Rocks. That is pretty much all mother nature gave us to play on in Phoenix lol! I like the kind of runs where you spend more time out of your Jeep spotting tough stuff than ones that are "drive thru a few bumps and done". I just find something so cool and sexy lol watching groups of grown men (we do have some women, but usually far outnumbered) sit and plot and try and crunch stuff and back down and try again and crunch more stuff and finally get the right line to drag their $40kish+ rig over big hard rocks lol!
Mud is messy. Water I am ok with a few inches where you can see bottom-but will never be a deep water person because you dont know whats underneath. At least rocks you can see. A little bit of sand here, but not my thing-I prefer driving over big stuff to driving over stuff that moves and can swallow my tires lol!
Lots of mud near me. Have tons of fun playing in it. I also enjoy beach driving if that counts. There is something great about driving on sand with the ocean only feet away, then pulling over and taking a dip.
I would like to get out to Colorado/Utah at some point as well to do Ouray and Moab.
I live in the southwest desert where we have thousands and thousands of square miles of off road terrain that needs explored. So I like to actually go somewhere when I go off road, and I especially like to go somewhere that I haven't been before. If its someplace I haven't been to before, it is worth seeing..Spending all day to drive 200 yards in a streambed is pretty boring if you ask me. Been there, done that. I hate those group trail rides where you drive a few hundred feet, and everybody stops to talk for an hour. Then you drive another few hundred feet, and everybody stops to talk for an hour. I want to keep moving, and explore some terrain. So I like to have a vehicle that works for exploring, and is capable of getting through the tough spots by itself, if they come up, even if it means winching.
Rocky trails- miles and miles of it, and days and days of it. Colorado and Utah trails are my favorite. Not into mud at all...like not true mudding type stuff. If I lived where that is all there was, I'd sell the Jeep.
As stated above, I like too also keep moving. Stopping for a drink or to take a swim is good. A 100 yards in a hour .....with everyone else standing around waiting.....is not for me.
Agree with the keep-moving crowd. I don't mind a few technical bits -- keeps the adrenaline flowing and makes you feel like you actually need the stupid Jeep rather than a Camry with a set of mudders -- but no fan of the creeping along school. I had a chance to do Poison Spider Mesa trail outside of Moab last week in a rental JKU. We went in for about 10-15 minutes then turned around and did a long trail of about 28 miles that took maybe 90 minutes. Much more fun to me.
Very interesting to see the differences between folks. Sure there is a time and place for "keep moving and great terrain" but on the big boy rock trails, that just aint gonna happen lol. If it does, you took a wrong turn and ended up back in the parking lot. I also like bonding with the other Jeepers, not just with my rig. It is a social thing, made lots of great friends just chatting while some random dude may have been on the obstacle busting out his sway links or tearing up a drive shaft lol.
I think having the technical expertise gained from this type of crawling would be fantastic, and I am likely to hook up with a group for a weekend this year or next. There's also a serious safety factor to consider when breaching technical obstacles that makes the "social" experience important. What I would hope to gain, however is technical skill so that I am capable of overcoming the occasional obstacle on my own. The only real obstacles around here are water crossings or dry creek beds (depends on the year).
I like it all. (Just dont do mud in the jeep) everything from big rides to small groups hitting the hardest trails we can handle. Heck I even like "new guy runs" where you dont even have to think about what you are doing. Like others have said its nice to just socialize ever now and again.
I "work" on an off road race team as the chief and spend my 6 months a year off from my real job eather working on my jeep or the 4400 car then the weekends at the races (when they fall on my days off) or wheeling. We usely make two big trips a year revolving around racing and wheeling, my jeep always goes along so I can get some wheeling in while on the road, and I am going over my checklist right now making sure I have everything ready for the 1200 mile haul to Moab this week.
So yeah I can honestly say Off-road is a huge part of my life, and me and my daughter love ever minute of it.
I like any terrain, provided there is a payoff at the end, ie a destination. Just playing in a mud puddle or bouncing around a field of rocks isn't for me. Im more interested in seeing some cool sites and reaching awesome destinations, while going through whatever stands in my way.
There are more dirt roads then paved where I live --in fact 17 miles north of me the pavement ends in the state of maine--so it is a way of life up here. It is not a matter of being technical or running in the mud but some of both and it is a fact of life up here.
Gimme a bit of all of it on a nice, long trail ride. I just like getting out there and covering distance and seeing stuff. If there's some mud in the trail, sure. More likely to try and go around an exceptionally nasty mud bog, or just go through it once to get to the other side (I really, REALLY dislike cleaning mud, because it just gets everywhere.)
I guess I'm more like a grandma out for a Sunday drive through the woods.
I have a herniated disk and a slipped vertebrae. Rocks ain't my thing. Honestly, I prefer overland type driving and trails that take me somewhere. I use my rig to go fishing and exploring. Nothing to technical but I'm not opposed to a little technical stuff now and then to add flavor. I'd rather do 40 miles of dirt road to find a secluded fishing spot or visit a ghost town than 4 miles of crawling for the sake of crawling. I'm not too keen on mud either, don't want to clean it off, but I live in Nevada so mud isn't a problem. Here, even pavement can get you out in the middle of nowhere but to see the real beauty of Nevada, you need to get your tires dirty and head up in the mountains.
Rock crawling and mudding get a lot of love but I suspect there are a lot of us that just like exploring and riding in our Jeep out in the woods or desert but don't need a lot of challenging obstacles to be happy.
Backcountry exploration. Like others, I have spent a bunch of time on dirt and dual sport motorcycles. For me it is about scenery along the way and hopefully a cool destination. I don't want to drive a paved road but as long as it is one level above a forest service road and "cars" don't normally go there, I am set. Hate to say I am still trying to get my first jeep but have been a motorized off-roader since I was 12. Given how much access has been confiscated by the eco-hate groups, I hope there is somewhere left to ride/drive for the next generation.
My favorite type of off-roading is going where most people can't and therefore aren't. If I can get to a cool ghost town or remote trout stream and spend a day away from the general population...:iamhappy:
I also generally avoid too much mud and seek out the greatest bang-for-the-buck adventure. Some technical stuff along the way is great. But the best part is getting to some old abandoned mine or other site you didn't know was there. Then get out and explore!
Here in South Florida, we don't have much choice. Lots of mud and water crossing. It's hard to find any climbing at all, but I'm happy to be off of pavement with a fishing pole or on a hunting trip.
Where I am, the County/State has lots of trails for horses, hiking and bicycles, but nothing for off road driving. Jeeps, trucks, ATV and motorcycle riders get ticketed or attested for riding trails.
Most of us travel to better trails or just drive through the Management Areas for a cheap thrill.
I like snow as well, easier to clean as it just melts off. Here is a pic from a couple of days ago (apr 16). This section should be dry and sunny but winter just won't leave us alone this year.
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