Doug Evilsizor and Gustaf Kupetz discussing build strategy on the LR3 (left to right). Story by Gustav Kupetz, Photos by Matt Martin

Join LRL as we take Land Rover’s LR3s and push them right to the limit on a few epic LRL trips. We take on challenging terrain and historic locations with temperatures from Speedo hot to Polar Bear cold, all in the name of adventure and a good time. Blood and sweat await those who make it, and green tears for those who are left behind. In case you can’t join us, we’re sharing the good times with The Rovers North News. Armchair enthusiasts will have the distinct pleasure of forgoing the sweat and the tears.

We’ve kitted out our LR3s for the wide range of off-road experiences encountered in the US. To round out our Land Rover experience, we’re including a Defender 110 as our support truck. For these events we’ve teamed up with many sponsors but few more important than Rovers North, who have handled the bulk of our build needs.

Final details seem to change as rapidly as the terrain conditions —but as things stand now, we’re looking at six epic trips, combining challenge, history, a little romance, and one . . . well that last one clearly won’t be for everyone.

Colorado to Utah: May
We’ll travel expedition style for a few hundred miles trip from Montrose to Gateway, CO., ending at the Gateway Canyons Resort. Basically we’ll venture across sections of the Kokopelli and Tabaguache (Tabawatch) Trails, together with a little rugged back country mapping. Along the way we’ll traverse challenging trails and water crossings, spending nights camping out under the starry sky. We’ll be packing in/out everything, including fuel.

Camel Invitational: June
Although the Camel Club is alive and kicking in the UK, US enthusiasts can only dream about seeing these vehicles in person. LRL has tracked down 11 Camel Trophy vehicles in the US so far and we’re committed to bringing them together for an exciting event (for more information, see www.cameltrophy.co.uk).

Sonora Trails and Fly-Fishing: July
Possibly some of the most technical trails that we will encounter lay west of Sonora CA. We’ve stitched together 70 challenging miles with a secret fly-fishing hole somewhere in the middle. For this one you’ll need to set aside a long weekend, camping and recovery gear, and a fishing rod slightly grander than the “Green Hornet duck pole” from Grumpy Old Men.

British Columbia: Late Aug-Sept
Up in wonderful British Columbia we’ll rediscover what Alexander Mackenzie learned some time ago—that BC rocks! All travel on this trip is off-road, with only one way in, and only two ways out for this 256-mile trail. This one could prove very challenging. Along the way we’ll tackle mud, water, rocks and camping, of course. This one kicks off late summer to avoid the bugs.

Vermont: Late Sept
This 1st Descents trip will rekindle your romantic side, both for your spouse/significant other, as well as your Land Rover. We’ll kick off this fall colors tour at Rovers North in Westford and then traverse Vermont’s Class IV trails; we’ll open up some trails that have not been used for over 50 years. I’ll be honest – you never know what you’ll bump into back in the woods, but mystery and romance do go hand in hand, and we’re hoping for both on this trip. We’ll finish up at The Equinox resort in Manchester, the home of The Land Rover Experience, where we’ll have a few surprises.

The Capstone: Winter 2009… weather permitting!
The “You gotta be nuts, there is no effing way” trip – if you’re still reading, you’re a nut . . . but that’s good. It will be cold and will be in a place no one takes vehicles! This expedition requires the greatest planning and training. We can only take those vehicles and drivers that will help insure success. You must be fit, fun, clearheaded, hardworking, resourceful, with a can-do attitude. We’ll be packing fuel, gear, food, guns, GPS, maps, sat phone, medical skills and local knowledge. It hasn’t been done before. Maybe nobody wanted to do it, or maybe nobody should?


Build process inside Land Rover Sarasota, FL. Story by Gustav Kupetz, Photos by Matt Martin

If you can’t make it to one of the events, follow all the fun at LRLmagazine.com. Real time tracking, photos, and excitement will come to your smart phone or email inbox every day the vehicles are on the road or on the trail. Don’t let them drive through your home town without a hearty Land Rover wave of hello and inviting the crew in for a bit of tea before shoving off again.

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Doug Evilsizor is the founder and editor-in-chief of Land Rover Lifestyle magazine. Established in 2006, Evilsizor’s vision for LRL arose out of his search for a highly capable 4-wheel-drive vehicle to explore the mountains of Colorado, which at the same time would be equipped to cover the miles of highway travel required of a daily driver. Land Rover provided the solution in the form of a 1993 Range Rover LWB.

LRL has taken a different path than other Land Rover loyalist magazines. Focusing on adventure, unique destinations, and the “mud and caviar” appeal of the Land Rover brand, LRL covers busted-knuckle adventures in unique and luxurious locales worldwide. The satisfaction of Land Rover ownership, coupled with Evilsizor’s own inclination for travel and exploration of peoples, places, and cultures, was the driving force to establish a lifestyle-based Land Rover magazine in the U.S. Evilsizor lives with his wife and son, coordinating the magazine from the high desert of New Mexico, otherwise known as “Tumbleweed Mesa.”

Gustaf Kupetz has long been a Land Rover enthusiast – in his own words, he “Bleeds Green” – and drives either his Defender 90 or 110 all over the country in search and always finding an adventure. Currently, Gustaf is the Gear and Field Specialist for Land Rover Lifestyle magazine. Prior to this assignment Gustaf’s many adventures ranged from working “on the ice” in Antarctica, to being a Professional Off-Road Driver for the Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams. He was the 2002 and 2003 winner of the Adventure Team Challenge, has worked for the Land Rover Minneapolis dealership and has maintained an active membership in the Minnesota Land Rover Club. In 2008, Gustaf was elected to the Board of Directors of the Minnesota 4-Wheel Drive Association.

Jason Paul Michaels took an unlikely route to his current position as Director of Sales and Marketing for LRL. A chance exposure to Camel Trophy Defenders enticed him to veer from his successful work in computer technology towards the propagation of a lifestyle based on Land Rovers. “A Land Rover somehow taps into that innate thread of adventure that exists within all of us. I dread to think some won’t ever experience it because they’ll never be exposed to a Land Rover. I guess that’s why I drive it.” Jason has attended numerous Rover rallies on the East Coast of as well as Moab and Texas rallies. Michaels and his father also competed together in the 2006 Australian Outback Challenge. He currently drives an expedition ready ’05 LR3. For now Michaels will focus on sharing the growing Land Rover lifestyle with all who will listen but one day dreams of piloting a Land Rover across Europe’s eastern block countries into Russia, and across to Mongolia.

For all the 1st Descents LRL Magazine building process photos see our gallery