***New Member Introductions***

[Sean Bonick]

Welcome fellow jeeper,
That's a good looking rig you have there Marine.
Thank you for you dedication and service to our country.
I believe we are the only two jeeps in the group.
I have a built 05 wrangler 2 door 4" lift on 35's with 88's in the lockers.
See you on the trails.

 

[OTG Ben]

Welcome fellow jeeper,
That's a good looking rig you have there Marine.
Thank you for you dedication and service to our country.
I believe we are the only two jeeps in the group.
I have a built 05 wrangler 2 door 4" lift on 35's with 88's in the lockers.
See you on the trails.

There's definitely a lot more jeepers out there... they must all be lurking!
But I officially joined the FCA / Stellantis fam... but not a jeep

 

[LCPOWCREW]

Hello All - Aaron here from the town of Novato in the SF Bay Area. Born in Lake Tahoe (Truckee)…it is still one of my favorite places in the world. Currently driving a 200 Series Land Cruiser and previously had a GX, as well as a 100 Series. Now that my kids have better things to do than hang with mom and dad (17 and 20 year olds)…you will find me, my wife, and pup exploring Northern CA. Avid camper, backpacker, fly fisherman, skier, and mountain biker looking for adventures. Heading to Alabama Hills, in late November, on the way home from picking up our new OGT Expedition 2.0 trailer. Looking forward to connecting with this community and exploring some of the incredible routes Ben has put together.

 

[Mutt Wagon]

Hello All - Aaron here from the town of Novato in the SF Bay Area. Born in Lake Tahoe (Truckee)…it is still one of my favorite places in the world. Currently driving a 200 Series Land Cruiser and previously had a GX, as well as a 100 Series. Now that my kids have better things to do than hang with mom and dad (17 and 20 year olds)…you will find me, my wife, and pup exploring Northern CA. Avid camper, backpacker, fly fisherman, skier, and mountain biker looking for adventures. Heading to Alabama Hills, in late November, on the way home from picking up our new OGT Expedition 2.0 trailer. Looking forward to connecting with this community and exploring some of the incredible routes Ben has put together.

Those trailers are pretty sweet looking! Hello from the south bay

 

[OTG Ben]

Hello All - Aaron here from the town of Novato in the SF Bay Area. Born in Lake Tahoe (Truckee)…it is still one of my favorite places in the world. Currently driving a 200 Series Land Cruiser and previously had a GX, as well as a 100 Series. Now that my kids have better things to do than hang with mom and dad (17 and 20 year olds)…you will find me, my wife, and pup exploring Northern CA. Avid camper, backpacker, fly fisherman, skier, and mountain biker looking for adventures. Heading to Alabama Hills, in late November, on the way home from picking up our new OGT Expedition 2.0 trailer. Looking forward to connecting with this community and exploring some of the incredible routes Ben has put together.

Thanks for the kind words! We're just down the highway from you in Central Marin SA/Fairfax area.

 

[kazkat308]

Hi everyone,

My name is Kaz. I live in San Pedro. Just bought a new Jeep Wrangler JLU and looking to do some overlanding with it. However, I am very new to off-roading over landing stuff. Any suggestion or tips would be appreciate it. Interested in going to the Anza Borrego area and Eastern Sierra but not really sure exactly which route to take… hoping to find some routes/maps in this community.

 

[OTG Ben]

Hi everyone,

My name is Kaz. I live in San Pedro. Just bought a new Jeep Wrangler JLU and looking to do some overlanding with it. However, I am very new to off-roading over landing stuff. Any suggestion or tips would be appreciate it. Interested in going to the Anza Borrego area and Eastern Sierra but not really sure exactly which route to take… hoping to find some routes/maps in this community.

Welcome Kaz! Funny you mention Anza-Borrego. I'm actually working on the video route guide from our trip down there last February (I know I know, I've been sitting on this video footage for way too long). The Anza-Borrego route we put together's a really fun one, and we'll be releasing a few routes in the eastern sierra later this year as well

 

[kazkat308]

Welcome Kaz! Funny you mention Anza-Borrego. I'm actually working on the video route guide from our trip down there last February (I know I know, I've been sitting on this video footage for way too long). The Anza-Borrego route we put together's a really fun one, and we'll be releasing a few routes in the eastern sierra later this year as well

Oh nice! Can’t wait for the vids to come out!

 

[pramjockey]

Hello!

I'm Luc, from Denver CO. My wife and I have done a good amount of camping and offroading, and so combining these into longer trips seems like a win/win. I currently drive an '18 Tacoma with a 3" lift and OME rear spring swapout and a good amount of trail damage protection. We're currently looking at a spring break trip to do the route through Death Valley. Neither of us has been through the valley, so I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to see that country. Looking forward to learning from the community and seeing what other great runs could lay in front of us!

 

[OTG Ben]

Hello!

I'm Luc, from Denver CO. My wife and I have done a good amount of camping and offroading, and so combining these into longer trips seems like a win/win. I currently drive an '18 Tacoma with a 3" lift and OME rear spring swapout and a good amount of trail damage protection. We're currently looking at a spring break trip to do the route through Death Valley. Neither of us has been through the valley, so I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to see that country. Looking forward to learning from the community and seeing what other great runs could lay in front of us!

Death Valley is amazing. My only problem with the park is that it's so vast, it always leaving me wanting more time to explore! The Trona Desert Trail is another route that also goes into DV. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can easily do the second half of the Trona Desert Trail and connect that with the Death Valley Adv Route.

 

[pramjockey]

Death Valley is amazing. My only problem with the park is that it's so vast, it always leaving me wanting more time to explore! The Trona Desert Trail is another route that also goes into DV. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can easily do the second half of the Trona Desert Trail and connect that with the Death Valley Adv Route.

Thank you so much for the information about Trona Desert trail - I'll definitely take a look.

If you don't mind, do you (or anyone else for that matter) have any thoughts on whether it makes any difference starting from the north or the south? Coming from Denver, it's about 15 hours to Independence, and 12 to Baker. Either way, we'll have to stop and camp somewhere on the way. I'm wondering if it makes more sense to come in from the north, camp in Utah, and then come out reasonably close (a few hours) to a major metro area in case we've done something bad to the truck. But if the trip is really one-way, we can make that work as well.

 

[DavidinPhx]

Greetings -- David from Phoenix here. This is a GREAT resource. Just found it a few months ago (I'm a little late in my intro!) and used parts of the KOFA route recently. Currently planning a San Rafael Swell trip. FWIW -- posted a question on the Trip Planning subforum to see if anyone had a height measurement for the I70 tunnel underpasses, cause my new rig is a bit tall . . .

I've been taking a vehicle where it doesn't belong for 35+ years all over the west. Started with my friends CJ7 (when it was the new model ) in Big Bend, a Bronco, and multiple 2wd trucks. Just finally sold my built 4x4 '09 Tacoma and quit tent camping to keep my achy back happy. Just finished building out a '21 Tundra (34s, Icons, 4.88s, front and rear lockers, skids) and an Ovrlnd poptop camper shell. Still getting used to the size, but it's getting me there and back. I'm looking forward to trying some more of these routes. Thanks for getting this resource together, Ben!

 

[offroadkid]

Hello all! The three of us are new members! I'm Joshua, my wife Shalon (pronounced Allen with an SH) and our dog Atlas!

I found OTG on YouTube and really enjoyed the mellow vibe and it seems like the group of people that go on the trips are easy to spend time with!

We live in El Dorado Hills, Ca off 50 between Folsom and Placerville. We moved up here in 2005 and have owned and built up 5 different Land Cruisers for exploring), (1992, 1997, 1998, 1997 1999 LX 470, and now currently building up a 2011 GX 460). We also have a Sprinter Van we designed and built to explore and camp in. It is great to go on some trails but due to its size can't go on all the ones we like.

Some of our favorite places to explore are off of Highway 4, 88, 89, and 395! Favorite trails include Corral Hollow, Forestdale Rd, Deer Valley Strawberry Pass, and Pardoes.

It's been a while since we have been on our favorite trails, we haven't been on Strawberry Pass, Corral Hollow, Deer Valley or Pardoes since 2006. The GX will be finished soon and I can't wait to take it out and see how it does. According to the El Dorado National Forest website it looks like the trials we like will be opening March 31.

"CALDOR FIRE AREA CLOSURE - The area is Temporarily Closed through March 31, 2022 due to the Caldor Fire suppression, repair and BAER activities."

 

[offroadkid]

Good day!
Matt from Monte Sereno Ca. My 2019 4Runner and I have about 80K and counting, we've covered a lot of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and always up for a road-trip. Dream trips = Baja & Alaska so count me in if planning a trip.

Matt from Monte Sereno!! My parents lived there until they sold in 2004! I miss the house and the area, but whenever I go back to the bay area I do a drive-by! Nice looking 4Runner! I'm sure we will meet on a trail somewhere!

 

[j2dxplr]

Hi Everyone!

My husband, Jeremy, the driver and me, Jacq, the co-pilot / spotter started getting into the offroad and overlanding lifestyle summer of 2021 after we got our 2021 Jeep JLUR, we call it Nacho Honey Badger. Our adventure pup, Zyra, an ACD mix goes with us everywhere.

We have been mountain biking and RV camping (full time and part-time) for the last 15+ years. Overlanding opened up a whole new way to explore all the places we have been and beyond. We can't wait to meet fellow like minded friends and meet up to do some moderate and difficult trails.

We are based out of Tempe, Arizona, and we are on FB, IG and YouTube.

 

[Recon1]

Thats a good looking Jeep! I wanted a "Nacho" Gladiator but they are hard to find... had to settle with the Crystal Grey.

 

[Hbsurfdad]

New member here.

My name is Troy, I live in Huntington Beach, and I just bought a 2022 MB 4x4 144 sprinter to do some exploration with the wife, and as a base camp for motorcycling. Never really did the overland thing but I have been a motorcycle adventure/trail rider for 6 years now. I have done multi day camping rides in CA, NV, and Utah and really enjoyed them but my wife would never consider joining.

We did our first day trip yesterday, going out to the Husky monument via Cuddyback, over the north route to inscription canyon, then out to the OG Del Taco in Barstow. 80 miles of dirt and the wife had a blast. I really knew the trails from all the motorcycle rides ("whoops coming up after this tree/turn", or "watch the sand" was said to the wife more than once), but the Van made it like new again for me and the wife was excited to see what I was always babbling about.

Looking forward to learning and growing.

 

[jay671sm-6918]

Hello everyone! Myself my wife and our dog are a few years away from retiring, but get out any time we get the chance. We're 30 minutes East of Tahoe in the Carson Valley and are having fun exploring anything we have time to get to.
We started in our 08 Subaru Outback a few years ago and transitioned into our 06 f350 9' cab/chassis truck. It's a typical rig always getting something fixed, changed, or added lol!
It has a 2020 FWC Hawk flatbed on a custom steel (heavy) flatbed. Solar/ 200 ah lithium. Chinese diesel heater. 3.5" Carli Pintop suspension. 37" stt pro's. Other stuff we put on and in it .
We love it and it's taken great care of us over the last year+.
We're getting into backpacking currently. We enjoy mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing, snow shoeing, amateur photography and just goofing off outdoors in general.
Once retired, we're full time traveling in this rig to see what we can see.

 

[OTG Ben]

Looks like we need to get some more adventures down in the Southwest with all of the folks from AZ joining! One of our good friends moved to Prescott recently, and he's been bugging us as well.

 

[OTG Ben]

Hello everyone! Myself my wife and our dog are a few years away from retiring, but get out any time we get the chance. We're 30 minutes East of Tahoe in the Carson Valley and are having fun exploring anything we have time to get to.
We started in our 08 Subaru Outback a few years ago and transitioned into our 06 f350 9' cab/chassis truck. It's a typical rig always getting something fixed, changed, or added lol!
It has a 2020 FWC Hawk flatbed on a custom steel (heavy) flatbed. Solar/ 200 ah lithium. Chinese diesel heater. 3.5" Carli Pintop suspension. 37" stt pro's. Other stuff we put on and in it .
We love it and it's taken great care of us over the last year+.
We're getting into backpacking currently. We enjoy mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing, snow shoeing, amateur photography and just goofing off outdoors in general.
Once retired, we're full time traveling in this rig to see what we can see.

Running a Carli pintop setup on my Ram full ton as well. You'll have to give me some pointers on navigating a full size truck on the trail. I'm still acclimating coming from a land cruiser!!