Road Trip!- Snow

[StG58]

New Year's day tradition...this year we went snow wheeling up by McGuire Reservoir. Only made it in so far this year because a special snowflake stopped in the middle of the road to put chains on. It was at the bottom of a fairly steep down hill with a sharp left hand turn at the bottom. Drop off on both sides. This special snowflake had trucks and "Yota's" stacked up like cord wood on both sides of him, including a huge Ford diesel dually sideways across the whole road. We decided to decline to participate in the cluster F*ck and headed around on some other roads to play in the snow elsewhere.

Anyway, here you go. I hope you enjoy these as much I enjoyed taking them.

 

[Chris]

Where is this at? I'm not familiar with the place at all.

Looks like that special snowflake ended up giving you a good excuse to go have some fun.

I love those morons who don't know how to drive in the snow. Oregon is fun of them, isn't it?

 

[StG58]

That's headed out the Little Nestucca Highway from Carlton. I was hoping that we could get out into the Coast Range a little further than we did. There's some pretty spectacular countryside out that way once you get across the coast range summit on that road. It's my backyard, so to speak.

I almost jabbed a sharp stick in my left eye. We were stopped to grab a bite to eat and a pair of TJ's motored past on the road. Very nice TJ's indeed. So the second one was a N.W. classic. 4 1/2" of lift, 33x12.50 A/T tires. Winch, bumpers, radios, rocker guards and corner armor...you know the build type. The wife watches this thing tool on by and turns to me with a big grin on her face. Then she says "I really like the way that Jeep looks." Coulda' just hurt myself at that moment.

 

[Chris]

Oh, okay, I know of that area then now that you mention it.

Well, it sounds like your wife now has been bitten by the Jeep "mod bug".

That's a very expensive bug to be bitten by... You and I both know that.

 

[StG58]

...and she's got a brick red JKU, remember? This is gonna hurt.

 

[Chris]

...and she's got a brick red JKU, remember? This is gonna hurt.

I thought TJs were expensive. I was looking at parts the other day for TJs... Holy hell. A Currie Currectlync for a TJ is about $515. For a JK it's $1200!

It's like double the cost for everything.

 

[derekmac]

That looks like my kind of wheeling!

 

[Ahoragi]

I thought TJs were expensive. I was looking at parts the other day for TJs... Holy hell. A Currie Currectlync for a TJ is about $515. For a JK it's $1200!

It's like double the cost for everything.

$515......damn. I got my Currie Steering for $350 back then. Damn price hikes.

 

[Chris]

$515......damn. I got my Currie Steering for $350 back then. Damn price hikes.

I got mine for like $400 I believe.

But yeah, the keep hiking up the price on everything (not just car parts). I guess that's inflation for ya!

 

[StG58]

That looks like my kind of wheeling!

Mine too. Love that stuff. We only get about two or three months of snow in the coast range every year, but it's great when we do. Once all the knuckleheads determine that they don't have the gear or skills to venture out in that stuff and clear out, it's a blast. I can head east and hit the high country of the cascades, but there are a lot fewer opportunities and a lot more risk. Think rock crawling in the snow.

There aren't a lot of ways in and out of the coast range up here. On the main road leading in, it's pretty easy for someone to block the road for an hour or two if they get stuck or stop in the wrong place. That's what happened New Years Day. Some inexperienced fool decided to stop on a hill with a sharp curve below them and put on chains. No visibility above or below. The next inexperienced fool came tooling along faster than they should and ditched it trying to avoid the first moron. Somebody coming up from below came around the corner and had to turn their truck sideways to avoid the ball up. That's three. After that is was just a free for all of stupidity. My running mate and I decided to just avoid the whole mess and turn back, grab a skid road, and play in the snow with the kids / grandkids. We did have a good time in any event.

There's a skid trail that heads off in front of my TJ in the fourth picture in the series. That's not atypical of the roads and trails around here. (hence my low and narrow build) If you poke your nose down those most don't go more than a few hundred yards. Occasionally one will take off down a creek valley or the side of a ridge line and go for miles. Those are the ones I like to mark on the GPS and map later. Most of the ones that go for miles are left over from a long time ago before all the logging companies went to high-lining. If you know what to look for they are an absolute blast all year round.

 

[JP98]

Looks like a great place to get away.

 

[StG58]

Looks like a great place to get away.

I love it because it keeps me sane, mostly.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

I need to get mine in the snow for sure.(but I'll have to travel quite a way) haha...looks like a beautiful part of the country. Nice pics StG58

 

[Chris]

I need to get mine in the snow for sure.(but I'll have to travel quite a way) haha...looks like a beautiful part of the country. Nice pics StG58

You guys get lots of snow down there?

 

[Kiwi TJ]

You guys get lots of snow down there?

Yes and No... New Zealand is split with a north island (where I am) and a South Island. From about the middle of the South Island down gets a some good dumps of snow in winter, plus some fantastic ski fields etc....Im in the North island and temps are pretty mild up here. We do have a ski field too but the snow is pretty central to just in that area. It’s about a 5 hour journey for me though so a trip down there would have to be well planned.