Am a couple weeks into owning my first T4R and first off-road capable vehicle. To be clear, I am *not* an off-roading guy and I am *not* experienced with off-roading. I'm someone who has spend years jealously eying unpaved roads while out on nature photography trips... and now I'm going to try to learn how to safely get down some of those roads...
I'm in San Diego, so to kick it off, I thought that I'd just do a day trip out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and "see if I could get the thing stuck." I was *kidding* about that last part... ;-)
Had two trails in mind--one short & easy, one longer & less easy... though still theoretically rated as an easy trail.
Font's Point -- 4 miles of sand road that is deep sand in a couple places. Some people try it in regular cars. Some people make it in those regular cars... some don't! No problem there and a fun first drive with my youngest, who was very excited to go give it a try. How I ended up with a 10 year old who is gung-ho to pile into the 4Runner and go just about anywhere, so long as all the windows are rolled down and we're cranking the Eagles, I have no idea!
Sandstone Canyon -- something like 10-11 miles out Fish Creek Wash, then the canyon itself. We got a couple miles up the wash... with me occasionally thinking, "dang, I hope my stock tires are OK for this!" or "wow, that was deep sand" or "uh, should that be WET?"... up to around the wind caves area, when we came across three Jeeps... two of them working at winching out the third, which was up to its frame in mud on the driver's side.
We stopped and talked with them and checked out the mud. MUD?? In Anza-Borrego Desert in summer??? And decided that maybe being 10+ miles up a wash BY OURSELVES wasn't a great idea, so we turned back.
Got back out OK.
Thoughts on the adventure:
1. Are my stock tires OK for something like that wash?
2. I've been out and about in nature a lot over the years, more on foot, and absolutely know to check the forecast when in any kind of canyon or wash... but it never occurred to me to check whether there had been RECENT flash flooding. It turns out that Fish Creek Wash flash flooded and was a river just four days ago... thus the mud. Note to self: recent past may be as important to check and immediate future.
3. I can see the advantage in traveling in packs. Friends with winches seem like good friends to have! Having been forced to watch one of the Jurassic Park movies over the weekend, the three Jeeps kind of reminded me of a pack of velociraptors...
Some photos...
2nd to last photo: I didn't really plan on mud... oh, well, guess the mats will need cleaning now!
Last photo: I stopped at a self-service car wash on the way home... power sprayed the back hatch a ton because dirt kept washing out of it... yet this morning, there was still dirt that had managed to find its way down to the back step!
I'm in San Diego, so to kick it off, I thought that I'd just do a day trip out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and "see if I could get the thing stuck." I was *kidding* about that last part... ;-)
Had two trails in mind--one short & easy, one longer & less easy... though still theoretically rated as an easy trail.
Font's Point -- 4 miles of sand road that is deep sand in a couple places. Some people try it in regular cars. Some people make it in those regular cars... some don't! No problem there and a fun first drive with my youngest, who was very excited to go give it a try. How I ended up with a 10 year old who is gung-ho to pile into the 4Runner and go just about anywhere, so long as all the windows are rolled down and we're cranking the Eagles, I have no idea!
Sandstone Canyon -- something like 10-11 miles out Fish Creek Wash, then the canyon itself. We got a couple miles up the wash... with me occasionally thinking, "dang, I hope my stock tires are OK for this!" or "wow, that was deep sand" or "uh, should that be WET?"... up to around the wind caves area, when we came across three Jeeps... two of them working at winching out the third, which was up to its frame in mud on the driver's side.
We stopped and talked with them and checked out the mud. MUD?? In Anza-Borrego Desert in summer??? And decided that maybe being 10+ miles up a wash BY OURSELVES wasn't a great idea, so we turned back.
Got back out OK.
Thoughts on the adventure:
1. Are my stock tires OK for something like that wash?
2. I've been out and about in nature a lot over the years, more on foot, and absolutely know to check the forecast when in any kind of canyon or wash... but it never occurred to me to check whether there had been RECENT flash flooding. It turns out that Fish Creek Wash flash flooded and was a river just four days ago... thus the mud. Note to self: recent past may be as important to check and immediate future.
3. I can see the advantage in traveling in packs. Friends with winches seem like good friends to have! Having been forced to watch one of the Jurassic Park movies over the weekend, the three Jeeps kind of reminded me of a pack of velociraptors...
Some photos...
2nd to last photo: I didn't really plan on mud... oh, well, guess the mats will need cleaning now!
Last photo: I stopped at a self-service car wash on the way home... power sprayed the back hatch a ton because dirt kept washing out of it... yet this morning, there was still dirt that had managed to find its way down to the back step!
We'll take it easy until we get the feel for it, but adventure awaits friends!
