Morris said the change in tour schedule from the Midwest to the West will offer several advantages.

“It’s a different exposure,” he said. “A lot of the corps that are in that 13- to 17-place range, where we have been, are out there, and so we’ve got to set a precedent from day one in that group that says, ‘We’re not just in this range, we’re at the top.’”

Drum corps compete every night of the season for positioning that will ultimately result in placing at the quarterfinals and semifinals of World Championship Finals, held in August in Indianapolis. The top 12 from semifinals reach the finals, a feat the Troopers haven’t managed since 2009.

Although there will be competitive advantages to beginning in the West, Morris chuckled when asked if it’s cheaper.

“Nope,” he said. “Gas is higher, food is more expensive, and we have to buy all of our fruits and vegetables in California instead of taking them with us.”

The Troopers will make their way home to Casper from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah, arriving back in the early morning July 12.