Roger Vargo

Roger Vargo has been a connoisseur of California's backroads for more than twenty years.  Exploring first by foot and motorcycle, and later by automobile and sport utility vehicle, he has developed an understanding and appreciation of both backroads and the history that connects them to the present.  He  is a rated leader with the Sierra Club (Angeles Chapter) and an amateur radio operator with the call sign of N6YDT.

Roger has worked with backroading expert Harry Lewellyn, the "Silver Coyote",  on numerous trips since 1988. The Coyote says “Roger literally leaves no stone unturned when researching a trip. His planning and attention to detail are outstanding. Roger’s knowledge and interpretation of local history makes our tours more enjoyable, and certainly more educational, for everyone.”

All of Roger’s trips blend off-highway driving and backcountry adventure with a historical perspective  and appreciation for the areas visited. “It’s more fun to drive on a dirt road knowing how and why it got there in the first place. Most roads weren’t created just for the fun of conquering the wilderness.  Exploring the why and wherefore of a road can be as much an adventure as actually driving the road,” says Roger.

Roger is a conduit for a constant flow of historical tidbits and trip information. Look for him in the backcountry driving a 4Runner in the company of his wife, Cecile and doggie friends Maggie, Sadie and Poor Little Jake.

Exploring Historical California by Roger Vargo

In the ‘60s, the family piled into the station wagon and took the highway in search of adventure. Today, that family station wagon is likely to be a 4WD sport utility vehicle, one of the best-selling classes of vehicles in recent  years. Ironically, industry statistics show that once purchased, few owners dare to drive their vehicles off the paved road.

I view our 4X4 vehicles as magic carpets or time machines with adventure, fun and knowledge as destinations. There’s more to driving dirt roads than just getting dirty. Discovering the history and historical context of an area makes backcountry driving a more fulfilling adventure.

Responsible backcountry driving is the underlying fabric that binds all of my trips. Like weaving a textile, I accent and enhance each trip with tales of past explorers, lost mines, and snippets of knowledge about the countryside. Quiet follower, or active participant, I want you to be left with more than just a dusty 4-wheeler at trip’s end.

My trips are all in the easy to moderate range of difficulty, and are ideally suited to novice and intermediate level drivers.  That’s not to say experienced ‘wheelers won’t find enjoyment, too. After all, sometimes its fun to take time to view the flowers when you’ve only passed them in a blur before. All my tours are suitable for stock vehicles in good condition, although some tours do have size restrictions. Unless otherwise noted, all vehicles must have four wheel drive, with a low-range transfer case.

Currently, my tours are all of one or two night’s duration. Some tours, like the Piute Passage and Monache Meanderings, are camping adventures with potluck campfire dinners. Others like the Kernville Kaper and the Fathill Fandango are based around more civilized motel accommodations and restaurant meals. The Land of Volcanoes and Golden leaves & Golden Trails offers guests a choice between camping and motels.  By God, to Bodie alternates between one night camping and one night motel, and all motel.  The Mojave Expedition is a one day field trip.

California has a fascinating history from prehistoric petroglyph scribes to the Silver Baron of Cerro Gordo and the Human Mole of Black Mountain. Load up your magic carpet. Fasten your seatbelts, and get ready to explore historic California!

Contact me for more information on exploring historic California and visit our historical California Web site at:   www.explorehistoricalif.com

(818) 352-9489

roger@eco4wd.com