In 1978, Mark S. Smith and a team of friends from Georgetown, California, set off for a Jeep trip that would land in the Guinness Book of Records. From Ushuaia, at the tip of Argentina, the drove five stock CJ7s 21,000 miles up the spine of the Americas to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The adventure, deemed Expedicion de las Americas, included a crossing of the Darien Gap, the impenetrable jungle between Panama and Colombia.

The world would not see the Camel Trophy for several years, but the 31 days the team spent in the Darien were certainly inspiration for the event. There are two great books on the expedition, Driven by a Dream by Mark Smith and 31 Days in the Darien by Mike Arnold. Find Mark's book at jeepjamboreeusa.com, and Mike's at kevinarnold1979@gmail dot com.

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