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OVERLANDING TO FIND GIANTS OF THE DESERT

GIANTS OF THE DESERT: OVERLANDING TO FIND THE SAGUARO CACTUS

Magical Mysteries on the Arizona Strip

By Del Albright

While overlanding across the rugged and remote trails of the Arizona Strip, I had the unforgettable chance to come face-to-face with some of the desert's most iconic residents—the Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). These towering green giants are not just plants—they’re legends.

The Saguaro is native to the Sonoran Desert and is found mostly in southern Arizona and parts of California and Mexico. But in the vast, open, and beautifully barren landscape of the Arizona Strip—especially near routes like the Camino del Diablo—you’ll find these cacti standing like silent sentinels of the desert.

A Closer Look: Strange Shapes and Long Lives

One of the highlights of my journey was spotting a particularly twisted Saguaro—its arms looping and curling like desert sculpture. Every arm tells a story. Did you know it can take up to 75 years for a Saguaro to grow its first arm? Some of these beasts are over 150 years old, soaking up the sun, storing water, and surviving heat waves, drought, and monsoon winds.

These unusual shapes are often the result of frost damage, genetic quirks, or damage from birds and insects. Whatever the cause, the result is always worth a second look—and a few photos.

Overlanding with Giants

The Arizona Strip is perfect for overland travel. Rough trails, historic routes, and breathtaking views make it a four-wheeling and camping paradise. And when you throw in some massive Saguaros towering beside your Jeep or military trailer rig, the experience gets even better.

📸 Tip: If you’re running the Strip, keep your eyes peeled near wash areas and hillsides for the tallest and oldest Saguaros. Sunrise and sunset give the best lighting for photos—casting long shadows and bringing out those cactus ridges in full contrast.

Respecting the Desert

Saguaros are protected under Arizona law—and for good reason. They’re slow growers and serve as vital homes for desert birds like woodpeckers and owls. When overlanding, let’s keep our recreation sustainable by staying on designated trails, packing out all waste, and giving these desert icons the respect they’ve earned over the centuries.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re an overland traveler, a desert lover, or just someone chasing open skies and dirt roads, the Saguaro cactus is one of the most awe-inspiring sights the Southwest offers. It’s not just a plant. It’s a pillar of desert life, and every twist and turn in its arms is a reminder that nature is the best artist of all.

JEEP ALBRIGHT GETS REBUILD AND REFRESH

RED THE LANDUSE WAR MACHINE HITS MARTIN'S AUTO SERVICE FOR REBUILD AND NEW MOTOR

153,000 miles and 15 years of trails and roads, not to mention several rebuilds of suspension and gearing, has brought to light the need for speed....Red needs some rebuild and refreshing so he can help us keep doing what we do for saving trails.

We have a long block Mopar rebuilt 4L to put in, and we've got some parts lined up to make a lot of stuff "new" again in Red. Marty, the owner of Martin's Auto in Reno,NV, will shepherd and lead the rebuild and refresh.

And THANK GOODNESS we have some business partners who are helping us with this project. Our hat is off to:

the tire of choice for Team Albright; whether racing, desert adventures, pavement or daily driving....it's BFG. More at http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com

JKS, our friends and partners in landuse, making cool stuff for Jeeps since the '80s.
More at http://www.jksmfg.com

Spidertrax Off Road, helping landuse and Team Albright at every turn....
More at http://www.spidertrax.com

MetalCloak, making rock biting armor and more for Jeeps, as well as our front trail-tackling frame-built bumper; long time landuse supporters and good friends.
More at http://www.metalcloak.com

Poison Spyder Customs, our landuse partners for years, and makers of several parts on ole Red, thanks to Larry and Cheri McRae our good friends. More at http://www.poisonspyder.com

ALBRIGHT JEEP MAKES 4WD MAGAZINE COVER

Jeep Albright on cover of 4Wheel Drive (& Sport Utility) Magazine, with 6 pages of feature write-up.

See more of (and subsribe to) this great magazine at: http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/index.html

Del

Jeep Rebuild 8-7-11 Field Testing

Red, the Land Use War Machine is a whole new rig now. The T&T Customs Rock-Tek suspension is truly amazing and works like a dream. Both on and off-road, this engineered system is a "Cadillac" ride and performance. We found ourselves cruising through obstacles with ease and finesse. On the last day of All 4 Fun in Salida, CO where we were doing the testing, we broke a 10 year old axle in the Ford 9. But it was field fixed and we made it back to camp.

The T&T shows itself on this rock with the cab still fairly level (considering). The JKS Switch Blade Sway Bar System is working great and is so simple to use.

The PSC hydraulic assist works so much better now with this T&T High Steer set up (one ton gear). The BFG's are grabbing and working great like always.

Note the WJ (Grand Cherokee) knuckles that provide the foundation for the high steer setup.

We were also very pleased with our new emulsion Fox Racing Shox. They worked amazingly well, especially coupled with the Old Man Emu (OME) coils and T&T suspension. We felt a whole new ride and feel, let alone awesome handling.

Drivers meetings and trail updates were frequent on most All 4 Fun trails, and proved very valuable to knowing more about the trail and the history of the area. Here we are on the Chinaman Gulch trail near Carnage Canyon intersection. Carnage lives up to its name and we opted to avoid that one.

This gives a view (top down) of Carnage Canyon. It's hard to see but the drop off in the middle of the trail is pretty much a winch-up obstacle that is nothing less than gnarly!!!!

These trails are about 8000 elevation so the scenery is more high desert type.

The soil here is best described as slippery (greasy?). When you put it on big rocks, you get a ride you'll never forget.

Bob Levenhagen of T&T Customs poses for a good camera shot at the top of Carnage Canyon. All in all, it was a great trail test day on Chinaman Gulch.

Then it happened.....

I got on a rock pile, not pushing it or getting crazy, when the 10-year old axle in the Ford 9 gave up and snapped off at the hub/flange. Ouch. It was described by fellow wheelers as an epic break.

Tyler Schleppy of 4x4Offroad and Used Parts performed magic and created the right length of splines on a spare axle he happen to have along in his XJ, using our Warn PowerPlant winch/air compressor and a cut-off tool. Will Carter looks on and helps. All hands chipped in to make sure "Red" got back to camp.

We had to press on the new bearings (that Tyler also happened to have) with a pipe and "armstrong" work. We did it. It worked.

Then, before we could get all the way down off the mountain and back to camp, Chris Lowrey broke both spring hangers on his rig and we had to use "Red" and his Premier Power Welder to rescue him as well.

Will Carter provided a spare tire that fit the new bolt pattern of the loaner axle from Tyler. Well, ok, it's several sizes to small compared to the 37 inch BFG's up front; but hey, it worked and I nursed it back to safety and camp. Thanks to all who helped, including our T&T friends, Tyler, Will, Mike Paris in his '73 Bronco that ensured we all made it to camp, Melody Mesmer our trail boss, and the rest of our trail crew on Chinaman Gulch. You all ROCK.
Del

Jeep Rebuild Final 7-31-11

The Jeep is done and the rebuild is complete. Here are some final notes from our tremendous experience with T&T Customs:

Here is the Jeep on the trailer, with the final buildup ready to roll. It's on our trailer and ready to head out to All 4 Fun in CO. Notice the High Clearance Y-Link Radius arms. Not in the pic are the Dual-triangulated 4-Link rear arms. This system is tight, rad, and you name it. :)

Bob and Mary Levenhagen own and operate T&T Customs in Cheyenne, WY. Great folks; awesome products; and total commitment to off-roading....that's what you get with T&T Customs. Learn more at http://www.tntcustoms.com/

About Axle Trusses, Interview with T&T Customs Bob Levenhagen

Bob from T&T explains how trusses work and what they will do for Jeep Albright in continuing the fight to save trails (with a macho off road machine).

Jeep Rebuild Video (from the start)

T&T Customs first round of live video on the Jeep Albright rebuild. See it here:

Summer Land Use Trip, Jeep Upgrades

We are at "ugly" in our Jeep rebuild. Parts are everywhere. The whole underbelly has been removed. Old long arm kit: gone. Old belly pan; gone. Old skid plates; gone. Old shocks; gone. Old brackets; gone. YIKES.

T&T Customs has removed all the old parts, even the Atlas (that appears to have been clocked wrong). Everything is being shaved and made ready for a clean install of new parts.

Mike, the magician mechanic, is making sure we've got everything lined up to do the best possible install ever. T&T takes serious pride in "doing it right." I can now attest to that. They do not let anything past them -- even the small stuff. Do it right is engraved into their foreheads. :)

Here the T&T owner, Bob Levenhagen is performing some welds that would impress the best stick man. Can't wait to see these axle trusses on my Ford 9 in the rear and Dana 44 up front.

Here's another shot of the "ugly" that we will now call BEFORE. Just wait a day or so until we have the AFTER pics.

Parts hanging....even little things are being tended to, making sure the fit is right and the install is tight. Wow, I'm impressed. This is an amazing operation; very professional and very strict in attention to detail.

Jeep Rebuild and Summer Landuse Trip

This is what "Red" the Jeep (Land Use War Machine) looked like about 14 years ago on the steps of the California State Capital for an OHV Lobby Day. Tube bumpers; nerf bar; 33's and a couple inches of lift.

He's been thru a few rebuilds since then, thanks to the help of many off-road businesses. Well, he's about to go thru another one!

In the next couple weeks, Red will undergo another belly transformation at T&T Customs in Cheyenne, WY. You can FOLLOW the progress here and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Del-Albright-Landuse-and-Access/130593936993351?v=app_4949752878

We are going to do a new long arm kit (T&T Rock Tek); truss the axles; upgrade to WJ (Grand Cherokee) brakes and knuckles; install a new Switch Blade Sway Bar System from JKS Manufacturing; smooth out the ride with Old Man Emu (OME) coils; pop in some new Fox Racing Shox; and add a custom T&T High Steer set up. Pics and story here as we go along.

We'll also post up pics of our adventure getting there -- our Summer Landuse Trip.
Del

Celebrate Freedom and Independence

Happy July 4th Independence Day to all. Celebrate and embrace your freedoms. Wave a flag; thank the military; and salute a veteran.

Del & Stacie Albright; C UN RD (Seein' Red).

Albright Jeep Morphs Again

C UN RD (Seein' Red), the 1997 TJ Wrangler changes again with the addition of MetalCloak front bumper/stinger, Master Pull Winch Rope, Daystar Hood Wranglers and D-Ring Dampners, and BFGoodrich 37" A/T's.

Red will be at Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) Annual Meeting (10 year anniversary) this Saturday April 2 in Sacramento; then to Easter Jeep Safari in Moab April 16 - 24. The Land Use War Machine is going strong, even after nearly 150,000 miles and 14 years (of lots of trails).

NOTE: Special thanks to Nemesis Industries for supporting my BlueRibbon Coalition travel to Moab this year. Sweet! More on Nemesis at http://www.nem-ind.com/

At your service....

Del

Rubicon Work Weekend June 26, 2010

Preparing for the Rubicon Trail -- packing the Jeep, getting the camping gear loaded up on the Olympic4x4 rack, making sure the lug nuts are tight, checking the tire pressure in the BFG's, and doing the once-over on old Red, when the moon decided to pay me a visit. Big work party this weekend on the Rubicon Trail with the Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR), the most famous off-road coalition in the world, dedicated to just one trail -- the Icon of Four-Wheeling!

Sometimes as a photographer, the picture finds you. It's times like these that remind me why so many of love what we do -- getting out there, exloring nature, and "seeing" what the world has to offer (off pavement). No matter what your choice of off-road recreation is, be sure to help keep it alive for moments like this. Join all those organizations that make sense to you, starting with the BlueRibbon Coalition (http://www.sharetrails.org/) and your state association.

FOTR folks are feeding us with a great dinner Saturday night and there is still time to sign up and help with some very productive trail work right here at : http://www.rubiconfriends.com/

When it comes to moments like this pic with my Jeep and the moon, my advice is simple: Take the time to see what is around you and appreciate the freedom this great country has to offer. Del

MFS Adopts Albright Jeep for Maintenance, Repairs and Fixits

DEL ALBRIGHT ENTERPRISES – Recreational Advocacy and Outdoor Photojournalism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Del Albright
C: (209) 304-7693
Email: del@delalbright.com

MOTORSPORTS FABRICATION SERVICES PARTNERS UP FOR LANDUSE

MFS adopts Albright Jeep for maintenance, fabrication and TLC

Mokelumne Hill, CA, April 8, 2010. Del Albright, Recreation Advocate and internationally published Outdoor Photojournalist announced a new partnership with Motorsports Fabrication Services (MFS) of Lincoln, CA, that will help save trails and keep our outdoor sports alive and well.

“The Albright Land Use War Machine Jeep is 12 years old and has 140,000 miles on it, many over the roughest trails in the West,” said Del, “and I’ve been hoping for a nearby shop like MFS to take on old ‘Seein’ Red.”

“My full time efforts as a BlueRibbon Coalition Ambassador and Recreation Advocate takes me to the trails, on the ground, with the troops; and to do that, my Jeep is a critical element of my successes,” Albright added.

“Red” is a full blown battle wagon for land use, the only one of its kind, with about every after market product you can imagine, sponsored by over two dozen off-road businesses like Poison Spyder, GenRight Off Road, Warn, Rubicon Express, Hanson Offroad, Raceline Wheels, Olympic4x4 Products, BFGoodrich Tires and others, with the North American XJ Association topping off the trail support. “This allows me to focus on advocacy and education on behalf of BlueRibbon Coalition members, and continue to work on responsible recreational access nationwide,” Albright concluded.

MFS is a relatively new business in Lincoln, CA, outside Sacramento with 10,000 sq. ft. of amazing tools and fabricating machines. More importantly, they have become a notable force for responsible four-wheeling and outdoor recreation on the nearby Rubicon Trail. Helping Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) is high on their list as well and they show up to help on work projects and FOTR events.

“We’re helping Del because we want him to stay in the fight for our trails and for our future,” said Jeff Hayer, co-owner of MFS. “We build a lot of rock buggies here, but Del’s land use Jeep is on top of our fixit list when he needs some help,” Jeff added.

Please learn more and visit MFS at http://www.mfs-ca.com

(Email del@delalbright.com for pictures if desired. See all Jeep buildup sponsors here at http://www.delalbright.com/access/sponsors.htm)

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Del Albright, internationally recognized columnist and recreation advocate, also specializes in providing volunteer training and leadership courses. For more please visit www.delalbright.com and www.sharetrails.org.