With the new Maxxtrax, rescued a Forester that had high-centered itself on a curb. Did some tandem drifting with a random Gt-r. Went legit offroading for the first time in an old 4runner (spoiler: not for me). And... Slides. So many slides.
All this practice has really been paying off. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable threading the needle through tight spots, and even high speed entry has been relatively calm. Beginning of the day I raced my buddy on some forest service roads. He had taken multiple full-day rally courses recently, and he couldn’t believe that he couldn’t catch up, despite having the Sti. (it’s because he was pussyfooting around corners, whereas I was sending it at 11/10). I think the next step for me... Is more power. Mastering left foot braking miiiiight be helpful, but I feel like it takes away too much of my momentum for it to ever make since in the Miata.
Here’s a car full of dudes I found in a parking lot. Many doriftos were to be found. Take notes, CoFL! Now if only it was RWD...
And later that night, I got a call from a friend asking me if I wanted to go offroading. I said yes because of course, but I didn’t realize he wanted to drive through a mountain pass at night in the middle of a snowstorm with heavy winds. It was the most terrifying time I’ve had behind a wheel....
Anyways, once we got on Highway 2 headed to Skykomish, I just assumed I was going to die and decided to go out having fun. It’s not every day your friend tosses you the keys to his modified 4runner. And yes, he has 2 4runners. One for each of us!
Here’s the drive
I was kinda freaking out by the time we got to the actual trail. The drive back home on the highway through heavy snow worried me quite a bit. I’ll admit I wanted to turn back, and said as much. But for better or worse my friend talked me into spending half an hour wheeling on the side of a mountain. I gotta hand it to the Toyota’s, they sure are capable.
That said.... I no longer want a 4Runner. They’re just not for me. And they’re made for very tiny people. At 6" 200lb I’m not exactly a monster, but my head is firmly pressed against the top, my shoulders are hitting the fully-extended headrest, and the headrest itself is more of a “neck rest”. Honestly the entire drivers area is just super claustrophobic, and that’s coming from a harnessed in Miata owner. You’re so close to the door that your left arms has no space, and has to be kept tucked into your body. It sucked. Maybe I was just grumpy thinking about the impending drive back... Idk. The offroading part was kind of boring. I’m firmly in the rally school of though when it comes to traversing tricky terrain.
Heading back we stopped at a grocery store and did some 4wd donuts. As we left, I whipped out the camera because I had a funny feeling my friend was going to try something.
Rewarded! He lost control and *lightly tapped* a curb.
We made it back, I grabbed my Miata and on the way home rescued not one, but TWO cars. Those recovery boards are the shit.
I’m going to be sad when the snow is gone.
{update) just looked outside. Easily got another 4 inches of snow. Yeeeeeeees