. https://4wdtoyotaowner.com/
Google drive link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rwSZYL248bDuOJqtnwEuYXJw0L9JHu_s
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Part three of the series Arctic Adventures in a vintage Land Cruiser is now live on TCT magazine.
We continue our trip through Alaska and Canada and head back beyond the Arctic Circle.
I hope you enjoy the article ,and welcome your comments. The article starts on page 24.
those of you who missed parts one and two the links below will take you to the articles.
Part one: Arctic Adventures Part One
Part two: Arctic Adventures Part Two
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Selling my beloved 1985 FJ-60. I’ve had it for 20 years and time for a change.
My wife and I recently returned from a three-month 13,000 mile trip to Alaska and Canada in the FJ-60 and it performed as designed. Read about the trip to Deadhorse at the below link.
https://badlandsexpeditions.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/my-latest-article-in-tct-magazine/
I bought the FJ-60 in June of 1998 in El Paso, TX, twenty years ago, being the third owner. The truck has been a Texas truck.
Truck runs and handles great. I get about 11 plus mpg on the highway.
Owning this truck has been a labor of love and I have made a lifetime of trips with it. Certainly, a head turner when you drive it. Just time for someone else to enjoy driving a piece of Land Cruiser history.
The truck currently has 307,000,00 miles on and about 55 thousand miles on the 350 Ram Jet engine. The H55 transmission has about 65 thousand miles. Both the engine and trans were purchased new.
The V-8 conversion was done in 2012 by Wolf Creek Rod Works. The 350 Ramjet was a crate motor not a junkyard engine.
The H55 transmission was purchased new.
Twin stick transfer case
Upgraded front brakes, with 4runner calipers EBC yellow stuff pads.
Rear disk brakes. Rear rotors and pads are new. T-case emergency brake
Rebuilt rear axle. New bearings, gears and locker.
The tires are BFG KM2 M/T 33 10.50 15 with about 15,000 miles along with two new spare tires.
All six wheels are new.
Roof rack with six NATO can holders with cans, 2nd spare tire ,Alu Box and awning.
Both front and rear bumpers are Stout built as are the sliders and roof rack.
The truck has never been in an accident.
OME heavy springs front and rear.
Rear springs are new OME Heavy with two extra leaves and BOSS air bags.
CB, , AM,FM , XM , Weather band radio with High Gain XM antenna .
The truck was painted about five years ago in maintenance free paint.
Dual batteries with on board charger, Milford cargo barrier,,
rear drawer system, rear seat is removed for better cargo
storage and capacity. new Hella H4 headlights, PIAA fog and driving lights. 360 LED
flood lighting, Remote control GoLight, rear lockrite locker, awning, 40 gallon fuel tank ,
Wagongear tailgate storage system, Iron Pig drivers side seat, Tuffy console with
Federal 100 watt siren , and PA system, rare roof console, hood strut conversion ,
rotating pintle hitch, Solar pigtail for the dual batteries, P/S
awning, power tank Mount, high-lift Jack mount, Daylight running lights, Rear sway bar
, Nitro extra capacity rear diff cover, hood gas strut conversion, 4Runner windshield wiper arms conversion
Extra alternator, hoses ,air filter .This is a link to a write up on the FJ-60 in Toyota trails magazine.
https://badlandsexpeditions.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/my-fj-60-in-toyota-trails-magazine/
Here is a link with more pictures . Some pictures show a winch with no longer part of the truck as well as other options such as radios etc.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9QQudjbfUTxvreXj6
Please let me know if you have any questions.
We are hoping this truck gets to a new loving home.
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Sand Island Petroglyh panel is a about 4 miles West of Bluff Utah. This panel is located on the grounds of the Sand Island BLM Campground on the San Juan River.
The panel is about 100 yards long and is believed to be 800 to 2,500 years old. The panel has big horn sheep, Kokopelli’s . men on horse back and much more.Panels like this gives us a glimpse into the past. If we only knew what it all meant.
This an easy place to get to and is perfect for someone who who has mobility limitations.
H/t’s
https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/cities-and-towns/bluff/sand-island-petroglyphs/
https://bluffutah.org/business-directory/4884/sand-island-petroglyph-panel/
https://bearsearsmonument.org/sand-island-petroglyph-panel/
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251941
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After our trip through the Valley of the Gods we landed in Bluff Utah. It was getting dark, so we checked into the Kokopelli Inn.
The Kokopelli Inn has modest rooms and is great for spending the night. One bonus was the owner’s husband is a Jets fan, so he and Mrs. Badlandsexpeditions had a nice conversation about their losing team.
The main attraction is Bluff Fort. Bluff Fort is a restored/rebuilt Mormon settlement that is a Church Historical site.
In 1878 there was a “Mission Call” to establish a settlement at Montezuma, on the San Juan River, in the southeastern region of Utah.
70 families consisting of 250 men, women and children answered the call and left their established comfortable lives to venture in to the uncharted wilderness.
A scouting party had identified a route that was approximately 125 miles and would take only six weeks. The reality was, the journey was over 260 miles and took over six months through the winter.
The convoy of horses and wagons were stopped at the top of a massive mesa with a 1,200 ft almost sheer drop to the Colorado River. For six weeks, the Mormon pioneers chipped, dug and blasted a passage through this steep (45 degree) gorge. It was named the “Hole in the Rock”.
The Mormons used ropes attached to anchors to control the wagons descent down the steep trail. Many of the women and children slid down on their butts. Finally at the Colorado River, the Mormon missionaries were still a distance from the destination. This obstacle was not the last one on this journey. Cottonwood Hill proved to be a larger obstacle than the Hole in the Rock requiring more blasting than the Hole. Other obstacles were the Slick rocks requiring more blasting and the creation of a switchback road the mountain. The Cedars took the settlers through a dense forest of pine trees that had the men cutting a 20-mile road through the forest. The final obstacle was Comb Ridge where a dugway had to be built to ascend the hill. After six months, the group arrived at present day Bluff; about 20 miles short of their destination Montezuma. Exhausted, the settlers decided to stop there.
The pilgrims built their community in a large square with their small cabins on four sides with the doors all facing the center plaza.
In addition to building their community, a major challenge was irrigation for their fields, and they worked at different methods of getting water from the San Juan river to their fields.
Bluff Fort Historical site does a great job of recreating the actual settlement with replicas of actual buildings as well as the remains of some original buildings. Walking though these modest cabins takes you back in time and you imagine how life was at that time and the hardships. The thick timbers the cabins were made up offered insulation from the heat and the cold and each cabin had a fireplace. Despite the strong construction of the cabins, the roof construction was lacking and the cabins suffered from leaks .
Perhaps I overthink some things, but I could not help imagining the smell of unwashed bodies in summer heat. Especially with all the heavy clothing worn by both men and women as was the fashion at the time.
The restored Co-op store serves as a visitors center and the staff are very well versed in the history of the Fort and the travels of the settlers. There is a short video about the journey the settlers took and was one of the better of these types of videos that I’ve seen.
There are many original photographs of the settlers and given the penchant of Mormons for recording family history we have a good look into life back then. Each cabin featured an audio recording about the family that had lived there and offered a glimpse into their lives. More than one family suffered the loss of the wife/mother during or just after childbirth, leaving the man alone with his four or five children.
This is an exceptionally well-done restoration and a testament to the faith , strength and resilience of these pioneers. It is certainly worth the stop if you are in the vicinity.
H/t to the below links for resource information and for further information on Bluff Fort.
https://bluffutah.org/bluff-fort
www.hirf.org , http://hirf.org/trail-gallery-18.asp
https://www.lds.org/church/news/newest-church-historic-site-dedicated-in-utah-bluff-fort?lang=eng
http://mormonhistoricsites.org/hole-in-the-rock-expedition/
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On our way back from Northern Utah, I wanted to take Mrs Badlandsexpeditions on the “scenic route “back through Utah. We had always driven through Moab, so it seemed like time for a change. There is so many amazing sights, and I wanted to share with Lisa all I have seen.
The plan this time was to drive to Mexican Hat via Muley Point and the Moki Dugway. That was cancelled by the heavy rain we encountered traveling through Salt Lake City. The rain was to continue all throughout southern Utah so we decided to go our usual route through Moab as there was nothing to see in the pouring rain. Some of our route was to be on dirt roads and the rain turns the red Utah dirt into a slippery sloppy mess even with four-wheel drive. The rain stopped as we got to Moab and so we settled into our comfortable hotel and planned the next day, hoping to get back on the “scenic route”. I broke out the map and we looked at our options to get back where we wanted to be, preferably on dirt roads.
As we headed out of town in the morning, we made a quick stop at the Visitors Center to pick up brochures for a friend. While there we decided to ask about the route we had planned. The staff member suggested we might modify our route to include Needles Overlook which would be new for me too. So we added those directions and continued on our way.
As we drove South on Hwy 191, we looked for the turnoff for County Rd 133 and happily turned off onto the red Utah dirt. The two track led us into the desolate desert with scrub bushes. As we drove along and splashed through a small stream and passed a corral. Like much of the Southwest, this most likely is open range with cattle roaming and grazing almost wild.
As we continued on, I saw a reflection of the sun on something and suddenly, we could see a large grouping of dwellings with solar panels. Some of these houses were built into the side of a large sandstone rock formation. There were not any No Trespassing signs but we had the sense that this was private property, so we respected the inhabitants’ privacy. We moved down the road a little to take a picture and saw a sign that said Rockland Ranch , Modern Caveman. When we got back into cell service we found the below link about this remote community.
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2012/11/polygamists-in-the-rock/100406/
ext up was Needles Overlook (38.2827643°N, -109.6851185°W ) . The views of the Needles District of Canyon Lands are beyond beautiful. Mother nature surely worked overtime on this amazing scenery.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/canyon-rims-rec-area
https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/utah/special-destinations/needles-overlook
Next on our scenic route was Muley Point. (37.2374° N, 109.9807° W) While most of the drive was on paved UT 191, 95 and 261 but the drive was beautiful. The remains of snow were still clinging to the north facing hillsides and under the bushes. We soon made the turn off to Muley Point and the pavement turned to red dirt. The road had dried out a little, but I could feel the Porsche slide a little and hear the A/T tires spitting mud against the fenders. The road ended with a panorama of the valley below.
South – On a clear day, you can see the towers of Monument Valley off in the distance.
South/West – The large mountain to the southwest is Navajo Mountain, above Lake Powell. Navajo Mountain is a prominent landmark that is visible from many areas of southeastern Utah.
North/West – The mountains in the distance are the Little Rockies and Henry Mountains near Hanksville.
North – The Bears Ears can often be made out in the distance.
Looking down below Muley Point is the obvious San Juan River, in the deep canyon coming out of the Goosenecks.
H/t https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/cedar-mesa/muley-point
We drove back to UT 261 and were on the Moki Dugway. This road is dirt and narrow, and not for the faint of heart or someone scared of heights. We were lucky and had both Muley point and the Moki all to ourselves.
Moki Dugway
The Moki Dugway (also spelled Mokee or Moqui) is located on UT-261, just northwest of Valley of the Gods.
The term moki is derived from the Spanish word, moqui, a general term used by explorers in this region to describe Pueblo Indians they encountered as well as the vanished Ancestral Puebloan culture. Dugway is a term used to describe a roadway carved from a hillside.
The Moki Dugway is a staggering, graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa. It consists of 3 miles of steep, unpaved, but well-graded switchbacks (11% grade), which wind 1,200 feet from Cedar Mesa to the valley floor near Valley of the Gods. This route provides breathtaking views of some of Utah’s most beautiful sites. Scenic views of Valley of the Gods and distant Monument Valley open at every turn of the dugway.
The Moki Dugway was constructed in the 1950’s to provide a way to haul ore from the Happy Jack Mine on Cedar Mesa to the mill in Halchita, near Mexican Hat.
The State of Utah recommends that only vehicles less than 28 feet and 10,000 pounds attempt to negotiate the dugway. The remainder of US-261 is paved.
H/t https://bluffutah.org/mokey-dugway-muley-point/
I had been to both Muley point and the Moki Dugway before. Now that we are married, I wanted Lisa to see all that I’ve seen in my travels around Utah.
We had decided that we were going to RON (remain overnight) in Bluff so a consult with the map and we took a left turn into the Valley of the Gods. There is a 17-mile road that connects UT 261 and UT 163 about 17 miles from Bluff. We passed a couple of Jeeps and pickups and the looks we got, being a in Porsche, are always priceless.
H/t https://bluffutah.org/valley-of-the-gods/
We arrived at Bluff just as it got dark. It was a great day and we shared so much of God’s beauty together. As always there is more enjoyment in sharing experiences with an appreciative partner… so much nicer than traveling alone.
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Part two of my three part series Arctic Adventures in a Vintage Land Cruiser is now live in TCT magazine . The article starts on page 41. I hope you enjoy the article and I look forward to your comments.
Arctic Adventures in a Vintage Land Cruiser Pt 2
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