Jeffrey AronsonBrenton Corns had a fascinating professional life in 3-D modeling and special effects for major players in game design. Then he bought an ‘01 Discovery II, took instructional lessons from Camel Trophy competitors and wound up as a full-time instructor at the Land Rover Experience Quail Resort in Carmel, CA.
Since good fortune found me at the nearby Pebble Beach Concours last August, Brenton made it possible for me to spend a day with the Land Rover Experience team at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club. (Fortunately, I had dressed properly for the day; the Quail has a dress
code for its links.)
Quail Lodge is set “on the sunny side” of the Monterey Peninsula, with spectacular landscapes, whether you like to golf or not. The topography reminds travelers of the Mediterranean coast and somehow manages to disguise the heavy traffic during Monterey Car Week. The August weather helped me understand why three million visitors visit Monterey every year.
The Quail celebrated its 60th anniversary this year; of its 850 acres, including its famous 18-hole golf course, the Land Rover Experience has access to 110 acres and 10 miles of trails, carefully designed to demonstrate the capabilities of Land Rover and Range Rover models. The Center has five new Land Rovers on site for instruction, keeps a ’16 LR4 as a utility vehicle and savors its ’97 NAS Defender 90 for its Heritage program.
Eric Ferreira, Pacific Grove, CA, came out of a second retirement to serve as Director. He grew up 120 miles away in Merced, where he went off road in old two-wheel drive pickups on his family ranch. Over the years, he’s enjoyed a ’97 Discovery I and an ’87 Range Rover Classic. Eric served as a Fire Captain for 30 years, and when he retired in 2019, he accepted a part-time instructor position at the Center. When Justin Demayo stepped out as Director, Eric stepped into the full-time position. Sterling Johnson, Monterey, CA, had been working as an instructor with Rivian in the San Francisco Bay Area when Eric recruited him; he now serves as Director. The school’s newest instructor is Cole Ongaro, who was undergoing training in August.
“We have a great instructional team,” Eric said, “and I feel as though we – Brenton, Sterling Johnson and I – run the Center together.”
With the permission of his students, Brenton allowed me to accompany him on one of his day’s introductory lessons. “This is my office,” Brenton said to his students, opening with a walk around of the Defenders explaining clearance angles, approach and departure angles, the location of skid plates, the engineered tuck-in of the rear suspension components and their built-in height adjustments.
As part of the basic two-hour lesson, Brenton had his students learn about the recovery points front and rear, the importance of driving on the center of a tire rather than the sidewall, and the centrality of the B door pillar when turning the Land Rover on a trail. He also discussed the various Terrain Response modes; as the small convoy progressed up and down the trails, he provided opportunities for drivers to change out and experience the differences inherent in those modes.
After each stop for instruction, Brenton would lead the small group onto a section of trail that amply demonstrated the Land Rover’s capabilities. At the end of their instructional time, the couples expressed their delight in their lessons.
Josh Diekmanm, Tacoma, WA, spoke for his partner, Keri Peasley, Burien, WA and friends Ryan and Jessie Lloyd who accompanied him on the introductory lesson, a prize won at the Tularcitos Elementary School auction in Carmel.
“For your information, while I have spent many years enthusiastically (albeit only occasionally) exploring off-road in many different vehicles, I had never driven a Land Rover off pavement.”
“My initial impression after seeing some of the terrain was incredulity that anything would be able to travel over it. I was repeatedly surprised by the Land Rover’s capabilities. Brenton talked us through each section of the course and provided a steady narrative as we tackled each segment. He was also accommodating of our requests to complete some of the segments multiple times so the other drivers in our group could try them. Our group appreciated his capable guidance as well as the interesting information provided about the course and different driving techniques for various conditions. Jeff, we appreciated your contributions to the narrative, too!”
Ryan and Jessie Lloyd, Carmel Valley, CA, wrote, “We thoroughly enjoyed our Rover experience and seeing the behind-the-scenes work made it extra intriguing! I did take out a Range Rover L322 about 7 years ago. I was definitely impressed with this Defender, more so
when I saw one wheel elevated off the ground!”
Just as an observer, my off-road skills benefited from the combination of listening and experiencing the recommendations in action. The Land Rover Experience Quail Lodge is a hidden gem on the Monterey Peninsula, well worth the time for an enthusiast at any off-road level.
[For more information, visit www.experience.landroverusa.com]