Snowverland Expo: Were you there?

Snowverland Expo, 2015. That’s not a typo. At Overland Expo West, 2015 we experienced a freak storm with rain and snow and hail and mud and below-freezing temperatures. Before the weekend was over the 2015 event was unofficially dubbed Snowverland Expo. You would think that this would cause low attendance and grumpy participants, but in fact the opposite was true. All huddled together as we were it fostered a sense of intimacy, of empowerment and lots and lots of storytelling. For years, maybe decades, those of us who were there for the freak weather at Snowverland Expo will fondly recall shared hot cups of cocoa, shared shots of whisky, shared tents and, a hem, shared sleeping bags.

By today most of us have made it back home, or are continuing down the road in a place where we can wash our clothes, scrape mud out of our wheel-wells and from underneath our fenders, brushing it off the spokes in our wheels and the soles of our boots. Hauling our tents out onto the grass for a good hose-down, knowing that for years we’ll be able to say, “See that mud spot there? That was from Snowverland Expo, 2015.”

The problem of a closed driving course was solved by the instructors taking drivers up into the hills above Mormon Lake for a degree of one-on-one instruction of value far beyond what was paid for the on-site course. The motorcycles were parked, few had covers but borrowed tarps and garbage bags did the trick. I rode a Ural sidecar rig around in the mud, trying to get it stuck (as a demonstration), with no luck. I keep telling everybody that you don’t need two-wheel drive. Just put it into reverse and change direction. Proven!

The indoor classes were very well attended, and it wasn’t just because of the cold. Organizer Roseann Hansen and team strive to cull the best of the best instructors in all aspects of overlanding near and far, with all kinds of vehicles, skill levels, and interests. I taught self-publishing for travelers and presented a slideshow of central Baja to a packed house, and I also led some women-only sessions.

Regarding those women only sessions, I must share that the big takeaway was not how to find tampons in China or pee undetected on the road in India. It wasn’t just about Diva Cups, GoGirl Funnels, or Action Wipes, birth control, female medical issues, personal safety, packing tips, or wardrobe. To my dismay, the biggest discussion was how to live on the road with you guys. So here’s what I’ve got to say, gentlemen. Many of you are too demanding and at risk of losing your female travel companions to exhaustion, boredom, and stress. Here’s what you can do. Slow down. Don’t push the ladies you love too far out of their comfort zone. That includes riding too-big bikes, going too fast, too far, beyond their skill level. Don’t make them sleep without proper padding, a fluffy pillow, and a heat source. Slow down. Be safe. Obtain warm water for washing up. Be respectful of a different and perhaps slower travel style. Get romantic and hotel it once in a while. Eat good food. Stop more often. Else, you may be traveling solo very soon.

the social calendar were happy hours, buffets, and barbecues where I got to hang out with friends from overseas I don’t often get to see. Lisa and Simon Thomas, who are perpetually on the road, Jeremy Kroeker from the Great White North, Sam Manicom from the UK, and Tiffany Coates who we chauffeured back to San Diego so she could catch a train to LA and home to Cornwall. I don’t get to see my Western-USA-based adventure friends much either during the year except for here and Horizons Unlimited, so it was fabulous to have time to catch up with Nicole Espinosa, Paul H. Smith, Ted Simon, Alfonse Palaima, Andrew Pain, and Ginamarie Austin.

We even Skyped in over Andrew Pain’s cellular to Peru for a tearful virtual visit with Adventure Trio. Yes, there were tears.

On our drive home to San Diego my Camry had a flat tire but we happened to be in the vicinity of the discount tire region of Phoenix, what luck! (And don’t you just love your smartphnone?) Within walking distance was an authentic middle-eastern cafe where we feasted on falafels and tabouli. We feasted, and Tiffany bought a falafel press, something she’s been searching out for years and I brought home some halva. There’s a grocery there with produce, lots of olives and other middle-eastern fare.

Back on the highway through the desert. Tiffany was thrilled to pass by the entrance to the Pacific Crest Trail, the setting for the book (and movie) Wild: Lost and Found on the Pacific Coast Trail. We could see the Mexican border and the road was disproportionally traveled by cops and border patrol, with a couple of random checkpoints. “Shhhh,” we told Tiff, “Just batt your baby blues and don’t say a word. We don’t want them to know you’re a foreigner!”

We made it to the station with time to spare, and so made a stop at the Solana Beach hipster spot the Culture Brewing Company before sending Tiffany off to Los Angeles to visit with friends and then her plane to London.

I hope she managed a seat on the west side of the train to watch the sun set rolling north on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. We strolled the beach, then sat in the sand and watched for a green flash. Alas, it was not to be, but we won’t stop hoping.

So thanks very much, Overland Expo, and until next year, when the weather is bound to be “normal.” Or maybe it will be hot and dry and dubbed “Summerland Expo.” Who knows, who cares? We will be there whatever the weather, because it is our tribe and it is irresistible.

There are lots of fun photos coming in from friends on Facebook. Please join me there, and enjoy the photo gallery:

Hey, I’d love to hear your comments about this post below, in the comments section. Log in and leave me a note. Were you there? Do you want more info on self-publishing (I have my slideset). Are you a guy and going too fast and to minimal for the woman in your life? Are you a woman about to give up traveling with your guy? How about the event itself. Coming next year? Thanks!