Thanks for the advice, I wound up going out OR-20 towards Bend but then diverted through Christmas Valley (that's the best way to describe it, the route involved ½ a dozen highways) and Crater Lake National Forest to come out on OR-99 just above Grant's Pass. I-5 travel was minimized as I left the via OR-140 which after Klamath cuts through Northern Nevada. It turned out the 140 route was much faster than cutting through the middle.
I wish I had more time, but I spent 6 out of the 7 days on the road. Most of the photos are boring scenery/vacation shots so I won't share too many- really beautiful scenery for the most part.
Living with the cast required taking the pantry out and doubling the usual bucket to store pantry items like the stove. The buckets doubled as a footrest and table (since I usually cook on the pantry).
This fellow was at a rest stop in Oregon and I was tempted to give him food as the lady before me did, but it turned out he was one of six people who were living at the rest stop and, judging by the number of Colt 45 cans one of his buds put in the trash in front of me, drinking all day.
On highway 140 in a town who's name I intentionally forgot, this beauty caused a rather urgent U-turn and several photos. The front fender top is about even with the top of the mirror in my van.
Here are just a few of the scenery photos I snapped (consider yourself lucky, my family gets to be bored by all of them!)
And this is part of a little road in Nevada that I tried to find a parking spot down. The otherwise perfectly good road had some sand blown over it, and I very nearly got stuck at this spot. I had to use low range to dig out of it, and when I turned around because of the next worse spot 100 yards down, I powered through in high (I didn't want to get out and lock the hubs).
Still it's the best argument for 4x4 because A) I could have gotten out an locked the hubs even in my current condition B) I wouldn't have had low range to spin the tires digging to the harder surface to move again anyway, and C) I wouldn't have had the aggressive mud tires that allowed me to dig on the sand... out of which only A would be valid had it been a real sand trap and not just a foot covering an otherwise solid road.
Still if I'd had 2wd and normal tires I would have been crutching out 1000yards just to get back to pavement in the middle of nowhere- actually, who am I kidding, if I had 2wd I never would have gone down this road in the first place.
All in all it was a good trip and having to deal with the outside world made my leg (and arms!) a lot stronger than continuing to sit on the couch at home would have. Incidentally I am appalled at how few people respect handicapped spots, and (having never before parked in one) how often they are actually FARTHER away from the entrance and/or the restrooms than anything else.
Linear Mode
