North East BDR Section 1 in Jeep Gladiator JT? NEBDR Section 1 (Overland Camp NY to ME) SKE 007

The NEBDR North East Backcountry Discovery Route is One of Thirteen routes across the US. They were created by a group of Adventure Motorcyclist through a Non-Profit organization created for this purpose called Ride BDR. I in an effort to find more trails in the NE US came across this 8 section 1300 mile On Road and Off Road route and thought to myself, how much of this could be safely passed in a Small to Medium sized 4x4. Well after now completing Section one I am ready to continue on to complete all 8 sections this year. Join me as I continue on this journey.
HELP SUPPORT- ridebdr.com/be...
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[@castironbackroads1447]

Great video, John! I saw another video series on the NE BDR by another channel, and am looking forward to your take on the route. It appears that although the Ride BDR group started these trails, many are used by various off-road vehicles. Hopefully, people will continue to care for the land that these "adventure paths" pass through so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come. Thank you for bringing us on your quest!

[@StormKingExpedition]

Thanks CIB! Appreciate the comments. It is great that we all continue to share the message “care for the land” as you stated. To many of these routes get treated carelessly. Look forward to sharing more in the weeks ahead. Thanks again for tuning in.

[@outdoorobservations]

Someone was just telling us about this route about a month ago. We have done several sections of the MABDR but will add this NE one to our list to check out. Thanks for sharing.

[@seanyaccarino5105]

Well done sir, I enjoyed the video.

[@StormKingExpedition]

Thanks Sean! Much appreciated.

[@roberturban2934]

Excellent!!! Hope you channel does well!! I’m considering this route at some point. Do you think a stock Jeep wrangler sport would do OK??

[@StormKingExpedition]

Hey Robert! Appreciate the kind words. You should be fine on sections 1-3. The watch out would be heavy rain that leads to muddy conditions. Not sure how you are on tires, but other wise you’re going to enjoy it. It’s not really serious wheeling at all.

[@henryken2955]

Thanks for making the video,well done. My wife and I will be traveling from western New York to the Hancock area in May to do section one and two over a long weekend. We have a lifted Jeep Wrangler willys on 35’s. I’m not a novice off-roader but far from an expert. What road is the toughest road of section one and toughest of section two? Once again thanks for the great video on the BDR.

[@StormKingExpedition]

@henryken2955 Greatly appreciate the message. Trust me that I made the decision to do exactly as you are saying and waiting until May. As far as toughest roads, I would say the PA side at the beginning is the most fun. There is no section in 1 or 2 that is difficult for a Wrangler. I honestly don’t recall the section roughest section. Probably Vly Mountain near Prattville. It’s more of a beautiful ride than anything else. Thanks for watching.

[@louisguillemette2397]

This is awesome 👌 i just downloaded onx offroad and imputed the full NEBDR from there website really want to do the vermont sections would love to connect and get input on this stuff

[@StormKingExpedition]

@louisguillemettte2397 Thanks for the note Lou. I am up for helping out. Just let me know. It’s a lot of fun.

[@JoeyRiz]

Ha dude that’s awesome. I used to go hunting a town over from Hancock NY in Fish’s eddy. If you ever go there again, head to the smoke house and grab some meat or fish. I drive 17 everytime I go from nyc to my other place in the fingerlakes.

[@StormKingExpedition]

That sounds good. Is the place called Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse? Just want to make sure I have the right place. Cheers!

[@JoeyRiz]

@@StormKingExpedition yup that’s the place. Run by a veteran by himself. Right on the banks of the Delaware. I’m doing a mild overland build right now so I will be checking out atleast part of these routs shortly!

[@GandCsports]

I have a Jeep Gladiator sport pretty much stock would I be able to tackle this trail? Thank you.

[@StormKingExpedition]

Hi @GandCsports. Thanks for watching. Let’s start by simply saying that your Jeep Gladiator Sport is extremely capable. This trail should not be a problem. Although I do want to caution my only concern, MUD!. Tires could be an issue, especially with the amount of rain we have had more recently. I would recommend always bring some rescue gear and a set of mud trax are always a good investment. Please don’t let this be a barrier to a little fun. Be safe and choose good lines when you see the Mud. Cheers!

[@bruceprentice6441]

You bought a Jeep, it’s going to drive like a Jeep. What did you expect? It’s not a highway vehicle, it’s a vehicle intended for rough or harsh terrain. Jeeps tend to get poor mileage because they have low gear ratios in the rear end, that’s what gives them the ability to handle rough conditions.

[@StormKingExpedition]

Hi Bruce. I appreciate the comments. I am trying to better understand what comments in my video led you to leave this comment? I am just trying to better understand and comply agree with what you say…… it’s a Jeep Thing and I am on my 3rd.

[@bruceprentice6441]

@@StormKingExpedition sure I can make a couple of comments, I don’t want to come off sounding like a butt head when I say these things, but maybe I will, not my intention. First of all, driving a standard transmission vehicle in city traffic, you referenced what a drag it is shifting from first, to second maybe get into third, and back into first again as traffic stops. Actually many times you can pull away in second gear in traffic and really don’t need to start from first, unless you are on an incline. I have a 6 speed 2006 Rubicon with over 250,000km . It shifts very well. And it’s truthfully nothing like driving a heavy truck. I have driven heavy trucks with 5 speed transmission and 2speed axles over the past 40 years. These things are more like driving a golf cart. I drive frequently in downtown Toronto, and appreciate the nimble ability of these petite vehicles, particularly when parking. Gas consumption is basically what I would expect from a vehicle with little concern to aerodynamics, low gear ratios to provide maximum torque to the wheels and heavily treaded tires. High speed summer style tires could improve mileage as much as 2mpg alone. And as far as fit and finish, wind noise or other creature comforts go, I am quite willing to trade those off for performance I want while I am driving during winter months. I live in a rural area, and sometimes snow removal isn’t the highest priority on my road for the municipality, and because I choose to live where I do, I also choose a vehicle to meet those conditions. My go to vehicle for a longer trip is not my Jeep, because I don’t expect my Jeep to provide me with the comfort I want driving for 5-8 hours, for that I drive a Dodge Challenger, but it doesn’t get more than 23mpg either, but just like my Jeep, it’s a vehicle I enjoy driving. Yes a Honda or a Toyota would almost definitely give me better fuel economy, and an automatic transmission vehicle might be more effortless to drive in city traffic, but 80% of my driving isn’t within the city. And I appreciate the dependable performance I have enjoyed with my Jeep’s over several years . They deliver exactly what I expected them to. So I guess what prompted me to make the comment I did was, the level of performance you outlined with your Jeep is basically what a person can expect. I mean no disrespect, we all have different experiences and different expectations. All the best !

[@StormKingExpedition]

Thanks, but that’s not my video.

[@dirkstuff5820]

I sure hope more 4x4s don’t attempt these. These specific routes are meant for motorcycling trips and experiences with motorcycling and motorcyclists in mind. I’ve found that 4x4s and UTVs/side-by-sides tend to really tear up these fragile unmaintained routes. Many of these unmaintained routes are really tough as it is for bikes-both from a technical perspective but also from a rider-property owner relationship.

[@StormKingExpedition]

Appreciate your comments. I recognize that of the total 1300 miles (All of which are public roads) for this route about 10 of them are not passable by a 4x4. These routes were 4x4 routes long before they were declared a BDR. The areas that are not passable by 4x4’s are clearly marked and should not be attempted. I also plan to ride them on my motorcycle as well this summer.

[@dirkstuff5820]

Have fun on the motorcycle. Out of respect for the BDR, the property owners who the BDR crew have emphasized that we motorcyclists must respect while we pass through, and the motorcyclists who travel this route, I would just be hesitant to advertise the BDR to the 4x4 audience. You know the power of social media - take beautiful pics or talk lovingly of a remote place, and now that place lights up with tourists and travelers, often times leading to ruin or over-saturation of traffic. These are public roads, as you mentioned, but they’re historic, fragile, and many of them largely forgotten to the average car driver. Plus, their legal status as unmaintained leaves them in a gray area where the property owners whose lands abut the routes would wish for them to be private (partly due to privacy wishes but largely due to 4x4s ripping through the path and tearing them up further, requiring the property owner to empty their own wallet to continue using the road). So, yes-anyone can legally use them…for now, until enough traffic and destruction leads to louder voices calling for legislation changes adds to restrictions and takes away more joy. Many people like to explore and play on the weekends-unfortunately not all of us like to give back or help maintain these fragile systems or undue to inconveniences provided onto the folks who might regularly use them. The BDR routes are meant for motorcyclists-maybe consider not advertising the name to 4x4 enthusiasts. There’s so much history in these roads, but they’re also a few bad decisions from being discontinued, leading to nobody being allowed on them. Sorry, I know this is a biased rant.

[@StormKingExpedition]

@@dirkstuff5820 Hey Dirk, Passion and respectful voice like yours is what makes things happen. People saying nothing is how things that we want most are taken away from us. I would ask that you not think of this as assumed groups like the "4x4 audience" of viewers as I would not think of the Adventure Motorcyclist as "Dirt Bike Riders". If you count the # of BMW GS or Guzzi Riders (LOL!) on these BDR's you would be quick to assume that they are a bunch of High Income nature loving adventurers. We know that's not always the case, but there is only so much we can do about it. The Moment that Ride BDR created marketing videos for BDR's that are all over KZbin, the Adventure Motorcycling community declared it open for Motorcycle adventure. Some people expected everyone else to stay away. I know that was not the real intention, but that has become the attitude. Lets all just leave it better then we found it and call people out when they are not doing the right thing. This has been my messaging through all of my videos. One of a few reasons why I do KZbin is to get people out to explore , specifically in the Northeast US. We have many people who need some good stimulation and I believe this kind of stuff cures all. Cheers!