Member Number: 30
Vehicle: 2019 CWP Crosstrek Premium
Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
Favorite Gear: My Roofnest rooftop tent, my Alpicool C20 refrigerator, and my Bluetti AC50 solar generator
Quote: “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”
Social Media:
Instagram: @team4x_30 and @dkduane_debaru
Blog: debaru.blogspot.com

Vehicle Name: Lily
Brief Vehicle Specs:
Stock Crosstrek, outfitted with a Roofnest Sparrow Eye RTT and a 7′ x 8′ side awning
Trailer:
A 5′ x 8′ cargo trailer camper conversion I affectionately call “Clutch Cargo.”

MEMBER BIO:

I’m originally from Long Beach, California, where I enjoyed days swimming in the Pacific Ocean and riding my horse, Missy, along the Los Angeles River trails. My family also had a small wooden cabin cruiser that we used to travel up and down the Southern California coast as well as trips to Catalina Island. Sitting on the bow of the boat as we traversed the water and watching Dolphin swim just under my feet was truly magical.

My earliest memory of camping and adventuring is the trip my family took to Mammoth Lakes in the early 60’s. Seeing Devils Postpile and camping out and spending time on the lake are forever etched in my mind.

I’ve had an adventurer’s spirit from a very young age. In fact, at 18 months, I decided to take a “walk-about” in my neighborhood until someone found me and took me back home. My mother had no idea I was no longer in the backyard in my playpen. Unfortunately for my mom, this was not the only time I ventured far afield as a very young child. My close knit neighborhood was where I spent many happy days exploring and one of my favorite things to do was to climb the tallest tree I could find, which afforded sweeping views leading up to the San Gabriel mountains.

As a young adult, I started my career in Southern California, working for companies such as Hughes Aircraft and Rockwell International. In my mid-twenties, I relocated (with my horse) to the San Francisco Bay area and spent 20 glorious years working in various technical positions with software companies including Mentor Graphics and Hewlett-Packard in Silicon Valley from 1980 through 2000. I experienced many, many great adventures while living in Northern California — white water rafting on the American River, camping in Yosemite, exploring the coast and the Redwoods near to my home — the list is long and so are the memories.

In late 2000, I relocated to Arizona, and have absolutely fallen in love with the state. I’ll always have a place in my heart for California, but Arizona is such an amazing gem with so many extraordinary places to explore and adventure. Kayaking amongst wild horses on the Salt River is definitely one of the top adventures I’ve enjoyed while living in Arizona.

As of 2018, I retired from my 45-year career and am thoroughly enjoying my freedom. I love being outdoors enjoying nature, whether I am kayaking on the Salt River and its chain of lakes (Roosevelt, Apache, Canyon, and Saguaro), camping, hiking, swimming, taking photos, or simply driving my Subie through the backroads.