weekly video xx - gone south. @vitabrevisfilms #adventure #motorcycle

weekly video xx - "gone south." a vita brevis films production.

Everyone has their way of finding sanity. When buried in tasks, or caught idle for too long, creative companies or individuals revert to their personal way of finding inspiration once again.

The open road provides a pathway to the uncontrolled spirit, a state of being that is universally felt yet so challenging to capture through a medium; even for an experienced film studio. Join Vita Brevis Films as they escaped the confinements of their office to embark on a weekend filming an adventure motorcycle journey in southern Utah.

Read more on the Vita Brevis Films blog.

keeping up with the smiths. @eugeneweekly #risingappalachia #appalachianmusic

Appalachia is known for being a little different, we make unique foods, we produce moonshine and we have some of the most unique and talented people around. Another way that we celebrate our differences are with music and the Smith sisters are definitely adding a new spin on both the look and sound of Appalachian music.

"For sisters Leah and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia, there was no “aha” moment when they realized they could sing. They simply grew up doing it. The two sing, alone and together, accompanied by fiddle, bass, banjo, drums, trumpet or nothing at all. They chant, wax poetic, laugh, swoop and soar with harmonies that bring goosebumps. "

"The Smith women are now over the learning-curve hump. Since 2005 they have released five albums, one digital album and a DVD. Their Southern hippie meets jazzy lounge style provides plenty of reference points, but nothing pointing directly to them. They are fire dancers, sport dreadlocks and wear face paint. Unabashed treehuggers, the sisters evoke historical Southern song styles and rhythms while making them their own."

“We receive great influence and inspiration from collaboration and community building and are always humbled and lit up by the work of our friends and cohorts,” they say. These are 2 very talented singers and they show just how diverse that Appalachia really can be. Keep up the good work ladies!

Referenced from Eugene Weekly.

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @russianriverbc #belgianstyleblode

Today on TBD, Sierra Nevada's Yvan the Great. It is an Belgian-Style Blonde that was made in collaboration with Russian River Brewing Company out of Santa Rosa, CA.

"As longtime friends, Russian River brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo and our own Brian Grossman are no strangers to brewing experiments. While looking for inspiration for this collaboration, Vinnie and Brian decided to honor the creations of legendary Belgian brewer Yvan De Baets with their own hop-forward American-Belgian mash-up."

Taken on my kitchen counter.

"This genre-bending beer has the bright, resinous hop profile of an American IPA blended with the dry and complex yeast character of a Belgian farmhouse ale. Yvan the Great is a perfect combination of the two brewing styles—hoppy, dry, spicy, and impressive."

My impression of Yvan the great is: that there is not a lot of head when initially poured, but it does have a fair bit of carbonation visible while resting. It has a very noticeable citrus smell with what I perceived to be a hint of vanilla. Wonder if my nose wasn't on the fritz a little on the vanilla smell. It is a crisp beer with a notable citrus flavor. It has a smooth clean feeling in the mouth as you drink it and a slightly spicy aftertaste. My overall impression of this beer is that it is a very good beer! It has a 6.3 ABV so you definitely get a little more of a kick than your average beer. Thanks again Sierra Nevada and Russian River I would truly enjoy drinking this beer again!

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased at Lewisburg Spirits and Wine. lewisburgspirits@suddenlink.net

trip logistics. #overland #explore #adventure #roadtrip

Several months back after we filmed Episode 4, I published a post on Overland Route Planning; however, building your route is just one piece to assembling successful overland trip. Each trip we plan includes film goals, story boards, meal plans and time away from work and our families leaving a pile of items to manage. So whats the magic recipe?

1. Planning the route. The vision is important but the route gets you there; here's the link to our Overland Route Planning post to get things started.

2. Filming goals and camera equipment. At Mountain State Overland we're aiming to document our adventures and to encourage others to get off the couch, get outside and live a more responsible lifestyle.  So once the route is planned we set our goals for the trip; this makes it easier when we've got the cameras in hand.

For example, Episode 5 takes you to the highest point in West Virginia; however, we wanted to go there because the fishing is awesome, the air is fresh and The Mountain Institute is close to our hearts. That's it; simple goals - fish, fresh air and The Mountain Institute.

On the equipment end of things - we bring everything we have. From DSLRs to iPhones and everything in between. We plan to capture audio, stills and video every chance we get but the shots we storyboard are reserved for our upper-end equipment.

Setting up for a shot during the filming of Episode 3.

3. Storyboards. No - none of this is scripted, but we like to sketch out a plan for the final cut. A storyboard helps us stay on track when there are 3-4 cameras rolling and only one guy editing the film in post production. If the camera team has a general idea of what the final cut may look like, they know what images to capture; much more efficient.

The storyboard for Episode 5 reflected images of vendors, laughter, cooking, classes, interviews, trail rides and some good scenery. Beer was definitely on the storyboard, but I'm not sure if it made it to post production.

Bruschetta a la cast iron; a colorful morning delight.

4. Meal planning.  Jamie covered Overland Meal Planning in his post following our trip for Episode 4 so I won't attempt to reinvent the wheel.  What I will stress - pay attention to your budget, be creative, make fantastic meals and know your crowd.

If you've got "Mr. Meat and Potatoes" and "Ms. Vegan" jumping on board for the weekend you might be limited with your options; stick with it, you'll come up with something for everyone.

5. Work and family time.  For most of the trips we've made thus far, either the kids stayed home or the wives opted out.  Bringing the family is our main goal but the filming and setting up for shots can get a little boring if that's not your gig. When we roll out, we typically plan for an extended, yet comfortable weekend so we can get back to our families in a reasonable period of time.

And then there's work - unfortunately MSO hasn't landed a TV spot and sticker sales aren't putting bread on the table; we have day jobs just like you do. Jamie, Jeremy and I work for different employers so when we plan a trip, we need to coordinate schedules and mark our calendars in advance.

We plan our trips around extended weekends because we know the typical adventurer can pull it off.  Setting aside a couple months to spend overlanding is far too much time away from family in my honest opinion.

Making memories for our families to enjoy years from now.

If you've got questions regarding trip logistics, meal planning or route building please give us a shout at mountainstateoverland@gmail.com.

weekly video xix - 70 series land cruiser. @adventurevida #landcruiser #overland #70series

weekly video xix - "Land Cruiser 70: Japan Re-release."

Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70 series, only seen in North America in infinitesimally small quantities, hearkens back to that simpler time, and now, 30 years after its launch, it’s being re-released with retrograde styling.

Now for the bad news, the release of this vintage beauty is only available in Japan for 1 year; sorry America - keep dreaming.

Referenced from Adventure Journal.