OFFROAD VIDEO Santa Ynez Peak, CA

Several years ago some kids found our 'off-road' threads via a 4x4 forum, and had a lot of fun ridiculing us and posting their daring ATV exploits. Maybe I've little sensitive about using that word since then.

A few of my rougher road pictures

Barlow Rd on the east side of Mt Hood, OR

Old Ranger Rd near Halfway OR. I got a good dent in my rear subframe from hitting a bump too fast on this road.

Track to the beach at Cape Blanco, OR; I hiked this, though I believe someone from the EOC May 2009 campingtrip drove on to the beach near here.

a 'decommissioned' forest road near Bella Coola, BC

the steepest long descent that I've done in the Element, Fraser River, BC

Just coming out of a slot with sandy ruts, Long Canyon, near Moab UT

Engineer Pass Rd near Ouray CO, which I bypassed due to rainy weather.

Chelan Butte - telecom access road

Colockum Pass Rd - where I wimped out due to snow and ice.

paulj said:

Engineer Pass Rd near Ouray CO, which I bypassed due to rainy weather.

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I've been up and down Engineer several times albeit in a Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser or a Jeep CJ7. Once was even through 6" of snow one June.

The thing that prevents the Element from being a real off-road vehicle are the lack of:

- Ground clearance

- Underbody hard protection for engine, transmission, gas tank and differential.

- Low range transfer case

You want off-road? This is off road- Video

I didn't mean to insult or do a one-up-man-ship. I got carried away finding pictures on my pbase gallery. Your video was fun to watch. Keep it there. I would love to drive that road if I had a chance.

But I do think we need to be conservative about what we call off-road. The Element can get us to some interesting places, but it isn't exceptional by any measure. There's a reason why this section is called 'off the beaten path', not 'off roading Elements'.

Years ago I stated a thread titled 'the road not taken', where I posted some images of the places where I turned around because I though the way forward was too rough or difficult. There weren't too many responses. But I remain interested in that dividing line between what an Element can safely do, and what is too difficult. In my experience ground clearance is the biggest limitation.

I've also become more conservative, taking fewer chances than in the first couple of years. Either that or I've become more adept at identifying the problem spots.

I think that the confusion exists because there are a lot of off road enthusiasts who consider “offroad” to mean a trail more challenging than a gravel road. To them it would be like posting a “drag race video” that when viewed shows a geo metro doing 0-60 in 19 seconds.

At the same time off road technically means going off pavement, so there is the technical definition and the generally accepted enthusiast’s definition of off road.

When I open a thread about an E offroad I have to stifle a surprised laugh when I see an E traversing a gravel path. Not because of any superiority or one-upmanship, but because it is not what I am originally expecting when I read the thread title, “offroad.” I just think of something a bit different.

I keep hoping to see an E going over some rocks or fording a river. That would be awesome. But I’ve been looking at the Element more carefully lately, since a previous thread, and man those things are slung low to the ground and the IFS and the IRS, plus the small wheels, and kibble hanging down underneath make anything more than gravel road unadvisable. I certainly wouldn’t do it to my E had I one. My X has armour for just such an occasion.

So I guess in summary, and bearing in mind that it is way too late at night, we ought to enjoy the E for what it is, and not look down at those who take their E “off road” whether it is on a dirt trail, or somewhere more adventurous. As long as people are out enjoying their vehicle and exploring new places I say let them enjoy and keep the pictures coming!

GaryS said:

I found a great video of the trail up Engineer Pass in Colorado. It has been 20+ years since I've been on it and it looks now like it could be doable in an Element. What do you guys think?

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I was planning on doing it in fall 2004, but the day we hit Telluride, remnants of an Pacific storm dumped a lot of rain on the whole SW. We spent a very wet night camped at Alta Lakes, cozy in the Element. Others, who'd been attending a 'blues and booze' festival in town came back to overturned tents.

Since the next day continue to be rainy I made a loop on paved roads through Ouray and Silverton (via the Milliondollar Hwy), and spent the next night in Cortez.

A couple of decades ago I drove through the area starting in the south. This was in a S10 pickup with 4x4 and camper top. In Silverton I picked up a local trail guide, and headed up to Animas Forks and on to Engineer Pass. But as we drove up the pass, a car came back down and told us the otherside (north) was snowed in. This was mid October. So I turned back and took the road down to Ouray (see my 2004 photo).

As I recall there wasn't anything exceptionally difficult. I did, at one point, bounce over a bump or dip, and put a dent in the bottom of a quarter pannel of the pickup. I may have used 4L on some steeper descents.

Earlier in the 2004 trip I drove Long Canyon near Moab. In the pickup I was happy to have 4L on this road. In the Element, I trusted the brakes. 1st on the Element is good only for holding your speed to 20mph. There was one spot with rutted sand on Long Canyon that the Element handled headed down hill, but might have gotten stuck heading up hill.

In the Colorado San Juans, Cinnamon Pass east of Amimas Forks might be a better way of driving from Silverton to Lakecity.

Mention Off-Road in this forum and you'll get all sorts of responses.
It's the excitement factor!

I use to Off-Road alot back in the 80's & 90's, almost killed myself a couple of times and nearly ruined a few trucks.

Aside from dirt roads at Death Valley with the EOC I don't off-road anymore. But I still love it.

I'm stricly an Off Road Racing spector these days.

Here's what I like.
100 + MPH Desert Race trucks!



Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UgDbWkhAH8&feature=related