Aaron & Josie Young’s Jeep Adventure

Aaron Young and his daughter, Josie

Enjoy this day-by-day recap of Runde sales manager Aaron Young’s Jeep adventure with his daughter, Josie:

2020 has been an interesting year to say the least. My daughter, Josie, and I decided to plan a much needed vacation to the Carolinas and enjoy some lazy time on the beach, see a lot of historical sites and explore, explore, explore! Seemed simple, but as we were within just a couple of weeks of going, Covid-19 cases were spiking in that area and regulations/shutdowns were a big unknown. Some of the metro areas were seeing violence break out and to top it off, there was a tropical storm headed that way. The idea of heading into all of that no longer seemed relaxing to either of us, so we tossed those plans away and made a new one: a Jeep adventure. Head out west and wing it, literally. No plans can be ruined when you have none other than a direction!

We knew we would be venturing off-road considerably and be in remote places at times with no cell phone service during this Jeep adventure. We also decided to avoid unnecessary stops as much as possible to lower our risk for exposure to Covid-19. With those two things in mind, there was quite a bit different course for prepping this trip, mainly the Jeep Gladiator we’d be taking. While the back seats folded up and had storage underneath, folded down as well…they were taking up more space and were of no use on this trip. So I pulled them out and constructed a very basic cover for the storage area that would provide us with considerably more room. Underneath the cover I loaded up the Jeep with recovery gear, shackles and straps, extra gloves, the winch controller, a bag full of tools I may need for repairs, air compressor and other gear. To help eliminate additional stops, we packed a cooler full of bottled water and some basic essentials for lunch on the road. I always carry certain things like a medical kit, knives, pens, paper, mirror, fire starting equipment…so we were ready to go!

DAY 1
We decided to head towards Wyoming as there were several areas of interest there. We got a late start but we blasted north into Minnesota to get on Interstate 90 and enjoy the 70 mph speed limits before hitting South Dakota’s glorious 80 mph limit! I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Jeep Gladiator handled those speeds. Let’s face it, it’s a brick aerodynamically, and with the lift and larger tires it just compounds that. My Gladiator also is a 6-speed manual transmission which I love and a soft top, which was actually pretty quiet. Despite the late start, we managed to get over halfway through South Dakota and decided to stop early to avoid the Sturgis motorcycle rally that was ahead. An uneventful day, but exciting to be starting our Jeep adventure! We also established our first rule, no hotels where the doors to the room are on the outside of the building. It’s what you usually see in horror movies, crime scene shows…

DAY 2
Back on the road and we took our first detour to go see the Badlands. They are truly a sight to see as the plains and rolling hills suddenly give way to the carved steppes and vibrant colors. Walking out onto one of the fingers I was reminded of my dislike for heights, Josie of course stood right on the edge taking selfies. More on that later…. Was so nice to just enjoy the sights, see the excitement in Josie and flip open the top and take advantage of those clear blue skies. A side note about Jeeps with soft tops, they have come a long, LONG way from what they used to be. The newer models no longer use zippers, which makes removing any windows super easy. But what really made the choice easy for me, is how quickly I can throw the top back. Literally under 30 seconds and we’re enjoying the sun and it’s just as easy to put it back. Simple.

We waved goodbye to the prairie dogs and back on the road, straight through SE South Dakota and all the traffic of Sturgis. Once into Wyoming we took another quick break just to get off the pavement and explored down a dirt road. A nice fact about Wyoming is that over half of the state is public land, which is great for adventuring! Such rich vibrant colors can be seen at every turn, the sky just seems bluer. Back on the road and a quick stop to see Devil’s Tower which can easily be viewed from the road and away from the congested visitor’s center. We ventured down another random dirt road and parked atop a hillside for lunch. Fresh air, a quick bite to eat, a perfect way to recharge and head back on the road! The mountains on the horizon grew closer as we traveled west and for us that built up a lot of excitement so we ended our day at Buffalo, WY knowing we would tackle them in the morning.

DAY 3
We already had our morning routine down. Josie would load up her bags while I pulled the cooler out by the door to drain off the water and check the ice levels. Pays to get a good cooler! As I was doing so outside the hotel, a guy and his wife came up and talked to us about the Jeep as they had never seen one. It’s always fun to see people’s expressions when they see crank windows, stick shift, barebones….But for me it’s a purpose built vehicle and I prefer basics that last and are easier to fix. While talking to them they had been out west before and recommended we take the Beartooth Pass, it’s supposed to be one of the most scenic highways in America that climbs up the side of the mountains. We both enjoy meeting new people along the way, hearing their story and where they are from.

On our way we went headed straight for the Bighorn mountains. The highway never seemed to stop climbing and the scenery around every corner was absolutely breathtaking. My parents have been coming out west in their Jeep for decades and I finally understood firsthand why. No picture can capture the beauty, the expanse…it’s magnificent. And there are A LOT of trails to explore ranging in difficulty from a bit rough to pucker factor 10. We explored a couple really quick, one was a fairly challenging trail that followed a cliff side and there were a few times of scraping and banging the underside skidplates. It’s music to a Jeep fanatic. At one point we found a lake and pulled over to have a snack. Josie sitting on the tailgate, legs swinging back and forth as her hair blew in the gentle mountain breeze….a simple moment I won’t forget where I had no cares in the world other than just enjoying every minute with her.

As we descended the mountains the temps climbed quickly as we drove into high desert country. Such a stark difference in climate and terrain, yet beautiful in its own regard. Paths winded off into nothingness and the adventurer in me wanted to explore but we wanted to reach Yellowstone. Eventually we climbed again into the mountains and around a corner we saw a tunnel…keep in mind, this entire drive was unplanned so we often had no idea what was ahead. With the windows down and the top back we were hooting and hollering our way through the tunnel, laughing so hard and then POOF…wow. The view when we exited was AMAZING! The Buffalo Bill Resevoir stretched for miles between the road and the mountains, the emerald water glistening in the sun.

After several more exploratory stops, we made our way to Yellowstone and our first stop was at Yellowstone Lake. This became one of my favorite things in the entire park. Sitting at 7,732 feet above sea level it is a tremendous sight to see. It’s not a lake you’re going to go for a walk around with it’s 110 miles of shoreline. The cool winds were rolling waves into the shore and you could see as the larger ones would come in…so of course, being a dad, I told Josie…”Just a little further out” and SPLASH! A moment I caught a pic of and my favorite pic of the entire trip. Seeing that big smile of hers is all a dad needs to be happy.

If you’ve never been to Yellowstone, make a point to. It’s hard to describe and it’s MASSIVE! It takes hours to just drive from one entrance to the other and there is no shortage to explore. We stopped a few sights but the day had grown long and we needed a good night’s rest. We stayed in West Yellowstone that night so we could get a good start in the morning for more exploration of the park.

DAY 4
Right back into Yellowstone we went and began exploring the park further. We did our best to avoid large crowds and explored so much off the beaten path. That’s one of the wonderful things about the area is that there are so many things to look at. We found that while some attractions were jam packed, other beautiful sights were near empty. It was by pure luck of our timing that we managed to see most of the major attractions without dealing with large crowds. We arrived at Old Faithful and the parking area alone was as massive as a mall. There were restaurants, lodging, stores….it kinda soured us a bit and we both had no desire to go. I think it was just that we were enjoying the natural beauty and exploring, this seemed like going to a man made attraction and just not something we were interested in. Josie managed to get so many beautiful pictures along the way as we explored further, she really has a great eye!! It’s amazing that these breathtaking sights were created naturally over time. It made us wonder what the first Native Americans must have thought when they came across it. Without pictures, how do you even begin to describe it? I know I’ve said this before, but it certainly is one of those things I would recommend anyone go see, well worth it.

Of course there is the wildlife in Yellowstone that is also a big attraction. Bison, elk, deer, bears and wolves to name a few. With the top back we could pull over so easily and sit on the roll bar to get a great view of the landscape through our binoculars at a moment’s notice. My parents had told me that people will often pull over where they’re not supposed to (they have designated areas) and cause traffic jams over this. And we found that to be true. We also found that if you happened to pull over and have your binoculars out, that others would do the same…monkey see, monkey do. Now I’m not saying we had a little fun with that as a form of “fishing”….ok so maybe we did a little bit. 😉 I plead guilty, seeing my daughter smile and laugh is just that heartwarming to me.

We made our way out to the northwest entrance of the park and into Montana with the plan of coming back into the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone…you’ll see why tomorrow. Montana is a gorgeous state and we enjoyed just driving around to see the scenery. At one point a large storm front was intercepting our path and we took shelter in the Jeep next to a large building. Glad we did as the high winds and heavy rain meant near zero visibility. Once things cleared up a bit we made a large loop back towards Yellowstone and found a place to stay for the night. No doors leading to the outside in the rooms as usual, we had our rules.

DAY 5
Remember that part earlier about me not being a fan of heights? Today would be a good test of that as the purpose of our loop into Montana was to drive the Bear Tooth Pass starting at Red Lodge, Montana. Cited as one of the most scenic highways in the country, it twists and turns back and forth up the mountains and reaches an elevation of 10,947 which is the highest elevation highway in both Wyoming and Montana. In reading about the night before, weather is a big factor with the highway as snow/ice can develop at the higher elevations quite easily. Our weather looked clear so we made our way. The views as you climb are something I could write about for pages and never fully capture onto paper. As you reach the higher elevations, the wind is brisker, there are clumps of snow and rounding the corners you are looking down to see the tops of smaller mountain peaks. You really do feel like you are at the top of the world. I noticed something as we climbed and I looked out my window in areas with no guardrails and saw the expanse below…the heights didn’t bother me at all. Josie on the other hand didn’t enjoy my spirited driving at times. It’s a dad thing I guess. We stopped several times to just enjoy the view, see the pristine lakes that seemed impossible to exist at that elevation, pure beauty. Ever since then heights no longer bother me, in fact I rather enjoy them now and thank goodness so does Josie despite my antics. I definitely fell in love with the mountains that day and told myself one day I would come back on the bike and hit this road again. My Jeep Gladiator also enjoyed the mountains, pulling in 24 mpg on that stretch of road. Oh and I almost forgot, you do get a wonderful view of the mountain peak that gave the Beartooth Mountains it’s name.

We entered Yellowstone and spent the day exploring, having lunch sitting on the tailgate of the Jeep and enjoying the mild weather. We finally made our way to the southern entrance, keep in mind that alone takes over an hour, and into the Grand Tetons. The day was growing long and we decided to find a place to stay as we exited the area and headed towards Jackson. Josie was in charge of booking rooms and found something must be going on in Jackson as most everything was booked except the dirty mattress behind the dumpster. No problem, she booked a room in Dubois that happened to be 80 miles in the other direction. Quick u-turn and the thought of a soft warm bed fueled us on. When we finally arrived there we both realized that something was wrong, Dubois wasn’t a very big town and the hotel we booked wasn’t there. Suddenly Josie exclaimed, “OH NO…it’s Dubois, Pennsylvania!!!” I’m all for adventure but I was tired and Pennsylvania was a LONG ways away. Lol. Thank goodness there was a gas station we got to right before they closed for us to fuel up and Dad to grab some caffeine to splash in his eyes as Josie searched for places to stay. The next place was about 90 miles, but hey that’s winging it. No sense in complaining, we just motor on with a smile! To say we crashed when we got there was an understatement….lights out…zzzzzzzzzzz.

DAY 6
The great thing about an adventure is sometimes a glitch will be a blessing and put you in the right place at the right time. You’ll see what I mean in a bit. But the road we drove at night was absolutely amazing in the day. Red cliffsides, pronghorn, ventured down into a valley to see a fish hatchery, even found a military vehicle museum! Just goes to show that a “wrong turn” in an adventure can be a good one in the end!

Once we reached the Grand Tetons, we began to explore again on the unpaved backroads. As we did we came across a family who had a flat tire on their car. These backroads were somewhat gravel, but mostly dirt with larger rocks so they were pretty rough. I decided to stop and see if they needed any help just as they were pulling the tire off. Looking at the tire I could see a thin piece of metal that looked like part of a utility knife was buried into their tire and causing the leak. In talking with them, they were headed back to Jackson which was almost an hour away, a good 20 minutes on this rough road. I offered to fix their tire with the understanding there’s no guarantee and they were elated to not have to rely on that temporary spare donut tire. We unloaded our packs to get to the tools under the cover I made and went to work. Removed the metal, reamed out the puncture so that I could use tire plugs to seal it. It took some effort and 2 plugs but I managed to get the tire sealed up, inflated, checked for leaks and it was good to go. We exchanged phone numbers in case they had any issues, I told them to call me and I’d drive to help them. It was a really feel good moment to read their text a couple of hours later…”Aaron we made it to Jackson without any issues. Tire was holding air just fine and we’re having it dismounted and patched like you said. A lot of people just drove by us as we sat there so we’re thankful there are still kind people such as yourself and your daughter in this world. Thank you again so much!”

There’s no question the Grand Tetons were magnificent, but it was still the highlight of my day to help someone. Imagine a world where that was just the normal thing to do anytime you came across someone who was in need? Where you didn’t have to worry about it being a setup, a scam, that you may be robbed in doing so…I often say that I’m not put on this earth to take, but to give all that I can before my end.
We ventured back through Yellowstone and out the east entrance with the idea we would explore as we headed back east. So much we had passed by, we could fill every day of our Jeep adventure with exploration and that’s exactly what we intended to do.

DAY 7
Did I mention that Wyoming is over 50% public land? That is hard to grasp living in the Midwest. One of the things I wanted to see coming out west was wild horses. There’s something about them that just captures the spirit of freedom, a freedom long enjoyed before the first Europeans came to this land. And it’s amazing that the Bureau of Land Management also wants to protect this as a 100,000 acre sanctuary that is dotted with dirt paths you can explore. The few signs you see are very clear, let the wild horses stay wild and keep a distance. Well the first task at hand is just to find them! We didn’t see a single other person as we ventured over the arid plains, climbed over peaks and descended into valleys. We even discovered a badlands area that was a bit “sketchy” getting to but Jeeps are meant for this!

It was Josie’s sharp eye that caught a few specks out there and I mean WAAAAAYYY out there. How she saw them, I do not know. Even with binoculars it was hard to see them and how many. But we made our way slowly closer until we reached a vantage point to view them with our optics. The one decent pic we took was using our cellphone through the binocular’s eyepiece and even then we zoomed and cropped the image. We watched them for a short time and even though I’m sure they were aware of us, we were far enough away not to be seen as a threat. Wild and free, it’s just the way we left them and I hope anyone else does the same.

We then charged east to get back into the Bighorn mountains were miles and miles of off-road trails awaited us. I was excited to really push the Jeep’s capability again but Josie’s allergies were in full swing and she was feeling downright miserable. We took a break at a trailhead and I closed up the top, moved some things around so she could lean the seat back a bit, got the ac going and waved goodbye to the trails as we ventured on. All this meant was that we would have to come back some day! Her comfort was more important than anything and the drive was still so beautiful as she rested in the passenger seat. I kept driving and stopped at Sundance, WY for the night. She was feeling much better so we treated ourselves to a nice dinner and had a very relaxing evening.

DAY 8
It wasn’t a far drive into the Black Hills Forest and interestingly enough they too have an offroad trail system that ranges in difficulty. Prior to the trip, Josie had practiced with the manual transmission in the Jeep in an empty parking lot and she did pretty good. So on one of the mild trails we switched spots and she took the wheel. Just getting used to the clutch is the hardest part for any new driver, but once she got moving a little bit…piece of cake! Was kinda nice to sit back and just enjoy the scenery. We headed into Custer State Park and she took the wheel again on some back roads, even managed to creep up slowly to a deer right outside her window. It’s surprising how many people don’t explore these trails and backroads, but we’re not complaining as we truly enjoyed the serenity and were able to take our time.

Custer is a great park with lots to see and there’s no problem in seeing wildlife if you slow down and take the time to look. Again, this is where having the top open and being armed with binoculars was a lot of fun! We never really saw any buffalo on the main roads but while exploring one of the dirt side roads through the hills, we saw quite a few including a young one with it’s momma. We kept our distance and didn’t stick around to agitate them. In previous days someone had been tossed by a momma buffalo who had gotten too close and a truck’s tire got popped by an angry poppa. There’s a reason they have warnings in Yellowstone and Custer, it’s a shame things like this happen as people come under the illusion they are tame. Far from it, they are still wild animals who roam relatively free.

I’m not sure the name of the highway but heading to Mount Rushmore it was a curvy, scenic road with tunnels just wide enough for a single car. Another mental note to bring the bike back this way at some point. In the fall would be amazing!

Up to this point we really hadn’t gone to any major tourist attraction but we decided to stop at Mount Rushmore since we saw it wasn’t that busy. It’s an impressive place for sure and you don’t realize how much the elements have taken their toll until you look at the rock carvings up close with binoculars. Erosion, patches…it must be a constant source of maintenance to preserve it. We had our little photo op and moved on.

We actually decided to head home at this point as we had 2 days left in our vacation and we each had plenty to do when we got back. Josie would be starting college classes and we both felt it was important to make sure we didn’t have covid before returning to our daily life.

There were a lot of details left out in this Jeep adventure re-cap. Josie and I tend to be a little silly when we get together so there was never a shortage of smiles and laughter on our drive together. I’m very proud to see how she interacts with people we came across on our way, with respect and kindness. You never know what struggles someone is facing, it could take just a smile or small gesture to make a very real difference in their day. There is definitely another adventure awaiting us in the Jeep Gladiator, it’s one of the reasons I own the vehicle. I couldn’t have gone some of the places I did in a normal SUV or midsize truck. The simplicity of it makes it easy to do things like yank the back seats out, flip the top back at a moment’s notice, heck they even give you the tools you need to fold the front windshield forward if you so desire.

Jeeps are built for adventure.

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