Oregon has a great variety of climates and geography. It's stunning. You can literally go to the desert, mountains, snowy peaks, oceans, lakes and rivers with only a few hours of driving
Great scenery! Also cool that your frustrations weren't hidden for the sake of glamorous overlanding. We often find ourselves having to change plans several times a trip due to unforseen circumstances. Thanks for keeping it real and taking us along 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Haha, I saw that off in the distance and detoured a half mile out into the playa to get a closer look. Never would have crossed my mind to fly there, but that's a brilliant approach for sure!
@@softroadingthewest A lot of bush plane guys go there to camp, even landing at Fields to fill up. It would have been fun if that pilot took you up to look for your friends.
Fellow Oregon Overlander - was just in the Alvord myself and enjoyed a good Fields Shake. Was amazed by Mickey's Hot Tub - was like a miniature Yellowstone experience :)
Awesome!! I've been looking forward to this multi-part series since you teased it a week ago, or so. Then you were talking with Jason with Primal Outdoors in his latest video and ratcheted up the suspense, yet again. The time is upon us! lol
I love this video because it gives equal air time to days where nothing goes right and you just can’t straighten the ship no matter what you do. Most “creators” would have just skipped this entire day and not published a video because it doesn’t fit their narrative of how amazing everything thing is. Everyone who watched this can relate.
In 2013 my wife and I rode to California from West Virginia on a Goldwing. We stopped in Fields for gas. I loved the "congested area" sign. There wasn't another car for miles. Great video Don.
Donald another good one, the sunset was fantastic. I like that you are willing to show the bad along with the good. Some days you're the windshield and some days you're the bug. Rock on. ATB
I love your persistence. Despite missing your friends it still looked like a solid adventure with great scenery. To quote your understatement, “This ain’t bad though”.
Haha...yeah, I'm glad I found this area to make camp, it made up nicely for the earlier failure. I did find a few other campsite options a bit earlier in the evening and very nearly stopped and called it good, but they weren't quite as inspiring...when I found this I was really glad I had pushed on past the previous spots. :-)
This is honestly better footage/video story (Although this particular trip wasn't positive, at least from what we've seen) than watching 50-100k Dollar overlanding rigs-trailers act like everything in the world is peachy lol Looking forward to the rest of this trip/story line.
That plane though!! Thats some next level camping LOL. I didnt realize how vast Alvord was. Sorry we missed you Donald, next time for sure! Loved that you didnt hide your frustrations .... happened to me not too long ago, luckily I found them the following morning. But awesome adventure and video!
An incredible start to what I am certain is going to be an amazing trip! I am so excited to watch the next video. it is funny I love exploring and one of my favorite ways to explore is just to see where things go wandering around with no Agenda. But I hate it when I cannot find something or someone. I was feeling anxious as you were looking around for the group. Love the flow and storytelling and I cannot wait for the next one drops!
Thanks Jared! It was kind of a bittersweet experience for sure...I was sorely disappointed to not meet up with my friends from up and down the west coast, but saw a lot of beautiful country in the process. :-)
You need to look into a Garman in reach which lets you communicate by text between other Garman in reach and normal texting. Works off the satellite system therefore as long as you have a view of the sky to the east good. I became a big believer after breaking down and having no cell service to call for help. It’s well worth the service fee and the cost of the unit and it’s totally portable so you can carry it with you on your person. You should definitely look into it😎
This is high on my list, especially since I roam solo so frequently. I've been lucky so far, but even being careful, anything can happen and I would like to be equipped with emergency comms for sure.
softroadingthewest You can also Bluetooth it to your phone or iPad to use with Gaia. That way you can go with an iPad that Doesn’t have a cell phone connection saving about $300
If you love to travel into no service areas consider getting a Garmin Inreach!!! Perfect for communications in times like this and also have a SOS feature. It would be very easy for them to text you their exact coordinates while you still have cell service rather that guessing. Or better yet, Inreach-to-Inreach communication. Better planning ahead with more coordination less headache. You basically spent your whole adventure looking for the group.
Hate you missed your friends. But, you made good on a tremendous opportunity to show you're a man of character. Well done. I'm looking forward to the series. As a latecomer, I have the opportunity to just stream away... 🙂
Too bad you weren't able to meet up with the other people as planned but the place you were able to find to camp out looked amazing. It was so desolate out there that drone drone shot looked awesome! Awesome video! Glad to virtual live the outdoor life with you through your videos. Keep em coming 🙂
Such beautiful locations. Absolutely incredible. I’m sure sorry you couldn’t connect with the gang. I can imagine the frustration. That first night looked charming! I suspect it would be available for others that need a fresh early start to their Central Oregon adventures.
I feel so so bad about this. :-( I was SO looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting some new ones! We'll certainly have future opportunities to cross paths. :-)
Yes a mini-series! Love it! Unfortunate you didn't get to meet up with everyone but hey, still made the best of it. It is still an awesome looking campsite, lovely sunset.
Yeah I'd be frustrated to driving forever trying to find the friends. Oh well just enjoy the trip. I've never been to the Alvord desert though some of my other subie buddies have. Looks like a cool place enjoy
Hey there brother great video! I know you didn’t find your friends but you found a great camp site! Can’t wait to see you’re next video this is Big Boy Frank from Texas Peace out ✌️
I was going to ask if those where the ruins I had mentioned to you then you covered it. Pretty cool! Too bad about the mix up with the friends. Now we know, George.
I was really confused at first when I saw that pop up on Gaia...I had zero recollection of adding those waypoints. Eventually I realized it was the tail end of the loop down into Nevada you had suggested to me last year, which we ended up not doing. Looked like a fun little route, I would have loved to keep going up that little road.
I was out on the Alvord last night and watched a movie on Netflix , first time my phone has worked in that area. Drove from Hart Mt to Fields via old dirt roads, lots of backtracking but way worth it! Excellent video, can’t wait for more!
Sorry to see the troubles you had meeting up with the group and your friends. Getting late messages when cell signal became available, and then having them move locations, just adds to the frustration. You handled it well and made the right call to go find your own camp before it got dark. Very interested in this series and will be looking forward to more. Pete - KI7LIL
For sure. I have to point out that if I had known better what I was doing in Gaia GPS, it would've been a non-issue. It was all on me...I misinterpreted the coordinates, which sent me off on a wild goose chase. Had I done it correctly, I would've seen I was just minutes away from them. Also if I'd had a different cell company and could've messaged more effectively, that too would have prevented a lot of trouble. Something I'll probably start looking into changing. :-) Thanks for watching!
Great adventure ... really loved it... coming from a desert country ( saudi arabia) i know how tough is getting lost in a desert ... i had a subaru forster as well and tried it in the tough desert many time ... great car indeed Love your channel man .. keep up🌹
Man sorry u missed your group! I was just out there about a month ago and so I know how vast it is and how hard it can be to find people cause groups almost seem to disappear in the near distance. Looking forward to seeing the next parts of your trip! Planning to do this very trip myself again before end of summer
Yes, exactly! It's so crazy how you can be line-of-sight but the distance is just too great and you just can't see who or what is out there until you get close enough. It's deceiving because you can always see the hills and mountains surrounding the playa but you lose all sense of scale and just how minuscule the cars are out in that expanse. Enjoy your trek out that way!
Donald so close to see all your friends! Maybe another way of communicating, like have a C.B. on in the camp. Would think it would carry along ways in the dry lakebed! You did make the best of it finding a great place to camp the night. Enjoying your videos and hard work making them.
I didn't think to capture it on camera, but I do have a radio and made multiple attempts over the course of the afternoon to contact Edward Shin, on the same frequency he and I had been running during another adventure together just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time, I had my radio set on scan so it would sweep all channels for any traffic, hoping I would hear someone I know. This lakebed is so large that you can easily get out of radio range. I picked up very little chatter at all from anyone out there.
Pretty sweet little camper your friends have! Too bad you couldn't find your friends, we dealt with a similar situation finding friends out by John Day fossil beds. it looks like an amazing and peaceful place where you camped though! We really need to explore east more.
I was completely enchanted everywhere I went out there. I could've easily spent a couple more weeks truly exploring. Definitely need at least a weeklong trip to make driving that far worth it I'd say.
Sorry if this is a dumb question or if it has been covered in a previous comment, but couldn't you reach anyone on your radio? And of course it goes without saying by now, really enjoyed the video, scenery, sunset.
I stupidly didn't think to film it, but yeah, I was actually constantly trying the radio. Ed and I were out together just a few weeks prior, and I tried over and over to reach him on the same frequency we had been on. The rest of the time I was driving around, I kept my radio on scan mode so it would continually sweep all the channels for any activity. That playa is so vast, it just goes beyond the range of many radios. I picked up very little chatter from anybody out there, I was just so far from any other people most of the time.
Fun video. Question for you, why don't you always have track record going when you take trips so you can see how to backtrack and where exactly you've been?
I use that feature on occasion, usually when I'm randomly wandering a complex network of unmarked roads, but for the most part I don't run it just to not clutter up my Gaia maps. I suppose I could run it more often and just delete the tracks I don't need. It didn't even occur to me out on the Alvord because I didn't expect to have any trouble finding the crew, and then I was deliberately re-tracing my steps because I was convinced I had just somehow not noticed the camp. :-) Ultimately it *would* have been useful...it could have helped me crisscross the playa effectively in addition to circling the shores.
@@softroadingthewest Thanks for the insight. Personally I love having the tracking on for our rockhounding / geologically centred trips cause I put countless pins, and boxes on my map and if its open why not track and adjust later is my thinking. I love the content you make and I look forward to seeing more of this series.
They were! Only problem was, mid June, it gets dark so late...I rarely managed to stay up late enough for a fully black sky. Middle-of-the-night calls of nature however were rewarded with stunning star scenes, heh.
We’ve been going for the past months and haven’t had time to watch the full vid. We just did and immediately got sad....We’ve decided if you don’t make it down to Shasta we are coming to you in southwestern Oregon. ☺️
It's very highly unlikely I will make Shasta. :-( But I would be *thrilled* to see you up here if you can make it work. I'm sure Jason would be game as well. :-)
Time to get some 5-watt or Ham radios for your travels. We used to use them when my friends and I used to street race. Even after cell phones became reliable, these radios are always great short to medium range (max 10 miles in a city like Philly or NYC).
I run a 5-watt GMRS. I forgot to shoot video of it at the time, but I was trying the whole afternoon to reach Ed on the same frequency he and I had used just a few weeks prior - no luck obviously. When I wasn't actively on the radio, I had it constantly scanning all channels for any activity. I picked up very little from anybody out there. That playa is so vast that you can quickly get beyond the range of most radios that average people use. HAM clearly would do the trick; there was a HAM operator among the people out there with Ed too. I think I'll certainly go down that road someday. :-)
I'm still bummed that you couldn't find us, I'm glad you found a nice scenic camp at the end of the day. I think a drone would've been useful in this case but who knows.
Yeah, I didn't think of the drone, but I'm not sure it would've been much help, given the size of the playa and the very limited range of my little Spark. It also has a top speed of only about 20 mph so I could drive anywhere much faster than it can fly. The aerial perspective may still have been helpful, though I probably would've continued just looking at the shrubby shore areas since I was convinced that's where you guys were. The main thing I had my eye out for actually was your orange Gazelle...I can't tell you how many times I spotted a bit of orange on the horizon and went tearing across the playa at full speed, only to discover it wasn't a Gazelle. :-)
Great video, thanks! You might think of getting a Garmin Inreach Explorer + that will allow you to exchange messages via satellite with your friends, assuming they have access to one. Expensive and requires a monthly subscription but well worth it, IMHO.
Not a bad idea, an aerial viewpoint may have been helpful. My basic little drone doesn't have much range and the Alvord is far too vast, but being in the air, I might have caught sight of something that would've clued me in... I had planned to do some drone shots while out on the Alvord, but being so focused on the whole not finding camp thing, it didn't even cross my mind to put it up, heh.
I bought a Garmin InReach before My son and I went exploring in Death Valley. I’ve since used it on all my trips where I’m off grid. Would have saved you some time and driving on this trip 🤪
Man it's a bummer you never made it out to join us at Edwards camp. I was looking forward to meeting you and looking over your Subie setup. Did you consider popping the drone up and zipping it across/around the Alvord to see if you could spot our camp from above?
I know, I was sooo disappointed. I didn't think to use the drone, although my little Spark doesn't have much range - well under a mile - and tops out at about 20 mph...with the miles and miles of playa out there, I'm not sure it would've helped any more than me driving around at 60 mph. :-) In any case I would've still just been looking at the shore areas, as I was convinced that's where camp was. Whenever/wherever next time is, I'll be there.
Did you swap back to using led headlights? In a shot of you rolling on the lake bed they look led again. Maybe not. Great video Donald. I dream of my 2017 forester to be able to drive on a dry lake bed like that. In Canada it's thick forest and not a lot of great videos because it's not flat on the east coast!
Nope, those are halogen, though I do run slightly upgraded halogen bulbs which are brighter than OEM. Perhaps no dry lakebeds up your way, but I've seen some seriously gorgeous scenery from eastern Canada. It's on my list for some distant distant day when I can really travel far and wide!
I just also saw you on Primal Outdoors and heard you mention your final destination. Was it Leslie gultch or succor creek? I live about an hour and a half away from succor creek and it’s almost surreal how perfect the scenery and nature is. Looking forward to your reaction.
I hit both of those places among others over the course of the eastern Oregon adventure. Truly spectacular scenery. I wished I had an additional week to more thoroughly explore over there!
Hey we all have bad days, but on a scale from one to ten, I reckon that you had a two. No one got bogged, or died. Beautiful scenery and some wasted fuel. I think you got a bargain.
Absolutely! While I was bummed I missed my friends, it was an enjoyable day in beautiful backcountry and I never would have found that sweet little road and campsite had things gone according to plan. :-)
Awesome well made videos man!!!! I’m hooked on this channel now! Nice to find a channel where It doesn’t seem like I’m watching a drawn out commercial about some sponsor that you’re trying to sell. ❤️&✊🏾
Thanks! I do also review products...it's hard not to in this game, but always with fully honest opinions. And while Jackery does sponsor me, it's a product I 100% use, love and believe in. I would praise it even without the sponsorship. :-)
So I’m a youtuber myself, a much smaller channel though. I want to commend you on always pushing to get footage. I aspire to be more like you. There are so many times a trail doesn’t go right and I just stop filming. You are pushing me to want to be better.
An early Xmas present with episode one of your big adventure👏🏻👏🏻🎁 While it’s too bad the start of your adventure was a bummer remember, the worst day soft roading is better than the best day at work😃 Can’t wait for the other episodes. Thanks Donald 👍👏🏻✌️🚙🏕🍻
Although the technology is ancient, I would suggest that everyone get a CB like us off-roaders. Great to have when locating companions in a local area.
While I completely failed to capture it on video, I do have a radio and tried all afternoon to contact Ed on the same channel we had used just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time I was driving around, I had my radio set to scan all channels for any activity, hoping to pick them up if I happened to be near enough. This playa is so vast, you can easily lose radio contact with others who are on the other side or other end. No one knew I was out there looking for them so it's possible no one even had a radio on to pick up my transmissions anyway. :-)
I'm now seeing the benefits to offline maps, and routes being able to be shared. Yikes... I've only made it 13min, hope it gets better for ya! A couple times I've had to meet people ahead of me, we set 3 locations all near each other and no deviation is allowed until we're all together.
Excellent production on this one. Pretty amazing place you found. I just picked up a '97 FZJ80 in part because your videos inspired me to get out and explore more. I'm in EUG, so maybe see you out there someday. Do you know good Overlanding groups in Oregon to follow?
Definitely honk and wave if you see me! Chances are, if you're driving around in an 80 series, I will have already noticed you anyway, don't see them very often around here! I don't know any overlanding groups myself but I imagine there must be some out there. See you around!
Great video Donald, so bummed about you not meeting up with you rsquad but looks like you turned lemons into lemonade my man, epic shots! Headed out to he Alvord next weekend for a quick trip ( 3 days) looking forward to that fields shake! Looking forward to the next video, didn't you hook up with Casey ( coyote works) ?
That campsite was lemonade indeed! :-) Yes, I crossed paths briefly with Casey, suuuper nice guy, really enjoyed chatting with him. That'll probably end up in part 3. :-)
Pff, I don't want to hear Donald on my radio all the time...... JUST kidding, its defiantly good to have, its saved my stranded butt once already when I had no cell service.
Donald, it sucks cause I was looking forward to meeting you. When you entered the playa if you'd have gone pretty much straight we were right there. When you turned right I was like NOOOOOO. Anywho, maybe next time.
I think I feel your disappointment, driving circles around the Alvord its hard to express just how big it is. Don’t you and your friends have CBs? I’m thinking you need a nice big pair of binoculars also.
We actually have GMRS radios and had an agreed-upon channel. I completely failed to film it, but I was trying all afternoon. When I wasn't trying, I had my radio set to scan in case any of them were on other channels. The Alvord is just so vast, it's beyond the range of many radios. With hundreds of people out there that day, I should have picked up tons of chatter from people using handheld FRS walkie-talkies, but I barely caught anything. Just too much distance out there. Binoculars and a high point (or just standing on top of the car) might've been helpful indeed. Need to add a pair to the kit for sure.
Wow, your cinematography and storytelling is fantastic. OK, the scenery helps, but dang. Good enough I decided to become a patron :-) Someones gotta pay for all that gas.
Is there a way to communicate via radios, like a CB or portable handheld “walkie-talkies”? Seems like that would’ve been perfect for finding each other in such a vast meeting place… (potential future sponsor? 🤔)
Yes, though the playa is so vast that most radios won't reach across it. I didn't think to film it, but did I repeatedly attempt to radio Ed, using the same radio frequency he and I had been using together just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time I was driving around, I had my radio set to scan all channels, so I would pick up any activity at all, but never picked up any transmissions from the crew.
softroadingthewest ah, range would be an issue. My neighbor does over-landing and I think he also has a HAM radio, but my understanding of HAM/short-wave radio is that it seems like a whole ‘nuther hobby.
Yeah, I think HAM is something I'll eventually have to get into, especially as I travel solo so frequently, but it's considerably more involved than just buying a decent GMRS and paying for the test-free license as I did. My GMRS works great for convoy communications as it will talk to the little handheld FRS walkie-talkies most people have, but that's when we're all fairly close together on the same road...the range on the handhelds is pretty limited. I have a few friends who also run hardwired GMRS like me and the range is significantly better than with the walkie-talkies, but I believe even GMRS to GMRS would struggle across the entire span of the Alvord. HAM is probably the only solution, though of course that means you gotta have people on both end who are operators. :-)
softroadingthewest one other thing to think about since you’re over landing solo so often is something called SPOT. A former friend had one she used to share her location with friends when she ran a marathon. I believe you can choose whom to share location with, or not share at all and just use it as an emergency distress beacon. (Her father died in a plane crash in Alaska and was never found…) I’m sure there are other devices that do the same or similar, and maybe you’re already aware of them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m not affiliated in any way with any such company, just sharing what little I know, ya know? Lol! More SPOT info here- www.findmespot.com/en-us/
I don't have a preferred spot. Anyplace along the far shore where the bushes are encroaching on the playa makes for good camping, as the usually strong & persistent wind gets broken up a bit. There is at least a 5-mile stretch of this...just pick your spot. :-) You'll see others tucked in here and there. Some do like to camp out in the middle and it's true it looks awesome in pictures, but the wind is generally worse, and I'd be worried about people who are speeding across the playa at night.
How did you find a bullbar/pushbar/moosebar for the forester 2009-2010? Im from canda Idk how to find one around here and is there a complicated way to install it or is it simple?
Check out rallyinnovations.com - they make a bar for the SH Forester. It's technically not an actual pushbar, they bill it as a light mounting bar...it definitely won't stop a deer or moose from damaging the front of your car. I had it on my car for a few years, it's nicely made and looks good. Installation was straightforward, I did it myself. I don't think there are any bolt-on structural push bars for the Forester outside of some full bumper solutions which might be available in Australia. It would probably require some custom fabrication work if you wanted something that solid out front.
@@softroadingthewest thanks for your reply keep making awesome content!(edit, unfortunately they do not ship to canada, I needed it mainly for reckless snow driving and not worrying for others cracking front bumper but I will wait till there is a canadian company to do so. ps do you feel like the stock forester is a little bouncy on potholes, or is this a wheel baring/shocks issue particular to me?)
Ah, the trip I was suppose to go on but didn't get approval from the wifey. Getting lost, delayed and having any kind of set back is all part of what we do as overlanders. It's always better than sitting on a couch and watching TV. :P
I didn't think to film it, but I do run a hardwired - not handheld - GRMS radio, and I did have an agreed-upon channel with Ed. I was in fact trying constantly throughout the afternoon to reach him, and had my radio set to scan the rest of the time in case any of them were communicating on another channel. The playa is so vast, however, that it exceeds the range of many radios. I'm *really* kicking myself for not filming this detail, because people keep scolding me for not having a radio, LOL. :-)
I used to spend quite a bit of time in France and crossed paths with Lucky Luke books (and other B.D.) during my times there. I am more of a Tintin fan personally, I have a nice collection of them in French. When I was younger (and still had my blond hair on my head) people in France would tell me I reminded them of Tintin...a comparison I gladly accepted. :-)
I carry a 3.5 gallon Fuelpax on the roof. I get anywhere from about 18 to 25 mpg depending on the type of driving. I've never needed to refuel from my gas can, I top up obsessively at every opportunity, and have always managed to get to the next gas station. I did end up using the Fuelpax to refuel someone else during the course of this trip however...he was happy I had it. :-)
I was not in any danger here. I didn't think to film it, but I do have a radio and tried all afternoon to reach Ed, and kept it on Scan mode the rest of the time to try and pick up any communications on any channel. This playa is so vast that it extends beyond the range of most radios.
67,000 miles. I work from home so I do almost no driving other than traveling to various wilderness areas to explore, so I don't rack up a ton of miles. This was the longest trip I've ever done in the Forester - even longer than the road trips I've taken to California - but this kind of travel is rare for me.
Oh yes, I was fine. I had filled up at Fields when I first got into the area, and after searching for them on the playa, I went back to Fields to fill up again before heading off on my wild good chase by the hot springs. I had used about half a tank. With a full tank, I headed out towards the (wrong) coordinates. I burned another quarter tank before giving up and heading out of the area. I had ample gas to get me to the next town the following morning. :-)
Oregon has a great variety of climates and geography. It's stunning. You can literally go to the desert, mountains, snowy peaks, oceans, lakes and rivers with only a few hours of driving
Indeed! We are fortunate here. Thanks for watching!
Great scenery! Also cool that your frustrations weren't hidden for the sake of glamorous overlanding. We often find ourselves having to change plans several times a trip due to unforseen circumstances.
Thanks for keeping it real and taking us along 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
All the best from Bulgaria! Very professional filming and amazing landscapes! Thanks a lot! Keep in this way!
The airplane was funny. That’s a hell of a way to overland😜
Haha, I saw that off in the distance and detoured a half mile out into the playa to get a closer look. Never would have crossed my mind to fly there, but that's a brilliant approach for sure!
@@softroadingthewest A lot of bush plane guys go there to camp, even landing at Fields to fill up. It would have been fun if that pilot took you up to look for your friends.
I pack mine when overlanding. Why have a drone when you can paramotor?
Camping from a plane is really awesome.
I operate on the principle of "if you have gas, you aren't lost. You're exploring."
Haha, I like that!
Awww man I’m sad all over again. Hopefully we get to see you again soon!
Fellow Oregon Overlander - was just in the Alvord myself and enjoyed a good Fields Shake. Was amazed by Mickey's Hot Tub - was like a miniature Yellowstone experience :)
Awesome!! I've been looking forward to this multi-part series since you teased it a week ago, or so. Then you were talking with Jason with Primal Outdoors in his latest video and ratcheted up the suspense, yet again. The time is upon us! lol
Even though nothing went to plan, you still had the most beautiful setting for this vid. Great content Donald👌
I love your videos man! More power and luck on your channel! Your channel is solely for the love outdoors overlanding stay humble! 😉
It makes my day when I see a video of yours that I haven’t already seen. Thanks again for what you do.
I love this video because it gives equal air time to days where nothing goes right and you just can’t straighten the ship no matter what you do. Most “creators” would have just skipped this entire day and not published a video because it doesn’t fit their narrative of how amazing everything thing is. Everyone who watched this can relate.
In 2013 my wife and I rode to California from West Virginia on a Goldwing. We stopped in Fields for gas. I loved the "congested area" sign. There wasn't another car for miles. Great video Don.
Donald another good one, the sunset was fantastic. I like that you are willing to show the bad along with the good. Some days you're the windshield and some days you're the bug. Rock on. ATB
Oh man, that metaphor is very on point for me, LOL. Almost literally. :-) Thanks for watching!
I love your persistence. Despite missing your friends it still looked like a solid adventure with great scenery. To quote your understatement, “This ain’t bad though”.
Haha...yeah, I'm glad I found this area to make camp, it made up nicely for the earlier failure. I did find a few other campsite options a bit earlier in the evening and very nearly stopped and called it good, but they weren't quite as inspiring...when I found this I was really glad I had pushed on past the previous spots. :-)
It looks like being on the Serengeti! Thanks for sharing your adventure. When you said this ain’t bad...I thought, you ain’t kidding!
This is honestly better footage/video story (Although this particular trip wasn't positive, at least from what we've seen) than watching 50-100k Dollar overlanding rigs-trailers act like everything in the world is peachy lol
Looking forward to the rest of this trip/story line.
so true
That plane though!! Thats some next level camping LOL. I didnt realize how vast Alvord was. Sorry we missed you Donald, next time for sure! Loved that you didnt hide your frustrations .... happened to me not too long ago, luckily I found them the following morning. But awesome adventure and video!
Thanks Mike. So bummed we didn't get to meet up. Definitely my turn to make the trip south now. :-)
softroadingthewest Let us know, we will plan it out.
Epic sunset at the end. Headed that way for the first time next month, thanks for the preview!
I love your trips. Thank you for sharing and changing my mind about Subaru's.
simply amazing! such a beautiful country to live in! love your vids!
An incredible start to what I am certain is going to be an amazing trip! I am so excited to watch the next video. it is funny I love exploring and one of my favorite ways to explore is just to see where things go wandering around with no Agenda. But I hate it when I cannot find something or someone. I was feeling anxious as you were looking around for the group. Love the flow and storytelling and I cannot wait for the next one drops!
Thanks Jared! It was kind of a bittersweet experience for sure...I was sorely disappointed to not meet up with my friends from up and down the west coast, but saw a lot of beautiful country in the process. :-)
You need to look into a Garman in reach which lets you communicate by text between other Garman in reach and normal texting. Works off the satellite system therefore as long as you have a view of the sky to the east good. I became a big believer after breaking down and having no cell service to call for help. It’s well worth the service fee and the cost of the unit and it’s totally portable so you can carry it with you on your person. You should definitely look into it😎
This is high on my list, especially since I roam solo so frequently. I've been lucky so far, but even being careful, anything can happen and I would like to be equipped with emergency comms for sure.
softroadingthewest
You can also Bluetooth it to your phone or iPad to use with Gaia. That way you can go with an iPad that Doesn’t have a cell phone connection saving about $300
If you love to travel into no service areas consider getting a Garmin Inreach!!! Perfect for communications in times like this and also have a SOS feature. It would be very easy for them to text you their exact coordinates while you still have cell service rather that guessing. Or better yet, Inreach-to-Inreach communication. Better planning ahead with more coordination less headache. You basically spent your whole adventure looking for the group.
The Willamette Valley Soaring Club goes to the Alvord in the summer for a fly-in; not surprised to see the Cessna 310.
Awesome trip!! Thanks for sharing.
Hate you missed your friends. But, you made good on a tremendous opportunity to show you're a man of character. Well done.
I'm looking forward to the series. As a latecomer, I have the opportunity to just stream away... 🙂
Beautiful campsite ! The drone footage is amazing!
Too bad you weren't able to meet up with the other people as planned but the place you were able to find to camp out looked amazing. It was so desolate out there that drone drone shot looked awesome! Awesome video! Glad to virtual live the outdoor life with you through your videos. Keep em coming 🙂
Thanks Marc!
Such beautiful locations. Absolutely incredible. I’m sure sorry you couldn’t connect with the gang. I can imagine the frustration. That first night looked charming! I suspect it would be available for others that need a fresh early start to their Central Oregon adventures.
That first night was such a relaxing, restful way to begin the trip! Thanks again Dan!
We really missed you. You were the topic of conversation that whole evening. We'll meet up sometime!
I feel so so bad about this. :-( I was SO looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting some new ones! We'll certainly have future opportunities to cross paths. :-)
Yes a mini-series! Love it! Unfortunate you didn't get to meet up with everyone but hey, still made the best of it. It is still an awesome looking campsite, lovely sunset.
Yeah I'd be frustrated to driving forever trying to find the friends. Oh well just enjoy the trip. I've never been to the Alvord desert though some of my other subie buddies have. Looks like a cool place enjoy
I've only seen it from the top of the Steens loop !
Awed by the photography. It would be worth a frustrating day just for the sky views. Thanks.
For all the frustrations, it was still a good day of adventuring and beautiful places! Thanks for watching!
Hey there brother great video! I know you didn’t find your friends but you found a great camp site! Can’t wait to see you’re next video this is Big Boy Frank from Texas Peace out ✌️
I was going to ask if those where the ruins I had mentioned to you then you covered it. Pretty cool! Too bad about the mix up with the friends. Now we know, George.
I was really confused at first when I saw that pop up on Gaia...I had zero recollection of adding those waypoints. Eventually I realized it was the tail end of the loop down into Nevada you had suggested to me last year, which we ended up not doing. Looked like a fun little route, I would have loved to keep going up that little road.
@@softroadingthewest Yes, it did look fun on the map. Maybe next time...
I was out on the Alvord last night and watched a movie on Netflix , first time my phone has worked in that area. Drove from Hart Mt to Fields via old dirt roads, lots of backtracking but way worth it! Excellent video, can’t wait for more!
Sorry to see the troubles you had meeting up with the group and your friends. Getting late messages when cell signal became available, and then having them move locations, just adds to the frustration. You handled it well and made the right call to go find your own camp before it got dark. Very interested in this series and will be looking forward to more. Pete - KI7LIL
For sure. I have to point out that if I had known better what I was doing in Gaia GPS, it would've been a non-issue. It was all on me...I misinterpreted the coordinates, which sent me off on a wild goose chase. Had I done it correctly, I would've seen I was just minutes away from them. Also if I'd had a different cell company and could've messaged more effectively, that too would have prevented a lot of trouble. Something I'll probably start looking into changing. :-) Thanks for watching!
Beautiful trip! Something to be said ... on your evening solo. Just to enjoy quietness. Love your adventure!
Yep...even though it wasn't the plan for that night, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Thanks for watching!
Great adventure ... really loved it... coming from a desert country ( saudi arabia) i know how tough is getting lost in a desert ... i had a subaru forster as well and tried it in the tough desert many time ... great car indeed
Love your channel man .. keep up🌹
Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to part two my friend. I enjoy your series.
Man sorry u missed your group! I was just out there about a month ago and so I know how vast it is and how hard it can be to find people cause groups almost seem to disappear in the near distance. Looking forward to seeing the next parts of your trip! Planning to do this very trip myself again before end of summer
Yes, exactly! It's so crazy how you can be line-of-sight but the distance is just too great and you just can't see who or what is out there until you get close enough. It's deceiving because you can always see the hills and mountains surrounding the playa but you lose all sense of scale and just how minuscule the cars are out in that expanse. Enjoy your trek out that way!
Donald so close to see all your friends! Maybe another way of communicating, like have a C.B. on in the camp. Would think it would carry along ways in the dry lakebed! You did make the best of it finding a great place to camp the night. Enjoying your videos and hard work making them.
I didn't think to capture it on camera, but I do have a radio and made multiple attempts over the course of the afternoon to contact Edward Shin, on the same frequency he and I had been running during another adventure together just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time, I had my radio set on scan so it would sweep all channels for any traffic, hoping I would hear someone I know. This lakebed is so large that you can easily get out of radio range. I picked up very little chatter at all from anyone out there.
Some stunning light.
Pretty sweet little camper your friends have! Too bad you couldn't find your friends, we dealt with a similar situation finding friends out by John Day fossil beds. it looks like an amazing and peaceful place where you camped though! We really need to explore east more.
I was completely enchanted everywhere I went out there. I could've easily spent a couple more weeks truly exploring. Definitely need at least a weeklong trip to make driving that far worth it I'd say.
Sorry if this is a dumb question or if it has been covered in a previous comment, but couldn't you reach anyone on your radio?
And of course it goes without saying by now, really enjoyed the video, scenery, sunset.
I stupidly didn't think to film it, but yeah, I was actually constantly trying the radio. Ed and I were out together just a few weeks prior, and I tried over and over to reach him on the same frequency we had been on. The rest of the time I was driving around, I kept my radio on scan mode so it would continually sweep all the channels for any activity. That playa is so vast, it just goes beyond the range of many radios. I picked up very little chatter from anybody out there, I was just so far from any other people most of the time.
@@softroadingthewest Bad luck. I look forward to the next installment.
Very nice. Some epic landscapes. Get me one of them jackeries bro!
even though things didn't work out as planned the cinematography was as beautiful as always.
Fun video. Question for you, why don't you always have track record going when you take trips so you can see how to backtrack and where exactly you've been?
I use that feature on occasion, usually when I'm randomly wandering a complex network of unmarked roads, but for the most part I don't run it just to not clutter up my Gaia maps. I suppose I could run it more often and just delete the tracks I don't need. It didn't even occur to me out on the Alvord because I didn't expect to have any trouble finding the crew, and then I was deliberately re-tracing my steps because I was convinced I had just somehow not noticed the camp. :-) Ultimately it *would* have been useful...it could have helped me crisscross the playa effectively in addition to circling the shores.
@@softroadingthewest Thanks for the insight. Personally I love having the tracking on for our rockhounding / geologically centred trips cause I put countless pins, and boxes on my map and if its open why not track and adjust later is my thinking. I love the content you make and I look forward to seeing more of this series.
Awesome video. Makes me miss Oregon.
I bet the stars were amazing out there.
They were! Only problem was, mid June, it gets dark so late...I rarely managed to stay up late enough for a fully black sky. Middle-of-the-night calls of nature however were rewarded with stunning star scenes, heh.
We’ve been going for the past months and haven’t had time to watch the full vid. We just did and immediately got sad....We’ve decided if you don’t make it down to Shasta we are coming to you in southwestern Oregon. ☺️
It's very highly unlikely I will make Shasta. :-( But I would be *thrilled* to see you up here if you can make it work. I'm sure Jason would be game as well. :-)
softroadingthewest We’re going to work on that and we will let you all know.
Been following Jason for awhile. Glad you 2 collaborated because I never knew your channel existed, and I love it! The kind of content I like 👍🏻
Thanks for coming over from Primal Outdoors!
Looks fun , I live down in Jackson Co.,OR. I will be heading out that way this year on a Road Trip .
Time to get some 5-watt or Ham radios for your travels. We used to use them when my friends and I used to street race. Even after cell phones became reliable, these radios are always great short to medium range (max 10 miles in a city like Philly or NYC).
I run a 5-watt GMRS. I forgot to shoot video of it at the time, but I was trying the whole afternoon to reach Ed on the same frequency he and I had used just a few weeks prior - no luck obviously. When I wasn't actively on the radio, I had it constantly scanning all channels for any activity. I picked up very little from anybody out there. That playa is so vast that you can quickly get beyond the range of most radios that average people use. HAM clearly would do the trick; there was a HAM operator among the people out there with Ed too. I think I'll certainly go down that road someday. :-)
Sometimes misdirection and frustration can lead to unexpected wonders. Sorry you missed your friends. The airplane was unexpected!
I'm still bummed that you couldn't find us, I'm glad you found a nice scenic camp at the end of the day. I think a drone would've been useful in this case but who knows.
Yeah, I didn't think of the drone, but I'm not sure it would've been much help, given the size of the playa and the very limited range of my little Spark. It also has a top speed of only about 20 mph so I could drive anywhere much faster than it can fly. The aerial perspective may still have been helpful, though I probably would've continued just looking at the shrubby shore areas since I was convinced that's where you guys were. The main thing I had my eye out for actually was your orange Gazelle...I can't tell you how many times I spotted a bit of orange on the horizon and went tearing across the playa at full speed, only to discover it wasn't a Gazelle. :-)
@@softroadingthewest oh man, I should've put the Gazelle on the roof lol
Haha, could've taken the floor out and launched that thing like a kite with the wind that was out there!
Great video, thanks! You might think of getting a Garmin Inreach Explorer + that will allow you to exchange messages via satellite with your friends, assuming they have access to one. Expensive and requires a monthly subscription but well worth it, IMHO.
I am definitely interested in checking out that or some other satellite based emergency comms system, given that I tend to go out solo a lot.
I wonder if a drone flight would have helped. I want to go back to Alvord again. Amazing part of Oregon that's best know for trees
Not a bad idea, an aerial viewpoint may have been helpful. My basic little drone doesn't have much range and the Alvord is far too vast, but being in the air, I might have caught sight of something that would've clued me in... I had planned to do some drone shots while out on the Alvord, but being so focused on the whole not finding camp thing, it didn't even cross my mind to put it up, heh.
I bought a Garmin InReach before My son and I went exploring in Death Valley. I’ve since used it on all my trips where I’m off grid. Would have saved you some time and driving on this trip 🤪
Man it's a bummer you never made it out to join us at Edwards camp. I was looking forward to meeting you and looking over your Subie setup. Did you consider popping the drone up and zipping it across/around the Alvord to see if you could spot our camp from above?
I know, I was sooo disappointed. I didn't think to use the drone, although my little Spark doesn't have much range - well under a mile - and tops out at about 20 mph...with the miles and miles of playa out there, I'm not sure it would've helped any more than me driving around at 60 mph. :-) In any case I would've still just been looking at the shore areas, as I was convinced that's where camp was. Whenever/wherever next time is, I'll be there.
Lemonade out of lemons, fantastic sunset.
I just got to make it to the desert soon.
Thank You Sir, Cheers to you and yours,, Stay Virt
Did you swap back to using led headlights? In a shot of you rolling on the lake bed they look led again. Maybe not. Great video Donald. I dream of my 2017 forester to be able to drive on a dry lake bed like that. In Canada it's thick forest and not a lot of great videos because it's not flat on the east coast!
Nope, those are halogen, though I do run slightly upgraded halogen bulbs which are brighter than OEM.
Perhaps no dry lakebeds up your way, but I've seen some seriously gorgeous scenery from eastern Canada. It's on my list for some distant distant day when I can really travel far and wide!
We need more supporters so we can watch these awesome videos every day!
Sounds good to me! :-)
I just also saw you on Primal Outdoors and heard you mention your final destination. Was it Leslie gultch or succor creek? I live about an hour and a half away from succor creek and it’s almost surreal how perfect the scenery and nature is. Looking forward to your reaction.
I hit both of those places among others over the course of the eastern Oregon adventure. Truly spectacular scenery. I wished I had an additional week to more thoroughly explore over there!
Hey we all have bad days, but on a scale from one to ten, I reckon that you had a two. No one got bogged, or died. Beautiful scenery and some wasted fuel. I think you got a bargain.
Absolutely! While I was bummed I missed my friends, it was an enjoyable day in beautiful backcountry and I never would have found that sweet little road and campsite had things gone according to plan. :-)
Awesome well made videos man!!!! I’m hooked on this channel now! Nice to find a channel where It doesn’t seem like I’m watching a drawn out commercial about some sponsor that you’re trying to sell. ❤️&✊🏾
Thanks! I do also review products...it's hard not to in this game, but always with fully honest opinions. And while Jackery does sponsor me, it's a product I 100% use, love and believe in. I would praise it even without the sponsorship. :-)
Been there, done that my friend.
So I’m a youtuber myself, a much smaller channel though. I want to commend you on always pushing to get footage. I aspire to be more like you. There are so many times a trail doesn’t go right and I just stop filming. You are pushing me to want to be better.
An early Xmas present with episode one of your big adventure👏🏻👏🏻🎁 While it’s too bad the start of your adventure was a bummer remember, the worst day soft roading is better than the best day at work😃 Can’t wait for the other episodes. Thanks Donald 👍👏🏻✌️🚙🏕🍻
Yes indeed, I'd always prefer a fruitless search in the desert over sitting in front of my computer grinding on work! Thanks Geoff!
Although the technology is ancient, I would suggest that everyone get a CB like us off-roaders. Great to have when locating companions in a local area.
While I completely failed to capture it on video, I do have a radio and tried all afternoon to contact Ed on the same channel we had used just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time I was driving around, I had my radio set to scan all channels for any activity, hoping to pick them up if I happened to be near enough. This playa is so vast, you can easily lose radio contact with others who are on the other side or other end. No one knew I was out there looking for them so it's possible no one even had a radio on to pick up my transmissions anyway. :-)
Beautiful filming.
Sometimes, when things don’t go as planned, it turns out to be a better plan!
I'm now seeing the benefits to offline maps, and routes being able to be shared. Yikes... I've only made it 13min, hope it gets better for ya! A couple times I've had to meet people ahead of me, we set 3 locations all near each other and no deviation is allowed until we're all together.
Excellent production on this one. Pretty amazing place you found. I just picked up a '97 FZJ80 in part because your videos inspired me to get out and explore more. I'm in EUG, so maybe see you out there someday. Do you know good Overlanding groups in Oregon to follow?
Definitely honk and wave if you see me! Chances are, if you're driving around in an 80 series, I will have already noticed you anyway, don't see them very often around here! I don't know any overlanding groups myself but I imagine there must be some out there. See you around!
Great video Donald, so bummed about you not meeting up with you rsquad but looks like you turned lemons into lemonade my man, epic shots! Headed out to he Alvord next weekend for a quick trip ( 3 days) looking forward to that fields shake! Looking forward to the next video, didn't you hook up with Casey ( coyote works) ?
That campsite was lemonade indeed! :-) Yes, I crossed paths briefly with Casey, suuuper nice guy, really enjoyed chatting with him. That'll probably end up in part 3. :-)
Matt and I need to get you a HAM radio license, especially with how much you solo trek.
That's definitely on the long-term "'l'll do this someday" list!
Pff, I don't want to hear Donald on my radio all the time......
JUST kidding, its defiantly good to have, its saved my stranded butt once already when I had no cell service.
@@matthewnasholm LOL :-)
Donald, it sucks cause I was looking forward to meeting you. When you entered the playa if you'd have gone pretty much straight we were right there. When you turned right I was like NOOOOOO. Anywho, maybe next time.
I know, I was super disappointed to miss out on this event. :-( Next time for sure. :-)
That was an area I was unaware of, very nice video
I think I feel your disappointment, driving circles around the Alvord its hard to express just how big it is. Don’t you and your friends have CBs? I’m thinking you need a nice big pair of binoculars also.
We actually have GMRS radios and had an agreed-upon channel. I completely failed to film it, but I was trying all afternoon. When I wasn't trying, I had my radio set to scan in case any of them were on other channels. The Alvord is just so vast, it's beyond the range of many radios. With hundreds of people out there that day, I should have picked up tons of chatter from people using handheld FRS walkie-talkies, but I barely caught anything. Just too much distance out there. Binoculars and a high point (or just standing on top of the car) might've been helpful indeed. Need to add a pair to the kit for sure.
Wow, your cinematography and storytelling is fantastic. OK, the scenery helps, but dang. Good enough I decided to become a patron :-) Someones gotta pay for all that gas.
I didn't even know he had a Patreon lol
Thank you! It's very much appreciated! I'll see you over on the Patreon page! :-)
Is there a way to communicate via radios, like a CB or portable handheld “walkie-talkies”? Seems like that would’ve been perfect for finding each other in such a vast meeting place… (potential future sponsor? 🤔)
Yes, though the playa is so vast that most radios won't reach across it. I didn't think to film it, but did I repeatedly attempt to radio Ed, using the same radio frequency he and I had been using together just a few weeks prior. The rest of the time I was driving around, I had my radio set to scan all channels, so I would pick up any activity at all, but never picked up any transmissions from the crew.
softroadingthewest ah, range would be an issue. My neighbor does over-landing and I think he also has a HAM radio, but my understanding of HAM/short-wave radio is that it seems like a whole ‘nuther hobby.
Yeah, I think HAM is something I'll eventually have to get into, especially as I travel solo so frequently, but it's considerably more involved than just buying a decent GMRS and paying for the test-free license as I did. My GMRS works great for convoy communications as it will talk to the little handheld FRS walkie-talkies most people have, but that's when we're all fairly close together on the same road...the range on the handhelds is pretty limited. I have a few friends who also run hardwired GMRS like me and the range is significantly better than with the walkie-talkies, but I believe even GMRS to GMRS would struggle across the entire span of the Alvord. HAM is probably the only solution, though of course that means you gotta have people on both end who are operators. :-)
softroadingthewest one other thing to think about since you’re over landing solo so often is something called SPOT. A former friend had one she used to share her location with friends when she ran a marathon. I believe you can choose whom to share location with, or not share at all and just use it as an emergency distress beacon. (Her father died in a plane crash in Alaska and was never found…) I’m sure there are other devices that do the same or similar, and maybe you’re already aware of them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m not affiliated in any way with any such company, just sharing what little I know, ya know? Lol!
More SPOT info here- www.findmespot.com/en-us/
Would you be kind enough to put the coordinates of your preferred camping spot at the Alvord lake?
I don't have a preferred spot. Anyplace along the far shore where the bushes are encroaching on the playa makes for good camping, as the usually strong & persistent wind gets broken up a bit. There is at least a 5-mile stretch of this...just pick your spot. :-) You'll see others tucked in here and there. Some do like to camp out in the middle and it's true it looks awesome in pictures, but the wind is generally worse, and I'd be worried about people who are speeding across the playa at night.
@@softroadingthewest Thank you Sir!
How did you find a bullbar/pushbar/moosebar for the forester 2009-2010? Im from canda Idk how to find one around here and is there a complicated way to install it or is it simple?
Check out rallyinnovations.com - they make a bar for the SH Forester. It's technically not an actual pushbar, they bill it as a light mounting bar...it definitely won't stop a deer or moose from damaging the front of your car. I had it on my car for a few years, it's nicely made and looks good. Installation was straightforward, I did it myself.
I don't think there are any bolt-on structural push bars for the Forester outside of some full bumper solutions which might be available in Australia. It would probably require some custom fabrication work if you wanted something that solid out front.
@@softroadingthewest thanks for your reply keep making awesome content!(edit, unfortunately they do not ship to canada, I needed it mainly for reckless snow driving and not worrying for others cracking front bumper but I will wait till there is a canadian company to do so. ps do you feel like the stock forester is a little bouncy on potholes, or is this a wheel baring/shocks issue particular to me?)
I would def get lost without a GPS or something there...I know it was disappointing but you had a good camp...
Ah, the trip I was suppose to go on but didn't get approval from the wifey. Getting lost, delayed and having any kind of set back is all part of what we do as overlanders. It's always better than sitting on a couch and watching TV. :P
Absolutely. For all my whining, this was a great day which will make lifelong memories. I'll take this over being stuck at home any day!
All's well that ends well. That day ended well. 🙂
Yes it did! :-)
i have to ask why dont you have a radio? CB or better yet GMRS mobile not hand held and an agreed upon channel?
I didn't think to film it, but I do run a hardwired - not handheld - GRMS radio, and I did have an agreed-upon channel with Ed. I was in fact trying constantly throughout the afternoon to reach him, and had my radio set to scan the rest of the time in case any of them were communicating on another channel. The playa is so vast, however, that it exceeds the range of many radios. I'm *really* kicking myself for not filming this detail, because people keep scolding me for not having a radio, LOL. :-)
Hi Donald, I don't know if you know Lucky Luke, a strip cartoon, but you remind me of him ! Beautiful video and scenery.
I used to spend quite a bit of time in France and crossed paths with Lucky Luke books (and other B.D.) during my times there. I am more of a Tintin fan personally, I have a nice collection of them in French. When I was younger (and still had my blond hair on my head) people in France would tell me I reminded them of Tintin...a comparison I gladly accepted. :-)
Donald, you've got to fix that windshield.
Yep, it's happening soon!
Do you pack reserve gas?What is your mpg for your rig?
I carry a 3.5 gallon Fuelpax on the roof. I get anywhere from about 18 to 25 mpg depending on the type of driving. I've never needed to refuel from my gas can, I top up obsessively at every opportunity, and have always managed to get to the next gas station. I did end up using the Fuelpax to refuel someone else during the course of this trip however...he was happy I had it. :-)
Where do you keep your full size spare tire?
In the factory spare tire location. It *just* fits, with the center foam piece removed.
Good content!
You need to go to north east Oregon. Its where I live and can point you in the right direction. Plus you wont be in the desert during summer.
I had a similar issue locating a friends camp using google maps, i took me 6 hours to finally find them.
I enjoyed your video, but. Where is your communication system??? I can’t believe that you go off-roading alone depending on a cell phone.
I was not in any danger here. I didn't think to film it, but I do have a radio and tried all afternoon to reach Ed, and kept it on Scan mode the rest of the time to try and pick up any communications on any channel. This playa is so vast that it extends beyond the range of most radios.
How many miles do you have on your car now? You drive so much it seems!
67,000 miles. I work from home so I do almost no driving other than traveling to various wilderness areas to explore, so I don't rack up a ton of miles. This was the longest trip I've ever done in the Forester - even longer than the road trips I've taken to California - but this kind of travel is rare for me.
@@softroadingthewest wow work from home full time. Whatv line of work are you in?
Did you have enough spare gas to get back?
Oh yes, I was fine. I had filled up at Fields when I first got into the area, and after searching for them on the playa, I went back to Fields to fill up again before heading off on my wild good chase by the hot springs. I had used about half a tank. With a full tank, I headed out towards the (wrong) coordinates. I burned another quarter tank before giving up and heading out of the area. I had ample gas to get me to the next town the following morning. :-)