Offroading in USA

[Matflint]

As some of you may know I do like my little jaunts across America and if I can get a bit of green laning USA style all the better.
Well this time the trip was Lockport, New York to Fort Bragg, California ( approx 2900 miles )
The vehicle, a well looked after 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara ( not exactly a Dodge Ram but beggars can’t be choosy )
My first opportunity to try the Suzuki off road was Sinks Canyon, Wyoming a popular visitor attraction

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I got up early, took the normal tourist piccys then instead of heading back on the road in, I took the Lander Mountain Road up out of the canyon.

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A good view all the way up

[Matflint]

Then the paved road ran out and it started getting interesting

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Easy at first but continually climbing until I hit the snow line

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A bit slippy, the temperature gradually dropping to -5 and I did dare look over the edge at some points

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[axeman]

neil

[Matflint]

No diff locks and on road tyres I eventually reached the summit

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Still plenty of snow on the way down but I felt alot more comfortable

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The views were amazing Well worth the a*** twitching moments getting there

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[Matflint]

After what seemed like days but actually was only a couple of hours
I’d just driven through 27 miles with no phone signal, no houses but just some stunning scenery
my trusty steed posed in the glorius sunshine

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and a plan of the route pity is was on the wrong side of the park for me

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Now after this you might of thought I would call it a day and not push my luck but no up next 120 miles through the desert just for the fun of it!!

[toomanytoys]

Awesome...

[syncropatrick]

[Fabzzz]

it does look awesome !

[Matflint]

The next bit of off roading wasn't totally deliberate it was actually shown on my road atlas as a road and I needed to take shortcuts as I well truly blown my mileage allowance going to see Mount Rushmore ( it didn't look that far on the map !! )

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It started off looking like this like no worse than your average b road in britain

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But soon it changed to this very scenic but loose gravel it was like driving on marbles

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[jes*b]

Matt this looks great. Was the car a drive away or a rent a wreck kinda deal ? I have had some amazing trips driving in the US. Highly underrated as an outdoorsy adventure destination I think.

[Matflint]

I soon began to think back to that sign on the way in
As preparation goes I wasn't the best no water, no food,no phone I hadn't even checked whether the spare was any good ( this would be brought home to me later )

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A bit of nature I met along the way piccy not very good as there wasn't a chance in hell of me getting out of the car

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The arrow points to where they have the Burning Man Festival perfect really your not going to upset any neighbours !!

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[Matflint]

120 miles later I was very relieved to see this

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Followed by this.

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Had to go in here I was parched
Walked in to see four old guys propping the bar up
I asked if the barman had a bottle of Bud the old man wryly says I think I might have one left as he open up the fridge to reveal a couple of hundred
They turned out to be really sound !! I spent about an hour in there, them telling me how people break down on the road I'd just been on with punctures from the sharp stones so I piped up I had a spare but they shot me down saying it was not uncommon for people to have three out of four tyres punctured (Whoops)

Anyhow that was my bit of offroading ....... Hope it inspires you to get out and try it but maybe be a bit more prepared than me just in case

[Matflint]

Jes it was through a company called autodriveaway I've done it for years
This time it was cool because I picked up the car from a girl called Kelley who lived at home in New York but had got a new job in California
so I met up with her at her house and then nine days later met up with her again in her new address ( she flew about 6 hours )
I have to pay for the petrol and have a mileage and time limit but you do get to go way off the beaten track and see a bit

[jes*b]

Done a few driveways myself over the years - on my own and with meg . Coast to coast loads of times , every time has been different and great . I find the Americans to be really open and pleasant when you are on the road . Have you ever read the small print in your drive away contract ? We got caught out twice but nothing came of it .... Once we took a across the border to Canada , bit of a no no. And once we belted across the states to spend a week touring Californian state parks to find out when we dropped the car off that you had to deliver the car within 24 hours of entering the owners state. As it turned out the owner was great , as they always seemed to be. Often offering accommodation , lifts etc to help out.

[Matflint]

funny enough thought about cutting across Canada this time as a shortcut but as I was carrying a boot full of somebody elses stuff and didn't have a clue what is was decided to give it a miss. Majority of Americans i have met have been incredibly friendly as you say offering to put you up, take you out around town, a couple this time bought me dinner and i only found out when i settled the tab after they had left. I enjoy the small towns, cities like new york, L.A. don't really do anything for me. I was given ten days to do this trip but Kelley said don't worry too much if you run over a bit which was very nice of her