The Fellowship of PNW Tacomas | PDX Area Wheeling

Oh trust me. I LOVE SNOW.... just no reason to leave and we had more freezing rain last night so I just choose to stay home

 

Maybe not now given the recent storm, but new to the area(PDX) and would love to get out on some fire roads. By no means aggressive off-road if, just something to get out and into some quiet and secluded nature. Ideally scout camping spots. Either east towards Hood or west toward costal range.
I know that’s like asking a butcher for some meat, but we don’t have any recovery gear and don’t want to go bee-bopping around in unknown territory.

Also. This storm was awesome.

 

Enjoy it... only happens every couple of years depending on where you live in the metro area

Also read up on MT hood closures. Most trails around Mt hood close down DEC 1 and turn into snowmobile and cross country skiing trails

 

I can't. I just can't with some of these folks here. What the hell? Lol.

 

Welcome to the the thread! Stick around we will have another meet up sooner or later. In the mean time if you want to get out before then it's not hard to do relatively safely. Once the snow clears some anyway. There are countless miles of forest roads in Tillamook state forest. Many of the forest roads are easy enough most vehicles can do them without too much trouble. I have yet to see a forest road a stock Tacoma cannot tackle with ease.

As for recovery gear, some basics will get you far if you're careful. First you need an OHV permit and a fire extinguisher to be legal. They do permits checks sometimes, so don't skip this. It's cheap and supports the trails. Next up, get a shovel. A shovel will get you out of many situations if you put some thought and work into it. Then get yourself some 2"x8" lumber and cut it up into 2' lengths. With a shovel and some planks you are far ahead of many people. There is a lot more gear you can get, but with these basics you will be off to a good start. Be sure to bring plenty of water, and some food with you, just in case you do get stuck or break down. A blanket is always a good idea also. Fill up before you leave the pavement. A full tank is the only way to start off.

Then if you head out near browns camp area, you can wander around for hours without leaving forest roads. If you aren't comfortable with that, no worries. There is so much great info on this forum you can find if you look around. Check out the recovery section in off road and trails and you can learn a lot.

There is also a lot of great info on youtube. Beware though there is much bad info as well. Check out Ronny Dahl's channel. Don't think I have ever heard him say something I really disagree with.

 

Killer info! Thank you so much!

 

Dumb question. Is the ATV permit on Oregon’s state parks website the correct permit?

 

Yes it is, class 2.
https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/ATV/Pages/ATV-Classifications.aspx

 

You are too kind. Thank you!

 

Took the 'stuck at home' day to get working on installing my winch/bumper.



About 3/4s done.

 

A formal hello to all of you. I've been lurking this thread for a while and even offering opinions. I've forgotten to introduce myself. So here we go.

I'm in Gresham and almost always roll with my better half and son (he's currently 4). I work bankers hours. We go out most weekends and 'daycamp', or as friends that have joined us call it 'tailgate the woods'. With the fire damage we've moved our trips north to Lolo pass and north of Stevenson. I'm always on the look out for quarries, backstops places with 200+ yard lanes. I really enjoy having a fire and hanging out up Lolo and seeing who I can try to recover from the snow.

I've got a 2018 off-road with a winch, tow strap, traction boards, shovels, high lift, chainsaw, axe, a mattock and target stands with me most days. I tend to be a conservative 4 wheeler because I tend to be a solo truck with my family in it. I'd rather recover others than get my family stuck.

I'm mildly mechanically inclined and may volunteer to help on any Eastside project days just to learn a bit more. I'm hoping to self install a full suspension install in a driveway this spring... It doesn't seem too hard in the videos right? If anyone wants to help me restore a '55 Bel Air I've always got that project in the background.

So that's me. I've been kicking around the Mt Hood national forest for 30 years and branching into Gifford pinchot as the population expands. Drop me a line if you need anything, otherwise maybe some day I'll see you at a meetup.

 

Nice! Pretty much what I'm doing too. Family wheeling hard hard, heh.

 

MetalTech? Looks awesome!

 

TBH? Out your way Eagle Creek is really, really nice.

 

Looks like I’m not the only one with M-F and weekend trips with kids, eh?

 

Yeah, it's the metaltech. Got the winch all the way done, the rest is just the bumper and a bunch of trimming (and wife wants the hoop). And then electricals.

 

Their sliders are on my very short list.

 

Yeah right now I just have the winch direct wired - gotta add some relays and maybe a dual battery setup, not sure.

 

I’ve spent the better part of today watching different electrical videos for wiring in Breaker/Fuse block and running power to the bed. It’s all just a 12v blur at this point of the night.

A second battery does sound nice once you start running that winch though.

 

Nice intro!
I’m in a similar situation. Have 7 year old and 4 year old. We usually day camp along with my sister in law and her husband. I’ve been cruising the Mt hood forest for 30+ years. Although so much has been closed down.

Look forward to meeting you on a run someday. I usually bring at least one of the kids.