NAME: MARK AND TAMI PICKLES

FAMILY: ERIN PICKLES IS OUR DELIGHTFUL TEENAGE DAUGHTER. WE ARE ALSO GRANDPARENTS WITH A 6-YEAR OLD GRANDSON AND A 3-1/2 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER. THEY LIVE IN CALIFORNIA WITH OUR OLDEST DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND.

EMPLOYMENT : I WAS MANAGER OF DESIGN SERVICES AT ALPINE LOG HOMES FOR 21 STRESSFUL YEARS. I AM NOW SELF-EMPLOYED AND THE OWNER OF MSTP CONCEPTS, INC. I FREELANCE DESIGN CUSTOM, ONE OF A KIND, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL LOG STRUCTURES, AS WELL AS TIMBER FRAME BUILDINGS. IN RETROSPECT, I WAITED FAR TOO LONG TO STEP OUT ON MY OWN. MY WIFE TAMI IS THE ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT FARMERS STATE BANK.

A BIT OF LIFE HISTORY:

I BECAME INFATUATED WITH JEEPS BACK IN THE MID-SIXTIES WHEN, AS A TEENAGER, MY FRIENDS AND I FOUR WHEELED THE LAKE TAHOE AREA AND THE HILLS ALL AROUND CARSON CITY, NEVADA. MANY YEARS LATER FOLLOWING MILITARY SERVICE, COLLEGE, A PROMISING CAREER, MARRIAGE, CHILD RAISING, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUPY OUR LIVES, I GOT BACK INTO JEEPS ON A REMINISCENT WHIM. I’VE BEEN HOOKED ON THE PROCESS OF BUILDING AND DRIVING MY 4X4 EVER SINCE AND ENJOY BACK COUNTRY OUTINGS WITH PEOPLE I CALL FRIENDS.

TAMI AND I HAVE LIVED IN THE BEAUTIFUL BITTERROOT VALLEY OF MONTANA FOR THE LAST 26 YEARS AND FIGURE WE’RE GOOD FOR ANOTHER 26 YEARS IF THE ODDS FAVOR US.

4X4 VEHICLES: WE OWN A 1982 JEEP CJ-7 (IN PIECES), 1985 JEEP CJ-7 (WELL MAINTAINED), 2005 FORD F-150 FX4 (THE TOW VEHICLE), AND A 2000 GRAND CHEROKEE ( MY WIFE’S JEEP). OUR DAUGHTER ERIN HAS A 1998 FORD TAURUS.

MODIFICATIONS DONE TO YOUR PRESENT RIDE:

OUR 85 CJ-7 WILL ALWAYS BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. HOWEVER, HERE AND NOW, IT IS UNDERGOING MAJOR MODIFICATIONS FOCUSED AROUND A CHEVY TBI 350 ENGINE TRANSPLANT WITH A 700 R-4 TRANSMISSION. GEAR SHIFTING IS HANDLED BY ART-CARR AND WILL BE HOUSED IN A CUSTOM CENTER CONSOLE WHICH IS STILL AN IDEA THAT IS IN DEVELOPMENT. IT HAS A TRICK ALUMINIUM CROSS FLOW RADIATOR WITH INTERNAL TRANSMISSION COOLER ALONG WITH A SECONDARY TRANSMISSION COOLER.

THE SUSPENSION IS BASED ON CUSTOM BUILT 4” LEAF SPRINGS THAT ARE APPROXIMATELY 5 INCHES LONGER THAN STOCK SPRINGS. JEFF AT JEFF’S OFFROAD HANDLED THE SPRING CONVERSION. AS SUCH, THE JEEP WILL NOW FIT 35X12.50.15’S WHICH ARE ON THE TO DO LIST.

THE JEEP ALSO HAS CUSTOM BUILT NERF BARS AND ROLL CAGE. COMFORT IS PROVIDED BY BEARD SEATS THAT ARE SPRING MOUNTED TO THE ROLL CAGE TO SOFTEN ROUGH TRAILS. A 2004 MODIFICATION WAS A CUSTOM BUILT REAR SEAT (A SUMMIT RACING BUCKET SEAT WITH RACING HARNESS) TO SAFELY SEAT OUR DAUGHTER DURING JEEPING ADVENTURES. THIS SEAT IS FURTHER PROTECTED BY A STAND ALONE ROLL BAR WHICH CAN BE REMOVED WHEN FEWER PASSENGERS ARE PRESENT AND ADDITIONAL STORAGE SPACE IS REQUIRED.

THE JEEP IS COVERED IN A CUSTOM PAINT JOB THAT I’M QUITE PROTECTIVE OF AND I’M WELL KNOWN FOR MY TRAIL PRUNING PROWESS. THERE ARE PROBABLY A HUNDRED OTHER LITTLE THINGS FEATURED ON THE JEEP BUT, RATHER THAN RATTLE ON, HERE’S A LITTLE PICTORIAL PREVIEW TAKEN IN 2003 HIGH ABOVE DEER LODGE, MONTANA

FAVORITE VEHICLE OF ALL TIME : 1970 DODGE HEMI CHALLENGER AND THE 1985 CJ-7. IT’S A TOSS-UP.

IF MONEY WAS NOT A OBJECT, WHAT WOULD YOU DRIVE OFF ROAD: ANYTHING I WANTED ON MY OWN 10 SQUARE MILE RANCH IN THE MOAB, UTAH AREA. NOW, IF THAT’S NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH, I’D BUILD MY OWN ROCK BUGGY FOR FUN AND PLEASURE.

SAME QUESTION BUT ON ROAD: A FULLY RESTORED 1970 DODGE HEMI CHALLENGER OR 69-70 MUSTANG MACH 1 WITH ANY OF THE V-8’S THAT WERE OFFERED.

FAVORITE TRAIL OR TRAILS: POISON SPIDER MESA, GOLDEN SPIKE, HELL’S REVENGE, METAL MASHER, STEEL BENDER AND MOST OF THE OTHER MOAB TRAILS. RELATIVE TO MONTANA, ANY TRAIL THAT OFFERS BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY USE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE.

TRAIL OR AREA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RUN SOME TIME REALISTICALLY: OH, PROBABLY THE COLORADO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ASSOCIATION'S "ALL 4 FUN WEEK" AND SOME OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRAILS. I MUST HONESTLY ADMIT THAT I AM NOT ATTRACTED TO VEHICLE ABUSIVE TRAILS THAT EXCEED THE LIMITS OF MY JEEP’S BUILD NOR MY DRIVING TALENTS.

SAME QUESTION BUT UNREALISTIC: MARS! I JUST LOVE RED ROCKS AND A LACK OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD BE REFRESHING.

FAVORITE TYPE OF FOUR WHEELING: MOAB AND, OF COURSE, TREADING LIGHTLY WITH FINESSE.

WHAT OTHER THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO DO: SKI WITH MY COLLEGE BUDDY EACH YEAR, FABRICATE STUFF THAT COMES TO MIND, PONDER LIFE AND THE CHOICES WE MAKE,TAKE LONG WALKS, READ BOOKS, GOOF AROUND ON MY COMPUTER, ENGAGE IN HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, SPEND TIME WITH MY LOVELY WIFE AND FAMILY,TRAVEL TO PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT SPECIALIZE IN PALM TREES AND UMBRELLA DRINKS.... BUT HOLD THE TSUNAMI’S PLEASE.

FUTURE GOALS IN LIFE: I’M CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH EVOLVING TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

IF YOU COULD BE ANYTHING IN LIFE WHAT JOB WOULD YOU HAVE: A JET FIGHTER PILOT, DOCTOR, MECHANIST, MECHANIC, MATHEMATICIAN, SCIENTIST, COMPUTER WHIZ, LAWYER, PHILOSOPHER, ARTIST, INVENTOR AND ANYTHING ELSE I COULD SINK MY TEETH IN BECAUSE AS LAZARETH LONG SAID: SPECIALIZATION IS FOR INSECTS.

CHEERS,

MARK PICKLES