From Minnesota to the Southwest

[Will]

Wow! Great work. It's already been said, but those are beautiful images. Thanks for sharing and giving me another nudge to see more of this amazing country.

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[Deerhorn]

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing. Excellent night photos. Do you know if there are fish in the rivers?

 

[TJ Sky]

Stunning photojournal!!

Thanks Jay! Really appreciate the comment

 

[TJ Sky]

Amazing timeline photos. Thanks for sharing

Thanks! Appreciate the comment

 

[TJ Sky]

Wow! Great work. It's already been said, but those are beautiful images. Thanks for sharing and giving me another nudge to see more of this amazing country.

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback, and always glad to provide a little inspiration for others

 

[TJ Sky]

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing. Excellent night photos. Do you know if there are fish in the rivers?

Hi, thanks for the comment! Appreciate it. Sorry but I don't know what kind of fish might be in the Rio Grande... I don't fish myself.

 

[Vynter]

Amazing photos, good job! It was funny, I noticed the Grand Portage plates then I saw your watermarks and I was like, wait, I know that guy!

Jamin

 

[eljefe]

Travis!

All of your pics are amazing! Thanks a ton for giving us a peek into your trip; definitely helped with the monotony of my day, let me tell ya.

A few questions for you regarding resourcing the trip:

1. Did you have any issues finding fuel considering your remote locations? If so, what fueling options did you use as a backup?

2. Did you bring along any recovery gear just in case? What type(s) of gear did you bring?

3. What kind of camera(s) do you use?

Thanks again for posting! My favorite pic is the nighttime cactus in color. So dope!

El Jefe

 

[JLURfab]

Looks like it was a great trip

 

[Focker]

Looks like it was a great trip

Love this thread, beautiful photographs and thank you for taking us along on for a glimpse of your journey.

 

[TJ Sky]

Amazing photos, good job! It was funny, I noticed the Grand Portage plates then I saw your watermarks and I was like, wait, I know that guy!

Jamin

Jamin.... from G. Marais? ha ha yeah I see you friend requested on FB too, must be you! That's funny... must have gave you a start when you noticed the plates and had that realization

 

[TJ Sky]

Travis!

All of your pics are amazing! Thanks a ton for giving us a peek into your trip; definitely helped with the monotony of my day, let me tell ya.

A few questions for you regarding resourcing the trip:

1. Did you have any issues finding fuel considering your remote locations? If so, what fueling options did you use as a backup?

2. Did you bring along any recovery gear just in case? What type(s) of gear did you bring?

3. What kind of camera(s) do you use?

Thanks again for posting! My favorite pic is the nighttime cactus in color. So dope!

El Jefe

Hey, thanks! Really appreciate the comment. And yeah, any excuse we get to break up the monotony during these strange times is certainly welcome!

1. I did not have any issues with fuel, but then I always plan pretty well ahead with where I'm going and how far I'm going to have to travel, so I never really "push my luck" too much with fuel. I always top off as close as I can to a departure point when venturing off the beaten track. When I was in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, I did get a little concerned that I might get dangerously close to running out of fuel, but it turns out I was fine. I was traveling through the refuge from the northeast corner to the southwest corner... I had done a few little side trips off my route to check some areas out, and while I was PRETTY SURE the route I was on would go all the way through, I wasn't 100% positive. This worry was mainly due to a comment that Chris (Venture4WD) made on his YouTube channel. When he was there he was trying to take a road through the monument like I was, only the road he was on petered out and didn't go anywhere. So, I was a little worried that I might have been on that same route (he didn't mention which route he was on), but it turns out I wasn't and my route brought me all the way through and when I got to a gas station I still had a 1/4 tank left. Still, though... I want to be able to carry some extra fuel with me. I plan on getting an LOD Destroyer rear bumper with tire carrier soon, and with that you can get either dual jerry can mounts or dual rotopax mounts. That extra assurance will be nice to have.

2. I don't have a winch yet, as I still have the stock plastic front bumper. I just ordered an LOD front bumper and will soon be getting a winch for it as well. Also, my JL is still riding on the stock suspension with no lift, although I do have 33" Milestar Patagonia tires. I did have a recovery strap along with me, and I carry a shovel as well. Mostly, though, I'm very cautious when I travel and do everything I can to avoid areas that look like real trouble. There was only one point in my trip where I was about to turn around because I wasn't comfortable going any further without a winch, traction boards or a second vehicle, and that was in Big Bend. I came across this long stretch of road that was SUPER muddy (it was one of the pics I posted), and the mud was sticky as it was mostly clay-based. I stood there for a long time debating, and ultimately had decided I was going to turn around and go back the way I came. That was when two other vehicles came along (a JK with a lift and a winch, and a lifted 4Runner, also with a winch). They stopped and asked if I was okay, I told them I was fine and about to turn around rather then try this mud hole. They were very gracious and offered to go through first, and have me follow. If I got stuck they would pull me through. As it turns out, my stock JL with Milestar Patagonias walked right through this section without any issues at all, but it sure was nice to have those guys be so kind to help me through if needed.

3. The pictures with the hood in the foreground were taken with my iPhone Xs Max and the exterior Jeep shots were mostly taken with a Sony RX 10 Mark III. I LOVE this camera. It has a very nice sensor that produces very clean high-quality images. It also has an incredible 24-600mm built-in lens. My night shots were all taken with a Nikon D750 and Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens.

Side note: I don't go anywhere without my Garmin inReach Explorer+ satellite communicator. This unit allows me to send text messages from ANYWHERE via satellite. I have yet to find a location where it hasn't been able to transmit. Sometimes when I'm hiking deep in a canyon it will take 10 to 20 minutes to send a coordinate or message, but it has always gone through.

I use Gaia GPS for all my off-pavement navigation. Simply LOVE that app. I have the premium membership and highly recommend it to anyone looking into this kind of travel.

 

[Jeep Generation]

Thanks! Here's a few I've worked on so far. You can always see more of my photos by visiting my website too. My photography is kind of a side job, as I do work full time apart from it as well. https://www.travisnovitsky.com

Love this! Great stuff.

 

[TJ Sky]

Love this! Great stuff.

Thanks! Much appreciated

 

[breen]

Thanks for posting this - just the fix (or is it torture?) I needed right now.
Lived in TX for 15+ years and never made my way down to Big Bend.
Gotta make that a priority - looks amazing.

(Here in CA I have Death Valley, which is indeed a gem as well)