Following the end of WWII, Red River first encountered the Jeep, a military vehicle credited by some for winning the war. In the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, however, their use was strictly recreational, showing people scenery that was only accessible before on horseback or by hiking. Jeeps became a popular addition to a tourist town.
It was Jeeps that brought Steve Gorsich from his Fort Worth home to the mountains of New Mexico and Red River in summer of 1976. He came to drive Jeeps for Gene Addison’s Jeep Trailways tour company.
Jeep driver tales abound, part of Red River lore. Imaginative stories and tall tales about gold and grizzly miners delighted visitors. Jeep drivers, however, had a reputation. Were they as crazy back in the roaring 70s as everyone says?
“Absolutely,” according to Gorsich who is still living in Red River after 40+ years. “The infamous Thom Brown (below, L), Bradley Seymour, John Whatley, Craig Barker…” to name the most notorious. And Steve Gorsich. Even Bob Livingston, the Cosmic Cowboy, once drove Jeeps by day and played music by night.
What did Steve enjoy most about Jeep driving?
“I think the camaraderie. It seemed like everybody was young, the same age at the same time. It was such a special time in my life. ”
He finally moved to town for good in 1979, a move that required a year-round income. Then, as now, making a living in a tourist town is an iffy proposition. He went to work for the Town of Red River, patching pot holes, plowing snow and digging ditches with a back hoe to fix a million water main problems.
During the 90s, Steve was very active in the Red River Riding Club which formed because “we had a lot of people who with the same interest: We had horses.” He never owned a horse before moving to town and the first horse he bought died three days later.
“Red River was just looking for a direction to go and we formed the Riding Club and convinced the town to buy a rodeo arena.”
In 1999, Steve and long-time friend Dirk Neal started Red River Stables at The “Y” after Opal Gal‐lagher Gwinn closed the family stables she had operated since the 1930s. They ran the stables for 10 years.
It was then that Steve and Jeeps came full circle when, at Dirk’s nudging, he purchased a fleet of rental Jeeps from Art Anderson at Pioneer Lodge about eight years ago. He was back in the Jeep biz and has been operating Red River Mountain Adventures at The “Y.
“I love Red River. I came to stay and I’m still here.”
Red River Mountain Adventures has been a successful enterprise, but Steve recently decided to sell the business and pursue some other things that will be new, interesting and fun.
