Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

Wow, looks like fun and A LOT. Too much. With 16 days, pick a couple nearby ones and do those. I'd skip the "near DV" stuff, since it will be too hot.

What are you looking for in terms of "seeing stuff" vs. offroading? Ex.: Mt. Rainier is cool and has some great (if overpopulated) hikes, but there isn't a lot of offroading around it (in the immediate vicinity).

 

Looking mostly to see stuff, none of the people coming have seen or been to everything on the list, so primarily we want to explore and go see some stuff. Obviously there will be some off roading in Rubicon springs but at the same time we all have to drive back. I've encouraged everyone to bring spar parts. I'm actually bringing a spare drive shaft lol. It's going to be a lot of driving but that's normal my trips are usually in excess of 6k km in shorter time frames. That being said we manage to be parked and into the beer by 230 3pm most days. Helps when you're up at 5am. I was kinda hoping it was gonna be early enough in the year so that some desert stuff could be done. I've done the high deserts here but I know it's not the same and the key word is high, the more i dig into it the more Im conviced we would stick to the higher elevations and not venture too far from our vehicles. This is a group I've travelled with a lot so we've gotten pretty good at deciding on the fly if we have time for stuff or if we need to abort and find a new location. All that being said if we find somewhere that's 4x4 access and it's worth it no one will ever shy away just cause we have a long drive home

 

Got my KickAss Dual Battery System Today! Hopefully installing that and getting the wiring done for my ARB Dual Compressor this weekend.

 

Got it. Love that you've got your priority worked out - that's the downfall of a lot of trips where people don't have that. From a "see stuff" perspective, you've got a great list. A few things I'd recommend:

• Be sure to hike Mt. St. Helens (start at the visitor center, ~5 hour hike)
• For Shasta forest - skip most of it, but if you're heading up I-5, be sure to stop and hike (~6 hours) Castle Crags - up to the Crags, if you can. It's one of the most amazing places you'll see - as you hike up, and once you hit the top.
• DV - if you can drive Titus Canyon Rd (on the north east side, and one-way - east-to-west) or Goler Wash (south west side), do.
• When you're up in the WA area, if you can find a couple days to get to the Olympic Peninsula (Hurricane Ridge, Neah Bay), and to North Cascade Pass (and the lakes/dams there), you won't be disappointed.

 

Anyone try this out yet? Seems like a good concept, can add extra rain proofing and keep in some heat. Looks like several re-sellers are carrying them now. At different prices but they appear the same. May also help if your tent is getting older like mine to help protect the fabric.

CVT



Tepui


Tuff Stuff

 

Wicked man thanks for the suggestions. On my Vancouver island trip last summer we searched so long for a spot On the Pacific but most of the island is private or park very difficult to find stuff. So it's been a goal of mine to have the trucks parked along the Pacific for some camping because there's really nothing like it. We did a hike and just sat along the beach in the rain for an hour and a bit just watching. So I'll definitely look at poping along the coast more.

 

The tent flap was soo annoying. But less than the dog waking me up every half hour cause he didn't like the sound of the flapping. I know the hood does raise the inside temp considerably. Had a friend use it once in May he emerged looking like he slept in a sauna

 

Ya that would probably help. Let me know how it goes I'm on the fence about getting one. I'd use it for the snow but for the amount of times I get snowed on im not sure it's worth it... But then i wouldn't have to snuggle the dog as much sooo there's that

 

Ballin!!!... I looked at some campers etc a month or so ago, but ultimately the rtt still made the most sense for my usage I just went to the ruggedized. Although I really dig the pop up campers I just wish they weren't the wedge and 5gs lol

 

They look super cool. There's a local guy who's got one of those flip campers the company went out of buisness I think but the camper looks awesome not sure how it Is to live with though. I'm just not done bashing around the trails and stuff yet. I'd hate to lean a camper into a tree or rock. I've come dam close with the rtt. But I'm totally into seeing them on other rigs

 

Yeah, St. George, UT is only about 110 miles north of Vegas on I15. Skip right through Vegas, stop in Mesquite for a buffet at a casino, then about 40 miles to St. George. I don't have my Utah Gazeteer with me (which is a good thing to have), St. George BLM field office has a nice webpage. https://www.blm.gov/tag/st-george-field-office

 

Plenty to do in Colorado, but after July 4th if you want to try some extreme things like hiking to and fishing the cirque lakes along the Divide. Those cirque lakes are about the only place you'll find the native cutthroat trout. Flattops is a good destination and a fun drive, exit at Dotsero on I70, north twelve miles along the Colorado, then west again. Destination is Deep Lake, then you explore from there.

You can drop back down to that same road, follow it north along the Colorado and get to Yampa eventually, then you are on the north side of the Flattops. From Yampa you can head west over the pass into Buford, then east again to access the Flattops from the west side.

That is Trappers Lake road, so if you do that loop you have been to the two largest natural lakes in Colorado, Deep Lake and Trappers Lake. Trappers Lake is where the CDOW has their cutthroat trout breeding area, unlimited bag for brookies, they want the brookies out of there, and there is some damn big brookies in that lake. Happy travels.

 

Same, I've had the rain fly in storage for several years now as it is unbearable trying to sleep with it on even with a tiny amount out wind. This setup seems way more aerodynamic

 

Look a lot like rollbar clamps.

 

Dogs are not allowed on any of the trails in Anza-Borrego, you'll have to leave your hairy companion at the campground.

 

He's being left at home. Are you talking hiking trails though cause that seems really weird

 

Big fan of the @Cascadia Tents Cold Weather Cover. I’ve used it well below freezing and makes a difference. Also have used it to muzzle the rain fly in windy conditions. Packs up the size of a small backpack so I always have it with me.

 

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/anza-borrego desert state park magazine.pdf

They say you can walk them on the roads, not on the hiking trails. Same thing in many of the National Monuments in Utah, no dogs on the hiking trails

 

Wow you guys have a lot of rules lol... Ya we are leaving him behind for this trip cause we weren't 100% on which trip we were doing and there's a bunch of paperwork and apparently he's forbbiden most places and nothing is worse than an angry husky Shepard cause he's not getting his walks lol

 

Yah, that's why I look for BLM land camping, less rules.