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Off-Road Adventure at the 2019 Muddy Chef Challenge
Thanks to Dive the Globe for this fantastic video.
FANTASTIC PRIZES FROM ORVIS ADVENTURES
JUMP IN!
EVENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 26
Event Registration and Campsite Setup
10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Registration opens at 11:00 a.m. for all guests. Campsite setup and meet and greet. Campsite registration closes at 7:00 p.m. You must be onsite by 7:00 p.m.
The Low Range Games – Bridge To Nowhere / Rat Cage
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy a challenge? Join us for two great events. The Rat Cage event will test your ability to handle your Land Rover and problem solve in tight confines. Service Bay – build a simulated log bridge and navigate your vehicle over the abyss. Minimum of three teammates required for this event.
Fly-Casting and Private Tour at the Orvis Flagship Store
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Want to try your hand a fly fishing? Join the Orvis Adventures staff at the Orvis casting pond at the Orvis flagship store in downtown Manchester. The Orvis flagship store will open for a special private tour and sale – only for Muddy Chef attendees.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Vendor Village Opens – Vendor Presentations
13th Street Cocktails
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Join Aaron and 13th Street Cocktails for an evening of legendary refreshments.
Quiet Hours
11:00 p.m.
Friday, July 27
Late Event Registration and Campsite Setup
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
NEW! HOT COFFEE AND BREAKFAST SANDWICHES AT THE RILEY RINK! 7:00 A.M – 11.:00 a.m
SHOWERS AT THE RILEY RINK 7:00 AM – 11:00 a.m
Beginner Off-Road Training
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Basic off-road skills and tactics. Dorset Quarry tour after training.
Guided Off-Road Tour
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join Logan/Gene/Peter for a guided off-road adventure. You will be divided into three groups. Make sure to speak with each group leader about your preference of off-road difficulty. Please have your vehicle ready for an afternoon of off-road adventure. Please make sure to have your vehicle fully fueled and ready to go. Vehicles will assemble into groups and depart promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Un-guided Off-Road (Maps will be provided in the field guide)
10:00 a.m.
Assorted Events (Falconry, Fly Fishing, Sporting Clay, etc.)
10:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Training – Using a spotter for challenging terrain. (new)
New for 2018. Join Eric Yohe for a quick lesson in effective spotting. Learn appropriate hand signals and how to use nonverbal communication to guide a vehicle through difficult terrain – without damage.
12:00 p.m. – Lunch on your own
RETURN TO CAMPSITE / PREP FOR CHOPPED / FANCY DRESS PARTY PREP
4:00 p.m.
Chopped at The Muddy Chef Challenge (BOORN BROOK FARM, 527 Benson Road, Manchester Center, VT)
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
New location for 2018. Boorn Brook Farm and the Green Mountain Falconry School. Join the staff of the Boorn Brook Farm for a tour of this amazing estate, a chance to see an African Eagle and an assortment of birds of prey and cheer your favorite Chopped team!
What is Chopped at the Muddy Chef Challenge? It’s just like the Food Network TV show – without the kitchen! Contestants must bring everything they need to prepare, cook, and serve a gourmet meal – all from a mystery box of ingredients. Please note – there is an additional cost to register for this event. CLICK HERE to register. All Chopped contestants receive custom gifts available only to Chopped competitors. If you like a challenge this is the event for you!
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Vendor Presentations
13th Street Cocktails
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Join Aaron and 13th Street Cocktails for an evening of legendary refreshments.
Quiet Hours
11:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 28
NEW! HOT COFFEE AND BREAKFAST SANDWICHES AT THE RILEY RINK! 7:00 A.M – 11.:00 a.m.
SHOWERS AT THE RILEY RINK 7:00 AM – 11:00 a.m
Late Arrival Event Registration and Campsite Setup
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Final event registration and campsite set up. After 10:00 a.m. registration is closed unless you have spoken to the organizer and made prior arrangements. Have an emergency? Send an e-mail to info@muddychef.com
Beginner Off-Road Training
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Basic off-road skills and tactics. Anyone who took part in the Friday training will be qualified for an advanced trail run on Saturday.
Guided Off-Road Tour
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join Logan/Gene/Peter for a guided off-road adventure. You need to have your vehicle ready for an afternoon of off-road adventure. Please make sure to have your vehicle fully fueled and ready to go. Vehicles will assemble into groups and depart promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Un-guided Off-Road (Maps will be provided in the field guide)
10:00 a.m.
Assorted Events (Falconry, Fly Fishing, Sporting Clay, etc.)
10:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m. – Lunch on your own
4:00 p.m. Announcements ahead of the Muddy Chef Challenge
The Muddy Chef Challenge
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The MAIN EVENT! Your team will create amazing dishes for our judges. You need to prepare an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. Extra points are awarded for use of locally sourced ingredients. Click here for a complete list of rules.
13th Street Cocktails
9:00 p.m. – whenever!
Join Aaron and 13th Street Cocktails for an evening of legendary refreshments.
Sunday, July 29
Awards Ceremony
10:00 a.m.
Awards and goodbyes.
WhistlePig Rye Whiskey / The best in the world?
SOURCE: FORBES
World Class Whiskey – From Vermont?
I’ve been writing on wines and spirits for over 15 years, and living in Vermont for even longer, but the two have never had much in common – until now.
Unlike vodkas made from Maple syrup or even lactose (really), WhistlePig, which is bottled on a farm in rural Shoreham, Vermont, is not just another marketing gimmick – according to many critics it is the best rye whiskey in the world.
As I reported recently with the launch of a high-end rye from boutique bourbon maker Knob Creek, super-premium rye is the hot new spirits category. America’s favorite before Prohibition, rye is again all the rage among bartenders heralding a return of classic cocktails like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned. But WhistlePig is almost too good for this, and can be appreciated on its own.
Introduced in mid-2010 and made in very limited quantity (1000 cases), the story behind WhistlePig is unique. Industry legend Dave Pickerell, the longtime Master Distiller for the renowned Maker’s Mark bourbon distillery in Kentucky, decided to devote himself to a quest for the best rye possible, the next evolution of boutique bourbons. He wandered the earth trying rye whiskies, until he found what he considered its finest expression in the form of a new Canadian version, made from nothing but rye grain (law requires the majority of starch to be rye in order to be labeled rye whiskey, just as it requires 51% corn for bourbon, but pure ryes are rare).
For various reasons, including the fact that rye grain is considerably more expensive than corn, but also because a straight rye distillation is very tough on equipment, gumming it up with sticky residue, few distillers have bothered with pure rye whiskey. But the Canadians solved the sticky problem with two solutions, using malted rye and by developing a special strain of yeast-like fungus for distillation (for much more detail on this issue, check out this article from a great site devoted entirely to Canadian whiskies).
So Pickerell teamed up with WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta, a former contestant on The Apprentice, who purchased a two century old working farm in Shoreham and renamed it WhistlePig Farm and began growing his own rye. Bhakta purchased the incredible Canadian rye whiskey, still in bulk storage, brought it back to Vermont, hand bottled it, and it blew critics away with rave reviews. At the same time, Bhakta and Pickerell, now Master Distiller for WhistlePig, have set up their own distillery on the farm and are working towards producing their rye from start to finish going forward.
But where it is made is not nearly as important as how it tastes.
Pickerell fell in love with the stuff because of its strength, purity (100% rye grain) and maturity – he calls the combination of proof and purity 100/100 and along with 10 years of aging in new American oak barrels, claims it hits “the sweet spot” in all three categories. I think he is right, and the balance between the higher than usual strength, higher than usual purity, and lengthy aging is perfect. It certainly does not taste like 100 proof, or half alcohol, because the woodiness for the aging perfectly balances the strength. It’s got just a hint of herby spice, maybe a little mint or cinnamon, but nowhere as much as many whiskies and less spicy zing than most ryes. Rather it j tastes of grain, its essential component, in a good, earthy, bread-like way, with the caramel-rich mouth feel of well-aged whiskies. I hesitate to call it straightforward, because that makes it sound simple, but its straightforward – it tastes like rye.
I’m not the only one who likes it. When the first batch was just released in mid-2010, it immediately earned a whopping 96-point rating from Wine Enthusiast – the highest rating the prestigious magazine has ever given to a rye. The Tasting Panel magazine gave it 94, and F. Paul Pacult’s acclaimed Spirit Journal gave it the highest possible 5-star rating. Details magazine simply called it “America’s Best New Whiskey,” while the Wall Street Journal named it one of the top five whiskies of the year. There was no shortage of other accolades.
And the odd name? Well to really appreciate that, you have to listen to the funny story in first person audio from Bhakta on WhistlePig’s website, but hey, it’s as good as lots of names, and to go with it, they created a suitable logo which reminds me of the Monopoly board game guy crossed with a pig. If I’m going to buy a $70 bottle of rye from anyone, it’s as likely as not to be a cartoon high-roller pig with a top hat and cigar.
But seriously, as whiskey lovers continue to enthusiastically embrace WhistlePig, there is likely to be a lag between the sellout of the limited first batch and future production, so hesitation might not be the best strategy.
We get a shout out on Jalopnik
We Adopted A Terrible Toyota Truck To See How Reliable They Really Are
Andrew P Collins
This is no diamond-in-the-rough. It’s not an “oldie but goodie” like Bowman’s well-storied Ram. This ravaged third-gen 4Runner a mean-muggin’ non-fucking-giving beater, and now we have the arduous task of taking care of it. Or, you know, destroying it.
Last night this lifted, bent, ratty Toyota 4Runner appeared at my doorstep like an abandoned baby in a basket. It smells faintly of Mexican food and everything aft of the front seats seem to have been converted to a sleeping/storage area.
At least somebody did put the wheel back where it’s meant to go, here’s the 4Runner as it sits at Truck Yeah HQ right now:
The whole thing is this cool militaryish green/grey with a Rhinoliner’d hood (why?). The front grille is definitely not straight and neither is the (aftermarket?) trailer-hitch rig. But really, all it needs is a light bar and maybe some funky Plasti-Dip on those wheels. Next stop Wal-Mart, baby.
Okay the real story is the owner (a former colleague) lit off to San Francisco and didn’t feel like paying for parking, I think, so he bequeathed it to Truck Yeah!/Jalopnik for an undefined period of time “as long as we promised to document its destruction.”
I dunno, the whole arrangement’s pretty vague but I’m basically running a rusty orphanage up here and I just couldn’t turn those sweet three-spoke wheels away.
After a brief assessment and lap around the driveway, I’ve concluded it may be too nice to simply suicide… sounds okay, tires are great, and the 3″(?) lift looks professionally executed.
So what are we going to do with this hog? Chase polar bears up Canada way? Mud racin’? Make it my new guest bedroom? Should be a good rig to teach my fellow NY-based bloggers how to off-road this summer… at the very least.
Your turn: Ideas. Go.
Andrew P. Collins is Jalopnik’s off-road and adventure guy. Shoot him an email atandrew@jalopnik.com or hit him up on Twitter @andr3wcollins to talk trucks.
Come to Rausch the weekend of the 24th. There will be a 5 speed Disco I in attendance.
You should come to Rovers on the Rocks this year, or Muddy Chef challenge up at Lime Rock if you want something more local to you.
In The News / MCC on NELRC
The Land Rover Writer / Muddy Chef Challenge 2014
The Land Rover Writer
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KRMG TV / 2014 Land Rover Muddy Chef Event
The Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge 3
Where
Lime Rock Park
497 Lime Rock Rd Rt 112
Lakeville, CT 06039
Upcoming
9:00 a.m. Thursday, July 31, 2014
Registration for the 2014 Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETELY FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM AND COMPLETE THE “CONTACT THE ORGANIZER” SECTION YOUR REGISTRATION WILL BE CANCELLED. We need the info to register your vehicle and a way to contact you. A blind e-mail is not enough information for us to process your registration. Please provide the following information by clicking the “Contact The Organizer” button. The year and model Land Rover you will be driving. The name of your Challenge Meals (e.g. – Texas Tornado BBQ)If you would like to be located in the “family” areaIf you are bringing petsIf you have additional equipment (pop up awnings, etc)Please note, registration is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today!Be sure to visit www.muddychef.com for updates, news, challenges and more!If you have any questions please e-mail info@muddychef.com
hey event listing / 2015 MCC4
Muddy Chef Challenge 4
Muddy Chef Challenge 4
The date has been selected! July 30 – Aug 2, 2015. We are excited to continue our relationship with Lime Rock Park as event host. Also, since last year several million dollars has been invested there in infrastructure and grounds. That means all new showers and facilities! Heck, we even have a Tequila sponsor. It’s going to be great!
New this year – pick your campsite through an interactive map. We have VIP spots in reserve also.
Please visit …
Teams and Food / 2014 Muddy Chef Challenge
A whole bunch of photos from the cooking challenge. Just CLICK the image. Please enjoy and distribute however you like. Please be sure to thank our sponsors by tagging, hyperlinking, and with social media. Most of the apparent duplicate photos in the directory are HDR images.
It’s impossible to view these and not start smiling!
Eric
Land Rover lovers, it’s the Muddy Chef Challenge at Lime Rock; created by Madison man
Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2014
LAKEVILLE >> Calling all Land Rover enthusiasts. Pack up your oriental rugs, leather chairs, Land Rover flags and signs, gourmet grub, camp grills and lots and lots of gusto and head up to Lime Rock Park for a weekend of off road adventure, fine food and drink and lots of camaraderie.
The Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge 3 is an adventurous weekend for Land Rover drivers who want to push their vehicle to the limits in rivers, over mountains and through woods, all under supervision, of course. No wonder its founder calls it “part Great Race and Iron Chef.”Planned for July 31 through Aug. 3, Land Rovers will descend upon Lime Rock Park and spend the weekend at area venues and proving what rugged, sturdy vehicles they really are built to be.Muddy Snack from Christopher Macecsko on Vimeo.
Preregistration is required at http://muddychef.com/.
Aside from a camping fee of $35 a night, the event is free. Proceeds from a weekend raffle will benefit Autism Speaks, for more info visit http://www autismspeaks.org#sthash.iaELlP2p.dpuf.
“Land Rovers are your sort of rugged, safari, adventure-type vehicle,” says event creator Eric Yohe. As an owner of an unrestored, 1961 Land Rover Series IIA, the Madison resident is passionate about all things Land Rover and is a foodie.
Yohe arranged the first Muddy Chef in Stowe, Vermont and went on to host last year’s event in Mystic. Bringing the road race/cook-off to Lime Rock was a natural progression and embraced by the park’s Director of Business Development Walter Irvine, another Land Rover enthusiast, and former owner of a Land Rover LR2, who enjoys the “culture.”
“Off-roaders (are) very adventurous, typically very philanthropic, really up to doing crazy stuff like off-roading all day and then coming back and putting on a blazer and making a gourmet meal AT their truck,” Irvine explains.
Cooking a gourmet repast is part of the challenge. Attendees may cook whatever they can transport in their Land Rover. The dishes are then judged by an esteemed panel of fellow epicureans. No one walks away hungry and everyone has lots of fun concocting what they think is the tops in haute cuisine.
“It’s exciting and it’s nerve-wracking and you have to adapt, but it’s tons of fun,” says Madison participant Kristen Feeney.
How do fresh Nantucket bay scallops on a bed of local roasted sweet corn sound? To Yohe it sounded like a winning entry last year. Alas, other venturesome gourmands apparently served entries better tasting, better presented and better liked by the judges.
Away from the rugged terrain, attendees will put on their best cocktail attire – blazers and shorts and Lilly Pulitzer shifts – and visit two local venues.
The Falls Village Inn, complete with a taproom designed to honor the Lime Rock legacy, is “intimate and comfortable…A feel that honors not only Falls Village, but also that of Lime Rock Park, our famous neighbor,” says their website, http://www thefallsvillageinn.com/taproom.php.
Up the road in Dutchess County, New York, a long winding road will take guests to the Madava Farms where Crown Maple Syrup is tapped and refined to make a one of a kind maple syrup. While feeling like they have entered a Napa Valley winery, guests may partake in a maple syrup tasting in a finely appointed tasting room complete with a copper bar, website: http://www.crownmaple.com/visit-madava-farms.
Some of the events sound outrageous: “For those of you who want super rock crawler, smashed body panel gnarly you have access to Old Florida Road and MaBelle in Western, MA,” according tomuddychef.com. Yet Yohe stresses there is something for everyone.
“What I like about it the most is, despite the stressful things you have going in your life you really can’t think about anything else in your life except how am I going to get this vehicle and myself through these woods, over this obstacle,” Robert Wollschlager says. “It’s fantastic.”
Wollschlager, of Mystic, will join in on the fun with his dad, James. They will bring two of their four Land Rovers – a 1972 Land Rover Series 3 88 and 1982 Series 3 Stage- 1 V8 109.
Each morning there will be vehicle inspections and safety talks. The only prerequisite is that “your vehicle should be in good repair without any serious frame rust and able to handle basic off-road challenges.”
“The majority of our vehicles are the rare ones, the early ’60s ones, the ’70s … the classic Land Rovers,” Yohe says. In addition, the event draws drivers of “the Defender, which is what you see on safari…we get lots of those.”
Every morning, before venturing out there will be vehicle inspections and safety talks. The only prerequisite is that “your vehicle should be in good repair without any serious frame rust and able to handle basic off-road challenges.”
In need of a break from the rigors of off-roading, guests can head over to Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds in Millbrook, New York to experience sporting clays at “the oldest permitted shotgun shooting club in the country,” they boast on http://www.orvis.com/sandanona.
Back on the road, how about the Overland Challenge in the Housatonic State Forest?
“It’s sort of a high-tech Easter egg hunt,” says Yohe. “Drive to a spot with the GPS, get out and use the compass to go in the direction we tell you to go, start walking and you will find what ever it is. Somewhere in that forest is something to find like an orange flip-flop nailed to a tree.”
Whether you are an experienced off-roader or want to try it for the first time, love adventure and the thrill of the ride, or want to spend a weekend in the country learn more at Facebook/The Muddy Chef Challenge.
OutdoorX4 Magazine / MEDIA SPONSOR
The mission of OutdoorX4 is to promote responsible 4×4 adventure travel along with the utility of 4×4 and dual-sport vehicles to enjoy all forms of outdoor recreation. In essence, we want to help create solidarity amongst all communities of adventure enthusiasts because at the end of the day, enjoying the great outdoors should be a right of which we all share rather than a privilege.
The Magazine
So what makes OutdoorX4 different from other publications? Well, for one our content is a hybrid of all areas of outdoor recreation and adventure. Whether you’re an avid 4×4 adventure traveler, mountain bike enthusiast, camp cooking aficionado, world-class fisherman, dual-sport motorcyclist or weekend warrior, OutdoorX4 is focused on providing the most engaging and unique content to appeal to the broadest range of outdoors enthusiast while providing expert advice in the field, suggestions on places to visit along with an expanded perspective on the history of the areas we travel, as well as dynamic photography that inspires the outdoors enthusiast to choose the road less traveled.
Frank Ledwell, Editor-in-Chief
Frank is an avid explorer, adventurer, and advocate of responsible outdoor recreation and off-highway travel. Frank has had the fortune of traveling throughout the world, including destinations throughout North and Central America, as well as across Eastern and Western Europe. When he’s not cycling across Texas on his road bike or climbing in the Swiss Alps, he is touring the backcountry in remote destinations throughout the United States and abroad in his diesel Grand Cherokee.
Frank is the Editor-in-Chief of OutdoorX4. Additionally, he was the Co-Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of JPFreek Adventure Magazine from 2006 through mid-2012 as well as publisher of several industry journals. He is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association, and his articles on off-highway travel, adventure destinations, and product reviews have been featured in numerous publications. Frank resides in Texas with his family.
John Herrick, Publisher
With a deep and varied background in business and a nose for keeping work fun while doing what he enjoys, John Herrick publishes OutdoorX4. John makes sure the book gets to subscribers and the newsstand while enjoying as many adventures as possible the rest of the time which also includes producing CRAWL Magazine as well as producing special outdoor events.
He’s been published as both a writer and photographer, an avocation he took up in his late teens.
An avid Jeep owner, John also enjoys desert racing, rock crawling, and other motorsports. With an eye towards responsibility, he heads the CRAWL Trail Foundation which promotes grass roots trail preservation.
John lives in Northern Nevada in the shadow of the Eastern Sierra, with his wife Pam of 30 years.
Phil Golden, Director of Technology, Contributing Editor
Phil was born with a determined desire to explore. Whether by Jeep, dual-sport motorcycle, mountain bike, road bike, kayak or on foot, Phil pushes himself to go further and do more. Phil can often be found alone on his adventures as he enjoys the purity of being surrounded by nothing but wilderness. He recently traveled solo on the Continental Divide trail from Mexico to Canada, self-support by Jeep and completely off-highway. Additionally, he has logged over 6,000 miles and numerous legs of the Trans America Trail via dual-sport motorcycle from Tennessee to Oregon, and owns the oldest active geocache in the state of Louisiana.
Phil is an avid endurance cyclist, randonneur, and runner. When Phil is not pushing himself to the limit, he is on a mission to raise awareness for the rare terminal disease his son has called Adrenoleukodystrophy. He has written numerous articles and conducted several interviews regarding his awareness campaign – Expedition Awareness. While his passion runs deep for the great outdoors, it does not compare to that of his family.
Phil resides in Wichita Falls, Texas with his wife and three children.
Jonathan Hanson, Overland Columnist
Jonathan Hanson’s expedition experience encompasses land and sea-scapes from Baja, Mexico to the Beaufort Sea, from the Libyan Desert to the Namib, and modes of transportation from sea kayaks to sailboats to bicycles to Land Cruisers and Land Rovers.
He has traveled among and worked with cultures as diverse as the Seri Indians and the Himba, the Inuit and the Maasai.
Jonathan has taught wildlife tracking, natural history writing, 4WD techniques, and other subjects for many conservation and government organizations. He is an elected fellow of the Explorers Club, and a charter member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. His writing experience spans a dozen books and two dozen magazines, including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Nature Conservancy, Sea Kayaker, and Backpacker.
Jonathan and his wife, Roseann, are the creators and owners of the Overland Expo, the largest adventure travel event of its kind in the world.
Kraig Becker, Gear & Adventure Author
Kraig is a freelance writer and world traveler who covers mountaineering expeditions, polar exploration, adventure travel, and other outdoor pursuits.
He has served as the Media Director for the Primal Quest expedition adventure race and is the editor of The Adventure Blog.
He is a regular contributor to travel site Gadling.com and the outdoor blogs for The Clymb and the Wenger brand. He has also published stories with Outer Edge Magazine, National Geographic Adventure amongst others.
Kraig resides in Austin, Texas.
Wes Craiglow, Contributing Author
Wes was bitten by the adventure bug at a young age, spending his boyhood exploring the family farm from sunup to sundown, annual vacations on lonely backroads across the rural South, and dedicating his summers to staff employment at a Boy Scouts camp.
When not on extended paid vacations to Southwest Asia for Uncle Sam, Wes can be found guiding backcountry trips and documenting routes, destinations, and stories in the U.S. and Central America.
Wes is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Central Overland, an online magazine dedicated to vehicle-based adventure travel, and resides in central Arkansas with his wife and two kids.
Mark Stephens, Contributing Author
Mark is an adventurer who was born of, reared by, and educated in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.
He has climbed the walls of Devil’s Canyon, trekked the trails throughout the Rocky Mountains, slept on the ground in most National Parks, rope-swung into a river here and there, driven the back roads of the southwest U.S. and Mexico, enjoyed song and cerveza in the cantinas of the Baja peninsula, and otherwise traveled like a backpacking pilgrim from British Columbia to Peru.
Mark holds a degree in English from Arizona State University; he learned from composition maestros such as Jeanne Dugan, Robert Krut, and G. Lynn Nelson. His work has been published in Overland Journal, Nissan Sport Magazine, Arizona Outdoorsman, and JPFreek Adventure Magazine. Mark and his wife are also the curators of Adventure Parents, a resource focused on the adventures of raising children to enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle.
Mark resides in Arizona with his wife and two children.
Allan & Jackie Ellis, Contributing Authors
Alan & Jackie are avid off-highway enthusiasts who have immersed themselves into a lengthy list of outdoor activities, be it land, water, or air.
Their primary recreation vehicle is a Jeep Rubicon and it has traveled all over the continental United States on backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, sailing, and skydiving adventures.
Additionally, Jackie and Alan are professional skydivers and work as instructors at Skydive Dallas in Texas.
You can follow their adventures on their site at Jackie and Alan’s Outdoor Adventures.
Andrea Ledwell, Contributing Author
Andrea is the better half of our Editor-in-Chief.
Born and raised in Mississippi, Andrea spent her time as a child adventuring while on her bicycle and called the Smoky Mountains her second home.
Andrea is an avid explorer, artist, musician, mother, wife, adventurer, seeker of truth, and on a quest for all things beautiful and good.
YETI Coolers! / Event Supporter/Sponsor
We are pleased to announce Yeti coolers will be providing gifts, stickers and materials for The Muddy Chef Challenge! Yeti and Land Rovers go together! What a great way to support the MCC than via great stuff. Stay tuned for more information about Yeti Coolers!
Crushed!
Raffle Prize / High Torque Land Rover Starter from British Starters
The Land Rover Muddy Chef Challenge supports Autism Speaks. Beginning Thursday July 31, and continuing through Saturday afternoon and early evening, raffle tickets will be sold with all proceeds donated to our Charity. David Austin from British Starters has donated a Series high torque starter or a Land Rover V8 high torque starter (winners choice). These things are works of art. Help a good cause and enter to win one heck of a deal!
PHOTO 1: LAND ROVER V8 STARTER PHOTO
1.9 Horsepower Nippondenso Gear Reduction Starter machined specifically for the Land Rover Aluminum V8. Our starter is brand new, and comes with a lifetime warranty to the original owner with free technical support via phone or email. This unique, high torque, gear reduction starter will outperform your old original starter. The difference is amazing. No more clicking or labored cranking when you push your starter button or turn your key! These starters have a built in solenoid which can easily be bypassed if your car uses an external solenoid. It works in both positive and negative ground setups. It is stronger and lighter than the original starter with no permanent modification needed to you vehicle. Simply remove your old, tired starter, and bolt ours in place. This is a simple upgrade that can be done by most owners with basic mechanical skills. The quality and performance of this starter has made us the go-to supplier for a number of Restoration Shops whose customers demand only the very best performance parts for their classics. Electrical Hook-up: This starter has one large bolted terminal for the positive battery cable from your vehicle. There is also a second small solenoid terminal (1/4″ male spade connector) which connects to the wire from your vehicle’s ignition switch. You have the option to bypass this starter’s solenoid for simplicity and to retain the use of your truck’s original external solenoid. Lifetime Warranty
2: LAND ROVER SERIES STARTER
1.2 HP Nippondenso Gear Reduction Starter specifically machined for the Land Rover Series trucks, including the 2.25 4cyl and the 2.6L 6cyl variants. This starter works in all year vehicles and in all engine sizes/configurations. This unique, high torque, gear reduction starter will outperform your old original starter. The difference is amazing. No more clicking or labored cranking when you push your starter button or turn your key! These starters have a built in solenoid which can easily be bypassed if your car uses an external solenoid. This particular unit uses a 2 bolt mounting pattern. It works in both positive and negative ground setups. It is stronger and lighter than the original starter with no permanent modification needed to you vehicle. Simply remove your old, tired starter, and bolt ours in place. This is a simple upgrade that can be done by most owners with basic mechanical skills. The quality and performance of this starter has made us the go-to supplier for a number of Restoration Shops whose customers demand only the very best performance parts for their classics. One year full warranty from date of purchase. Electrical Hook-up: This starter has one large bolted terminal for the positive battery cable from your vehicle. There is also a second small solenoid terminal (1/4″ male spade connector) which connects to the wire from your vehicle’s ignition switch. You have the option to bypass this starter’s solenoid for simplicity and to retain the use of your car’s original external solenoid.
One Year Warranty
Be sure to visit one of my favorite of Dave’s websites – British Barn Finds. It’s really cool.
TELL US YOUR STORY! / Submit your favorite story about your Land Rover (and win a prize!)
New Event / Overland Challenge!
Our Charity – Autism Speaks
The Muddy Chef Challenge is a unique event. Unique in that it’s completely FREE and run entirely by a dedicated VOLUNTEER staff of Land Rover lovers and enthusiasts. This is no a “not for profit” event, it’s a ZERO profit event. So when you consider other events that charge registration fees. Ask yourself where does that money go? This year we decided to go the extra step and find a charity to donate to. Classic Car Performance has donated a High Torque Land Rover (Series or V8) for a charity raffle.
We will sell raffle tickets at the event and donate 100% of the funds collected to Autism Speaks.
We figured if Wayne did it, we should too!
Register now – less than 30 spots left!
In this case, good things DO NOT come to those who wait. We are rapidly running out of registration space for the event. Remember registration is free, the event is free too. The only thing you have to pay for is camping fees to Lime Rock park at a reasonable $30.00 per night! Tons of prizes and free swag. Shooting at Orvis Sandanona, beautiful Lakeville, CT location, race cars, Land Rovers, Crown Maple Syrup, what else do you want?
Classic Car Performance – New Event Sponsor!
We are pleased to welcome Classic Car Performance to The Muddy Chef Challenge as a sponsor! We will have an interview with the owner David Austin shortly. Meanwhile, click the link below and checkout their great products!
