Travis and Stephanie Carpenter
4405 “landuse” driver Travis Carpenter literally grew up on the Rubicon trail, so when the time came for him and Stephanie his bride-to-be to get married, what better place than Rubicon Springs, which is located deep into the trail.
Normally by June the trail is dry, but with massive storms this year, the Carpenter’s were a little worried about their wedding plans in the Springs. So the week before the wedding, Travis and fellow Rock Zombie club member Mike Baggerman made the trip into the Springs to make sure it was still accessible. Even in their highly capable rigs, It took Travis and Baggerman nearly six hours to make it into Rubicon Springs. Coming in from the Tahoe side to meet them for lunch in the Springs was fellow KOH competitor Tom Wayes, but with 20 foot drifts of snow and a massive logjam which was formed by the Rubicon River, the Tahoe side was inaccessible and Wayes never made it in. This lead to a major problem with the wedding planning, as the Carpenters had planned to ferry people in from the shorter, Tahoe side route.
With my rig out of commission, this also became a huge problem for me because I was dependent on a ride into the Springs for the wedding. As the officiate of their wedding, if I were not able to make it into the Springs, Travis and Stephanie would not be able to get married! Thankfully, Alfred and Lisa Heck, who are close friends of mine and fellow Kyburz Krawlerz club members, volunteered to drive me in. After a weeks worth of warm weather to melt the snow, we made it to the Springs in less than four hours.
Surrounded by nearly one hundred family, friends and Rock Zombie club members, Travis and Stephanie were married in a pristine setting under towering pines with the Rubicon River flowing behind them over a waterfall. Not only was it a beautiful setting for a wedding, it was a fitting setting for a couple who is defined by their four wheeling lifestyle.
As an added surprise for the newly married couple, 4405 team member and “Flower Girl” Josh Blay (who didn’t give me one of the new 4405 hats) and myself managed to talk JJUSA who had a helicopter at the Springs, into taking Travis and Stephanie for a ride over their beloved Rubicon only minutes after they were married.
CRAWL Magazine would like to congratulate Travis and Stephanie on their marriage. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and miles of happy trails ahead.
Thank you Kurt,
An already beautiful ceremony was topped off with your wonderful words and double entendreS that fit Steph and Travis, their future and the trail perfectly. I’m still in Ahhh of it all. So glad you made it. PS Great article
What a way to wed. Congratulations to the carpenters. All the best wishes and prayers for a happy, healthy,prosperous and trail-ready life to both of them.
I saw pictures on facebook but ready through this well written article really felt like being there in person. Thanks Kurt.
Ehsan Kiani
Pakistan.
What a great wedding, and great prerunning on the’Con. Was awesome to be one of the first ones through the trail this year. The most fun I have had all summer. Congratulations and best wishes to my friends Travis and Steph.
Baghy
Thanks for the great article Kurt and for coming all the way out to officiate. It was a beautiful ceremony and thanks to you and CRAWL we can share their special day with those who could not attend. I know my sister and Travis will cherish this time for years to come.
Best wedding evar
Best flower girl evar
Best people evar
There were some challenges to overcome but the core people all made it and got a little out of control in true zombie fashion. Congrats to travis and stephanie. A lifetime of joy in before you.
I’m stoked it made it to the site and hopefully mag!
It was a great wedding and a reception party full of awesome memories!! It was also my 17 year son’s first time driving the entire trail in his own vehicle and couldn’t have been a better occasion to do so. Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter!!! Zombies for LIFE!
Also, i want to give a HUGE THANKS to parents (laura and Karl Hutchinson). If it wasnt for them, the wedding would of not been possible.
Thank you crawl, kurt and all our friends and family. This was truly “THE BEST” day of my life and travs. Trav and i both grew up on the rubicon and its how we met. We instantly knew the rubicon was the place to get married. Didnt know how we were going to pull it off or if everyone was going to make it in, but it happened and it couldnt of been more perfect!
Great article Kurt. Keep up the good work Crawl and post more articles on your website. I will be reading them =>
Big thanks to everyone that made this special day happen, extra thanks to kurt and Crawl for everything they do to fight for, and publish how inportant all this is for future generations, and helping the 4405 to continue pursuit of these goals.
Also, final thanks to all Travis’ (and considered my friends also) with-out them i could not have made it, LITERALY!
just plain SWEET. Wish we could have been there, but wow, love the pics.
Del
Congratulations to Trav and Steph! Truly one for the recordbooks and nicely done Kurt! They couldn’t have been married by a better guy!
There is nothing more I can add other then my wish for continued happiness and Curt’s special blessing on this marriage. And Yes, your parents, have gone the extra mile.. don’t forget it…
Love, Grandmere