Trip to the Oregon Dunes (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Sep 17, 2003
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4,427
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
Website
www.george4wd.taskled.com
Kids had spring break at school so the wife & I took them for our yearly trip to the Oregon Dunes (near Reedsport). Stayed in a yurt at the umpqua state park - very nice location and great place to stay.

The weather cleared up beautifully for us and we had mostly drizzle free days and the last few days were nice & sunny, couldn't ask for better weather to play on the sand dunes.

The kids love it since they get to drive the 80 and play on the sand. Not sure if they like the driving more than sliding down the dunes - I'm thinking both are equal fun :)

d2k10a.jpg


First video of the 12yr old driving and learning to descend a steeper drop off.



Second video of the 10yr old doing a bit of driving and then the 12yr old.



Since the sand was relatively wet (below a few inches of dry sand) I ran street pressure in the duratrac tyres and had no problems that a bit of momentum couldn't take care of.

The 80 handled the trip there & back (about 1400 miles for the total trip) with no issues as always and we had a comfortable low noise trip on the duratracs versus the mtr's I use to run.

Kids & I are looking forward to the summer hols so we can get a bunch of camping trips in.

The next few weekends will be time for some maintenance on the 80 in preparation for summer. Time to change the atf, new plugs & leads & dizzy stuff and grease the spinning bits.

cheers,
george.
 
I love my state.

Great write up; how cool that you got to share this with your sons.
 
sweet place huh?

was there a couple weeks ago. :D
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The best part is tagging along with purpose built local jeeps and walking up everything they can, except the tallest of dunes. Instant respect. My only beef is that the 80 needs more muscle to top the tall dunes. I'm hoping gears will help this. A set of dedicated sand tires would help as well. It's a different ball game in the summer with dry sand. 10 lbs air max, or you go nowhere.
 
I used to head there every summer. Just north of Coos Bay. My turbo'd 80 could do every hill out there. I used to get quite a crowd when I'd fly up the big ones then flip a 'U' at the very top and come flying back down. Ah life was easier before kiddos.

My avatar is fomr when I used to take my 40 down there.
 
Looks like you had a great time :cheers: Reminds me it has been awhile since I've been that way. Will need to put that on my summer list :)
 
My boy can't wait to drive the cruiser but he's only two. Hopefully the 80 will still
be going strong in another 8-10 years [or gas is still affordable]. Thanks for sharing
your trips with us, always enjoyable!! Your boys will grow up to be better people
from the landcruiser adventures you take them on.
Tech: Thanks for the update on the tires, very helpful.
 
Nice pics - I love Oregon too! (except for the politics)

That pic of the Cruiser in the salty dune-water makes me cringe.... soooo bad on bearings, etc... :doh:
 
My wife and daughters love taking the 80 out on the beach here in North Carolina
but it's nothing like those Oregon Dunes....that place is awesome looking!
Nice pictures and it's always nice to see families spending time together.
 
Nice pics - I love Oregon too! (except for the politics)

That pic of the Cruiser in the salty dune-water makes me cringe.... soooo bad on bearings, etc... :doh:

Actually the water is typically FRESH water. AFAIK it's rainwater - I've tasted a few 'puddles/lakes' in the dunes at Umpqua over the years we've been going up there and they've always been fresh water with no discernible salt content.

Now, driving an the beach just north of Reedsport - that's a different story...

The combination of dunes, lakes & conifers in Oregon is so strange to me versus the dunes I'm use to from Western Australia that are just dry with salt bush and light scrub.

cheers,
george.
 
Actually the water is typically FRESH water. AFAIK it's rainwater - I've tasted a few 'puddles/lakes' in the dunes at Umpqua over the years we've been going up there and they've always been fresh water with no discernible salt content.

Now, driving an the beach just north of Reedsport - that's a different story...

The combination of dunes, lakes & conifers in Oregon is so strange to me versus the dunes I'm use to from Western Australia that are just dry with salt bush and light scrub.

cheers,
george.

yep, strangely fresh water, and I have a full set of seals and bearings ready for some decent weather to change them all out. :D
 
We even have dunes in Central Oregon, but the dunes are composed of ash! ;)
Lost_Forest_Sand_Dunes_Lakeview_BLM,_Oregon.jpg
 
Coos Bay, home sweet home. Great pictures and would love to head back out there.

Be carefull in that water. My brother told me that he had to hook up his Dodge Cummins yesterday for a girl that had gone a bit to deep in one of those water holes. Pulled her right out even with that heavy rig. Minus the couple of bar crossings you can go all the way from North Bend. I think it is 70 miles or so.

Just to add to those visualy minded. My brothers wheeler on the North Spit after a day of wheeling in the dunes.
wheeler.jpg
medunes.jpg
 
Coos Bay, home sweet home. Great pictures and would love to head back out there.

Be carefull in that water. My brother told me that he had to hook up his Dodge Cummins yesterday for a girl that had gone a bit to deep in one of those water holes. Pulled her right out even with that heavy rig. Minus the couple of bar crossings you can go all the way from North Bend. I think it is 70 miles or so.

Just to add to those visualy minded. My brothers wheeler on the North Spit after a day of wheeling in the dunes.

Haha, I actually buried my 40 IN THE BAY during low tide. (Yup I was one of THOSE guys y'all like to make fun of.) Tide came in and water up to my ass sitting on top of the role cage. Took 4 hours and 4 rigs with 2000' of line to finally get me out. At one point I swear I was closer to a Coast Guard cutter than the shore. ;p
 

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