Ultimate Adventure Week

With a motto of "No Whining," 25 custom 4x4s traversed four states on a 1,500 mile on and off-road trip. The 13th running of the Ultimate Adventure traveled the South, from Alabama through Georgia, Florida and ending in South Carolina. The first day saw the group check in and learn the few rules of the trip, and then they begin a trek that would have them living out of their vehicles for the next week. Appropriate for the start of an Ultimate Adventure, the first destination sees the group hitting Morris Mountain Off-Road Vehicle Park where they attempt the first obstacle, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Morris Mountain ORV Park makes sure the group is well-seasoned in 4x4 carnage before they travel to the next destination.

As the Ultimate Adventure 2013 continues on leg two, the group of 25 seasoned rigs continue the week-long trek from Alabama while enjoying the local sights with stops at Auto City Salvage and Cheaha State Park, the highest point in Alabama. The group winds its way on remote dirt roads until reaching Georgia on as many back routes as possible. Setting up camp in the rain at River Rock in Georgia, the group embrace the true spirit of UA facing the elements, vehicle repairs and maintenance before spending their first night outdoors. Starting the next day at River Rock, only open by special invite, the group faces challenges and obstacles in red clay, sand, boulders and various terrain, with mixed results but all reinforcing the camaraderie building in the group.

Packing up their muddy gear and hitting the road, the 2013 Ultimate Adventure crew began the next leg of their southern journey in Georgia for a road day, with plans to be in Florida by nightfall. Being part of the UA means experiencing all kinds of off-road elements, including sights and stops found along the route that most people just drive past, like Allied Metal Recycling. Drawn in by the vintage Jeeps seen from the roadside, the UA crew stopped at this mecca of parts and vehicles, and were able to scavenge, do some wrecking of their own and pick up parts -- with one group even finding their vehicle for next year's UA. Another stop at a World War II flight museum added to the day's experience before the after-dark arrival at Mud Muckers park in Florida to set up camp for the night.

The Ultimate Adventure continues by muddin' in the swamp waters of Florida at Mud Muckers Family Mud Park, the self-proclaimed largest in the world. This place has it all: mud bogs, drag strips and acres of real Florida swamp complete with gators, Palmettos, hanging Spanish moss and mud holes that could swallow a truck whole. This is where helping each other out becomes a visible bond as rigs use their winches to connect and get in and out of obstacles that other trail users would be leery of. After crossing a calm, serene field that felt like it was in another world, the UA group encountered their final mud mission, "The Big Pit," an optional challenge that saw many struggle, but only a few succeed.

The final episode of the 2013 Ultimate Adventure follows the well-worn group of 25 custom 4x4s from the sands of Daytona Beach towards the rain and mud of South Carolina on a 600-mile road trip. Along the Buccaneer Trail, they encounter bridges, ferries and mechanical misfortune. The final day is spent beating on their 4x4s at the Gulches Off-Road Park, South Carolina's premier (and only) wheeling destination. With trails named Pirates Revenge, Shipwreck, Death Valley and Radical Ravine, it's easy to see why this is such a killer park.