This message sponsored by Mother Nature

The weather is strange in the Midwest.  This morning we were digging out of our first major snow storm of the year, and I followed the weather reports in earnest as I planned my little road trip.

Deciding the high road would skirt the storm’s remnants, I warmed up the duramax diesel as I loaded the 30-foot featherlite with my precious cargo.  The ice was evaporating beneath me as I left Rapid City.

Leaving the beautiful Black Hills I am so familiar with, I was soon treated to an outstanding view of the Big Horn Mountains rising up in the distance.  The sun was peeking through the dark clouds between the peaks, and as I traversed the prairie I couldn’t help but think how the mountains looked dramatically like an oasis in a desert, each hilltop casting long shadows on the surrounding terrain.  I longed to leave this concrete ribbon and go ride in this new found playground!

As the purple mountains rose before me, the blizzard on its peaks resembled silver flames swirling up through the dark clouds.  And I swear I saw the face of God there. 

The desire to pull over and unload the Mattracks/ITP-equipped Polaris Ranger I was hauling was overwhelming.  With the Curtis cab it sported, the swirling blizzard wouldn’t faze me…  the Kolpin fuel tanks would give me the range to climb this peak…  Dakota Digital instruments would keep me informed on the health of the PowerMadd Trask-tuned Custom Performance K&N breathing powerplant… the Kal-Gard lubricants wouldn’t fail me… and with SuperTrapp-enhanced performance, I knew I could conquer it with this Legend Air Suspension-equipped machine!

But I am on my way to SEMA in Las Vegas with the Dirt Vendors Tour.  And while the sponsors I just mentioned appreciate the abilities of this incredible machine as much as I do, they really need it at the show.  My name is Troy Hall, and after 20 years in the Air Force I am now working in the off-road industry.  I am also President of a club—the Off-Road Riders Association.  A thousand members strong, we are a grass-roots organization dedicated to ensuring a positive future for off highway vehicles.  I have been invited to SEMA by the BlueRibbon Coalition, an organization dedicated to preserving our Natural Resources FOR the public instead of FROM the public.  Without the work of BRC, I couldn’t even dream of accessing our public lands in this way. 

I have been invited to write for atvmagonlineblog.com by Tom Kaiser after he came out and rode with ORA board member Tim Grosz and I, and wrote an outstanding article on the experience in ATVmag.  I am very excited to be here, and while I promise not all my reports will include such blatant name dropping for industry, let’s face it—they all are essential to our form of recreation.  For example, Yamaha just granted my club nearly ten grand to help us buy a much needed trailer to organize our educational materials and help us travel to the many events we attend.  If I had it now, I wouldn’t be pulling this borrowed rig from Legend Air Suspension (whom I work for) to SEMA. 

Yes, that was another shameless plug.

So reluctantly I press on, the drone of I-90 beneath me only partially improved by the tunes on the ipod (not a sponsor—but I am a big fan).  And even though I have long desired to attend the show I would soon be at, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would see anything there as good as this off-road paradise I am looking at outside the window. 

A few moments ago I crossed the Great Divide.  I guess that means it’s all downhill from here.  If you can’t be at SEMA this year, do me a favor and go out and ride!  And report about it here.  Really, I want to hear about it.  I envy you!

Troy Hall

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