Showing posts with label Blue Mule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Mule. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Electro-Willys Crew

Lots of people have given Mike a hand, but just 3 will be going with him on the AC'12 adventure. Joining him for the trip will be Greg, Nate, and Owen.

Owen, Mike, Nate, and Greg

Mike is retired Army. His love of old jeeps started in high school when he bought a surplus 1952 M38 and rebuilt it. We still have that jeep, and call it the Blue Mule. Electro-Willys shares the garage with the Blue Mule, Kate's Karriage, and a pile of parts that may someday be Green Jeanne. We also have another jeep in there that we are storing for a young man on duty in Afghanistan.

Greg is retired Navy, and lives about 2 hours east of us. We met him when he had some questions about an old jeep he had acquired. Mike and Greg hit it off very well, and discovered that they had many interests and stuff in common. We both have dark green Ford pickups of about the same vintage. One time when they went on a winter adventure, they discovered they even have the same snowshoes! Greg will the the "chase" vehicle driver, and will pull The Cave from camp to camp.

Nate is Greg's grandson from Washington state. He's still in high school, but has a great sense of adventure. When Greg and him have come over to help with the construction of the Juice Box, Nate has shown himself to be a great hand. I've heard he even might be cooking for the team?

Owen is retired Air Force. He was looking for a seat in the convoy and posted to the Facebook page, saying something to the affect of "I'll probably end up sitting on the batteries of that electric jeep". Well, of course, Mike had to contact him after that. The rest is history. Lucky for Owen, he won't have to sit on the battery pack. Owen and his wife came down for a visit a couple of weeks ago to met us all. Owen is the relief driver for the "chase" vehicle, or will rotate in and out of the passenger seat in E-W.

Tonight, the crew converges on our place to pack up Electro-Willys and the Juice Box into The Cave. I know E-W and the Juice Box will fit, but I hope all the other stuff will too! It's T-1 and the hours are ticking by.  First gear from The Thirsty Dirt Ranch will be in the morning.

- Ellen

Monday, July 9, 2012

Deja vu? Alaska Highway 1979


In July of 1979, Mike and I traveled the Alaska Highway on our way to Ft. Richardson. We visited Yellowstone, drove the Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier, and took in the Calgary Stampede all before hitting the Highway at Milepost 0 in Dawson Creek.

Like AC'12, we detoured up to Dawson City, but we did not go up the Dempster Highway. The poor Blue Mule (our other 1952 M38) and the pickup truck were so muddy when we got to Ft. Rich, that the neighbors all thought we had a green truck and jeep!

- Ellen