ok so here are some from our camping trip to Stoney Gorge. Mind you this was not a 4wd trip in fact besides trying to find a camping spot at east park I was not off road at all. Stoney Gorge is a free camp ground unless you want the group area which is still very cheap as is east park. paved until you get to the camp area and then very nice gravel. I had considered this as a meeting spot/camp for the long overland trip and still may. be a great spot to meet on friday and start from on saturday.
ok first image is the rain while it was sunny. the second is of my truck and the third was the lake toward the damn with my mutt in the mix. I would post some of the birds I photographed but there are just to many. We seen a mating pair of bald eagles, osprey, egrets, odd ducks, kill deer and many more. seem some deer, lots of beef and coyote. I have seen pigs here as well but not this trip.

 

i really like the third pic.

If you planing a trip john, you know im down for it.

 

yeah just tryin to get all my ducks in a row. got home from this trip and my fredge went out ruining several pounds of elk and beef, chicken and pork as well as 3 gallons of milk, cheese and the normal fridge stuff. Bought a new fridge and have to pay it off by the middle of next month or interest will start killing us.
plus the area I want to travel through just got an extra 6 inches of snow to top off the 3ft that was already there.

 

wooo... got the runner sold... so im game to go break in the tacoma...

someone better bring some tow straps tho, you might have to drag my ass over some stuff...

 

cool space-junk,

we will have plenty of recovery gear man, no worries.

 

how much did you sell the runner for, troy?

 

why'd you sell the 4runner? didn't you just swap in 4.88s and new 33s?

 

haha troy you sold the runner? at least you have a Taco though.glad to see your gonna make it man. lotsa recovery gear comming no worries.

 

yes, i sold the runner... no, i wont divulge what i got for it...

and i know that i just spent tons of money on gearing and tires, but selling it was worth it...

its time to start a new chapter of my life... and i will do that with a new girlfriend, a new job, a new truck, and a new outlook on life... in that order...

anyways, i MIGHT be there... it depends on my work schedule... which i get a week in advance... worse case scenario, ill call in sick... *cough* i think im starting to come down with something... *cough*

 

sounds like you got the outlook on life already Troy.As for the truck, don't really blame ya. love my runner but I keep looking at some of the newer toyotas. But dang you would think the steering wheel is made of gold. $30,000+ for a 1/4 ton pickup WTF are they thinkin. I can get a 1/2 ton for 33 grand

 

if i put things in order, the new girl friend would be at the vary vary end of that list.

 

hahaha Fairy some men prefer a fine woman
Well looks like it might be just me for the trip. We ran out of options for a babysitter so at least my truck will be semi light getting kind of jazzed since I had to cancel my camping trip to Cherry Lake this month due to having to fund the new refrigerator.

 

well that stinks, i was looking forward to finally meeting your lady and kid.

im getting really jazzed up to man, only a few weeks to go before the pre run

 

well I was not gonna bring the kido as she would be a bear to contend with on that long of a drive but had hoped Desiree would get to come. With all of the activities we have planned Sierra can come most times but any kind of extreme situations or very long drives is pretty well out. We do short drives through out the area up here and she does ok for the first 2 hours and then it is a stop every 30 minutes ordeal. only person we trust to watch her for that length of time is my dad and he is busy that weekend.

I need to get my Jerry can mounted though. Still working out the bugs of my design. once done it will hold the spare as well as the jerry cans in a split system using the TG as the base for the build. I "might" role topless for that weekend as I can feel the heat of the day already even at 9000ft

 

My springs came way way earlier than they said they would. They said may 14th or something and I got them this week. They didn't even email me that they had shipped they just were there one day. Works for me. I got them installed today. Took me about 4 hours solo. The thing rides way smoother and comes off of curbs super smooth. I haven't gotten to hit anything other than curbs and potholes but so far it's a big improvement. Plenty of room back there now for some larger tires.

Also heard back from my truck. Won $5,000 for it in small claims. Not what I was hoping to get but way way better than nothing. I should be able to get that money next month though it may be a bit late for the trip. Might just throw it at some bills.

 

that could be risky john, it tends to rain up there at night in that area during the part of the year.

cool, looks nice. some day ill get some new springs.

its good to know your taco was not a complete lose. Just make sure you enjoy spending the money, even if you do spend it on bills.

 

I will keep my eyes on the weather. If it appears to look like it is going to rain or have thunder storms i will leave the top on but if the weather man say 95 degrees and sunny at Tahoe the top comes off. you would be amazed at how much better this thing does with out the top. no dust, lighter on the rear, lower COG. which also translates to less spent gas because the AC is on because if i leave the windows down the dust kills me.
topless is always good!!! unless it is raining. got the cold taken care of. might find me a vinyl top so i do not get sun burnt.

 

im not saying that is the order i PLANNED on things happening... that is jsut the order that they actually happened... and im okay with it...

I already got to meet both of his beautiful ladies...
his little girl is definately gonna be a heart breaker in a few years...
She must get it from her mom...

i hear wabbit's bikinni top is pretty nice... im pretty sure he can get it shipped to you before the run too...

hell, maybe if you talk sweet to him he might give you a discount...

 

The bikini top is not going to help you in the rain. I have one of Wabit's, it is really nice. I use it every summer, but have gotten caught a couple of times during deer season in an early fall rain storm. Good thing the interior dries out in a few days.

My buddy was up in Tahoe over the weekend, he says there is still a lot of snow at the higher elevations. Will be interesting to see what the prerun finds out. If it was last spring the snow would have been gone by now. But, this year we have an above average snowfall.

I still do not have my sliders welded on the Runner. If I don't get them on for the run, is that a big deal with this trail? Too many other things in life coming up.

 

the pre run is close and i expect lots of snow. we will see when that time comes.

as for the sliders i have not seen anything on the tail that would require them. if you are lifted at all i would not worry about sliders. Snowhite dose not have sliders and cleared every thing fine.