Member
Spotlight:
Ed & Lyn Kausche
From the February 2004 Issue of Trail Tales
by Joan Wolf
What
was the New Mexico 4-Wheelers club like 17 years ago? “There were many stock
vehicles. The big boys had a Detroit locker and 31-inch tires. Most of the
25-30 members had been in the club a long time so everyone knew everyone. There
were summer potlucks at members’ homes, so that tradition carried on. The club
put on an annual treasure hunt. And there wasn’t as much of what we call four
wheeling.”
Those are the thoughts of Ed and Lyn Kausche who first joined NM4W in 1987. Except for the Bradys, the Kausches have been club members the longest. Lyn emphasized, “But we’re not the oldest!” Ed served as club President circa 1989 and Lyn was Secretary and Trail Tales editor. In the early days they drove an ’81 F-150 and then a full-size ’85 Bronco. When the Bronco became unreliable and other demands appeared, they dropped out for a few years. Ed and Lyn rejoined in 1998 after buying their ’98 TJ. They’ve maintained their long affiliation with NM4W because they like the people and the opportunity to explore new places in the backcountry.
Backcountry exploration has been a passion for both Ed and Lyn since childhood. Ed was raised on a fruit/berry/timber farm in southwest Oregon near the tiny town of Elkton. He spent many hours tromping through the woods near the Umpqua River. After high school, Ed attended Oregon State University (OSU), but decided to join the Navy rather than get drafted. He served during the Vietnam War as an electronics technician on a destroyer and was awarded the Vietnam combat action ribbon and several other medals.
After the Navy, Ed used the G.I. bill to complete his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering at OSU. It was while working for Sperry Flight Systems in Phoenix that he met Lyn. Shortly after their marriage, Ed was transferred to Albuquerque to what is now Honeywell. Even after 25 years at Honeywell, Ed still enjoys his work of doing hardware design for displays on military aircraft.
Lyn was born near Akron, Ohio and fondly remembers exploring the woods near her home as a kid. Shortly after graduation from Akron University in Elementary Education, she joined her parents in their move to Sun City, Arizona. Lyn’s first teaching job was at the Navajo Nation School in Fort Defiance, AZ. She learned a lot about teaching and Native American life in her six years there. The teachers were provided reservation housing and could take night classes through Northern Arizona University. Lyn earned her Masters from NAU and has since worked in substitute teaching, private tutoring, and daycare. She currently teaches 5th grade at Hope Christian School and still loves teaching.
In recent years, the Kausches have been busy designing and moving into their beautiful custom home in Rio Rancho. They enjoy spectacular mountain views and a roomy one-acre lot. And Ed is very happy with the three-vehicle garage and workshop. He doesn’t seem near as happy about the prospect of putting in irrigation and landscaping come Spring. More fun pastimes for Ed are guns, reloading, and computers. He’s active in the Del Norte Gun Club and helped establish the new Del Norte shooting range near Rio Rancho. He teaches firearm safety and is planning to become an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
Lyn is an expert at canning and freezing food and even teaches the subjects for the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension. Lyn also loves gardening and looks forward to putting in a 50’ x 50’ garden. None of this is a surprise, because everything she brings to the club potlucks is excellent! The Kausches are also active members of their church.
Although they don’t go four-wheeling, dogs Pepper and BD love to romp in their big back yard. Pepper doesn’t get along with other male dogs and BD has arthritis, so they stay home when Ed and Lyn hit the trails. With 35 years of off-road experience, they rank Moab’s “Poison Spider Mesa”, and “Topless” near Montrose, Colorado as favorites. Topless was a Sports-In-the-Rough event (associated with Super Lift) and was much harder than advertised. They were pleased to make it through an extreme trail and make it through without damage! Ed enjoyed running Mt. Blanca for the first time last September and wants to try Farmington and Cimarron Mesa someday.
Not many trails should be a problem for his well-built 1998 Jeep TJ. The modifications include a Turbo City throttle-bodied 4.0L engine, NV4500 transmission, 3.8 Atlas transfer case, ARB-locked Dana 44 front and 60 rear, Warn 9000 winch, and 35x12.50x15 BFG Mud Terrains. For a full description, go to nm4w.org, select Club Members, and then Ed & Lyn’s Page. There you can also learn about his worst trail experience.
Since a Jeep is never finished, Ed’s wish list includes dual batteries, GPS, and a ham radio. However, he doesn’t mention bigger tires or more lift to the existing 1” body lift and 6” suspension lift. Lyn remarked, “If his Jeep is raised any higher, he’ll have to get a taller wife.” And she wasn’t laughing.