Any of y'all yanks attended The Pilgrimage in VT?

[Roofus]

Just curious if anyone who has attended could chime in on their experience. https://the-pilgrimage.com/

Thanks!

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[nhmountainman]

Looks quite interesting!

 

[RP80]

It's absolutely amazing. Went last year and am already signed up for Fall '24. Well worth it.

 

[Roofus]

It's absolutely amazing. Went last year and am already signed up for Fall '24. Well worth it.

Thanks! That’s awesome to hear! We are bringing my truck and my buddies GX/Landcrusier. Might have a Jeep with us, but not sure.

Anything you wish you had of known before you got there we should plan for? Good camping? Were fires allowed? How was off-roading? You go solo or find a group? Would you recommend skids for the terrain?

 

[RP80]

The camping is awesome. A family-owned campground that was recovering from the summer of flooding—was nice to support them. For fires, you need something that will put the fire off the ground, like a solo stove. In terms of wheeling, it's pretty open. The organizers provide the amazing resource of the Vermont Class 4's that they've been mapping for like 20 years. It's all self-guided, but people meet up in the tent in the morning and work out small groups based on abilities, desires, etc. You really can make it whatever you want. Terrain can range from roads that any car could go down, to trails that might be more appropriate for a full buggy. I went out with a group of Broncos each day and hit some very challenging terrain...skid plates would certainly be a good idea.

 

[redone17]

This looks kinda fun. Crowded trails or plenty of space for everyone to be constantly moving and not on top of one another?

 

[Roofus]

The camping is awesome. A family-owned campground that was recovering from the summer of flooding—was nice to support them. For fires, you need something that will put the fire off the ground, like a solo stove. In terms of wheeling, it's pretty open. The organizers provide the amazing resource of the Vermont Class 4's that they've been mapping for like 20 years. It's all self-guided, but people meet up in the tent in the morning and work out small groups based on abilities, desires, etc. You really can make it whatever you want. Terrain can range from roads that any car could go down, to trails that might be more appropriate for a full buggy. I went out with a group of Broncos each day and hit some very challenging terrain...skid plates would certainly be a good idea.

that’s a great trail report! Thanks so much! Hope to run into you when we get up there.

 

[BlueWaffle]

Events like these are cool, but ultimately lead to less legal wheeling oppurtunities thanks to morons. Enjoy it while you can! I might have to check this out this year just for that reason.

 

[RP80]

Events like these are cool, but ultimately lead to less legal wheeling oppurtunities thanks to morons. Enjoy it while you can! I might have to check this out this year just for that reason.

Maybe, but the organizers do an excellent job of managing traffic and most people there are after the same thing to keep trails open. People keep the groups really small (I think organizers shoot for under 10 vehicles per group), and it's dispersed throughout most of Vermont. Over the course of three days we ran into probably one other group.

 

[BlueWaffle]

Maybe, but the organizers do an excellent job of managing traffic and most people there are after the same thing to keep trails open. People keep the groups really small (I think organizers shoot for under 10 vehicles per group), and it's dispersed throughout most of Vermont. Over the course of three days we ran into probably one other group.

I'm sure the organizers do everything they can, in good faith, to ensure that the event is as respectful, respectable, and as low impact on the land as possible.. don't get me wrong. I do admire the spirit of what they're doing.


The problems im speaking of come AFTER the event.. but they ARE unfortunately brought about BY the event itself.

As you said a few posts above.. the list of roads that the event takes advantage of has been carefully and painstakingly curated by the organizers over the past 2 decades. Vermont is a small state... so the fact that its taken the organizers 20+ years to come up with this collection of roads really speaks volumes about how... not well known the roads are? Might not be the best way to put it but.. I'm sure you catch my drift.

Increasing the amount of 'visability' these roads get can be.. and is.. a dangerous proposition for those who wish to have the ability to use them freely in the future... as one bad apple spoils the bunch.


The northeast 4x4 community loses access to more of these roads year after year, for various reasons. The common denominator for most of these road closures though... are the aforementioned bad apples.


The 4x4 community up here needs to start thinking like old school hunters, fishermen, trappers... by keeping the best spots to ourselves.


Christ.. lots of maine ATV clubs do their best to more or less hide trailheads.. super admirable. The amount of yahoo's that come up here from out of state.. who have no skin in the game.. and cause damage and other assorted havoc.. getting trails shut down and causing new laws to be written.. we don't want these people around. They are a literal threat to how we like to live and enjoy our state.

 

[RP80]

I'm sure the organizers do everything they can, in good faith, to ensure that the event is as respectful, respectable, and as low impact on the land as possible.. don't get me wrong. I do admire the spirit of what they're doing.


The problems im speaking of come AFTER the event.. but they ARE unfortunately brought about BY the event itself.

As you said a few posts above.. the list of roads that the event takes advantage of has been carefully and painstakingly curated by the organizers over the past 2 decades. Vermont is a small state... so the fact that its taken the organizers 20+ years to come up with this collection of roads really speaks volumes about how... not well known the roads are? Might not be the best way to put it but.. I'm sure you catch my drift.

Increasing the amount of 'visability' these roads get can be.. and is.. a dangerous proposition for those who wish to have the ability to use them freely in the future... as one bad apple spoils the bunch.


The northeast 4x4 community loses access to more of these roads year after year, for various reasons. The common denominator for most of these road closures though... are the aforementioned bad apples.


The 4x4 community up here needs to start thinking like old school hunters, fishermen, trappers... by keeping the best spots to ourselves.


Christ.. lots of maine ATV clubs do their best to more or less hide trailheads.. super admirable. The amount of yahoo's that come up here from out of state.. who have no skin in the game.. and cause damage and other assorted havoc.. getting trails shut down and causing new laws to be written.. we don't want these people around. They are a literal threat to how we like to live and enjoy our state.

Totally agree with this general train of thought. I'd certainly recommend looking into what Derek (the organizer) and his team are doing. He is local to the area, and only has the best intentions in mind for the off-roading community and the general population whose turf we use. They do a ton of community- and knowledge-building. We'll never be able to control the yahoos who knowingly or unknowingly screw things up, but this event is definitely not exacerbating the problem.

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

I did it last year, and might again this year. Be advised that they cap it at a certain number (500?). At $350, it's a bit pricey for one and two half-days.
Camping is "primitive," in that only chemical toilets are provided. No amenities, no electricity or faucets, but gear vendors and food trucks do business. Plan on preparing most or all of your meals, plus tent or camper. Arrive early for a choice site by the river--but tents will be very close. Very good fellowship with owners of all sorts of rigs.
Derek & crew run and rate all the trails. You'll want the onX trail map app, or sign up for a trial subscription. They'll have this year's routes and trails highlighted. (Available in advance.) They run from easy (RWD accessible), to 4x4 no lift/lockers, to seriously challenging, to very challenging (lift, rear lockers, recovery & winch required, possible vehicle damage.)
If you have a non-lifted Bronco, this is an excellent opportunity to do some serious off-roading.
Last year was very heavy rain, and the mud was (for me) fantastic. In my Badlands-Sas, I did the #3s and #4s, and had no trouble in that I never needed recovery. On the most difficult trails, I was with a group of seriously modified Jeepers who said, "We're not going to bother to deflate." I found I was running right through obstacles that challenged them, even causing them to winch.
Regarding the trails: These are old (even colonial!) "Class 4" roads, similar to NH Class VI. They are legal byways, but the towns and counties have abandoned them: thus, no maintenance. There may be washouts, downed trees, obstacles which make Northeast wheeling very special and quite different from the West. The rains had turned one depressed road into, literally, a rock-strewn canyon with 4-12 foot sidewalls. The roads are legal, but the abutting property may be private.
But I trust Derek and associates to have checked them out reasonably close to the weekend.
It's a great way to sample New England offroading.

 

[Roofus]

Great report! Thank you!

 

[the-pilgrimage]

I did it last year, and might again this year. Be advised that they cap it at a certain number (500?). At $350, it's a bit pricey for one and two half-days.
Camping is "primitive," in that only chemical toilets are provided. No amenities, no electricity or faucets, but gear vendors and food trucks do business. Plan on preparing most or all of your meals, plus tent or camper. Arrive early for a choice site by the river--but tents will be very close. Very good fellowship with owners of all sorts of rigs.
Derek & crew run and rate all the trails. You'll want the onX trail map app, or sign up for a trial subscription. They'll have this year's routes and trails highlighted. (Available in advance.) They run from easy (RWD accessible), to 4x4 no lift/lockers, to seriously challenging, to very challenging (lift, rear lockers, recovery & winch required, possible vehicle damage.)
If you have a non-lifted Bronco, this is an excellent opportunity to do some serious off-roading.
Last year was very heavy rain, and the mud was (for me) fantastic. In my Badlands-Sas, I did the #3s and #4s, and had no trouble in that I never needed recovery. On the most difficult trails, I was with a group of seriously modified Jeepers who said, "We're not going to bother to deflate." I found I was running right through obstacles that challenged them, even causing them to winch.
Regarding the trails: These are old (even colonial!) "Class 4" roads, similar to NH Class VI. They are legal byways, but the towns and counties have abandoned them: thus, no maintenance. There may be washouts, downed trees, obstacles which make Northeast wheeling very special and quite different from the West. The rains had turned one depressed road into, literally, a rock-strewn canyon with 4-12 foot sidewalls. The roads are legal, but the abutting property may be private.
But I trust Derek and associates to have checked them out reasonably close to the weekend.
It's a great way to sample New England offroading.

I did it last year, and might again this year. Be advised that they cap it at a certain number (500?). At $350, it's a bit pricey for one and two half-days.
Camping is "primitive," in that only chemical toilets are provided. No amenities, no electricity or faucets, but gear vendors and food trucks do business. Plan on preparing most or all of your meals, plus tent or camper. Arrive early for a choice site by the river--but tents will be very close. Very good fellowship with owners of all sorts of rigs.
Derek & crew run and rate all the trails. You'll want the onX trail map app, or sign up for a trial subscription. They'll have this year's routes and trails highlighted. (Available in advance.) They run from easy (RWD accessible), to 4x4 no lift/lockers, to seriously challenging, to very challenging (lift, rear lockers, recovery & winch required, possible vehicle damage.)
If you have a non-lifted Bronco, this is an excellent opportunity to do some serious off-roading.
Last year was very heavy rain, and the mud was (for me) fantastic. In my Badlands-Sas, I did the #3s and #4s, and had no trouble in that I never needed recovery. On the most difficult trails, I was with a group of seriously modified Jeepers who said, "We're not going to bother to deflate." I found I was running right through obstacles that challenged them, even causing them to winch.
Regarding the trails: These are old (even colonial!) "Class 4" roads, similar to NH Class VI. They are legal byways, but the towns and counties have abandoned them: thus, no maintenance. There may be washouts, downed trees, obstacles which make Northeast wheeling very special and quite different from the West. The rains had turned one depressed road into, literally, a rock-strewn canyon with 4-12 foot sidewalls. The roads are legal, but the abutting property may be private.
But I trust Derek and associates to have checked them out reasonably close to the weekend.
It's a great way to sample New England offroading.

Event is limited to only 250 vehicles. Also thank you for coming last year!

 

[redone17]

Event is limited to only 250 vehicles. Also thank you for coming last year!

250 still seems like a lot to me. What size are the individual groups each day?

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