Toyota Trails Literary Scholars Club (*Spoiler Alert!) (2 Viewers)

[Diff Kraken]

Not sure if this will catch on, but I eagerly await the Toyota Trails magazine every 2 months and then when it arrives, I kind of don’t have any context for a lot of the trips or rigs that are showcased. Hoping that this thread will bring out the true scholars among the club here to point out/discuss any uber cool stuff in the issues as they roll into our mailboxes every two months.

A couple article themes this issue include:

- A group trip in Tennessee
- Macgruder Corridor in Texas Idaho and Montana
- Some kind of California lookin desert area
- And, last but not least, Freaking Siberia

Have any of you scondrels been to these far off “exotic” locations? Or know the places, trucks, or people in these articles? Or anything else cool in this issue I should take note of?

Here are a couple pictures from this new Jan/Feb 2021 issue:

 

[matzell]

I have wheeled all over Tenn. The content is taken from those that submit. Anyone can do it and most get published. They are always looking for more. BBRC has done articles in the past as well as other more local clubs. There was one from Fall Crawl last year that was out.

 

[Diff Kraken]

I have wheeled all over Tenn. The content is taken from those that submit. Anyone can do it and most get published. They are always looking for more. BBRC has done articles in the past as well as other more local clubs. There was one from Fall Crawl last year that was out.

Thank you for your submission to the thread. Congratulations- You are now a member of the Toyota Trails Literary Scholars Club.

 

[Diff Kraken]

I have wheeled all over Tenn. The content is taken from those that submit. Anyone can do it and most get published. They are always looking for more. BBRC has done articles in the past as well as other more local clubs. There was one from Fall Crawl last year that was out.

What are the go to spots for off-roading in Tennessee? How does it compare to the options in this NE region? And do you happen to know when the fall crawl piece was published or who wrote it?

 

[matzell]

What are the go to spots for off-roading in Tennessee? How does it compare to the options in this NE region? And do you happen to know when the fall crawl piece was published or who wrote it?

More mud and hill climbs. rocky muddy trails and the rocks are slick, not textured like the ones in PA. @Onur 's wife wrote it I think. Came out about a year ago.

 

[Diff Kraken]

Thanks @matzell good info.

 

[matzell]

Thank you for your submission to the thread. Congratulations- You are now a member of the Toyota Trails Literary Scholars Club.

Funny I think I wrote my first submission back in the late 90's. Better late than never!

 

[JohnVee]

@CatskillsRunner wrote a piece for Fall Crawl 2019.

I had an article about Portsmouth Island in the Outer Banks of NC a couple issues back.

@matzell is correct. They’re always looking for content. Submit something with some good photos and it’s likely to get printed. I used to get 3/4 page every issue by submitting a “chapter report” when it was a column. Lack of submissions by other clubs pretty much made it the “ONSC Soapbox” before it faded away. My main motivation for keeping it going was to have a regular east coast presence, even if it was only random musings without pics.

To your queation, Winrock (Windrock?) in TN is the venue for GSMTR every year. I’ve not been but it’s a well regarded site that caters to all levels of vehicle.

 

[JohnVee]

Toyota Trails Sep/Oct 2020 – Portsmouth Island photos

Many moons ago @JohnVee and I had planned on collaborating on an article, for Toyota Trails, about the club trip we took to Portsmouth Island back in 2017. As with all things, life happened and said article ended up taking a back seat to…well, life. Recently the topic of having the story...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[PAToyota]

I wrote an article years ago that was accepted. I had always meant to do more, but life sort of got in the way.

 

[HoundDog]

That's cool. The reason I just pulled the engine/trans out of my 40 is to perform preventive maintenance in preparation for an overland trip I'm planning this summer/fall. The plan is to drive only dirt roads from New Mexico to Colorado, drive Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass, the Alpine Loop, then over to Moab, UT to do the White Rim Trail, then back south to NM.

Perhaps I'll do a write-up to Toyota Trails for that even though I'm sure these areas have been covered 100 times before.

 

[Crusha]

Perhaps I'll do a write-up to Toyota Trails for that even though I'm sure these areas have been covered 100 times before.

If this is a solo trip, just one rig, then it would absolutely be perfect for Toyota Trails.

Who doesn't dream of doing this exact thing?

 

[NearJetties]

All I know of far off lands is I’m planning to do one of the Colorado events in 2022. Targeting Solid Axle Summit but considering 100s in the Hills too.

I was planning on SAS for this summer but something already threw a wrench in the gears.

 

[shmukster]

I had a tech article in Trails years ago about the operation and troubleshooting of the power rear window on the 55 series. Still get questions about that! And I believe I have a complete set of Trails back to the beginning, originally it was a black and white publication. Always liked the regular tech pieces and occasional article from Mark Whatley he wrote well and was very knowledgeable. There also used to be some damn humorous stuff in Trails, too like ask Brother Andy..................

 

[afgman786]

And I believe I have a complete set of Trails back to the beginning, originally it was a black and white publication.

you mean carved in stone?

 

[Diff Kraken]

I had a tech article in Trails years ago about the operation and troubleshooting of the power rear window on the 55 series. Still get questions about that! And I believe I have a complete set of Trails back to the beginning, originally it was a black and white publication. Always liked the regular tech pieces and occasional article from Mark Whatley he wrote well and was very knowledgeable. There also used to be some damn humorous stuff in Trails, too like ask Brother Andy..................

I’m shocked to learn the 55 has electric windows! Sweet!

 

[bkfj40]

I’m shocked to learn the 55 has electric windows! Sweet!

Window

only the rear. Gary had his so souped up it was like a guillotine.

 

[Diff Kraken]

Some quick notes from the Jan/Feb TT issue:

- A new TLCA president: Heather Royston taking over from Ross Woody who served as Prez from ~2013.

- Windrock Park in Tennessee sounds like a pretty awesome off road park that has 300 miles of trails for “all skill levels”

- The STLCA Tennessee folks hosted a “blindfolded driver’s race” as part of their event. In which the driver is blindfolded and a passenger verbally guides them to drive through a safe obstacle course! That sounds like a lot of fun actually!

- The piece about a trip to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada has me wishing I had bought that white 3FE FJ80 I test drove in October. Slow-yes- but that’s ok.

- I think at some point I’ll drive the Magruder Corridor Trail between Montana and Idaho. My family lives in Oregon and both of my maternal Great Grandfathers were born along that trail apparently. Didn’t know about the trail but they were born in Nez Pierce Indian territory and were horse traders along where this trail runs. It’s a 113 mile rough road back country trail. Sounds awesome I’ll plan to do it at some point. Maybe if I move back to Oregon in a few years or maybe I’ll borrow one of my friend’s many Toyota’s from his place in Portland some time during a visit. I also have a long standing invitation to visit a friend in Montana. It could be a perfect trip for me.

- “In Reach” and an “Iridium Phone” are good to have for off grid trips

- The 200 series is a fat pig and should not be taken off-road

- In the “Truck Tech” section, all of the people writing in with problems own 4Runners.

This concludes my literary analysis.

 

[Diff Kraken]

I wrote an article years ago that was accepted. I had always meant to do more, but life sort of got in the way.


View attachment 2560328

Do you still have that truck? How did the frame ultimately hold up?

 

[76FJ40]

Back in the day there were separate tech sections, one for Cruisers and the other for mini trucks and 4Runners. After Mark Watley retired from the Cruiser tech section (Mark has a wealth of Cruiser knowledge and has a Cruiser shop in AK), all that's left is the mini/Taco/4Runner tech section.