June 28, 2022 – USA: As the Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally eased into the third week of the competition with the majority of teams already out on the trails, there was quite a lot of activity by Colorado teams. Other teams continued to explore around Washington, California, Arizona and Michigan.
Team 111 Potter held on to the top Leaderboard position with 1,131 points despite some mechanical issues that put her Jeep, Mz Hyde, in the shop and out of commission for much of the week. Lisa Potter led the Colorado 4×4 Girls on the Pole Hill and Panorama Peak trails in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest from the “right” seat, riding with a first-time offroader who had never driven on a trail before. Potter coached the new driver over some increasingly challenging obstacles and they finished up the run without incident. Potter also used the week to check off quite a few Photo Quest items during a hike at the Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge.
Another Colorado team, Team 131 Becker got a good start on their Overland Stages in Colorado’s White River National Forest. Naomi Becker enjoyed some camping and good times with other members of her Colorado 4×4 Girls club and earned some Stewardship points by participating in the trail cleanup near Idaho Springs, CO.
Team 114 Simpson, also a Colorado 4×4 Girls member, spent some time exploring in the Grand Mesa National Forest, taking a very scenic route along Lands End Road to the Observatory at top of the Mesa. Danielle Simpson and her group enjoyed the wildflowers which were in full bloom and spotted some smaller wildlife before making a quick detour along White Water Creek Rd where they parked for a hike along the creek. After the hike, they continued on to a nice campsite near the Anderson Reservoirs.
Team 132 Kienlen moved into 2nd place with 942 points after a solid week of planning for an upcoming multi-stage trip along parts of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. Jenn Kienlen also used the week to catch up on Photo Quest items.
Team 104 Swenson remained on the Leaderboard in 3rd place with 896 points after a quiet week as they prepared to launch into their big multi-stage segment.