How'd you get that thing in there? Tall tales of two wheel drive

Hey all,

I just read a post about getting a Prius up into the Bugs and that got me thinking about some of the amazing places that you can get a two wheel drive car with some guts, ingenuity, or stubborn disregard for reason. I'd be interested in hearing about all the places that people have managed to get cars more accustomed to the old black top...and the stories that come with getting them there.

Years ago, I managed to get a Chevy Aveo into Black Velvet Canyon. MP says that 2WD drive cars "**should** " be okay. We managed it with difficulty. In a picture I found my partner is holding a wooden 2x4...can't remember why we needed that. 

Sadly, the Aveo didn't make it out under it's own volition. Embarrassingly, I left the lights on and the battery died. Then, when we tried to jump it the theft protection system was activated and the car refused to start. The call with the towing company was a fun one. When they inquired about the car's location, I responded, "Do you have a topographic map?"

Good Times.

Sean

I think our best 2WD story is driving a rental up to the refugio on Pico de Orizaba. But the cops turned us around on attempt one, so it may not be legal? To this day I don't know, so it's a post-beers only story. 

Point being, looking forward to hearing the great stories! But don't forget to limit 'em to those where you are sure you were legally in the clear.

When we broke through the ice, water started rushing in the door jams. We rolled down the windows and climbed onto the roof (V1), then jumped off to the bank. Heidi's ranchers towed the CRV out with a tractor and we limped it back to Monticello and replaced the air filter. The vehicle survived, in the strictly functional sense of the word. The next week, we brought Heidi and the ranchers gift cards to their favorite watering hole in Dgo. 

Fritz, would I be right in guessing you're packing a bowl?

Parachute Adamswrote:

Fritz, would I be right in guessing you're packing a bowl?

That would be a fair assumption, but in this particular instance it was actually a sandwich under construction.

My Honda Fit got stuck on the way back from Crackhaus in winter. After breaking the cables, we repaired them with a number seven stopper, a neutrino and a quick link. Between shoveling, kluging a fix for the cables and rallying up and down the hills, it took us four hours to drive six miles.

You said two wheel drive....

For years, my only transportation was a bike, this bike, still my only bike:

That didn't stop me from doing as much as possible, (I mean, no choice, right???) including huge loads from the store, the farmers market, and a winter run to my favorite artisan bakery, the actual bakery, not a storefront.

So, I was there at the bakery by special arrangement and stocked up. Got a lotta comments and honks riding back, with a whole load of fabulous breads poking out that basket!

People looked a bit more askance, when I rode to my nearby community garden plot....

With a garden fork and a full sized machete, across the handlebars.

But?

I also took that bike on the ridge to rivers trail system, here in the Boise foothills, whenever the mood struck. Mountain bike trails.

One trip, I rode (and walked) that bike way, way, up, far into the foothills above Boise.  I simply had to get out, and as....away....as I could manage. Got a lot of smiles, and more than a few comments about the bike basket, lol! And skinny tires. Old ladies....geez. ;-)

I had my sketchbook, water, snacks, maybe a book? and pulled up off trail, to just.... sit. Maybe, sketch? Write? 

Not much traffic, up there, but what there was?

Every.

Single.

Rider.

Stopped.

Asked if I was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just sitting!"

Finally? Someone told me I was within feet of where a fellow rider had committed suicide, very recently, like, days. That person was still in everyone's thoughts. I knew about that, but didn't know them, or anything except foothills, and a death. Wasn't thinking of that at all. 

Out came the sketchbook. Just a fast sketch, for a pretty special day, in memory of....well, him, but myself, too. 

2016, the going was still pretty tough for me.

Little did I know?

Only a couple years later, my life would change entirely, totally out of the blue.

"Be kind. Always". 

To yourself, first of all. Others too, but you first.

And never ever ever give up hope.

Let yourself see. See who you are, who you can be, and that you can get through....whatever shit you have to get through. Just this next little bit, is all you need to manage.

Best, Helen

Sean! Love the new hometown, sir! Miss ya bunches, hope it's going well! All's good here, except the fucking heat...and smoke. Sheesh. Two more trips to City coming up! I actually had to count up, make sure I didn't overshoot the limit for total days camping, in any 30 day stretch, lol! 

F r i t zwrote:

My Honda Fit got stuck on the way back from Crackhaus in winter. After breaking the cables, we repaired them with a number seven stopper, a neutrino and a quick link. Between shoveling, kluging a fix for the cables and rallying up and down the hills, it took us four hours to drive six miles.

Pretty clever! You seem to be a good one to have around in a pinch...but probably a bad one to lend a car to.

I remember driving up to New Hampshire from New York once in the pouring rain. My wipers wouldn't work (of course) so my brother and I had tied ropes to each of the wipers, ran one through each window, and operated the wipers manually for several hours.

Helen! Glad to hear your tales of the two-wheeler...didn't know you were an artist as well. Pretty excited about the new locale as well. Let me know if you ever make it down this way.

JonasMRwrote:

I think our best 2WD story is driving a rental up to the refugio on Pico de Orizaba. But the cops turned us around on attempt one, so it may not be legal? To this day I don't know, so it's a post-beers only story. 

Point being, looking forward to hearing the great stories! But don't forget to limit 'em to those where you are sure you were legally in the clear.

Hey, same! Our shitty Jeep patriot (FWD) got stuck in the mud between 3-4 times on the way up, but with 3 half drunk dudes pushing we were able to rock it going again and make it up there. The car didnt fair so well, and we had a hell of a time getting out of paying for damage when we returned it.  Our trusty spanish fluent member of the team was able to get out of it after a 20 minute screaming match with the manager. ...They rewrote their damage policy as we left the office and headed for our flight.

F r i t zwrote:

When we broke through the ice, water started rushing in the door jams. We rolled down the windows and climbed onto the roof (V1), then jumped off to the bank. Heidi's ranchers towed the CRV out with a tractor and we limped it back to Monticello and replaced the air filter. The vehicle survived, in the strictly functional sense of the word. The next week, we brought Heidi and the ranchers gift cards to their favorite watering hole in Dgo. 

That crossing has claimed A LOT of cars that shouldn't be there, mine included, but that takes the cake.

Do not conflate 4x4 with having adequate clearance. A 2wd vehicle with adequate clearance and competent driver can get into many places that one with 4x4 will brute force their way into.

Black Velvet is a good example (for the most part) where I have driven a 2wd vehicle in several times. Of course the first time the drive out was more interesting. Well not the driving but the old Ford 150 parked along side the road with a pair of cowboy boots sticking out the window and a naked gal bouncing up and down riding the cowboy. We saluted as we drove by. 

With over 50 years of off roading experience on dozens of different types of vehicles and even a national championship in an off road performance rally many people ask me what THE best off road vehicle is. I always say that it is a rental car. It is truly amazing where those things will go.

That said, I used to watch my buddy Mondeau take his 2WD Ford up trails that would leave guys with tricked out Jeeps spinning their wheels.

The best off road vehicle is the one with the best driver.

I have seen a Honda Fit at the Enchanted Tower, and although impressive, it is not completely unreasonable. However, last year year I ran into an Arizona climber who insisted that he regularly takes his Impreza Sport into The Homestead. Although it has AWD, that thing has something like 5” of clearance. If true, and I have no reason doubt him, that had to be some heroic and masterful driving. 

Chevy Express 2500, RWD - This past winter, me and my wife ambitiously chased a storm mid-week that dropped 3’ of goodness overnight. The morning following the storm, after an hour of unfruitful shoveling and breaking a chain, my wife flagged down a private plow. For the next 3 days we practically had the mountain to ourselves. 

It might have AWD but the WRX only has about 5" of clearance and she sure don't flex much. Still I've had that thing down some pretty rowdy roads.

I have a FWD 4runner that I affectionately refer to as my 2runner that has gotten me through some sketchy situations. Notably, I was driving around the platte and came across a road I had recognized as being a 4x4 road. It's just a direct continuation of a non-4x4 road, and I know a lot of people throw around "4x4" to actually mean high clearance, so I figured "what the hell" and went for it. I just about met god that day - the road is narrow and i quickly ran into a very steep, loose chicane with deep water rivets running down it. Car almost immediately started sliding and I didn't even have enough traction to steer so that I would follow the road back down but instead go right off the chicane. Managed to hit some bald patches on the road that gave me some traction and very delicately floored it on a line that managed to get me to the top of the hill. Turns out - if I had come from the other direction, it's extremely casual driving, and takes about 45 less minutes to get the location. Huh.

Anytime I feel good about having been able to navigate that road, I think back to getting fully stuck on the side of the road in 3" of snow at clear creek this winter and having to get towed out by a truck after multiple cop cars and suped up SUVs drove by laughing and I remember my place. I learned how to do some offroading growing up in SC but I sure as shit didn't learn how to drive in the snow.

Edit: turns out I have a RWD 4runner so again I am reminded of my place in the driving world.

4x2ing

Vaughnwrote:

It might have AWD but the WRX only has about 5" of clearance and she sure don't flex much. Still I've had that thing down some pretty rowdy roads.

Keep the snail whistling and the pedal on the right gets ya going. I have a bug eye I've gotten into some wild spots too, and I'm down an inch

Allen Sandersonwrote:

Black Velvet is a good example (for the most part) where I have driven a 2wd vehicle in several times. Of course the first time the drive out was more interesting. Well not the driving but the old Ford 150 parked along side the road with a pair of cowboy boots sticking out the window and a naked gal bouncing up and down riding the cowboy. We saluted as we drove by. 

I've taken a 2WD VW Scirocco in (and, more importantly, out of) Black Velvet Canyon. Ground clearance was nominally about 4.5", but it had low profile tires and was fully loaded with camping gear, so I'd guess the clearance was closer to 3.5".  The hardest part is getting in and out of the washes--those are a test of a vehicle's approach and departure angles. A sideways approach helps.

The last time I went into BVC I did it in a Nissan Altima while being followed by a Honda fit that had four people in it. That road isn't too bad these days.