Offroad...Tales and Trails

barlitz

I'd like to start a topic where everyone can read about different offroad tales, with maybe some good links to photos and sites, modifications if any for more fun. If possible I'd like to keep this civil and where all trucks are created equal.

countsmackula1

Well, I was four wheeling one winter day back in 1994, the day after a heavy snow, when my brother and I decided to try to blaze a litttle trail of our our own along this river that was blanketed with slush, mud, and muck on both sides. My piece of trash Ranger was stock with bald tires, no winch or chain and most important of all, no backup truck to pull us out. I was spinning mud like a madman when the truck when sideways and slid down a gentle slope into a bank. Amid a volley of curses, we manged to pull and push the truck a whole six inches over the course of an hour or so. Hopelessly stuck , we walked about four miles to a house to wait it out. Three days later, a friend with a CAT dozer pulled us out, and the Ranger was none the worse for wear, with the exception of a bent steering arm, and an other hole in the cottage cheese-like bed where I had kicked it in anger. The truck ran two more years until it puked blue smoke, wheezed and died on the last day of high school. I put a new engine in it and sold it.

barlitz

Thats a good way to start off the topic.... Lets hear some more good stories.

moparmad

I was fresh out of college and driving the trails with a buddy in my shiny,brand new Jeep Comanche. The truck had less than 1000 miles on it as it was only two weeks old. We were both very inexperienced but about to be taught a lesson.
We came to a section of the trail which was usually very muddy(we rode four wheelers on this trail usually). Being a new truck I was very nervous about scratching it up. So we jumped out and decided to scout the trail(smart huh?). We walked across the dried caked mud and only sunk in a couple of inches, so we figured the mud is only a couple of inches deep(not smart huh?).
We hopped back in the Comanche and started to roll down the trail. We got about 20 yards and the truck went down and down into about 2 feet of mud. I dropped it down a gear and she crawled forward, then my young pride took over and I decided to POR(press on regardless). The Michelin XC's were pouring mud clear up on the roof and we could later see where the bumper had been plowing mud. As I got to the end of the bog I had to make a left turn up a small bank between two trees. The truck fit until half way through, the back end started clawing up the hill sideways. I have never experienced that before or since, but imagine my panic as I saw that big old tree about to kiss my poor little Commanche. Just as I thought I would hear the bang the little truck grabbed full traction and her 4.0 liter launched us to safety. This story is long enough now so I'll tell you later how I submerged most of the truck without getting a drop of water in the bed.

bobsquatch

Well so far this sounds like a whoops section so I will keep it going. I go to Glamis sand dunes in CA quite frequently with my bikes and buggy. To tow my equipment out there I have a 89 Ford E350 diesel van(2WD). I have 33X12.5X16.5 offroad tires on it to help in the sand. Quite often people in 2WD trucks and motorhomes get stuck in the sand so I air down my tires and give them a pull. Well I start to be impressed how well this street machine is doing so I decide to take to the dunes. All is well until in the middle of nowhere I am on a side hill with no locker and I bury it. A few people try to help but I am 7,000lbs and no 900lb 60hp buggy is going to pull me out. (Should have thought about that before I went duning) Finally a little jeep with about 500hp and 44inch paddle tires gave me a tug. We synchronized our efforts and on the count of 3 the world went dark. A wall of sand covered my windshield but we got me out. I am still finding sand in my van but it was a good time.

cpousnr

Well, my wife and I left South Fork, heading for the Wheeler Geological area. You take Colo 149 north out of South Fork which is on US 160.
Truck is Ranger 99XLT 4X4. We turned off on FR 600 which takes us up to the area 25 milea away. Easy dirt road for 10 miles. Then it gets narrow.

Remember, this is MAy in Colo.

Now at about 9-10,000 ft, on a narrow dirt, as my wife says it, rut, it starts to get muddy. Then it starts to snow. Well 10 mile from the area, I turn back and head down.

Went up the road to Creede and checked at the Ranger station. Cinnamon pass is the only one open to Silverton from Lake city. So off we go. . .
Well truning off Colo 1490 the road is nice, and views, like the road to Wheeler, are stunning. Then it gets steap...and it starts to snow flurry. Then it gets steeper with a switch back to the right through a cut in the snow into a heavy snow storm at the top. My wife is real, I mean REAL pissed.

Lets just say that none of the 5 14,000 ft peaks that can be seen from the top of Cinnamon pass, 12,300 or so feet in elevation, were seen.

Best do the Colorado passes in mid June on unless you want a snow storm
!

robbi

Well, I was four wheeling in the Florida backwoods along a river (with stagnant alligator infested water). The path I was on lead to a creek branching off the river. I noticed that the trail continued on the other side, so I decided to take a closer look at the depth of the creek. Only the water was so dark I couldn't see a thing. So I got back in my truck to turn around when my girlfriend says "Where is your sense of adventure?" So to be a good knight and perform valiantly for my fair maiden, I went forward and dropped my front tires into the creek (they became fully engulfed right after I hit the water). As soon as they hit the water, three baby alligators bolt from the water (not a good sign). Unable to back out of my position, I floored it. Once my truck was in the water a fish jumps from the water and I begin to think the water is deeper than my truck is tall. At the deepest point the water went up to the bottom of the windows on my doors. At this point my girlfriend decides to help me by screaming in my ear with all her might. So I make it through the water with my heart pounding out of my chest as I thought I was going to flood my brand new truck. Once we are on the other side, my girlfriend says "Don't you EVER do that to me again!" Wasn't she the one taunting me to do it in the first place? Women!

ebbgreatdane

1982 4X4ing with Dad behind the wheel of his then, 1979 Chevy Blazer with a lift, brush guard, KC's. My brother was in the back seat with me.

To make a long story short, as the backend was sinking into the river and after my brother and I had climbed out of the passenger window, off the hood and jumped to dry land, my Dad removed the wet air filter, was able to get it started while two guys in an late 60's Land Cruiser with a winch towed us out.

I'll never forget the site when my Dad opened the driver side door with all that water... Whooooosshhhhh!!! The next couple of weeks were spent drying it out and replacing the carpets.

Heh heh,
John

gator36

2 years ago, my fiancee (now wife) and I are up in Big Bear, CA. I had been to Hokum Valley with my buddies 4x-ing and I thought I would take my 97 GMC Sierra 2x in on the dirt roads.
Well, going in was fun and easy. We had a blaston the trails, easy and muddy from the melting snow. So, now it is time to leave. We start to ascend the East facing hill (shady hill) and start hitting ice patches and mud. My poor 2wd could not get enough momentum to get pas one particular section of Ice. So I take a good run at it in plain view and some dumb a** coming down hill blocks me. Ruined attempt. My Fiancee is now really nervous, wondering if we are going to be stuck there. Another good run, another truck blocking the way. Don't these guys know that the person going uphill has the right of way?
Well finally after a good number of attempts and
a stout press on the accelerator we pass the Ice patch and are on our way.
Nothing like a good challenge. Now I own a 4X4..

bobsquatch

My father, uncle and myself went fishing about 400 miles into Baja California, Mexico on the Pacific side. We had been there a few days without seeing a soul. The fishing was mediocre so my dad and I took his new Dodge Dakota V8 4X4 up the beach a few miles to see if we could do better. We were doing about 35 mph and the sand was getting softer. My dad was driving and he had it floored going up and down from wet to dry sand with no change in its consistancy. The engine was getting hot even at that speed. Suddenly we came to an abrupt stop. 35 mph to 0 in about 25 feet full throttle! I got out and saw that we were buried to the floor boards right at the edge of the water. We let the air out of the tires to about 6 psi but when we put it in gear the tires were spinning with no gas applied. We dug and dug but whenever we made progress a wave would come in and wash away our efforts. Fortunatly the tide was going out. I ended up hiking up to the dunes at the base of which was a lot of cobble stone and carried them back to the truck. One at a time I would jack them into the sand until the tire came off the ground. It took about 7 stones per tire to get the truck up. We filled the voids with driftwood, rocks and gunny sacks before we set them down. The culprit for this unusually soft sand was pea clams by the billions. Anyway that was the hardest I have ever worked to go fishing and possibly the worst I have ever been stuck (4 hours) There is no AAA in Mexico.

amorales

Magic Mountain. Owned a sweet new 1977 FJ40 Landcruiser. I packed my two small boys, the wife, BBQ, and headed for some off-roading. It was magnificent. We forged a wide steam, about 18 inches with sand, rock and muddy bottom. There were several 4x4s out there, Jeeps, big Ford F240 4x4's, GM, Dodge power wagons, Blazers, Broncos etc. We reached the other side, stopped near some trees and set up for a BBQ and picnic. We were checking out the
awesome 4X4s fording the creek. We noticed this brand new Jeep Wagoneer, with straight six, a large 4 door SUV with beatuful rims, tires. He seemd to stall out in the middle of the creek. Remember this is a $15,000+ vehicle in 1977. Along came a beat-up, rust bucket of a vehicle, a 1952 or '53 Chevy pickup step side, with bald tires, granny gears and loaded with kids in the back and belching blue smoke out the tailpipe. This hispanic person, stoped, got in front of the big Jeep wagoneer, got some laundry cord, tied it to the front axel of the Jeep and the ball hitch of this old vintage pick-up and pulled him to dry land. They then discovered the distributor on the Jeep was mounted extremely low causing water to inundate it. They dried it off, restarted the motor. The owner was so grateful at being pulled out after several 4x4s passed by, they set up a few BBQ's and invited a few local people in their 4x4's and had a great time. We joined in and exchanged stories and talked about four wheeling. Over the years we enjoyed off roading in various parts of California. Up near Livermore Nuclear weopons lab was a beautuful off road park, also near Gilroy, South of San Jose was Hollister Hills off road park. Spectacular scenery and great fun was had for many years. Sons now grown, only 4x4 vehicle in Family is wife's '99 Tracker 4dr 4x4. I ve owned a few S10 4x4 vehicles. I desire to return to the sport. May do so in a few years.