Jeffrey AronsonWith his fine stable of Land Rovers, Bill Cooper, Blairstown, NJ, has established himself as a diehard enthusiast. He called me to ask, “Do you know anyone around Austin, Texas? I’m looking at a Range Rover Classic down there, and if it’s the right one, I’ll fly down and drive it home.”
Not just any Range Rover Classic, but 1990 from Spain, decked out in Camel Trophy livery. Thanks to the Texas Rovers’ annual SCARR event, I did know people in Texas, and connected Bill with Chris Duke and Endeavour Expeditions in New Braunfels, TX. Not long after, Bill and Patty Cooper flew to Austin, bought the Range Rover, and paired it with Chris’ own Discovery, both in Camel Trophy livery, at SCARR.
I must admit that the Sandglow paint of the two Land Rovers blended beautifully with the clay and rock surface of the Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area in Gilmer, TX. This 19th edition of SCARR provided ideal weather, terrific off-roading, a wide range of vehicles, and a highly entertaining gathering of personalities. I mean, that’s why we attend Land Rover events, right?
To this Maine Yankee in King Abbott’s Court, four things stand out about Texas. First, we moan when a trip in our Land Rovers takes more than one hour, and pat ourselves on the back when we drive more than a few hours to an event. Texans attending SCARR knocked back anywhere from 4–9 hours of driving and considered it routine. Next, you quickly discover that Texas enthusiasts rarely replace a frame or bulkhead unless forced to by an accident. The money they save goes into an amount of kit that would fulfill the most elaborate gear fantasies of New England enthusiasts. Third, Texas fuel prices sit way below what we experience, no matter the time of year or international crisis affecting crude oil prices. Lastly, real spring arrives in the Lone Star state in March, not May, as in New England. I have the sunburn to prove it.
Enthusiasts from California to Virginia, Alabama to Connecticut, comprised some of the 140 registrants and well over 200 enthusiasts participating this year. Organizer Laura Shacklette, McKinney, TX, noted that over 80 vehicles arrived on the opening Thursday of the event, a day earlier than usual. Clearly, many attendees had hounded their doctors to write excuse notes on their behalf to employers and teachers – schools and daycare centers also had many vacancies that weekend. Mat and Lexi Pereda, Ft Worth, arrived in their ’60 Series II 109” SW with their children, Amelia, Norton and Milo, and Birdy the bird dog. Other than a leaky transfer case and a bout with vapor lock, the 109” performed perfectly. Joshua Todd, Daphne, AL, packed up an RV with his daughters, Jayden and Juliet, and towed a kitted-out Discovery II. Gustav Dow, La Honda, CA, drove 2,690 miles round trip in his much-loved, hard-driven Range Rover Classic. Shayne Young, Ratan, NM, might have been in the midst of moving from Florida to New Mexico, but that didn’t stop him from joining the fun at SCARR.
Michael, Sara, and Carson Neal, Lakewood Village, TX, trailered the family Bowler, likely the only one worldwide with a child safety seat installed for Carson. Moe Haddad, River Oaks, TX, drove his ’13 LR4 on the trails with his co-pilots, Layla and Morton. Devante and Ronnetta Walker, Katy, TX, and their daughter Ariel, brought both their Range Rover Supercharged and LR4 so each could have a turn on the trails; thus, Ariel had a fine selection of vehicles for her trail rides. Texas Rovers president Don Collins, The Woodlands, TX, and his wife, Tea, enjoyed the luxury of their RV as well as the family Discovery for trail runs. Their youngsters had several thousand acres of Barnwell Mountain as their playground.
Bill and Julia Koch, Richardson, TX, brought a stunning Defender 130 Hi-Cap 200 Tdi that had been refurbished by Bishop and Rook in Minneapolis, MN. Happily, they let me take it out on the entertaining mogul fields to experience the torque and gearing of this wonderful example. Here’s hoping they ignored the lack of fuel in the tank when I finally returned it to them!
Nonprofit Barnwell Mountain prides itself on its majestic array of trails, suitable for many different forms of off-road vehicles. The trails range from novice green lanes to expert extremes; heavy rains combined with heavy traffic rendered some trails unusable for this year’s event. Nevertheless, Trail Boss Arto Pullinen and his trail leaders, Chris Kelly, Darrell Oliver, David Dousay, and Caleb Lourias rose to the challenge and created enticing morning and afternoon runs.
I jumped in with David Dousay in his well-used, patina ’90 Range Rover Classic, as he led a long convoy over “intermediate” trails. The reality at Barnwell is that virtually every trail has “easy,” “intermediate” and “expert” sections due to its mix of red clay, loose rocks, and boulders. As the trail became more challenging, I jumped out to photograph the passing Land Rovers. The parade of Discoverys, Range Rovers, Range Rover Sports, and Defenders became a joy to watch, and David skillfully guided enthusiasts up the steepest portions and through the most challenging ravines. His wife, Jennifer, and children Sophie, Claire, and Camryn took to the trails in Jennifer’s ’07 LR3.
On an afternoon run, this time led by Caleb Lourias, Euless, TX, in his ’06 LR3, accompanied by his wife Dawn and daughters Tulip and Daisy, another long convoy tackled the ascents, moguls, and descents of trails named “Jeep Eater,” “Wile E Coyote,” “Sidewinder,” “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” and “Horseshoe Gulch.” I rode with Simon Donaldson, a Belfast ex-pat now living in Magnolia, TX, in his ’06 Range Rover Sport. Simon regaled me with stories of his uncle, who traveled in his Series III from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Capetown, South Africa.
Simon’s Range Rover Sport handled the trails brilliantly, but the ’74 Land Rover 109” NATO military from Norway, owned by Patrick Kuhns, Nagadoches, TX, captured my attention. I watched his 109” slide and stall down one descent, and when the convoy stopped,
I went over to see if I could help. It’s always a delight to demonstrate the inherent capabilities of a Series Land Rover. With a few flicks of the high/low range lever and gearshift, Patrick had his Series III under control and in command of the trails. When confronted with a very steep, loose rock and lengthy ascent, he offered to let me take the wheel. I knew his 2.25L engine would not have the torque for a 2nd gear climb – my preference – but that some momentum and a lighter touch on the welly pedal should allow for a 1st gear climb without spinning the wheels and losing traction. To Patrick’s amazement and my joy mixed with relief, it made the ascent as if I knew what I was doing.
Thanks to Lance Rutherford, Montgomery, TX, I enjoyed time and a trail ride in his ’89 Land Rover 110 200Tdi with his dog, Kava, a Pyredoodle. I learned that Lance had worked as a contractor focusing on medical care in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Mosul, Iraq, through 2020. His travels enabled him to pick up kit for his Land Rover from British military leftovers at Camp Bastion, Helmund Province, Afghanistan [now Camp Shorabak], while losing some kit in South Sudan. There’s no doubt that Land Rover events bring together the most fascinating people!
Several years ago, Sarah Caldwell and Laura Shacklette created a tradition at SCARR: the women-driver trail run named in honor of the legendary solo explorer, Barbara Toy. With the assistance of Darrell Oliver, Laura took on trail leader duties for this year’s event. Participants included Ronneta Walker (Range Rover Supercharged), Gina Rivera, Paradise, TX (Range Rover Classic), Tea Collins, The Woodlands, TX (Discovery II), Brandy Vasquez, Baton Rouge, LA (’00 Discovery II), and Keira King, Arlington, TX (’97 Defender), among many others. Laura asked if I would ride with Yelena Chumillo, San Antonio, TX, in the family’s ’16 LR4, to offer off-road driving assistance if requested. Since she’s a triathlete training for the Iron Man, I doubted the need, but for her first off-roading behind the wheel, Yelena claimed she, “felt nervous and was sweating” on the steep inclines. We set the Land Rover’s controls and Yelina’s smooth driving did the rest. She also had a cheering section in the rear seat, comprised of her husband George, and their children.
The campsites at Barnwell Mountain’s 1,850 acres spread people out and require you to drive to meet up with friends new and old. SCARR’s schedule always includes a Saturday night catered meal and raffle to bring people together. In addition, the famous Roz’s Eats food wagon provided breakfasts, lunches, dinners and beverages – no one went hungry or thirsty.
At the end of SCARR, trail leader Chris Kelly, Conroe, TX, reflected on the event – his third as a member of Texas Rovers. He’s been the owner of 17 different Land Rovers over the years, mostly Discoverys. (“I love the character of the car,” he said.) Chris called SCARR, “the best run event that I’ve ever been to. It’s the people who make it what it is.” As Chris succinctly summed up the experience, Pepe, his French bulldog, wiggled and wagged his tail in agreement. If I had a tail, I would have done the same.