Larry E Heck moved to Colorado in 1984 while working as District Manager for a Nationwide Computer Maintenance Company.  He was immediately drawn to visit scenic and historic attractions found in back country locations throughout Colorado and Utah.  In 1985, he became a free lance writer and produced a short booklet describing some of those locations and how to find them using a 4wd vehicle.  Since that time, Larry has continued his free lance writing activities and produced many dozens of back country guide books, videos, and magazine stories.  His travels have taken him throughout the Rocky Mountain States and beyond.

Being a free lance photo journalist, Larry's stories have appeared in numerous publications over the past two decades.  For all of 2007, his back country adventures appeared monthly in Off Road Magazine.  Since early 2008 his travels have continued to appear monthly in 4-Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine.  He has written about many scenic, historic, and fun locations to visit in an SUV or other 4wd vehicle including the very popular series about the Outlaw Trail.  Most of those stories became part of the Lone Riders series.  Outlaw trail info can be found on this web site which also retains the name, www.LoneRiders.com.  Other stories about the trails of the Ancient Ones, Rollins Pass, UFO landing sites, stagecoach trails, and ghost towns have earned a long list of loyal readers.

During the 1980s and 90s, Larry operated a 4x4 travel club called, "Pass Patrol".  A newsletter subscription was offered during that time.  Many of those newsletters can be found on this web site in the "Archives".  The newsletter name changed a couple times.  It was called Trails n Tales for a while, then settled in as "Campfire Tales."

COMPANY INFORMATION

If you have been into the sport of 4-wheeling for a while, chances are you have heard of us under one of our many names or have heard of some of our many activities.  Pass Patrol, Outback Publications, OutbackUSA.com, Outback Distributing, Lone Riders, LoneRiders.com., and Lone Writer.

Larry Heck (CB handle: Outlaw) founded the orginal organization in 1985 under the name of Pass Patrol 4X4 Travel Club.  That club was active for 13 years. The Adventures of Pass Patrol were told in books, videos, magazines, newspapers, and even on TV news.  Eventually, Pass Patrol grew to more than a hundred families and offered 100 days of planned trips every year.  People began to know Pass Patrol members by their many CB handles.  Outlaw, Dusty, Gadget, Caveman, Texin, Sundance, Sunshine, Dutchy, Blue Moon, Miss Blue, Slowpoke, Snapshot, Sureshot, Shutterbug, Muley, Bad Hat, Magnolia, Leadfoot, Bushwacker, Yukon, Engineer, Coyote,  and the list goes on and on.

In 1990, you may have seen Larry E. Heck (Outlaw) on Cable TV ad spots for the 1990 Daihatsu, Rocky 4X4.  He wrote for 4-Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine on a regular basis and occasionally wrote for FourWheeler Magazine, Peterson's 4Wheel & Off Road Magazine, and others.

In 1991, Outlaw, Gadget, Dusty, Blue Moon, and Miss Blue, joined together and formed Outback Publications, Inc. to publish guide books and videos.  Although the others were drawn away by various obligations, Outlaw stayed with Outback Publications for seven years.  He wrote books and videos about the Adventures of Pass Patrol.  Outlaw was also President of Pass Patrol 4x4 Travel Club during that entire time.

In 1998, Outlaw (Larry E. Heck) left Outback Publications and the corporation was dissolved.  Pass Patrol 4X4 Travel Club was unable to continue without its leader, however, many of the families involved have stayed in touch and continued 4-wheeling on a smaller scale.  Larry was away for three years.

In 2003, Larry E Heck returned and revived OutbackUSA.com and LoneRiders.com.  The older products were revived.  

In 2006, OutbackUSA.com was given to Steve Bright who is changing it to a store. He also has the rights to the original series of the Adventures of Pass Patrol and may or may not continue to keep them available in the outbackusa store.

Larry retained LoneRiders.com which remained focused on the Outlaw Trail.   In 2009 it was merged with Lone-Writer.com.

This web site, Lone-Writer.com, is the hub for anything happening in the near future.  The intention is to provide a series of eBooks.  These guide ebooks can be purchased and downloaded from the web site.  They contain maps and navigation that can be expanded and printed on a local computer.  

We hope you will put us in your favorites folder and check on us once in a while.  If you care to send us your email address, we’ll let you know when things change.

Chronological order of companies.

www.LoneRiders.com    merged with Lone-Writer.com.  Both domain names are active but go to the same home page.

www.Lone-Writers.com  established in January of 2007 - Active

www.LoneRiders.com     established in June of 2002 - Active

www.OutbackUSA.com    established in July of 1998 - Sold

Pass Patrol 4x4 Travel Club  - first trip  -  August of 1985 - Inactive