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Everything posted by 4x4tographer
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That was my Jeep - it saw the obstacle and peed a little. 😁
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ANNOUNCING the 2024 ORP EVENT LINEUP
4x4tographer replied to 4x4tographer's topic in Trip & Event Planning/Sign-up
Here's a breakdown of the trips, with dates, and the trip leaders. More trips will be added throughout the year for both Club-only and basic members! Be sure to check out the Adventures page for a complete listing of all planned trips! January 6 JAN | ORP Holiday Party Leader: @theksmith 20 JAN | Brooklyn Mine Road | Day Run Leader: @gearhead February 3 FEB | Crown King | Day Run Leader: @4x4tographer 17 FEB | Hackberry Creek | Day Run Leaders: @gearhead & @theksmith March 15 - 17 MAR | KOFA | Overland Leaders: @shellback91 & @gearhead April Stay tuned! May 4 - 7 MAY | Hole in the Rock, UT | Overland Leader: @theksmith June 6 - 9 JUN | Silver State Trail | Overland Leaders: @shellback91 July 30 JUN - 6 JUL | Ouray | Multi Day Leader: @shellback91 August 9 - 11 AUG | Sycamore / Volunteer Canyon | Overland Leader: @shellback91 18-22 AUG | Rubicon Trail | Overland Leaders: @4x4tographer & @theksmith These are the target trip dates for the Rubicon Trail September 6 - 8 SEP | Dirt Formal Gala Leader: @theksmith 15 - 19 SEP | Rubicon Trail | Overland Leaders: @4x4tographer & @theksmith These are the back-ups dates for the Rubicon Trail October Stay tuned! November 15 - 17 NOV | Bradshaw Trail | Overland Leader: @shellback91 December Stay tuned! -
Hello everyone! Excited to announce the Offroad Passport Club's 2024 Event Lineup! There are 12 official events on the 2024 itinerary! Many are multi-day overland style adventures, along with day/night runs, the Holiday Party and the 15th Annual Dirt Formal Gala (which is returning to the Cinders for 2024!) Trail ratings range from easy to extreme, and are located primarily in Arizona, though we'll also visit California, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah! Some trips are live NOW - others will be posted and opened for sign-ups as the year goes on. Be sure to check out the Adventures section of the site from time to time to keep on top of the latest! Massive thanks to all of the club members who stepped up and volunteered to plan and lead these trips. These folks were willing to commit to leading their adventures well in advance so that other ORP members can plan ahead. We also try to have a full year's worth of events on the calendar so prospective new members can see what a vibrant and active club this is! Most of these trips are open to members of the Offroad Passport Club only, so if you haven't upgraded yet - don't miss out! The Holiday Party and the Dirt Formal Gala are open to any basic members.
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Massive thanks to @kaspily/@Bradywgn71 for these great photos of the Jeep in action in Smasher Canyon ❤️
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Awesome day on the trails with @theksmith @kaspily @Bradywgn71 @gmookher! Massive thanks to @theksmith for planning/leading this rock crawling adventure. Great seeing @Curly and Mrs. Curly at breakfast! That was a nice surprise. 😊 We even had a @Eugene sighting - Cottonwood was an ORP magnet today! *click on any photo for the full-resolution image* The road out to Smasher. Ledge, ledges and more ledges! From mild to wild, there's something for everyone. Plenty of rock gardens to keep you on your toes. "The Squeeze" was filled with loose boulders. No room for error on this one - literally 2-3 inches away from fender damage. Note the broken window glass on the ground at the top of the ledge. A look back at Mingus. More ledges! Our lunchtime views Look closely and you'll spy the Verde Canyon Railroad tracks.
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[CLUB] The Rubicon Trail *BACK-UP DATES* | EXTREME 4x4 | Near Lake Tahoe, California
4x4tographer posted a calendar event in Community Calendar
untilThese are the BACK-UP dates for the Rubicon Trail trip. The primary dates are 8/18 - 8/22. Sign-Up & Details: Event sign-ups coming soon! Check back soon. Note this is an Offroad Passport Club members-only event. View membership options → -
[CLUB] The Rubicon Trail | EXTREME 4x4 | Near Lake Tahoe, California
4x4tographer posted a calendar event in Community Calendar
untilThis is the primary date for this trip. A back-up trip date is set for 9/15 - 9-19. Sign-Up & Details: Event sign-ups coming soon! Check back soon. Note this is an Offroad Passport Club members-only event. View membership options → -
[CLUB] Backway to Crown King | MODERATE | Near Lake Pleasant
4x4tographer posted a calendar event in Community Calendar
A trip to CK is made awesome with the winter weather and a good amount of (hopefully) flowing streams from snowmelt! In running the trail once a year, it's amazing to see how the trail changes in those 1 year snapshots. I've seen it in snow, sun, rain, and cloud - from mild and 60 to freezing and 30. Winter normally makes for a slightly less-traffic'd trail as well as many of our SXS friends won't brave the cold morning temps. If you're a Jeep-owner, this is an official Jeep Badge of Honor trail. Jeep recently expanded their BoH offering in Arizona, with 3 trails represented (Table Mesa and Schnebly Hill are the other 2). If you're unfamiliar with the program, click here. Trail Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult This trail "changes" all of the time depending upon wear/weather. There are multiple (7) obstacles, all but 1 (to my knowledge) have a bypass. Vehicle Recommendations: 2"+ flexy lift, skid plates on important areas such as transfer-case & gas-tank, sliders/rock-rails, aftermarket differential covers, high-clearance metal bumpers, low axle gearing, 4:1 transfer case, 35"+ tires. Sign-Up & Details: Event sign-ups coming soon! Check back soon. Note this is an Offroad Passport Club members-only event. View membership options → -
Hi Frank! Nice to “meet” you and welcome back! @WILL E frequents Bulldog on the weekends. He might be out there too!
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Mogollon Rim Discovery Route - Fall 2023
4x4tographer replied to 4x4tographer's topic in Trip Reports & Photos
If you're interested in submitting it - you can find the submission form here: https://www.trailreconcookbook.org 100% of the proceeds are going to benefit Operation Homefront, which is a charity that helps military families. -
Mogollon Rim Discovery Route - Fall 2023
4x4tographer replied to 4x4tographer's topic in Trip Reports & Photos
Hey @Mick Bowers you on Facebook? TrailRecon wants to know if you'll share your camp spaghetti recipe 😊 -
Frankly, I think they're pretty absurd, childish, and obnoxious. I want one. 😁
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Back fresh from another adventure with a great group of folks, exploring the wonders of the Mogollon Rim! @theksmith @LaZorraRoja+Grace and @Mick Bowers We met up at 10am at the PIE Bar in Strawberry, a fun little outdoor restaurant that specializes in empanadas (hand pies). There are probably 20 savory selections and about 10 sweet selections along with 5-6 dipping sauce options. Good music, a nice outdoor seating area, and just 2 minutes from fuel in the town of Pine - PIE Bar was a great meeting location for a Rim Road adventure. The vast majority of our path took us along well-groomed forest roads. However, we did list the "ORP-Famous" Just a Forest Road. Also known as Clover Springs. Just a Forest Road lived up to its name, with plenty of bumpy sections. The road has certainly changed over the last 4 years, with my memory of it being quite different and more technical than in the past. There are also at least 2 new "by-passes" around some particularly bumpy sections. A welcome change (except we chose to take the bumpy way out!). The rest of our time on the trails was spent on easy-going dirt roads. Total mileage was ~120 miles, broken into roughly equal parts of about 40 miles per day. The small group and easy trails made for pretty quick days, with us arriving at camp rather early each day, leaving plenty of time for relaxing and hanging out by the campfire. On this adventure we took in the sights at: Milk Ranch Point Battleground Ridge General Cabin Myrtle Point Blue Ridge Reservoir The Mogollon Rim For our first night, we camped out overlooking the rim on our way towards Milk Ranch Point. We had a HUGE camp site all to ourselves and a nice view. We set up a potable fire ring near the edge so we could take in the views while we kept each other company around the fire. @Mick Bowers and his famous camping spaghetti! @LaZorraRoja's pup, Mochi, kept a close eye on everyone. While cooking dinner, the moon rose over the Rim. Friday night, we had pretty "mild" temperatures dipping down to about 42 degrees. Day 2 - The sun put on a heck of a show in the morning while cooking breakfast. After breaking down camp, we made our way down to Milk Ranch Point to take in panoramic views of the valleys below. On the way back we stopped by Dickinson Flat, a meadow that plays host to a famous aerial landmark you may has seen when flying into Phoenix. We also stopped by a few overlooks along the way. General Cabin - an old cabin used by the Forest Service. We also visited Battleground Ridge - the site of an ill fated ambush by Apache warriors from the San Carlos Reservation on the US Army. About 20 Apache were killed in the attack. You can still see the remains of the rock walls the Apache built to hide behind during the ambush. We made it to camp around 3pm - here was our view from our Saturday night campground - one of the "fingers" of the Blue Ridge Reservoir. Camp was on a cliff about 400ft above the water. The sunset lighting up the hills and trees Two Wise Guys crackin' jokes! Moonrise, over the trees. We had 2 back-to-back moonlit nights! Moonrise over the lake. Night 2 was much colder - we dipped down to about 35 degrees. The campsite had a well-built fire rig that did a good job reflecting the heat towards us, making for a pretty comfortable evening of social banter! Sunday morning sun! We woke up to 35 degree temps, and the sun rose shortly after - allowing us to take in some radiant heat! Sunday was all about getting to the 260 to get home. We spent about 2-2.5 hours on the trail, stopping here and there to take in the views. All in all - a great trip with great people. I had a blast hanging around the fire and getting to know everyone better, trading jokes, stories, talking rigs, and just relaxing. Already looking forward to the next adventure!
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yeah buddy! Those are awesome.
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DIY propane campfire box
4x4tographer replied to theksmith's topic in All Other Activities, Gear & Resources
Something like this, just not grossly overpriced. -
DIY propane campfire box
4x4tographer replied to theksmith's topic in All Other Activities, Gear & Resources
Damn dude, that’s awesome! Watch out Ignik! Maybe consider pairing that up with a fold-flat heat reflector. Might allow the more efficient burn setting to give you some better heat. -
Hello everyone! Looking forward to hanging out with you this weekend. @Mick Bowers @theksmith @LaZorraRoja @Zavala Here are a few reminders: THE MEET-UP: When: Friday, October 27th @ 10:00am Where: PIEbar AZ 5096 AZ-87, Strawberry, AZ 85544 (map) We will meet up for a late breakfast at PIEbar AZ! PIEbar AZ is a local favorite in Strawberry, specializing in hand made empanadas. EMPANADAS = hand pies! The comfort food you hold in your hand! (Menu) (Photos & Information) **Please arrive with a full tank of gas** The nearest gas station is a Chevron located just down the road in Pine (map) RADIO COMMS GMRS channel 20 (462.675 MHz) DON'T FORGET TO PACK! Please bring a bundle or 2 of firewood - it will be chilly at night Dress for the weather (see latest forecast) Your camping junk! Warm bedding Meals 2 breakfasts 3 Lunches 2 Dinners Snacks Bring MORE water than you think you need (dosing fires, emergencies) First Aid Kit Fire Extinguisher Recovery gear / traction aid THE LATEST FORECAST Looking like sun, clear skies, and some fall chill in the air!
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Maintenance Day - 63,800 miles! Ran up to the brand new Autozone that just held its Grand Opening today in our neighborhood. There was a mini car show that was organized by the local car club here in the neighborhood. Spotted this pretty CJ that is owned by the guy that runs the local car club. Avert your eyes, purists! Picked up some materials to perform an oil change, air filter, cabin filter, and the front/rear differentials. The Autozone was nice - running a lot of grand opening deals. Ended up with a free oil filter and a free bottle of Orange Clean hand cleaner. All pretty routine for the most part. A few things I noticed: Oil - The 3.6L consumed about 1/2 quart of oil since the last change 5,400 miles ago. Still using Mobil1 Extended Performance 0w20. Cabin filter was disgusting (I didn't write down the last time I changed it). I might have skipped it my last oil change. Differentials - I've been running Royal Purple front and rear (75w90 and 75w140) since I bought the Jeep in 2018. My last fluid change, I couldn't find any locally, so I used MotorCraft. My last differential fluid change was 21,800 miles ago. The front fluid was pretty predictably dirty and stinky with a good-sized blob of very fine sludge on the magnet. Pretty typical. The rear surprised me, the fluid was VERY clean looking and I had minimal sludge collected on the magnets. I can only guess that maybe the front is still "breaking in" as it gets used far less than the rear since the JL has the front axle disconnected unless it's in 4WD. The rear must be very well broken in (just my unprofessional opinion). Pumping fluid in the front: Here's the rear draining:
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A few favorites from our recent trip to Utah:
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Keeping an eye on the forecast - if you haven't seen it all over the social feeds, there is a cool and wet wave moving into the region next week. The temperature forecast WAS cold (lows down in the 30s), but steadily has been climbing. With the potential for rain earlier in the week, I'm hopeful that we'll have a dust-free trip! Looking forward to seeing you all next weekend. Looks like it's going to be beautiful!