A Pinzgauer in Glen Arbor

From staff reports

Once Birch Bayly and his wife Brianne welcomed their son, Beau, and thus the beginning of the true ‘family’ life, he began to search for the perfect up-north family excursion vehicle. Racking his brain and perusing vehicles-for-sale ads, Bayly’s mind wandered back to a thrilling outdoor excursion tour he had experienced in Santa Fe. Guys he met operated an off-road tour of the old Route 66, and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo mountains; the vehicle was a Pinzgauer, a military vehicle used to haul troops. After seeing firsthand its capabilities on varied terrain (rocky, steep inclines) Bayly knew it would be perfect for up north.

As luck would have it, he was able to locate one for sale near their home downstate. The “Pinz” was made by Steyr-Puch in Austria in 1972 and was used as a Swiss Army vehicle. Since the side canvas can be rolled up it creates the perfect plein air experience for passengers. It was built to be reliable, easy to fix with basic tools and parts that are readily available. It has portal axles, which provide extra clearance over rocks, tree stumps and other obstacles. It has front and rear independent suspension, which makes it ride very smooth over rough terrain. The benches seat eight passengers and face each other so it’s also fun and social.

The Pinz is truly the Swiss Army knife of military and off-road vehicles. Bayly loves loading everyone up for winding summer drives to the Dunes and through Pierce Stocking, and fall color tours with blankets and hot cocoa in thermoses. She requires a bit of a learning curve but is a solid quality machine.

“I’m always the driver but you’ll never hear me complain about that. It’s just the greatest feeling to tour our beautiful rolling highways to the chorus of friends and family enjoying NoMi to the fullest.”