Figured i stick this in here due to the lack of traffic in the other sections.

Been lurking for a while figured i join up and share my 2 cents.

Stumbled across the site doing some research on our newest rig, 2010 Pathfinder. Getting it ready for a cross country 4x4 road trip for when I get back from my latest tour.

Planning on leaving GA on or around Aug. 30th and making it out to Ouray, CO area by that Friday. So if any local or not so local folks are interested in meeting up with us Sept. 3rd-5th let me know. Plan on doing as many of the trails as we can get in and wanted to do some camping too. Also planning on pushing the limits of the Pathy. Only possible changes before the trip would be some tires and some Timbrens for the rear.

Other off-road toy:



2010 SE 4x4:



And some proposed routes:








This will be a little different of a off-road trip for me. Allot more tame than what we usually do, but a great chance to see some less traveled roads and spend some time with my wife. After all it is "her" truck and she just "had" to trade in the Xterra so I just "had" to have 4x4 on the new one, and we all know you cant not use it if ya got it.

Thoughts, comments, snide remarks?

The PF is an excellent road trip vehicle. I see in trip #1 that you may go through Yellowstone. We'll be there next month. We'll be towing a tent trailer and we have no off-roading planned anywhere on the route.

At least get yourself some of the factory skids. They are thin but better than nothing. Though looking at your trail rig, you can probably fabricate some better ones yourself.

Seeing as you're used to some articulation, you'll get to sample the opposite. The PF will lift a wheel at the drop of a hat. The factory traction control will usually(but not always) pull you through, but you have to get a feel about how to finesse the throttle to get it to work.

I haven't been to Ouray in over 20 years. I'm a bit jealous. Have fun!

Nice looking ride. I like the red color.

I'm heading up to that area this Friday and will be there for a week. We are staying in Durango but will be going to Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride. I've got a bunch of trails already mapped out that I want to run. I'll post some pics and info when we get back.

If you look at the "Offroad Adventures" section in this forum, there is a post titled "Ouray, CO" that has some cool pics and links over to traildamage.com that has valuable trail info. Have fun on your trip and be carefull.

grats on the pathy.

if u r going to make it to Rapid City, SD i highly recommend heading a bit due north up the badlands... u will not be let down. it is amazingly beautiful and as rugged as u want it to be. you can catch 94W about an hour and a half into North Dakota and head West into Montana from there.

the badlands are a hidden treasure of the NW Plains.

08Datsun wrote:The PF is an excellent road trip vehicle. I see in trip #1 that you may go through Yellowstone. We'll be there next month. We'll be towing a tent trailer and we have no off-roading planned anywhere on the route.

At least get yourself some of the factory skids. They are thin but better than nothing. Though looking at your trail rig, you can probably fabricate some better ones yourself.

Seeing as you're used to some articulation, you'll get to sample the opposite. The PF will lift a wheel at the drop of a hat. The factory traction control will usually(but not always) pull you through, but you have to get a feel about how to finesse the throttle to get it to work.

I haven't been to Ouray in over 20 years. I'm a bit jealous. Have fun!

I have to admit, it was actually your avatar picture that gave sparked the idea. Where was that photo taken?

I would love to get rid of the factory running boards, but as its the wifes truck, they will have to succumb to trail damage before they can be replaced. We will see if i can make that happen........

richardekirby wrote:Nice looking ride. I like the red color.

I'm heading up to that area this Friday and will be there for a week. We are staying in Durango but will be going to Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride. I've got a bunch of trails already mapped out that I want to run. I'll post some pics and info when we get back.

If you look at the "Offroad Adventures" section in this forum, there is a post titled "Ouray, CO" that has some cool pics and links over to traildamage.com that has valuable trail info. Have fun on your trip and be carefull.

I was actually able to see that thread yesterday. Internet is not the best here.

Checked out the link and pictures. Great info and images. Ordered a guide book and topo map yesterday, hope to get it soon and start planing a detailed route.

Be sure to post a trail report on what you get to run and pics!

Sven1olaf wrote:grats on the pathy.

if u r going to make it to Rapid City, SD i highly recommend heading a bit due north up the badlands... u will not be let down. it is amazingly beautiful and as rugged as u want it to be. you can catch 94W about an hour and a half into North Dakota and head West into Montana from there.

the badlands are a hidden treasure of the NW Plains.

I will definetly check into the Badlands. Trying to keep the round trip around 10 days. But we are going to drive that far so whats a little farther. Biggest points we want to hit are Yellowstone and 2-3 days in CO.

if you come through Little Rock, you should check out Superlift ORV park in Hot Springs, it's about a 45 minute drive SW from L.R. and will have some good wheeling, you can google it and check it out

hmatiak wrote:

08Datsun wrote:The PF is an excellent road trip vehicle. I see in trip #1 that you may go through Yellowstone. We'll be there next month. We'll be towing a tent trailer and we have no off-roading planned anywhere on the route.

At least get yourself some of the factory skids. They are thin but better than nothing. Though looking at your trail rig, you can probably fabricate some better ones yourself.

Seeing as you're used to some articulation, you'll get to sample the opposite. The PF will lift a wheel at the drop of a hat. The factory traction control will usually(but not always) pull you through, but you have to get a feel about how to finesse the throttle to get it to work.

I haven't been to Ouray in over 20 years. I'm a bit jealous. Have fun!

I have to admit, it was actually your avatar picture that gave sparked the idea. Where was that photo taken?

I would love to get rid of the factory running boards, but as its the wifes truck, they will have to succumb to trail damage before they can be replaced. We will see if i can make that happen........

That's Titus canyon in Death Valley. It doesn't look like it, but a 2WD PF could do it easy.

I don't know how your wife is, but mine is not an off-roader. On tough trails, she'll actually get out and walk on the hairball parts. However, if I mention a beatiful canyon like Titus, or a great place for a sunset at the end of a trail in Sedona, she's all for it. The PF has essentially become hers as a daily driver due to kids and the three rows of seats. The first marks on the PF from off-roading were done with her behind the wheel when she got too close to some Manzanita and put on some "Arizona pinstripes". Oddly, she is proud of them and points them out to people.

WheatBread wrote:if you come through Little Rock, you should check out Superlift ORV park in Hot Springs, it's about a 45 minute drive SW from L.R. and will have some good wheeling, you can google it and check it out

Very familiar with that park. It would be a bit much for a mostly stock Pathfinder. Thats a trip better suited for my other rig.

08Datsun wrote:

hmatiak wrote:

08Datsun wrote:The PF is an excellent road trip vehicle. I see in trip #1 that you may go through Yellowstone. We'll be there next month. We'll be towing a tent trailer and we have no off-roading planned anywhere on the route.

At least get yourself some of the factory skids. They are thin but better than nothing. Though looking at your trail rig, you can probably fabricate some better ones yourself.

Seeing as you're used to some articulation, you'll get to sample the opposite. The PF will lift a wheel at the drop of a hat. The factory traction control will usually(but not always) pull you through, but you have to get a feel about how to finesse the throttle to get it to work.

I haven't been to Ouray in over 20 years. I'm a bit jealous. Have fun!

I have to admit, it was actually your avatar picture that gave sparked the idea. Where was that photo taken?

I would love to get rid of the factory running boards, but as its the wifes truck, they will have to succumb to trail damage before they can be replaced. We will see if i can make that happen........

That's Titus canyon in Death Valley. It doesn't look like it, but a 2WD PF could do it easy.

I don't know how your wife is, but mine is not an off-roader. On tough trails, she'll actually get out and walk on the hairball parts. However, if I mention a beatiful canyon like Titus, or a great place for a sunset at the end of a trail in Sedona, she's all for it. The PF has essentially become hers as a daily driver due to kids and the three rows of seats. The first marks on the PF from off-roading were done with her behind the wheel when she got too close to some Manzanita and put on some "Arizona pinstripes". Oddly, she is proud of them and points them out to people.

She is definitely a trooper. Had plenty of close calls with here riding shotgun. Oddly enough, the only rollover i've had, she was out filming.

For her this is more of a road trip than a off-road trip, compared to what i normally put her through.