Just kidding. A snorkel (a.k.a. a “Dorkel” by some with a sense of humor) is actually a useful addition to a vehicle when used like we use our Tacoma. Granted, if you are (or know someone who is) a “Mall Crawler” than this addition is truly a waste of time, effort and money…unless all you …
I don’t remember exactly when I first realized I was regularly heading into and back out of situations when a substantially lower tire pressure greatly improved either traction or comfort (or both). I assume that newsflash hit me during one of those excursions where I ended up deflating and then reinflating my tires at least …
One of our favorite times of year to head out and camp is in early Spring. Days are still brisk, snow can be found at higher elevations and it seems the multitudes of summer campers are staying home. On the negative side of the ledger are washed out roads and trails, snow or landslides blocking …
My last dog, Kuma, was a Northern Breed (predominantly Karelian Bear Dog). When he was in his prime we played and camped in snowy conditions regularly. With Willow being a shorter-haired sun and heat enthusiast I have substantially cut back on my normal winter camping schedule. To keep both of us on our toes we …
We were down in the Arizona desert hanging out for a few days before meeting up with friends. Our spot was a few miles outside of Quartzsite at a place we have stayed a few times before. Out of the way, the barest hint of freeway noise, no one around during the week and a …
Ever since I started making camping an integral part of my life I have strived to find products that meet my needs as efficiently and simply as possible. A couple other criteria I want any tool I use to possess are a robust build quality and fitting into the limited space available in the Tacoma. …
One of the best outdoor writers in America (IMHO) is Tom Stienstra who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle and has done so for well over three decades. In 2008 he wrote an article titled Soul-soaring views await from perch above Heart Lake. In it he beautifully described the hike to and the views from …
While in the general area quenching our thirst to find out about the Corona Satellite Calibration Targets we had seen signs mentioning the Sonoran Desert National Monument and wanted to go explore. Sitting about 60 miles southwest of Phoenix it comprises 496,600 acres of cactus forests among untrammeled plains and rugged mountain ranges. It was …
Heading up through Sonoma county to our destination for the Memorial Day weekend we found ourselves in crap Petaluma traffic which is so often the norm. We had been dancing around with a very nicely put together 2nd gen Tacoma on the highway and had offered up a reciprocated “Hey man, nice truck” in the …
We had already visited both Paulina Falls and Paulina Peak and it was still only around noon. We decided to keep on exploring and visit this interesting volcanic feature that had peaked our interest when we had seen it while up at the Paulina Peak summit. Once we got back down the hill from the …