Let's see your Tacos in scenic places!

In general, I'm sort of between Mike and those who rely on the software-as-a-service apps. I hate them as passionately as he does, and I don't use Gaia (which I considered briefly) or OnX (which I hear is sort of crap, but they have lots of budget to pay influencers to say is great), but I do like to try to plan at least "general" routes through an area - mostly to help me get unlost in the inevitable case that I become lost.

It's all manual, like paper maps, but gives you some "insurance" on a device of at least "where you planned to be." Anyway, I put together my approach to route planning here: https://adventuretaco.com/guides/route-planning

And my approach to actually sharing those routes/locations, here: https://adventuretaco.com/guide/do-you-have-a-gpx-for-that/

@TacoTuesday1 @BeeRadd

 

Went clam digging today in Ocean Park, WA. Perfect weather!

 

Your method seems to deliver great results, based on your excellent adventure photography

 

I like Gaia. It saves me time in not having to fiddle with a paper map to figure out if I'm making the correct turn, especially for those ones that are right off the highway and unmarked. That being said, I always keep a paper map as backup.

 

Agree. I’m generally not a fan of subscriptions. Gaia has a few different membership tiers. Their “premium” allows you to download maps for use offline, and a lot more mapping layers available. Pretty sure there is a layer showing BLM, federal, state, and private land boundaries. I’m not the most tech savvy, so still learning. Made it worth it for my use. That being said, I always keep the paper maps handy. Whether it’s a actual map, or even one of the Funtreks books.

 

100%. Between @turbodb and @mk5 ive had countless hours of enjoyment and daydreaming. Their pics and trip reports are a great motivation to my planning.

 

Jump Creek, ID

 

couple shots from a recent trip to moab

 

This from recently? How's the snowmelt/mud out that direction these days?

 

That was maybe two weeks ago. No snow at all in the valley and foothills. I heard up by Bogus and towards Robbie Creek it was still snowpack though, probably not for much longer. We're having an actual rainy season this year. Even with that I went right after a big storm and couldn't find a patch of mud to save my life lol. I'm sure there's some good spots but I'm just barely getting into off road shenanigans. This is probably the most technical trail I've been on and the taco didn't even flinch. I flexed out in one spot, stuffed a back wheel and everything and had to use some momentum+slightly different line since I don't have lockers. I was hugely impressed with what my little SR5 could handle.

 

@ragua007 and the BEST companion as well!!!

 

Took a trip to Death Valley this week, but never actually got there. Such is the risk of following whim.



A nice view over Saline Valley... and look, a bird!

I probably spent 20 minutes just trying to take a picture of one of these little flitting birds.



I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but it was colorful!



Now we're in San Lucas canyon looking at flowers. And look close, there's another little bird up in the left corner...



Pretty sure this one is a different species.

Then over to Owens Valley...



The next bird I saw was a bat in a mine tunnel, so I ran away like a terrified child instead of taking pictures! Here is a picture of a lizard instead:



His name was Sven.

 

SIIICCCKKKK SHOTTTT

 

looks like an exotic animal in the wild!!
Great pic!!

 

Santa Fe National Forest 9500 feet. Taking a break from the heat.

 

Snow just up the road, thunderstorms with hail later, in the 30's tomorrow night.

 

Violet-green swallow

 

Hills north of Mt St Helens, WA state. First time on a real dirt road.

 

My 2015 TRD Off-Road in Lahaina, HI.