Offroad & Community
Life at the intersection
of dirt and community.
Off-roading has shaped how I think about teaching, building community, and showing up for the people around me. Here's where that plays out.
Co-Founder & Co-Owner · 2025–Present
Sierra Nevada Off Road Academy
Built on 25+ years of teaching experience and a conviction that the trail is one of the best classrooms there is — for skill, for humility, and for community.
Education First
SNVORA was built on a simple belief: great teaching changes people. We don't just run trail days — we build curriculum, develop real skills, and create the kind of learning environment where a first-timer and a seasoned wheeler can grow side by side. Off-roading is for everyone willing to learn.
The Trail Humbles Everyone
No matter your experience level, the mountain has a lesson waiting. We embrace that. Humility on trail isn't a weakness — it's what keeps you safe, keeps you learning, and keeps the adventure going. Our courses are built around real terrain, real challenges, and the confidence to push through them.
Built to Include
Tread Lightly! certified. EV-friendly by design. Zero attitude. Whether you drive a Jeep, a Rivian, or anything in between — if you want to get better on trail, you belong here. Real-world training, real connection, and a community that shows up for each other.
Meet the Instructors
Jason Green
Co-Founder & Lead Instructor
Jason grew up pushing boundaries behind the wheel — from his first trail run in a '74 CJ5 to extreme rock buggies and high-speed desert runs. He's a hands-on mentor fueled by curiosity and community, always eager to share what it takes to turn the impossible into possible. Jason is also the voice behind the Wheeling, Wine and Whiskey podcast, inspiring off-roaders everywhere.
CJ Arnesen
Co-Founder & Instructor
CJ has been teaching people — in one form or another — his entire adult life. Sixteen years as a volunteer youth counselor. 15 years as a certified Esprit de Four instructor with 15+ safety honors from the California Four Wheel Drive Association. And now, co-founder of SNVORA. The thread running through all of it is the same: a deep belief that helping someone discover what they're capable of is the most worthwhile work there is. In 2022 a serious trail accident gave him a new perspective on pushing through hard things — including learning to walk again. That experience lives in every course SNVORA runs.
President · 2023–Present
Bay Area Rivian Club
I bought a Rivian, went to my first meet-up, and somehow ended up running the largest chapter within Rivianclubs.org. It has been an incredible ride.
Connected to Rivian Corporate
We work directly with Rivian's Corporate Marketing team and partner with other regional clubs to co-create branded customer experiences. If you own a Rivian in the Bay Area, this is your community.
A Jam-Packed Calendar
Trail runs, tech nights, charging meetups, and social events — we've got an excellent Board and a membership that keeps things lively. Check the club site for upcoming events.
Largest Chapter on Rivianclubs.org
BARC is the largest chapter within Rivianclubs.org — a community built on genuine enthusiasm, not hype. 300 members, 700+ on our mailing list, and a culture that puts people first.
More from the trail
On the Ground
Instructor · 2011–Present
Esprit de Four
I've been delivering off-road safety training with Esprit de Four for 15 years, earning 15+ safety excellence honors from the California Four Wheel Drive Association. The adopt-a-trail crew has become a meaningful community — including returning to Corral Hollow each year, the site of my 2022 accident, to clear downed trees and give back to the trails that give so much to us.
Event Lead · 2 Years Running
Optima Unplugged at King of the Hammers
Johnson Valley, California. The same desert expanse that hosts King of the Hammers — the hardest one-day off-road race on the planet. Once a year, it also hosts Optima Unplugged: the largest off-road EV gathering in history.
For two years running, CJ was brought in to lead the VIP trail experience — a premium on-trail program for 50+ participants per event. That meant managing a team of 20 volunteers from pre-event planning through the final trail run: role assignments, communications, volunteer education, onsite logistics, and real-time group management across varied terrain and experience levels.
The stakeholder list was demanding: YouTube influencers with large audiences, Optima's marketing and video production teams, and event guests who expected a flawless experience. CJ held all of it together simultaneously — and before anyone got on trail, he personally programmed all 50 radios so every participant could take one home.
These are the events where things go perfectly or they don't. Two years in a row, they went perfectly.
Creator
RustyLid Offroad
Ham radio and GMRS setups, GPS and navigation gear, trail guides, and overlanding content. A reference resource used by the BARC and SNVORA communities.
rustylidoffroad.comWant to improve your offroad skills?
Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned wheeler, SNVORA has something for you. And if you drive a Rivian, the club wants to meet you.