Come Join us on our upcoming 4wheeling Trip to Naches Pass Trail in Washington.
Date: October 24, 2009
Meeting Location: Naches Pass Trail – Greenwater, WA
Meeting Time: 9am
Who: Anyone!
Naches Pass Event
Some quick ground rules for all Gitout.com events: ensure your vehicle is in safe, reliable condition; no drinking or drugs on the trail; responsible care and respect for others.
Vehicle Requirements:
1. Reliable – Street Legal w/ Insurance
2. 31″ Traction Tires or larger
3. 2″ Lift or more
4. Tools and Recovery Equipment
The objective is to explore some great trails, enjoy fellowship and make new friends.
Join us on the forum for additional details and to confirm attendance!
Similar Posts:
- Off Road Event: McGrew Trail Oregon – June 26-28 2009
- Upcoming 4WD Event April 25, 2009: Reiter Trails Off Road – Washington
- Off Road Traction : Tire Air Pressure & Airing Down
Join the forum discussion on this post - (11) Posts
July 20 – August 3, 2009 – Road Trip Report
Destination: Denver, Colorado Springs, Ft Collins, Buena Vista, Fox Field, Durango, Colorado City — Colorado
Distance: 4,609 Miles
Attendees: Peter, Charlie
Day 1 (July 19): We gassed up and hit the hwy around 7am. Our destination was Salt Lake City, UT. “Ah Yeah” my 1986 4runner was loaded with camping gear, food, supplies and mt bikes. We made good time and crossed the border into Idaho in the early afternoon. Our progress was slowed when the truck’s alternator failed. Thankfully, Schuck’s Auto Supply had the part and we kept driving until night fall. We found a great camping spot right on the Salt Lake.
Day 2 (July 20): I got up early to replace the truck’s alternator and enjoyed an antifreeze shower (good times). We packed up and left for Salt Lake City, after stopping for supplies at Target we hit the hwy. We drove through a monsoon in Arizona. We arrived at the Grand Canyon North Rim that evening and setup camp.
Road Trip Utah
Day 3 (July 21): We spent the day exploring the North Rim, relaxing at the lodge and hiking trails.
(be sure to check out our “Grand Canyon” post for more details)
Day 4 (July 22): We packed up and headed towards the South Rim (240 miles). We stopped for a shower around the Marble Canyon Bridge. We arrived at the South Rim in the early afternoon and visited many view points. We found camping at the Ten-X campground.
Grand Canyon South Rim
Day 5 (July 23): We left the South Rim and headed towards Durango, Colorado. We stopped at 4 Corners for pictures. We found camping about 10 minutes from downtown Durango.
Day 6 (July 24): We went Mt Biking in Durango, relaxed at the river and attended the Durango Rodeo. Durango is an active city full of fun shops, restaurants and recreation. Definitely a favorite recreational destination.
Mt Biking Durango Colorado
Day 7 (July 25): We left Durango and drove towards Denver. Unfortunately, a storm slowed our progress when it flooded a small town and a landslide covered the road. We decided to stay in Colorado City instead.
Day 8 (July 26): We explored Bishop’s Castle which is located about 40 minutes from Colorado City. This is a must see destination if you visit Colorado. Jim Bishop has been building this castle single handed for the past 30+ years. He might be thought crazy but he demonstrates what one person can accomplish in a lifetime. After our tour we hit the hwy for Ft Collins, Colorado.
Bishop's Castle
Day 9 (July 27): We stayed with Charlie’s “Campus Crusade” friends in Ft Collins. We did some biking, exploring and hanging out. Special thanks to Scott “Addicted Off Road” for shop use.
Day 10 (July 28): We drove to Denver, CO and stayed in a hotel about 10 minutes east of downtown. We spent the day exploring downtown. We had dinner at Casa Bonita (fun mexican restaurant) and enjoyed a concert at a local venue.
Dinosaur Ridge
Day 11 (July 29): We explored Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rock. We then met up with Charlie’s relatives (Margi & Tom) in Fox Field, Colorado. We hung out, played games and watched a movie.
Day 12 (July 30): Margi took us about 40 minutes outside of Fox Field for some mt biking and she rode horse back; it was a fun, muddy time. Huge thanks to Margi & Tom for your incredible hospitality. Our stay was fabulous!
4wheeling Buena Vista Colorado
Day 13 (July 31): We left early for Buena Vista, Colorado. We met up with a group from YotaTech for the 4runner Jamboree. We had a blast exploring and 4wheeling the mountain peaks of Colorado.
Day 14 (August 1): We explored more trails and mines in Colorado. That evening we packed up and drove to Grand Junction, Colorado.
4wheeling Buena Vista
Day 15 (August 2): We began our drive to Nampa, Idaho. The 4runner ran out of gas in Utah; we pushed it for a mile or so until someone stopped and offered us some gas (thank you God). We arrived in Nampa in the evening and stayed with my friend Dan (thanks for the room!).
Day 16 (August 3): We drove home! Over 4,600 Mile Road Trip, Camping, Mt Biking, Hiking, 4wheeling and crazy times!
Check out our: Grand Canyon Adventure
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July 20-23, 2009 – Road Trip Report
Destination: Grand Canyon Arizona
Distance: 1,409 Miles
Attendees: Peter, Charlie
The Grand Canyon was the first major destination on our Colorado Road Trip. We arrived at the North Rim late Monday night July 20th and stopped at Jacob’s Inn for dinner. Jacob’s Inn is located at the junction of US 89A and SR 67, the gateway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (45 minutes away). Be sure to order the “Grand Bull Sandwich” it is touted as the best hamburger west of the Mississippi. Jacob’s Inn offers: lodging, restaurant, bakery and gift shop. www.jacoblake.com
We were under the impression that the North Rim was remote with less tourists; that assumption proved incorrect. Nearly every campground was full and the majority were reservation only. We stopped at the Kaibab Lodge located 5 miles from entrance to the Grand Canyon and asked about camping. www.Kaibablodge.com This guy came up to us and gave us directions to free camping.
Campsite directions from the lodge: drive 3/4 mile past the Kaibab Lodge towards the Grand Canyon, Left FSR 611, Right FSR 610, Left FSR 568, Right to dead end.
Grand Canyon North Rim Camping
Tuesday July 21st we cooked up some breakfast and drove to the North Rim of the canyon. There is a $25 vehicle entrance fee which allows access to the North and South Rim for 7 days. Visit here for more details: www.nps.gov
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is at over 8,000 ft and receives more rain and snow than the South Rim. Road closures are common during the winter months. Be prepared for cooler temperatures and heavy rains “monsoons”. We drove through a monsoon coming into the Grand Canyon; thankfully the weather was mild during the remainder of our stay (mid 70s).
We explored the various view points and relaxed in the North Lodge built in 1922. www.foreverlodging.com Our next destination was hiking the North Kaibab Trail; this trail winds along the North Rim with numerous viewpoints. This trail is located a couple miles before the North Lodge just off the main road (watch for signs).
North Kaibab Trail
We spent a second night at our free campsite and the next morning we packed up and began the 240 mile drive towards to South Rim. We stopped for showers at a small laundry mat by the Marble Canyon bridge; that’s a great place to stop for remote campers like us.
We arrived at the South Rim that afternoon and stopped at numerous view points and tourists stops including the Desert View Point. The South Rim is a HUGE tourist trap; there are shops everywhere and tons of people. Pushing through crowds and waiting to take photos at the view points isn’t much fun. Although, there are some amazing views and exceptional hikes depending on time constraints and physical conditioning. I liked the view of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim better whereas Charlie preferred the North Rim.
Grand Canyon South Rim
We found a great campground just outside of the South Rim entrance called “Ten-X” campground. There were plenty of sites available and only $10/night. TenX Campground – Other Camping
The campground host gave us recommendations for hikes and suggested that we view the Omni Theater Grand Canyon Tour. Omni Theater The Omni Grand Canyon tour was incredible; it’s definitely worth watching. We also had the opportunity to watch the sunset over the canyon. Take a look at the sunset schedule.
We departed from the Grand Canyon on July 23rd for Colorado.
Check out the: Colorado Road Trip
Similar Posts:
- Road Trip Report: Colorado 2009
Off Road, Camping, Biking, Hiking - Off Road Trip Report: Rubicon Trail 2009
Marlin Crawler Round up - Road Trip Report: Oregon Coast
Hwy 101 Beaches & Lighthouses
Tags: grand canyon, road trip
June 28-29, 2009 – Road Trip Report
Destination: Oregon Coast Beaches – Hwy 101 – Oregon
Distance: 370 Miles
Attendees: Peter, Lisa (sister)
Our Oregon Coast Beach Road Trip began Sunday afternoon in Cresent City, California. We crossed the border into Oregon and stopped for lunch at Harris Beach.
Harris Beach: Has the largest island off the Oregon Coast (“bird island”). The beach is clean and family friendly. There are plenty of things to do including: climbing on the rocks (recommend shoes not flip flops), bird watching, sea wildlife and more. We enjoyed our short stop here. Note to self: be sure to not lock your keys in the car! Thankfully Toyotas are easy to break into… Why do I lock it anyhow?
Whalehead Beach: This is a much more secluded beach. There are rocks and driftwood on the beach but still beautiful and quiet. We enjoyed our short stop here.
Arizona Beach: Is a quiet beach with plenty of hiking opportunities. It’s also a cold beach with the high summer temperatures only reaching the high 60s. It was windy too.
Bandon Beach: This is my second favorite beach on the Oregon Coast. The scenery is beautiful. The sand is clean and there is plenty of beach to hike. This was an excellent stop. Definitely worth the drive!
Umpqua River Lighthouse: Built in 1888. This was a fun stop. We didn’t go inside but enjoyed reading about it and enjoying the views.
Oregon Dunes: This is the place to visit for ultimate sand fun! Bring your sandrail and quads here. There is plenty of space to explore and have a blast. We checked out the views and dune map before finding a campground.
Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Beach Road Trip
We camped out at Sutton Campground just north of the Oregon Dunes. It’s a clean campground with restrooms, hiking trails, private campsites and $20/night. My sister Lisa camped in a tent while I slept in the truck on an air mattress. We enjoyed roasting marshmallows and exploring the beach trail.
Yakima Bay Lighthouse: This was one of our first stops on Monday morning. It’s a beautiful lighthouse with wonderful views.
Lincoln City Beach: We stopped shortly at this beach. It’s fairly crowed due to the discount shops and tourist attractions. The beach is mostly flat and lacks many hiking and exploration opportunities.
Pacific City (Kape Kiwanda): This is my favorite beach on the Oregon Coast. Some of the attractions include: vehicles permitted on the beach (I drove the 4runner on the sand), dorries (fishing boats), huge sand dune and many exploration opportunities. It’s beautiful here. Don’t tell anyone about it. It’s the hidden secrete of the Oregon Coast.
The views and scenery made this trip incredible. Feel free to share your comments and favorite beach spots!
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June 13, 2009 - Mt Bike Trip Report
Destination: Molalla River Corridor – Molalla Oregon
Attendees: Jason, Peter
The Molalla River Corridor is an incredible location to explore. The scenery is beautiful and it has much to offer including exceptional mountain biking trails. There are many trails to choose between ranging from intermediate to advanced.
Jason and I decided to ride a fairly extensive network of trails. We arrived in the early afternoon, unloaded our bikes and did some minor brake adjustments. Our goal was to find the more technical “advanced” trails and ride a loop back to the trail head. Our trails included: Huckleberry Trail, Rim Trail, Bear Woods Loop, Rim Tie Trail and Deer Skull Trail.
The initial gravel road from the trail head is fairly long and steep which gets the heart racing. We rode gravel roads to the rim trail which was the first in our series of trails. All of the trails here are single track which means they are narrow.
I would highly recommend the rim trail if you are looking for a technical trail. It has sections that are fast, roots, rocks, small drops, stream crossings and trees to maneuver around. There was one section of trail that we couldn’t ride up. Our tires were too muddy and the trail was steep, rocky and slick. We had fun attempting different lines though.
The bear loop was scenic and less technical. The deer skull trail was a bit disappointing in comparison to the rim trail and we felt it didn’t earn the advanced rating.
We had a great time and managed to escape without injuries or mechanical failures. I can’t wait for the next trip.
Total Distance: 8.8 miles
Total Time: 3:16:07
Average Speed: 5.7 mi/h
Max Speed: 28.5 mi/h
Min Elevation: 599 ft
Max Elevation: 1512 ft
Elevation Gain: 3433 ft
Max Grade: 9 %
Min Grade: -18 %
Feel free to post comments.