New to me '16 Trail. Never been off road in my own vehicle - always with friends or my Dad. He owned a 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen and we'd get lost when I was a kid. I remember when we went to get the 3rd gen the Toyota dealer in Ogden, UT had a black Twin Turbo Supra on the showroom floor. Now that dad is in Florida (Hill AFB to Eglin AFB), he's got an FRS he beats up on and said he'd fly out and get that lovin' feeling again in the mountains in mine.
After my wife and I relocated to Colorado for work I made it a priority to get a 4Runner. Finally did it in July after my '13 WRX was totaled in a hail storm.
Got lost yestarday with an experienced friend around Dakan Road, Upper Jackson Road, and Long Hollow Road. Got to a section somewhere near Long Hollow that triggered my self-preservation instinct and we turned back. We'd been driving for probably 3 hours at that point. To my buddies credit, he wasn't mad I called it. I don't think he was that confident we'd get over the top without a little trail damage either.
Something I didn't realize - you can go down a section and come back up it and have a totally different experience. Around Dakan or Upper Jackson, we went down a section pretty easily. When we came back we both got a little stuck going up. He backed up a little and nailed it in his Xterra. I couldn't see where he want exactly because of trees, but I stopped in the same place. I was able to go down to 1st gear in 4 Low, engaged the locker, and the car did the rest without much input from me.
I don't want to do trails that would need rock sliders, but I now really want a set in case I have a lapse in judgement or just make a mistake. New tires are also gonna be important. These wheels will probably get Blizzaks for the winter, and I'll get the TRD Pro wheels and some nicer tires for off road.
Also - words can't describe how much I missed a roll down rear window.