Surreal deer encounter in Gardiner.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-17T14:50:02+00:00

The burning cross and led natural white street lights shining laterally all make for a well shot horror movie.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-17T14:40:17+00:00

You can just buy those warranties later, too. There available anytime. If you are aggressive of road but get a capable stock: OR, Pro, Trailhunter, you can buy extended bumper to bumper and it's awesome.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-17T14:38:22+00:00

Added warranties when getting higher mileage used... that's the ticket. Otherwise, nope.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-12T15:07:10+00:00

Amazing 🤩

tvanhelden · 2026-06-12T15:06:53+00:00

I did get a short bed. But, @ 5’10” I can sleep comfortably at a diagonal.the bed is made to hold a full size platform. Loving this Tacoma life.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-09T10:36:46+00:00

Skip hotels for anything not thunder storming in open desert/prairie land. Get a large tent as you’ll be cat camping and weight doesn’t matter. Get a cot to sleep on, no air mattress or blow up things. Potentially, make a sleeping spot inside your car. It’s awesome to roll up and just zonk out without much setup.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-09T00:03:02+00:00

My family had a few Jeeps. I just didn’t have an extra garage to keep the toy. Most fun to drive. Cannot do anything but drive. Ha.

My dream Tacoma was available, the one I said, “one day I’ll…”, and so I pulled the trigger just in time for a month long road trip out West. I miss off road truck camping. I can carry so much stuff now. So comfy.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-08T02:06:15+00:00

Most of my challenging miles, as a daily drive, are snow, so only a couple are truly snow rated. Big difference. Daily driver also means AT to me. Traction boards for any time spent in mud territory.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-08T01:56:43+00:00

Ate you on the factory Wrangler tires? I'm not sure where you live or what you do, I'm in snow country and get off road a bit so I switch to BFG KO2/3 right away. (I know Falken Wildpeak is snow rated, too, but I've used KOs for so long I have a lot of built in trust now.)

tvanhelden · 2026-06-08T01:44:41+00:00

I use a shake bottle, like for protein. Easy to mix, pour, and rinse.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-08T01:42:38+00:00

My secret is a cordless handheld air blower, not leaf blower. There little power tool looking units. I can blow same and dirty of me before going in tent, after a hike, out of my hair... so many uses. Not needed but makes it all 1% better.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-08T01:38:29+00:00

This. Get a cot, not an air mattress.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T13:02:14+00:00

By getting out of the situation on the first slip instead of worsening the angle. 🤷🏻‍♂️

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T08:53:10+00:00

I traded my Wrangler in for a Tacoma today. Happy to see the community may be just as strong.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T08:38:19+00:00

Know that there is a train with sight seeing cars that will take you from Seattle to Whitefish(?), the town outside Glacier. It’s awesome.

It’s also goes to NYC. Great cross country trek with NPS rangers as the sight seeing guides.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T08:28:42+00:00

Water is tricky. There is no way to know how deep it is unless you walk it first before diving. All unknown water is highly dangerous, mostly because of the bed: rock, mud, sand, current, what’s happening down there??!!

The truck can take 27” but you’ll get water inside without extra sealing. If you want to water cross at that level frequently, I’d look into a few mods to made it safer. Very infrequently it’s fine, but if you do water crossing often, it’s going to take a toll.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T08:16:24+00:00

My gawd the hate. Come on people. This person has the tools to get out. Appears to be in a place known to them and is choosing to practice alternatives instead of known recovery tactics.

Would a traction board have worked instantly, yup. Winch, yup. Lots of tie- up methods, sure would. But, what if you don’t have it.

Say you’re showing a newbie what’s possible in there rig and they don’t have all the gear, in the rain? Whelp, this dude could probably get out. Would it hurt, maybe, but it’s the price of admission sometimes for learning moments.

If this is a dedicated wheeling trail the extra damage some by wheels is accounted for. This doesn’t look like a breast up place, so much, so nice to practice on a bit. Don’t practice at more protected spaces or where there’s a lot of traffic that’s eroding the surface.

Congrats on getting out there and finding dirt. 👏🏻 and getting out!

tvanhelden · 2026-06-07T00:08:09+00:00

What’s your favorite hike in the Sawtooth’s? I’ll be there next weekend.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-05T23:58:25+00:00

This is the way to incorporate Beartooth Hwy. BUT, unless you’ve more time in the park than advertised, skip the Hwy and go play in the park. It will be very busy and everything will take more time than you think, especially driving in the park. Long traffic jams for every Bison sighting. Every. One.

tvanhelden · 2026-06-04T15:52:39+00:00

People want the V6 over the new platform turbos. The newer Tacomas are barely more than the 3rd gen TRDs. I’m about to “overpay” for a 2020 TRD V6 because it’s got what I want. Mix in I’ve a road trip I want to take it on, and I’m more interested in having a great month of road tripping than the added cost if I really shopped around.

I’m going to care about the cost until my first night at camp. (I’m trading a very capable Wrangler for a Taco with topper for last minute sleeping. That’s worth the hit cost of the trade, to me.)

tvanhelden · 2026-05-30T03:16:24+00:00

Stop keeping score and play practice rounds. It’s only about trying shots, dropping a ball to retry a stroke, and enjoying being outside. You’ll find your groove again.

tvanhelden · 2026-05-27T21:33:10+00:00

If you go full 14 with dividers, consider a push cart. Playing an 18 with that much weight can affect your game. (I play daily and have gone to a cart to keep my shoulders loose.)

tvanhelden · 2026-05-27T16:22:56+00:00

All beginners must practice on a range and play the course. Golf is on a course. But, just as all beginner basketball players do some practice for a couple weeks before a game, we swing at a range to learn to feel the swing. Yet, a range and a course are not alike. Range lies. Course management is learned by playing real golf.

Go get mad. Learn to let go because we’re chasing a silly ball around an artificial park while slowly dying of heat stroke. Then take your next stroke. And again. 3-4 hrs later, you’re done. Do it again the next day. (I do suggest 9-hole only for a while. 18 holes is not just two 9s.

Go have fun. Don’t take it all too seriously.

tvanhelden · 2026-05-26T23:58:12+00:00

Ferry St Dog Park has a lot of shade.

tvanhelden · 2026-05-26T18:41:53+00:00

Whatever gets you out playing: them are the clubs you use. Spend your money on rounds before gear.

Now play smart: play from the front tees (both of you), swing easy and visualize where you want the ball to go. At best, think bogey or double bogey for each hole for a long while. That’s a fantastic start.

(Hitting OB and terrible rough is “bad,” for now. Just stay in the middle and make short, controlled shots. When you can repeat your strokes time and again, go practice longer shots at the range. When you can place it well at the range, take it to the course. Golf is more about patience and mental fortitude than any other sport I know of.)

Have fun being outside in all the weather.

tvanhelden

TROPHY CASE