ITTOG's Overlanding Trips
- Thread starter ITTOG
- Start date
ITTOG
Well-known member
The time there was short. Sunday came and my family headed back south and I headed west. I drove through the OK panhandle since I had never been there. I was a little surprised by some of the land features. Nothing too exciting though.
Getting into CO didn't take long to have even larger land features.
I ended up going to see my cousin who was camping in CO. It was a nice stopping point. The drive was in a valley that was so narrow it only fit a river, railroad track, and a two lane highway. It was very beautiful. I wish I would have taken more pictures.
After a while I started climbing one of several passes and noticed an overlook so I stopped.
Very beautiful valley in the distance.
Getting into CO didn't take long to have even larger land features.
I ended up going to see my cousin who was camping in CO. It was a nice stopping point. The drive was in a valley that was so narrow it only fit a river, railroad track, and a two lane highway. It was very beautiful. I wish I would have taken more pictures.
After a while I started climbing one of several passes and noticed an overlook so I stopped.
Very beautiful valley in the distance.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
My father dropped out of high school when he was 16 and enlisted. Enlistment age was 18. He was kicked out. He enlisted again on his 18th birthday. Both of my grandfathers served.....one in the French Foreign Legion (we are immigrants) and the other in the U.S. Army. My oldest brother served 25 years in the U.S. Army (although he was drafted into the French Foreign Legion), second oldest brother was Navy, third was Marines. When my draft number came up during the Vietnam War, I was #359. I didnt have to go and I chose not to enlist. A year after the Vietnam War ended, I signed up for the Peace Corps.....I come from a family of patriots.....
Last edited:
ITTOG
Well-known member
Thanks for the compliments @AggieOE.
@YukonMontanaTannerTrapper sounds like a decorated family. I often think about guys like your father who wanted to join the military early. I have some men in my family that did the same. Contrast that with todays kids and it is the exact opposite. They don't want to join at all, with few exceptions. I often feel I should have joined and it bugs me that I did not. Of course that is easier to say, than actually do it.
from above...
I even started seeing some deer and marmots.
Not much further and I was at my cousin's camp site. I spent the night in her fifth wheel. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures because it was a beautiful drive along highways 149 and 30.
For the first day I drove 852 miles over 14 hours and 2 minutes. By far the most I have ever driven in one day. Probably even over two days.
The next morning I was up early and used the campsites facilities to clean up before hitting the road. I wasn't on the road long and found this overlook. It was a beautiful view of the river for miles.
Just a few hundred yards north of the picture above was this view.
Right before exiting the mountains into the valley south of Salt Lake City.
After a couple hours at the boat dealer it was time to fuel up and hit the road again.
Less than an hour into the drive home, notice that high temp on the coolant. What a turd the 3.5L twin turbo is!!!
Back to the mountains.
Amazing views everywhere.
The 3.5L twin turbo gets even worse. Unfortunately it did this about ten times. What is going on? This issue was solved almost 100 years ago, yet Ford can't do it in the 21st century.
@YukonMontanaTannerTrapper sounds like a decorated family. I often think about guys like your father who wanted to join the military early. I have some men in my family that did the same. Contrast that with todays kids and it is the exact opposite. They don't want to join at all, with few exceptions. I often feel I should have joined and it bugs me that I did not. Of course that is easier to say, than actually do it.
from above...
I even started seeing some deer and marmots.
Not much further and I was at my cousin's camp site. I spent the night in her fifth wheel. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures because it was a beautiful drive along highways 149 and 30.
For the first day I drove 852 miles over 14 hours and 2 minutes. By far the most I have ever driven in one day. Probably even over two days.
The next morning I was up early and used the campsites facilities to clean up before hitting the road. I wasn't on the road long and found this overlook. It was a beautiful view of the river for miles.
Just a few hundred yards north of the picture above was this view.
Right before exiting the mountains into the valley south of Salt Lake City.
After a couple hours at the boat dealer it was time to fuel up and hit the road again.
Less than an hour into the drive home, notice that high temp on the coolant. What a turd the 3.5L twin turbo is!!!
Back to the mountains.
Amazing views everywhere.
The 3.5L twin turbo gets even worse. Unfortunately it did this about ten times. What is going on? This issue was solved almost 100 years ago, yet Ford can't do it in the 21st century.
ITTOG
Well-known member
The one and only arch I saw. Wilson Arch
I think this is Chimney Rock.
It was getting late and it was a very long day so I decided I needed to get some rest. As I was pulling into the hotel a piece of metal was in the road and popped one of the trailer tires. Of course, a brand new tire.
To make it worse, my jack was too short to lift the trailer high enough. So I ended up driving the trailer onto a curb and left the wheel hanging off. Unfortunately, while doing that, the tire popped off the bead so the rim was on the concrete and completely ruined it. The next challenge was the center cap. I have never had these rims so I didn't know how to get the cap off. After trying to get it off for about fifteen minutes I gave up and broke it off with a hammer. Turns out it had two allen wrench bolts holding it on. I didn't have one so breaking it was the only option. That made me feel a little better. About 1.5 hours later I had it replaced and was able to get to bed about 12:30 AM.
Today I drove two segments for a total of 759 miles over 12 hours and 39 minutes. But the trip total was about 18 hours given the time to get the boat, fuel stops, and to repair the flat. Oh, speaking of fuel, I was averaging about 7.3 mpg's while towing the trailer. On the way to UT I was averaging about 20.7 mpg's.
After waking up way too early, considering when I went to bed, I was on the road by 7 AM. A couple hours later and the elevation changes were definitely getting smaller.
Not long after that I was in Texas and there was nothing to see but flatlands.
I made it home that night about 12:30 AM. I drove 1062 miles over 15 hours and 46 minutes. But it was a long 17 hours and 30 minutes for the day. Due to the poor fuel mileage I couldn't pass a gas station without stopping. That added a lot of extra time.
Overall a good trip though. It was definitely beautiful and I hope to do another drive into CO/UT/NM/etc soon.
I think this is Chimney Rock.
It was getting late and it was a very long day so I decided I needed to get some rest. As I was pulling into the hotel a piece of metal was in the road and popped one of the trailer tires. Of course, a brand new tire.
To make it worse, my jack was too short to lift the trailer high enough. So I ended up driving the trailer onto a curb and left the wheel hanging off. Unfortunately, while doing that, the tire popped off the bead so the rim was on the concrete and completely ruined it. The next challenge was the center cap. I have never had these rims so I didn't know how to get the cap off. After trying to get it off for about fifteen minutes I gave up and broke it off with a hammer. Turns out it had two allen wrench bolts holding it on. I didn't have one so breaking it was the only option. That made me feel a little better. About 1.5 hours later I had it replaced and was able to get to bed about 12:30 AM.
Today I drove two segments for a total of 759 miles over 12 hours and 39 minutes. But the trip total was about 18 hours given the time to get the boat, fuel stops, and to repair the flat. Oh, speaking of fuel, I was averaging about 7.3 mpg's while towing the trailer. On the way to UT I was averaging about 20.7 mpg's.
After waking up way too early, considering when I went to bed, I was on the road by 7 AM. A couple hours later and the elevation changes were definitely getting smaller.
Not long after that I was in Texas and there was nothing to see but flatlands.
I made it home that night about 12:30 AM. I drove 1062 miles over 15 hours and 46 minutes. But it was a long 17 hours and 30 minutes for the day. Due to the poor fuel mileage I couldn't pass a gas station without stopping. That added a lot of extra time.
Overall a good trip though. It was definitely beautiful and I hope to do another drive into CO/UT/NM/etc soon.
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Bummer about the trailer, Thanks for taking us along on the journey though!
ITTOG
Well-known member
No problem. It was a weird one to post for various reasons but there were at least two or three pic's in there that I felt made it worthwhile.