Silver dude's Adventure Thread

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Introduction:
I'm tired of being cooped inside. Life leaves me trapped at times. Those long days at work peering out the windows like a caged dog. Freedom and excitement run through my mind like wildfire as I look at the sky outside. If was free what would I do? Where would I go? When I reflect on the bright areas of my life I never say, man remember that one time I was at work 40 hours a week in a dark workplace. Life needs balance to work hard one must also play hard.

Many of you know me on here or have seen my build thread. Some I've personally met at events or have a closer connection to me via Facebook. But for those that don't. I've spent decades reading sapping up information on Nissans 4x4's. My first truck being a 1990 Nissan pickup. The truck taught me the ropes of 4x4 driving and repair. Importance of a quality steering upgrade, rock sliders, trail fixes. I was very active in offroading but who wasn't at 16-18 years old. When it finally came time to say good bye to the truck. The dreaded midwest rust took her frame rails at 215,000 miles. I loved the truck but it was so devalued it wasn't worth upgrading any longer. I had one thing in mind... ADVENTURE CAR.

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Old hb

I shopped about a year before I stumbled on a low mile 2001 Xterra with 5 speed. At first I was repulsed at the idea of another Nissan as to be honest the reliability of my hardbody was hardly great. But, figured well I've seen it all before. I KNOW how to fix this Xterras should problems arise. As I result of prior problems I knew right off the bat I wanted steering upgrades, manual hubs, lift and all that fancy armor I couldn't buy before. Then came full lockers, transfer case gears, and a winch for self rescue or those sticky situations. All while performing all of the work myself so that if I have a problem I know what is causing it and with the tools I carry can be generally self sufficient should a road issue arise.

Unfortunately, through all that labor I built a vehicle that is good at absolutely nothing, but can do everything. However, it satisfies my lifestyle as my truck is like a multitool for my multitask life. As Nissan said in a old ad "A million uses and counting the 2001 Nissan Xterra".

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Here is my Xterra in its most recent picture.

Several years of fine tuning the vehicle for one purpose. Adventure away from the daily grind where my soul can be free and I can create memorable moments with family and friends. Yet it took a while for me to find my direction. I had wheeled hard at offroad parks and hated it. I felt as though I was simply creating repairs for myself by driving around over rough stuff doing circles. A lot of times I had to be with groups who always pushed trucks to the limit. When I just wanted the people I wanted to be with. After a solo trip to Moab, Utah I knew I found my calling. Thru trails, offroading with direction and exploration. The goal of day was what lays beyond the bend?! whats over the hill?! Am I going to make it?!

Of course there are no thru trails where I live in the Midwest 2 hours west of Chicago. So I do the next best thing travel rural roads and camp as much as possible. See what nearby states have to offer regarding history, camping, forests, woods, natural features, beers and campfires.

With this thread I can promise it might be dry at times especially compared to others treads for example the KUMA thread. But, his backyard is way way different then mine. Nearest place for me to legally wheel is 4 hours away. I've learned thru prior threads of this nature it may be so lame I don't even get a reply but here it goes.
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip one:
March 9 2013
Machesney park, IL - Madison, WI - Lacrosse, WI

My girlfriend and I have been hurting for sometime away from our hometown of Rockford IL. To give a bit of backround Rockford, IL has the 10th highest crime rate in the nation. The people are generally rude, cut you off in traffic, think they are better then the world, and drive big rimmed cars worth less then the tank of gas they carry. The town can be frustrating at times. Sometimes we just want to get away from people we know. No embarrassment when we travel as no one we know will see us. It allows me to toss any politically correct social stresses to the wind, her to go easy on the make up and together become "tree" and "free" people for a few days.

This time we didn't know what we wanted to do. Its to cold to camp yet, we hate all winter sports and are really out of shape. Only thing we knew for sure was that we really wanted to be "out and away". It honestly was a spur of the moment thing she hinted to wanting to get away the week of. I kept hinting that the largest paddle sports and camping expo was this weekend in Madison Wi. (all that we do is paddle and camp all year) She didn't much care for that idea. But, after browsing the internet Friday night coming up empty. I casually mentioned that we go to the expo then just drive to MN's lower southeastern bluffs just because we've never been. This was the time of year that the Bald eagles will be at the river feeding. She laughed at bird watching being the whole reason we are making the 4 hour drive. Yet so did I but hey! we were desperate for solitude and fresh material.

We awoke existing to life barely, we are both second shifters, both crabby, We packed the minimum gear clothes and drinks. Then stumbled to the Xterra complaining the whole time how bright the sun is how tired we are and how hungry we are.

Soon the Xterra wheeled us to a nearby diner where our moods changed considerably with meat and coffee. A short while later we were on the freeway or "the Slab" as I like to call it. It was at that time I noticed I was pacing with a red Land Cruiser. We seemed to follow each other when passing traffic quite by accident. I couldn't help but look over and dream of the cozy leather seats silent cab barely stirring the passengers and modern v8 power whisking them along effortlessly. From my Xterra with 80's suspension design and well broken in seats mixed with a gentle rawr of tire and wind noise all I could think is I don't have a $40k car payment nana nana boo boo.

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We eventually lumbered off that slab and onto downtown streets. Wasn't long and we arrived at Canoecopia housed in the large Alliant energy center. We fought for a parking spot buzzing up and down several rows. Which made us realize this is gonna suck there is going to be hundreds of people in our way. There was no shortage of roof racks in the parking lot someone had a trick 4runner with a arb bumper which I was hoping wishing I could of parked next to. Eventually we settled on a spot a ways out and made our way in.

People everywhere
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Had a guy glassing a kayak for the crowd.
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little bit of everything.
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The reason I came was to check these teardrop campers out. See how big they are inside how useful they would be. As I've been planning to construct one for months. I think it would be the perfect camping companion. OZtents USA was also at the show I really liked their canvas tents which used a solid aluminum frame design that setup easily by simply unfolding the tent.
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After a while we got tired of the crowd. I hit the slab towards MN till the girl fell asleep at that point I realized the area I was crossing through was missed by glaciers. Very hilly and with large mound hills. But, not on the freeway. How do i navigate off the freeway? Very Simple... Save this tip next time you cross a barren area. This was genius and worked awesome. I took my smart phone opened google maps. Set it to foot traffic. That way the GPS finds roads that are very rarely traveled with the shortest distance between points. It put me on some roads that were a real challenge to drive. Very steep hills, edgy turns and a rough sometimes dirt road surface. I was in heaven the girl was scared as a hour went by and we only saw one car and the road was similar to a bumpy roller coaster.
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At one point on the road we saw a whole herd of white tailed deer just in a barren field walking towards us like they were waiting for us to come down this road to look at them.
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The road eventually went thru the town of elroy, wi which is a small town of 1,442 people. The town is a product of the baraboo railroad from the 1860's. The tracks have since been removed and replaced with a bicycle trail that links many of the towns in the area. However, it was getting dark and wasn't able to snap a picture before heading to the slab to make up lost time.

I eventually arrived at a super 8 just outside of Wisconsin. High on a MN river bluff.
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More on this later.
 
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Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
I love this! Sub'd. And you are not the only one who feels trapped. That's why I bought an Xterra :hihi:

That google maps trick is fantastic! Might have to borrow that idea...
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip one: day 2
March 10 2013
Lacrosse, WI

We arrived in the room I had forgot my cell phone charger. So I was scouring the room for a USB connection. Hmm old beast of a TV nope no USB port, the whole room was straight from the 90's no ports anywhere. Well luckily the girlfriend brought hers in her purse so after her endless browsing and talking with multiple friends whilst plugged in. Mine was charged overnight whilst we slept. It made me realize it was the first day in a long while that I hadn't checked the forums or Facebook. As odd as it felt to be disconnected it in a way freed my mind and the reality that I was far from home doing new things really set in. The room was just adequate it had a TV that functioned. However, I had forgotten my contact lens gear at home in my rush to leave. Knowing this on the way up I bought a contact lens travel kit which later turned out to be tiny bottle in a huge empty box with no case. So being the Macgiever I am I had taken the lenses out and put them in two coffee cups on the bathroom sink full of contact solution.

With no glasses I was blind all night, the TV had become a babbling flashing radio for me. She set the alarm on my phone for 8:30 on her side of the bed. I had mixed feelings about it could she be trusted with such a task? Is my phone actually charging? Did she use the right app? Is the timezone correct? Sound muted? Oh geez! At the time I was to tired to care. Shhhh don't say anything to make her seem dumb and get attitude. I'll wake up early anyways and check then. I sleep wake up climb from bed walk around her side the bed like a ax murder with morning sickness to see the red glow on the alarm clock because I can't see the numbers more then 2 foot from my face. Check... nope 5:30am check... 6:30am nope. 7:30 I then check my phone to make sure the alarm is set. Home screen pops up 9:32 CRAP! The alarm hadn't been set and the clock on the nightstand had the wrong time. Having missed breakfast I just wanted to leave before room service came knocking.

We promptly left the hotel the weather was less then great rain and sleet. I thought great so much for seeing eagles clearly.
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We hit the road inspired with what we might find. Its a shame we drove a good chunk of this road the night prior as it may have been rather scenic with the river on the right and large foot hills on the left.
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Eventually we made our way to the historic town of Wabasha, MN. Wabasha is the oldest town in all of Minnesota it was established in 1830. The city is named in honor of an Indian Chief of the Sioux Nation, Chief Wa-pa-shaw. Wabasha’s historic district has more than 50 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I enjoy driving thru places such as this as I feel like if I squint my eyes real hard and ignore the modern cars I can go back in time and forget about the troubles of a modern society.
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Around the back of the town was this huge modern all glass building. I was shocked, man they must be really serious about their eagles. I wonder how they get funding for something like that. I was expecting a sidewalk with a person that rents binoculars from a booth. Here its is a whole mega center. We walk in the glass doors to find a spiral stair case and a whole eagle exhibit. Lady at the counter asked if we wanted admission. I said sure it ended up being $16 but it went to a good cause. She gave us stickers and led us upstairs to a man with earrings who definitely had a hippy swaq to him. He speaking to a bunch of school children in a circle. At first I was like wow this is odd drive 4 hours and pay $16 to see a man teach a classroom. But, it turned out to be really awesome and exceeded my expectations. He started with a fur pelt of every Midwest mammal explained where they live. From skunks to black bears he had a whole bag of furs which he held up to replicate the animal. Then the show got even better he had 3 live snapping turtles from 5 to 27 years old. He showed how they use their head to right themselves if they land upside down. How to identify male and female turtles. How to properly pick them up. What started as something that seemed so silly we quickly realized we were learning adventure skills that we could apply this summer. It was just last year the girl and I were out camping when we used the Xterra to block a road so that she could move a turtle to safety. The man brought out huge tree and bull frogs, 4 different Midwest area snakes. Gave a little lesson on each one gave each snake to the older people in the crowd to hold so that they could show the kids up close. Definitely of the best public speakers I've listened to in along time.

in my excitement of what was going on I forgot to take pictures here is a picture of the place from Google.
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After the show we thought now what. Only to hear what sounded like birds downstairs.
Can it be? yes they have live rescued bald eagles!
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I saw one dive from the sky to retrieve a fish in a lake last summer while I was paddling in my kayak. Since that day I've always had some real interest in them. Never imagined that I would get this close to a bald eagle.
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Thru the window in a classroom we could see a woman teaching another group of children about the birds while the eagle feasted on a animal carcass.
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Here is the turtle my girlfriend and Xterra saved from being crushed on a roadway last summer. Glad we now know how to handle such situations better. Pick them up on the sides of their shell. Also always carry the turtle in the direction they are facing. Never back where they were coming from.
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After we became exhausted of animals we left the National Eagle Center. We were starving fortunately they was a old cafe in one of the old historic buildings in town. It was clear that it was a small business owned by husband and wife. The owner stood at the door and greeted us thanking us for stopping in while his wife cooked. You could tell he really liked his job and enjoyed greeting people. The menu was very extensive the owner claimed they had the largest menu of any cafe in Minnesota. I don't know about that but they did have quite a bit. The girl ordered a chocolate shake it was funny as we could hear the husband and wife arguing how to make a chocolate shake with the machine like they have never done it before. But, at the end of the day the food was really quite good best meal of the trip. Was enjoyable going to places like that. You'll never find places like that when your back home in the big city.

After filling up neither of us wanted to go home. So I said well Mall of America is only a couple hours away wanting to explore more of the MN countryside. Without any further discussion the Xterra pushed further north.
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More on this later
 
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dev12692

Test Drive
Location
emmett idaho
sounds amazing! i love the detail you put into the story. very inspiring! my girlfriend and i are taking my ex on a early spring camping trip this weekend! i was still a little iffy on if it was going to go well but your thread here has reinspired me and im not once again excited


-devin
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip one: day 2
March 10 2013
Red wing, MN - Minneapolis, MN - Machesney park, IL

Soon after leaving the eagle place behind with good memories in tow we saw a wide shoulder. Can it be a scenic overlook yes. This was a wide section of the Mississippi river so wide in fact it is classified as a lake. Lake Pepin widest navigable area of the Mississippi river at 2 miles wide. As we sat gazing from the windows we noticed something strange. See those two black dots? Wish I had a better camera. But, from what we could tell there was two Jeep Wranglers doing dough nuts on the ice on the lake. We could see them splashing water up from the tires as they slammed at puddles and ripped about the ice. Haha no thanks there is moving water under that ice. Must have been pretty thick ice though.
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Something about a great river or body of water just frees the spirit. The spread of blank distance, is so uplifting, the fact that it's water in its self is uplifting as in a way as it supports all of earths creatures. I'm always drawn to open country. It's where everything becomes clear, where the world makes the most sense.
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Soon we hit the road again and caught up with the tail end of a super long fast moving train. Being in a valley the tracks followed the road as we sped along. Judging by the Xterrs's speedo it was probably going 50mph.
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Soon I reached the front of the train and felt a good sense of accomplishment. Was thrilling racing the train pacing with its mass, hearing it scream its horn as it rolled through crossings. Such a mass of weight rolling, clattering and screaming along it just seemed unstoppable. To pass the mechanical behemoth up with a my wee little Xterra just felt good.
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Soon we rolled into Red wing, MN. The place where they make my work boots and Red wing shoes. They had a rather large factory at the edge of town but i wasn't quick enough with the camera.
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Here I stopped and refilled the windshield washer fluid. I had picked some up while at Walmart getting my eye contact kit. However, not wanting to be one of "those" people looking dumb filling stuff under the hood outside the store I had waited. Which ended up being here on the side of the road when i couldn't see any longer. When I opened the hood I was delighted to the engine purring running so quietly. Felt like a proud father when i viewed all the parts I installed under hood just humming along like they should be. Long trips really help blow the carbon out. Looking down the streets all I could see was Red wing.
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We pushed on and soon it was clear that we were pushing towards the city. We crossed the Mississippi into Wisconsin using the Eisenhower Bridge. The Eisenhower Bridge is a steel through-truss bridge that was made in 1960. However, as you can see just to the left of it is another bridge being built. The cost of rehabilitation options, the life expectancy of the bridge following rehabilitation activities, and whether rehabilitation can occur without closing the bridge for a significant amount of time are all factors which I'm sure they weighed before they simply decided to build a new bridge next to the old. Next time I roll thru the Eisenhower bridge may not stand glad I had a chance to cross.
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Soon we were throttling down a large 3 lane highway jockeying for position with other motorists. Which made the Xterra feel more out of its element then it had all trip.
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Soon the skyline was in sight. Which made us just want to go back to the country. I added this leg to the trip for one reason. So we could say we went.
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We soon arrived at the mall which was a zoo. After doing 4 levels on parking garage and never finding a spot that was Xterra sized. We whisked past other motorists with their signals on waiting for a car to back out. My girlfriend screaming WHOA! slow down as I goosed the throttle and slammed 1st to 2nd chirping the tires. Were getting outta here! I peeled past the entrance outside the garage to see a 100 series Land Cruiser pull out of a spot. GOAL! We swung into the spot rejoicing. Inside the mall was like a giant zoo there were people all kinds. Honestly, surprised at what the American public is made up of its very full of the earths people. However, my girlfriend really had a good time as we bounced store to store buying new outfit pieces. All I was in it for was that so when she got home she could brag to all her girlfriends and make them all jealous. Eventually, in a place like this you get tired of playing nice guy and your temper runs high. After my girlfriend got run over by blond which whacked her with a shopping bag and I got tired of people getting in my way we left before we started to get even.
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The ride home was pretty much a strive to make up lost time 6.5 hours of slab in the dark on icy roads. Wish it could have been more flavorful but we had our fun and had to get back. Luckily the drive was relaxing yet fearfully exciting with the ice.


Thanks for all the comments. I really enjoyed doing these write ups. Its clear I need to look into a better camera and perhaps take better notes while in the moment. But, plenty more write ups this spring and summer to come!
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip two: Rockford, IL - Monroe, WI - Blanchardville, WI
May 5th 2013

The city life had a us sour again. This time especially as a month prior my girlfriends house had been broke into. Again she lives in a very rough area of town. I've visited her a few times around 1am after work this past week just to calm her nerves. Yet we sit in the Xterra to hear gunshots going off a block up. Also just feels like some one is watching you the whole time your parked. Cars with lights on that don't move, neanderthal pedestrians walking by just in a dead stare at her place etc. Not comfortable at all especially me as a grew up in a small river town. When I was raised the west side of Rockford was scolded as a place you never go. This recent spring heat has increased the gang activity and drug deals. So we decided a quick Sunday to Monday get away was the best option to feel right and relaxed again. Open country where the world makes the most sense.

So we loaded up the kayaks and headed northwest. Not wanting to see a soul.


"Hello city limits I'm starting out brand new". No real city tollway slab this time interstate highways. The drift less region of Wisconsin.


I found it quite odd how rich in limestone the area was. Several sections of road it appeared as though they blasted through the hill and crushed the rock into pavement.


Staving we soon arrived at a Wisconsin cheese store. Hey I've never been to a cheese store before they seem to dot all the roads in Wisconsin. I've always driven past gleaming at the store wondering how it would feel to be inside. Cheese and beer the two Wisconsin standbys. This place had been recommended to me by my coworkers and dad for the tasty local beer. So I thought well... lets go.


Inside it was a cheese store.




Had some real good Reuben sandwiches and you guessed it. Cheese. Washed it down with some local rootbeer in mason jars.


The ceiling of the place was decorated with dollar bills. i even spotted a few $10's and $20's seemed a odd and expensive form of decoration.


Shortly afterward we headed 2 blocks to the local brewery. The Minhas, which is actually the second oldest brewery in the US. It has been open for 168 years. since 1845 this factory location has made beer. Many brewmasters were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, tracing their origins from Switzerland, France, Britain, Germany and Denmark. The museum in the gift shop was quite stunning two levels of beer. They had a tour of the bottling plant but I missed it as I was eating before slamming a beer on a empty stomach.


Walking around the place with a Chocolate Bunny Stout. Made the whole experience great. Beer was fantastic rich chocolate, malty notes with a roast coffee finish. Free sample which made it even better.


They had a ledger book that was basically a checkbook since the 1900's I saw expenses for coal used to heat the place, materials to make beer, among many other things that really showed the history. I was pleased to have such a rich piece of beer history not only in front of me but that I could flip pages as I pleased. To see history in its purest unrestricted form. It was a journey i was delighted to take.


After buying a collector pint glass like I do at ever brewery I visit. We hit the road again. The roads were hilly and curvy. So curvy the road makes you easily lose your direction. If it wasn't for GPS I'd be here for days. These are definitely roads that were paved on old cattle trails. The cows just wandered all over the place when it came time to lay pavement they just put it over the top. Motorcycle heaven, top heavy Xterra shocker. Soon we felt way out in farm land the ratio of pickup trucks to sedans was huge. Traffic became tractors, pickups and semi's. I felt like if i saw a man driving a beat down Chevy truck with rust holes and a wad of chewing tobacco in his face with fishing poles in the back it would be 100% genuine. Yellowstone lake was pretty far off the beaten path at 8 miles from the nearest town.




Soon we arrived at the canoe launch.


Being our first launch of the year it sure felt great to use our summer tools.


Great day to be out on the water.






After paddling we grew tired and hungry. We had forgot to run to the grocery store on the way up the Xterras gas light was also on. So we thought well we'll just head into town get some fuel and food.

Blanchardville is small Mormon farming town that was once a center of trade. We passed a Amish man driving his horse and wagon. We were way out of the big city. It really made us feel not at home. As I pulled up to the pump another driver whom was also pulling up made eye contact with me stopped and made sure I could fit at the pump. Then he got out of his red Chevy pickup apologized for the inconvenience and made small talk with me at the pump like I was one of the locals. "Go fishin today?" Soon the gas station attendant came out in a long country style dress "you guys go to the river?" "looks fun though you'll never catch me in one of those kayaks" I've only experienced this one other time when in Tennessee. The southern generosity this far north caught me off guard. Every farmer that we saw in the field also stopped looked smiled and waved as we drove by. It really put me at ease.


We drove around never found a grocery store so we bought frozen pizzas at the gas station and cooked them on the grill back at the lake. Crisp toasted crust was quite good.

We had tons of campsites to chose from on a week day in the middle of no where. We settled for this non electric site across from the restroom. None of the usual restroom door slapping when trying to sleep, no one around.


While stumbling around setting up the tent I found this gem sitting on the ground from a previous camper. FINDERS KEEPERS! I now have another camping knife.


Great peaceful night for a fire. Had pretty much the whole place to ourselves.


We forgot to pack the pillows so sleep was odd and not very good but morning came.


The birds were friendly this Chipping sparrow was checking out the campsite for left overs.


After that we pretty much made a straight shot for home. Wish there was more to add and we were still on the road. But, again soon!
 
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Macland

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
I love southern hospitality. It's nice to be nice to people and them be nice back. Or for someone to just strike up a conversation about fishing on a whim. As always, great story!
 

gorillamel

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
Location
Idaho!
Yay MN! I spent a good amount of time every summer near La Crosse/Menomonie, WI. Glad to see someone exploring/driving though those areas. MMmm, cheese. You, Sir, as a great man indeed!
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip Three: Rockford, IL- Spring Green, WI – Mazomanie, WI - Spring Green, WI
May 18th-19th 2013

A few weeks back I began searching online for dispersed camping to truly fully get out in nature. Get the full dosage of life. Dispersed camping, is camping in approved areas like State Forests or Government land where there is no developed campground. This type of camping is often my favorite as its often free, and the locations are way better then the commercialized campsites. Leave the motor homes and retirees behind. There is also often a challenge aspect of survival as your truly fully alone and fully responsible for your well being and health. They tend to often make for great stories and change you as a person. Searching Google I found a pretty cool way to camp on beach Islands on the Wisconsin river via canoe. A short while later I had a Canoe reserved and a shuttle to bring me and the girl up river at 2pm.

Packing a bunch of new gear in a foreign way of thinking. Light minimal everything must be kept dry. Kept me late up into the night packing storing and setting up a new tent. Which of course made me wake up late and therefore run late for the shuttle.



We drove the Xterra flat out... I mean I looked down at one point and saw 85mph. I had to get there! We miss the shuttle we miss the trip I thought. Ripping up the slab we finally heard the GPS “ You have arrived at your destination.â€. Whew! 10 minutes early too. Till I looked from my gotta get there trance to realize. Hey I'm on a desolate country road in the middle of a farmers field. CRAP! The GPS brought us to the wrong location. Driving back to the main highway to regain phone signal. I found that the location was 30 minutes away. CRAP! So I really opened the Xterra up and put my foot thru the floor. After 15minutes we drove past the area we parked on the side of the road to set the GPS, a complete circle. At this point I was furious! I'm out $80, a place to camp this weekend, I made the shuttle driver waste his time and I flogged the Xterra and wasted fuel for nothing. So we thought well we drove the 2 hours lets at least find this place for next time. After 45 minutes we arrive at the launch point which was off a major highway. We roll thru in a depressing slump the river sure looked nice. No canoe shuttle in sight.



“Well what should be do now†We had our camping gear but no boats. No other plans in place at 3 o clock in a unexplored area. Well crap should we just go home? Check out nearby parks? We sat there in a trance barely gazing above the dash.*sigh*



Is that? Is that... Our shuttle driver?? I felt my eyes sharply lift to focus on a van rolling into the lot. Focusing on the drivers door. WCC....Wisconsin Canoe Co. shuttle.





OMG! He's here to collect canoes from the shore. I waved to him then quickly whisked the Xterra into a legal spot to park. The driver was a built man in his early thirty’s with a strong outdoor tan he had clearly been hucking canoes a while. Approaching the man I kind of expected some flack. Perhaps expecting to hear him mutter “sorry you missed the shuttle I can't help youâ€. However, as I walked up he was like “Hey you must be Ben! I've been trying to call you. Can you guys still be shuttled up river?†UMM YES!!

“That Xterra over there with the armor on it. Yeah that’s us.â€

In no time flat we were loading our gear in the van and headed up river. We told the driver the whole story about how a link on his website linked us to the wrong location. He said he and his wife own the business and are always looking for tips to improve the service. Made me realize what a sweet gig this guy had going. Drop passengers off pick boats up make good money. I love supporting small businesses especially when the operators and owners are so kind. After being given a map and instruction and making small talk the whole way up we arrived at the launch point.

As we exited the van the launch looked kinda dead. Overcast skies with hazy feel to the site. There was clearly a man across the street firing shot gun rounds down range. The Shuttle driver summed it best when he muttered “thats nice...â€. The driver hoisted a canoe off the rack into the water helped us load our gear. The canoe was loaded to the max with gear we clearly brought way to much. I instructed the girl to pick up non perishables. Like soup and pasta yet she came with that and brat patties. Which means the cooler and propane grill had to come with. Yet do to my careful planning it all fit and had a place. With one stout shove of my girlfriends legs we were off. To both our amazement the boat floated.



The location was phenomenal. Slow gentle river with large towering sharp tall bluffs, birds of prey swooping overhead. The bluffs and birds made us reminisce of the MN trip. All sand bottom no mud. It felt almost unreal to be on the river after thinking we were done for earlier.




A few hours in the weather turned out quite nice. I spotted a beach with a ton on people on it. Are they... are they... nude... Grabbing my binoculars. I gazed over at the bewildering painful site to see a old. Yes.. Wisconsins only nude beach and no I didn't grab pictures. Did you a favor.



We soon paddled past a island to see this pelican looking bird quite close.



We 4 hours into the paddle we began to look for possible places to camp. The DNR said we don't need permits. Just camp where you want. Which was quite pleasing as well as fear raising. The fear of the unknown. We scoped this location out as recommended by my girlfriend. However, I found the level to be to low. If we got a rain I imagined our tent floating away.


We got back in and paddled around the bend. Perfect nice big berm of sand with a decent view of the river.


We quickly sprung the campsite out of the canoe. Using a paddle I dug a fire pit it seemed so odd staking out our own claim from untouched land.


Pulled out one of my favorites Capital Brewery's Supper Club beer brewed at a location just a hour from our island. Nothing hit the spot like a cold craft beer from the icy depths of the cooler. Especially after 4 hours of paddling in a canoe.


After firing the grill the girl quickly cooked the brat patties which also really hit the spot.




After a odd night in the tent. Some moron blasting loud rock music from a huge PA system up river. When they weren’t blasting music they were driving loud ATV's and Jeeps. Some moron in a Jeep came roaring through the beach at full wood on the other side of the river just roosting ripping up beach. We should of called the DNR was clearly not legal especially at the hour. Eventually the party quieted down and we got sleep. Checking online later revealed there is a private 4x4 area near the area we camped. However, some Jeep clubs in the area are racist rednecks and generally don't allow other makes.


Morning came and we slept in taking full advantage of not having a check out time. After a while we removed the grates from the grill and cooked up some pasta while we loaded the canoe. Didn't leave a trace always tread lightly.


Paddling out from the site was kind of spooky as it began to rain and I neglected to pack rain gear. On the water with no shelter it was a bit unnerving knowing that things could get worse. With 4 hours yet to go it wasn't like a shrug it off. Especially rough waters in a overloaded canoe. Thankfully after a hour the clouds rolled back and the sun came out.


I remember looking down at my barefeet and thinking man this is living. After 40 hours in sweaty work boots on concrete. Hit the weekend everything in the moment was free and relaxed. Its good I was barefoot as we got stuck in the shallows twice and I maneuvered the canoe thru the sand. The river only seemed to average 4 ft deep.


Towards the end of our trip we ran into a hard headwind. The girl was terrible at navigating on river I really should of sat in the back as the back steers and powers the canoe. The front is just a assist with zero ability to turn. Well both of us being sore from 6-7 hours of paddling. The wind just came at the wrong time. If you've ever pushed your car in neutral, that's what it felt like to paddle our canoe. I felt like a mule chained to a wagon sitting up front. Of course being in the front you can't see the person behind you. Was she paddling I often wondered? She knew how to turn by paddling backwards (stopping all forward progress) which never helps. Yet I held my tongue as I needed her with me to get where we needed to be.


After going under the bridge I had to put the camera away. The wind had whipped up some major swells. Talking 10†choppy waves with a very strong head wind. I was truly at the mercy of the river and my girlfriend turning the canoe properly to take the waves head on. It truly was if we take one up the side all the gear and us goes in the drink possibly never to be seen again. We really took a pounding we were truly at our last of paddle power. My back was killing me I wanted to stop on a island to regain some composure. But, the girl wanted out of the river asap before it worsened. The canoe was bouncing along like one of those videos of people on rapids only almost stationary do to the stiff headwind. Between the river current, wind and waves it was hard to hold direction. Yet some how we did. When we hit the canoe launch overwhelming feelings of pride and accomplishment of the challenge we endured was like icing on the cake to the weekend. We had done 18miles of river, living two days off of only things we had brought with us. The Xterra felt amazing with its cozy seats. The Girl said “ I've never loved your truck as much as I have todayâ€. I thoroughly agreed. Ditched the canoe, sent our shuttle driver a text saying we left the boat.
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On the drive home I snapped this picture to show the head wind we were fighting.



Moments later we caught some wind whipped rain rejoicing that we were not on the river.

Was a thrilling trip.
 
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Xterraforce

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Signal Mtn., TN
I think you've inspired me to start my own adventure thread soon. I've only posted some of my off-road rides. It's been great reading yours and seeing the Xterra being used as it was designed. They're not just fun on rough, rocky trails. My X has taken me on many wonderful adventures that didn't involve the need to engage 4wd. Your writing style kept me interested all the way and I can't wait to read about your next adventure. Xterra Nation is about all aspects of our vehicle of choice. The fact that they are so good when the pavement ends is a nice bonus that lets us expand our adventures beyond what others are able to do.
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
See now this is what it's all about. These are the trips we did while in the scouts and why I kept my camping gear all these years. Looking forward to the next adventure installments until I can take my own.
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Thanks for the kind words all! I really enjoy creating a blog here of the trips to revisit relive the adventure. I might be working on a few solo trips this year that evolve a more historical aspect of my hometown. With the addition of a recently purchased Samsung tablet on my dash its opening the horizon for planned waypoints exploring. Trips with through planning, the travel is the destination. Trying to chase down old roads, infrastructure, and historic places that appeal to me. Have a few large out of state outdoor trips this year as well (won't be all Wisconsin).
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip four:
June 17th 2013
Sterling, IL and around see map below.

Peering from the windows of my work place at the nice weather. I had kept promising myself that I'll get away soon. With the girl beating the books studying for a nursing degree I decided it was time to try a solo adventure again. Finally, my Monday off work rolled around. The goal of the day. Relaxing drive, I said to myself windows down the whole way to get consumed in the experience. Tell no one, just wake up, toss a few cold teas in the cup holders, turn the key in the ignition and go. I also wanted to try using my new adventure toy a Samsung Galaxy tab 2 for GPS navigation and route following.

But, where? Well with one day I couldn't go far. I thought about southern Wisconsin. Perhaps scout some areas off of the Kettle moraine forest. But, I've covered so much of that the past few years. While looking online I found GPS tracks via advrider.com (A Adventure Motorcycle enthusiast site). They had listed tracks for a start point in Illinois only a hours drive away. Perfect! But, wait I hate Illinois! The state parks are awful. Take the gem known as Starved rock. Over regulated over controlled. They take the nature out of the natural environment. With hikes that consist of wood deck paths with railings on both sides fencing you in. It made me feel as though the trees were similar to zoo animals at a zoo. As if they put nature on display in a unnatural way. I might be in a forest but I don't have the natural experience of a forest. No alcohol in any park or even at camp in front of the campfire? Lame! Sacrifices to deal with over population and moron city dwellers. So I've never looked at Illinois as a option in my travels. Parks are either a lame mowed grass fields or are a over protected over crowded nightmares. Its also beyond boring to drive thru Illinois farmland. Flat as a ironing board with nothing to gaze at. But, I thought well lets just try this GPS track perhaps my opinion on Illinois will change.

Here is the route I found. Hennepin canal, with a ton of bridge crossings.


I ordered a dash mount and charge cable for the tablet of course neither came in time. Tossed the tablet on my leg used my power inverter and we're down the road.


I took the slab to Sterling, IL look at that wonderful Illinois scenery! ha


The route started in Lyndon, IL then snaked thru downtown Prophetstown, IL


Historic old town, I had to get out to walk the streets a bit to feel invested in the streets. To perhaps feel the history as well as see it. I found this old photo in a store front window of how the town looked in 1910.


Soon I was back on the track. The rural roads were weird very narrow lanes without a shoulder.


Then I turned off the pavement to a gravel road. Single lane gravel! Made me think of some of the roads I rode in the UP. Clearly the day might not be as bad as I thought it would be.


After a few miles of single track gravel I reconnected to the highway and caught up to one of the sprayer tractors. These were everywhere I saw at least 5 in the fields at this point.


Rural pavement again no stripes super narrow. If you meet another car both of you hang a tire in the grass. Fortunately its a rare occurrence.


I again found myself on Single lane gravel. Clearly this road almost is never traveled. To a 1900's bridge? um awesome!


Built 1920, Pratt through truss design, Total length: 87.6 ft, Deck width: 17.7 ft.


Over Coal creek.


The bridge is currently listed as, Structurally deficient as well as a condition rating listed as: Serious (3 out of 9). I'm glad I was able to cross this bridge in the Xterra. It probably won't be around much longer for people to explore. Most if not all of the Pratt through truss design bridges are gone or demoted to pedestrian use. I can so vividly imagine a rattling Model T coming across the bridge back when it was first erected. Was cool to not only stand on but drive on a 93 year old piece of American history.


After leaving the bridge I put my Bilstein 7100 series shocks to use. Pacing along the two track.


It wasn't long and I arrived at another bridge this time concrete and therefore not as impressive. It seemed in a rather bad state of repair. I think it shuttered slightly when my front tires rolled up. For 88 year old concrete (1925) it showed . The state rated it 4 out of 9 as far as condition. Yet another bridge that will one day disappear.



More later..
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip four:
June 17th 2013
Sterling, IL and around see map

After leaving the bridges behind enjoying the history and the thrill of the drive to such remote locations. I reconnected with more narrow pavement. I then heard "camp with water" announced over the GPS. I thought I'm not gong to go camping but maybe I'll check it out to take a break get some water. As I pull in I see a lift bridge.


This is odd I thought. What is a lift bridge doing in the middle of nowhere Illinois over a creek?


When I saw these doors I figured it out. Its a canal for shipping cargo.


Its the Hennepin canal! The Hennepin Canal was built in order to lower freight prices. Construction began in 1892 and the first boat went through in 1907, reducing the distance from Chicago to Rock Island by 419 miles (674 km). While the canal was under construction, however, the Corps of Engineers undertook a widening of the locks on both the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The new locks on those rivers were twenty and forty feet wider than the canal locks, making them obsolete before their initial use. The reason it was obsolete was because with wider locks on the river larger cargo ships could be used. The canal was too small and only fit for the early days of canaling.. The Hennepin was the first American canal built of concrete without stone cut facings. Although the Hennepin enjoyed only limited success as a waterway, engineering innovations used in its construction were a bonus to the construction industry. The canal was used as a training ground for engineers that later worked on the Panama Canal.


The first steamer to use the canal was the SS Marion, carrying government officials. This was the first boat to travel the entire length of the canal. The boat left on November 8 and returned on the November 15th. The canal was not completely filled, so each section's water had to be moved with the locks for the boat to pass. The boat had to be equipped with iron guards to break the formed ice. When it reached Lock 28, it had to push the lock open. When the boat reached the last five miles (8 km) of her journey, there was still a problem with the amount of water. There was too much water, and it could not pass under the Rock Island Bridge. As a result, the first people the sailors found were asked to come aboard to make the ship sink slightly.


Strange what you can find on a drive. A true marvel of modern engineering. There are 33 locks much like this one along the canal system. I thought the lift bridge was rather clever with its weight system to assist its lift. Strange when you thing 1892.


I turned back on to the road. i began to realize maybe the scenery in this area isn't so bad. Just different then I'm used to.


I soon found myself at Johnson state park at a round barn




There is evidence that round barns were built because of religious beliefs. Some groups believed that "it left no corner for the devil to hide". Otherwise by design it was efficient, less materials then a comparable square barn. Because of its shape it took winds better it also allowed the farmer to walk in and do a round of chores. They are hard to make though perhaps that's why this was made by a brain surgeon.



More later...
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip four:
June 17th 2013
Sterling, IL and around see map

The trip was starting to get to me, the distance. After nearly 6 hours of nonstop driving I realized how thankful i was to be alone. I hadn't eaten anything other then a granola bar yet it didn't seem to phase me. Never bored never disinterested driving just relaxes my soul. I soon arrived at this sign, it stated that I had been driving on roads so old that buffalo herds made them.


After that sign the roads got very wild sharp hills and swooping curves. It would of been magical on a motorcycle. The roads were so narrow it was sketchy to carry speed in a truck. Blind hills were a little freaky when single lane pavement.


Arrived at another canal this bridge was unfortunately demoted to pedestrian use but cool none the less.


You can see the remains of the canal below.


I reconnected to a highway part of the great river road scenic route. Just a incredible driving experience in this moment just absolute comfort, happiness, where I wanted to be. Unparalleled connection to the vehicle as if the vehicle was a extension of my mind. Ripping back the gear shift just throttling with joy.


Soon I made a sharp right turn off the road to some narrow gravel. Motoring thru this dense forest was incredible. I kept saying wait... this is illinois? Thick forest on all sides with just a strip of gravel under the truck. I felt so consumed in the health of the woods while never leaving the truck. All to myself, no lawn mower noise, no pedestrians, no screaming kids just calm quiet motoring.




After about 8 miles of intense woods the tree canopy gave way to a rough chunky gravel road.






Soon I was in a barren field. Was shocking the size of the empty land. The corn rows were so straight it was bizarre at first.


Eventually i funneled my way into Henry, IL to cross the Henry bridge 1717 feet long.




After a intense day of driving nonstop except for fuel nearly 200 miles 10 hours on the road I headed home relieved. Plenty more of the area to explore in the future.


Thanks for readin
 
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Xterraforce

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Signal Mtn., TN
Beautiful. I'm a member of ADVRider and have done some dual sport riding too. I'm glad helped you find some roads less traveled.
 

Xterraforce

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Signal Mtn., TN
Study carefully Mac. Most of the time on ADVRider when we say single track we literally mean one single track, as in just wide enough for a motorcycle.
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Yeah I agree, when I saw that it was based on public roads was pretty much a green light. I was using Google street maps on GPS. So before pulling on to some of the rather primitive roads it was easy to see they were legal roads by the markings on the GPS. The next track I'm looking at is north of the track I ran. It was described to have a dirt road with huge ruts. So I'm skeptical I'll likely run the track up to that dirt road then decide the legality of it myself. I always heed the local markings and signs. I know there are a few dirt roads within distance of my house that are public dirt roads yet are pretty much used by the property owner. I've read of people getting busted by the law. Though my version of drive is different then a high schooler with a jeep. Treading lightly is different the waiting for it to rain so I can spin tires and go mudding.
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Historic Midway outdoor drive in tonight. Monsters inc. and Superman

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Upgraded battery was great with 3 hours of movies it never dropped below 12v. Upgraded stereo gave a smooth movie surround sound, subwoofer was a nice effect. Lift kept other cars out of view and the rigid industries back up light awared the guy behind me to stop flashing his freakin headlights. All in all a great time.
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
While planning a trip to Michigan this August I ran across this video I hadn't seen before. I made it into some of the footage. enjoy!

[video=vimeo;14300847]http://vimeo.com/14300847[/video]
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
Trip five:
August 8th-12th 2013
Michigan's Upper Peninsula

This trip is something my girlfriend and I look forward to every year. With it's 3rd year of exploration for us I had a a initial fear of the location seeming a bit repetitious. However, with the addition of my GPS tablet suddenly the door was expanded. Before it seemed like we knew the area was great yet didn't know how to really access the locations the locals had talked about. With a week of planning and messing with Google Earth I stitched together some GPS tracks and locations I wanted to see. Utilizing a prior 2009 UP Overland track and sections from the UPO forum insured that the roads remained rustic unimproved and with 4wd challenge.

Burned out on working for a living and living to work. We hit a breakby lining up a few days off Friday- Monday . Couldn't have come at a better time I truly was at the end of what I could stand. All work and no play. So much requires attention investment in a modern society. My job my cell phone and even my friends and family seemed to schedule away my time from where I wanted to be. Enslaved to the engine of society and the pressure of others I finally scheduled time to break away. It was work staging the trip and loading the truck. But, when the car key turned my soul was unchained like the key turned a internal lock. Free at last!

We hit the road at 11pm. Why 11pm? Well no traffic and my girlfriend had to work till 10pm. Being used to working nights and the night prowler schedule it honestly didn't effect me. I couldn't wait to leave the miserable slum of the City of Rockford behind.
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Strange how almost none of the gas stations through central Wisconsin were open at this late of a hour. With the kayaks up top and pushing 33's lets just say the MPG's were something I wasn't going to monitor on this trip. After stopping at 3 stations to find them all closed. I rolled up to this one with the truck chugging on empty literally coasting into the station on fumes. The spare can of fuel I brought with really really aided the vacation relaxation. I hadn't had the fear of running out like I had in the past. It's really beyond words how much this freed my travel fears and schedule.
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We drove deep into the night stopping at a hotel in Wausaw, WI (3 hours north) at 3am. The desk attendant was sleeping on the job lol. But, with a few chimes of the bell on the desk we nailed out a room and therefore some sleep.

We awoke to the typical hotel slumber of the odd stiff bed, curtains that flood more light then they shield. People shouting and stomping down hallways like elephants. I've had a better nights rest in room with nylon walls. It's not that I hate the ways of man I just like nature more.

We continued the drive on the slab.
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Wasn't long and we passed into Pure Michigan.

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Love driving through this region even on paved roads just has a essence of beauty.
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Soon we arrived at where my GPS track had started. The Cliff Mine overlook. Seems a group of trucks had explored this location just a weekend prior. When I saw their write up it was certainly something I wanted on my trip. Based on the old Cliff mine ruins there is a nice network of dirt roads that leads to the top of a cliff overlooking the region. Was a great opener to off highway travel for my girlfriend who had little experience and was slightly nervous.
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Soon we arrived at the overlook I couldn't resist inching ever closer to the edge to watch my girlfriend grab the dash shouting in panic like we were going to die. These are the moments why overland adventures are so much fun.
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Stumbling out of the truck we were in awe of what the labors of our driving had presented to us.
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We sat at this spot for at least 15 minutes just gazing at the beauty below as our legs hung off the rocks over the cliff. Free of a tourists, fences and minivans. It was voiced to me that this was the most peaceful place my girlfriend had ever been. She didn't want to leave lol
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Soon we decided there was more to see so we moved on to a Lake Superior overlook on US41.
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It was here that we met another couple from Illinois whom asked us to take their picture. My girlfriend couldn't help brag about the cliff mine and how great the UP is in general. But, when they said they were in a Honda Accord I didn't bother with directions. They walked by my Xterra on the way to their car you could tell they were looking at it in puzzled confusion. The overlook was great but heavily adorned with tourists.
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More to come...
 
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Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
We soon headed to Brockway Mountain. The road was kinda beat and narrow.
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Arriving at the top we were rewarded with the typical UP greatness we've come to expect.
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We went to look for a campsite near high rock point. But the place was packed. Several minivans had made it back there. Its honestly sad that this region has become so popular. So I thought well we'll try Schatter lake however one site was trashed with garbage someone burned a large carpet and it wasn't exactly what we were expecting it felt creepy and the bugs were terrible. Went to the other side and others had already taken residence. I thought there won't be anyone at Keystone bay. Keystone is a very rough rugged trail with super tight turns. It required 4 low to get through the twisties and had rather technical terrain. With the kayaks on the roof and the truck loaded it was one of the more technical trails I had been on in the UP with creek crossings and tight turns and twists between trees. However, at the end there was a camper already there in a Jeep with 35's. Looking at me in amazement. So being 10pm and exhausting our ideal camping options driving every dirt road in the region we decided screw it... lets just drive.

I drove clear thru the dark till 3am arriving in Marquette., MI. We boondocked at a Walmart super center. Sleeping in the front seats in a Walmart parking lot. Wasn't great but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be lol. I actually slept rather well considering the conditions. By sleeping at Walmart it greatly expanded our trip east as we made up several miles driving overnight without having to unpack and repack. Breakfast was easy to buy already being parked at Walmart lol.

After munching on Walmart donuts we reconnected with my GPS track I had setup. Found a gorgeous two track that led through the back country.
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Soon the road went from a gravel to a sand based road.
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Wasn't long and I was climbing out of the cab to lock the hubs. The sand had become quite loamy. I was sort of nervous doing this trip solo. However, thy lockers and winch provided some comfort.
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Soon we arrived at this cool modern bridge on the OHV route. Was a neat bridge with its solid smooth metal floor.
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After dealing with more loamy sand we passed a crew of ATV'ers on the road. The way they looked at me through their helmets was strange. In a way I was one of them but wasn't. I could tell they approved though at they waved as we passed. Perhaps they weren’t expecting to see a lone 4x4 out and about.

We reconnected with a highway on the route that brought us to a gas station where this old sno cat was sitting.
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more later..
 
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CrazySteve911

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Loris, SC
I dont have to go on any adventures. I just have to read your stories and I feel as if I'm right there with you guys, having all the emotions you are.

Great write up man. Glad you could get away from the concrete jungle.
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
Can't wait to read the rest of this.

I can't believe High Rock was packed! I went with the UPO group this year - they all thought my silver X was yours :) Bummer that you missed out on that trip!
 

xearth

Wheeling
Founding Member
Location
Dayton, OH
Awesome thread man! Can't wait to see more of your adventures as they unfold. I can feel ya on the wanting to get out. Work has had me cooped up this whole year so far. Definitely ready for some time off and some trips of my own
 
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