Reflections from The Pilgrimage, VT
The Pilgrimage VT is a 4 day overlanding/off-roading event put on every year by Derek and Catherine Chase. It is not only a truly unique event, it is our favorite event of the year. Everything is set up and orchestrated out of a base camp situated at family owned and operated Henderson Hideaway Campground in idyllic South Royalton, VT. It is a sight to behold! Over 250 rigs come (from Honda CRVs, to Unimogs, right hand drive Toyota Prados, Land Rovers, VW Busses and all things 4x4 in between.
We have atteneded multiple years. This year we were asked to orchestrate and lead group rides for “newbies”. Anyone new to off-roading in VT, or new to off-roading in general. It was both an honor and a privilege. With my trusty co-pilot Graham (one of my 19 month Golden Retrievers) we happily set up and led group rides each of the 3 days, as well as 2 night runs. If our math is correct, we had over 75 vehicles tag along with us over the course of all 3 days. It was such a great group of folks and an experience that we won’t ever forget.
We had every experience level, type of vehicle and age group with us on these rides. People were wonderful as we held drivers meetings explaining how we would be following strict convoy procedures to making sure we treated every trail and road with respect in an attempt to “leave no trace”. Every ride gave us the ability to share our knowledge from pre-ride Vehicle 360s, on trail training, line choice, spotting and proper radio comms were all not only taught but eagerly absorbed and practiced by our attendees. We had some moments where many conquered obstacles they never thought they could and moments where they spotted their friends through similar challenges. No one had any damage and no trail was disrespected in the slightest. In fact we filled a trash bag of debris we picked up left by others on trails.
This community is amazing and I love witnessing the support each of the folks have for each other. In many cases each ride was the first time many had met the others. Watching them communicate, spot and enjoy the adventure is why we do what we do. We constantly were asked “what are the 3 most important things you carry” in your rig. That’s a loaded question and will be the topic for our next blog post, but I can tell you 3 categories to which I make sure my vehicle always carries on road or off: (1) 1st Aid/Trauma Kit, (2) Fire Extinguisher and lastly (3) communications devices (both radio based and satellite based), but I also make sure to have a basic recovery kit with gear rated for my vehicle. As I mentioned, more on that later.
I can’t thank Derek and Catherine enough, last weekend’s Pilgrimage VT was the best one yet and our best weekend of 2024. Such an incredible experience with such incredible people.