<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">As you can see,
I found a new spot to make use of my AWD vehicle =) I know this isn't an Impreza, but we all enjoy offroad subie pics!</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image58.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">There were some
spots I was doubtful I could make it over with the Outback's huge overhang in
the front, however this turned out to not be a big problem due to the soft clay
and sand (recent rain). I just plowed the tops off the ridges!</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image59.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The right rear
tire is not actually touching the ground. I have no rear limited-slip differential
so my front wheels dug some serious ruts pulling the car out of its settled
position in the sand.</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image60.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Here you can see
that I've had to climb some terrain to get above road-level (the road is barely
visible behind the car). You can see my measly OEM Subaru front skid plate from
this position, which got some use today. Wish it protected the headers better,
they were cooking clay and mud. A real BBQ.</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image63.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I was REALLY unsure
if the car would clear this. It looks like nothing in the picture but was very
washed out and I was having to hang onto the door frame to keep from falling
into the passenger seat (yes, I had my belt on).</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image62.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image64.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I contemplated
going down this.... but didn't. I kinda like my front bumper. And after the
initial descent which was probably doable, there was no way to get back to the
main trail. I'm sure a Jeep with a 6" lift could make it though. </font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image66.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Here I am at the
top of a branch of the trail. Ahead of the car is a mound of dirt leading to
another portion of the trail, however seeing as the mound of dirt was taller
than I was standing next to it I decided to leave that for the SCE&G trucks.</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image65.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The only casualty
of this expedition. I find my front license plate is usually the first thing
to go when I hit deep mud. It is enclosed in plexi-glass because I snapped it
in half my last major mud trip and had to glue the letters back on. The plexi-glass
protected the plate, what happened this time is the screws just ripped themselves
out of the plastic mounts. What kind of idiot thought of mounting a license plate
to plastic???</font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><img src="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image67.jpg" width="512" height="384"></font></p>


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Front of the car,
sans kewl 'SUBARU' front plate. Oh well. I'll get some longer screws next time.</font></p>

Nice http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Nice pics. Looks like alot of fun. I need to find some trails around here like that. I hope you have some skid plates installed for that plowing you did http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

~Loki http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/pirate.gif

Marc, where is that? I am guessing out near Cedar Creek?

Sweeeeeeeet....

Still got your cat after pic#6 decent?
Nice scenery too.

Looks like alot of fun. Probably a good thing that you didnt attempt that large hill, I'm not sure that your car would have made it.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

Fantastic. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I wish Outbacks and Outback Sports came with an optional low gear. I really miss my 1981 GL Wagon with the low gear. Short overhangs and that low gear...never got stuck, but had plenty of close calls.

Now that's how you drive!!!


Scary thing if that license plate was still attatched(sp?) to your car!

And, looked like you were in the middle of nowhere....'cept for those power lines...hmmm.http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Totally awesome. It's a beautiful thing.

That was down somewhere near graniteville, sc. And it was actually right off a main road but thankfully the hill blocked most of my driving from view. It is public property, so it's not like I was trespassing or anything.

And yup, I have the subaru OEM skid plates.

My cat (the one <a href=http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/tabby-on-my-car-grrrrr-small.jpg>here</a>) died last weekend. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/frown.gif She was 14 years old and a fulltime outdoor cat.

The first time I knocked the license plate silly it stayed partly attached to the bumper but flexed so much it cracked and the letters flew off, had to dig through the mud to find them. That was up at the beach, there are pics of my friend's Jeep going through the section where I cracked the plate.

The funny thing is I was driving around looking for a good offroad spot and found this, went through the big puddle at the start and drove around a bit, then left and went to the car wash. I was spraying off the car when I noticed the plate missing so I stopped by the house and grabbed my digital camera, cell phone, and towstrap (just in case) and went back in http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I found a ton of places like this and am going to be checking them all out eventually once I make sure rednecks with shotguns aren't lurking around. I'm not a jerk, I don't trespass and tear up the land =)

And yes, I wish modern subies had low range options, but I just stick the auto tranny in '1' and it seems to do pretty well on the tough climbs. My major concern is the CV boots and axles, which are very exposed on these cars. I'm going to get the car up on ramps tomorrow and make sure I haven't torn any.



[This message has been edited by remarcable (edited April 04, 2001).]

Anyone knows of places like this in Florida?????
I will drive miles for this
thanks
jean-marchttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

I was lucky to find this spot, and I am going back very soon http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I am finding the best way to get to this stuff is to drive around rural (read: WAAAY out places) and just look off to the side of the road for power line trails, railroad access trails, fire roads, etc etc. And if it dead-ends, don't worry... that's why you have a REVERSE gear!

As you can see I am damn happy tonight about finding this spot. Before I always had to drive miles and miles to get to anything good. This is right down the road!

sorry about your cat...

But very awesome adventure you just had. i probably would be very nervous driving in that road condition if i were you.

like your pictures a lot.

cheers

come on get some friends so you can have them take some action shots!

heh.

nice pics though, just wanted to see some mud flying thats all.

Very sorry about your cat...

Nice pics!!! Any dents after this outing??

Well I'm planning on going this weekend with some friends to take action shots, this was an impromptu after-work outing. I am really wanting a DV cam, the job I used to have gave me full access to a Canon XL-1 =(

I guess I will have to stick with still images from my Agfa E-Photo 1280 for now.

I noticed there is one new paint scratch from bushes on the side of the trail, but it can be waxed out. I can't tell about the rest of the car because it is still covered in mud.

One day I tried to take my moms Outback off roading in the mud and It tore her rear bumper off! I just wanted to drive like Paul Hogan in the Outback!
adamsrs www.unnatural.org (http://www.unnatural.org)

nice pics man! seriously thanks for sharing.. those are really neat. i espically like this one..


<IMG SRC="http://www.remarcable.net/misc/legacy_outback/Image64.jpg" border=0>

sweet sweet http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Thanks for all the compliments, and yes you do have to watch out for the rear bumper because the factory mudflaps are mounted to the rear bumper and not the frame of the car. And they are very rigid. What I ended up doing is tearing one of them on a curb by accident then going and perforating the other side so they just bend back at the bottom instead of trying to yank the bumper off.

I also put some heavier bolts on the rear bumper after my first one was replaced after I got rear-ended. It helps.

Due to the great response I'm going to have to do this more often.

Great pics!
A Scooby where it's supposed to be. Sorry about your cat. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/frown.gif
I'm heading to SC next week (originally from Myrtle Beach). I love driving around looking for places like that.

Dennis

Dennis,

You know where to go - off SC 90. I'll bet there's some good places near my folks where they're putting in the new NMB bypass - off SC 319 and SC 410. (Marc, I'm also from Dennis' neck of the woods - think I mentioned that to you when I stuck up for OB owners in another post). I took my Forester off SC 41 last fall and it performed nicely. I think the PA plates were offset by the SC state flag plate screwed on front.

Losing a pet is never fun. My sympathies.

Dennis: Are you driving down or flying? Did you know you can rent OBs from Hertz at the MB airport? I did last summer.

Ed

Wow! These are some great pics. I think I'm gonna put the one where your front end is hanging over the cliff on my desktop. Now this IS what Scoobies are made for. Forget the tracks and autox's. Let's head for the mountains. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

You'd embarrass the hell out of me if I tried to follow. I wouldn't have made it past the first picture. Lol!

I have all of these pics at work at 150dpi, I resized them down to 72dpi for the web.

Send me a PM and I can email you the higher-res versions. They are a bit grainy tho, my camera is showing a bit of age.

Brought my ramps to the car wash today and got some strange looks but spent $9 in quarters spraying off all the mud. There was a chunk of granite about 3 inches long and very very solid stuck to the underside of the car wedged up above the header's protective plating! I was spraying and heard a *thonk* and was like "oh crap... what was that??". No damage, and all the cv boots are fine. My car is driving a bit nicer now, I think this is the cleanest the underbody has been in awhile.

But the really annoying thing is that rattle around bumpy turns is back! Chronic subaru problem... just annoying. Didn't happen when the struts were covered in clay.

Excellent pics! I have to see more. Roads like that are a blast. I am constantly going down deserted roads looking for hidden treasures like that. Excellent driving! Keep the pics comming.

Ed,
I'm driving. I can't be without my Subaru for over a week. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif
I've hit some dirt roads off 90 after two consecutive days of rain. What a blast!
Used my parents garden hose to clean some of the mud. Although, I had to go to the car wash and use a boatload of quarters like remarcable mentioned to get the rest. A lot of the by-pass is done. Maybe there will still be some undeveloped portions.

edit: I just checked out Graniteville on a map. I have an Aunt 37 miles from there. Time for a visit. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

Dennis

[This message has been edited by bluesubie (edited April 06, 2001).]

YEA!!! Looks like the good stuff! For those of you wondering, don't forget, the 2.5 RS is still a SUBARU!!! I have been "treating" mine to some very similar fun. The Death Valley area is fantastic! I'm also scouting the famous Mojave road in a friends truck real soon to see if the Sub can handle it. Porsche was showing a movie at the L.A. Auto Show of a team of 911's tackling this road, FAST!!! Regarding the spot you opted not to do (totally understandable), it's hard to tell from the photo, but I bet you could have made it! I did a similar looking spot in Death Valley. That's my Impreza dilemma, street car or mountain climber?! I've been dreaming of some kind of low gear for my RS. Anyone know if this would be feasible? Expensive I'm sure! Subaru's Love Dirt!!! Have Fun!

Well I could have made it down that large hill without too much damage, however there was no way to get back to the trail for me. There were a couple 4-6 foot deep crevices and washouts in the way.

NICE! do you do this often? i thought about taking my subaru out there. but when i call up soa, they said, it's not really design for off-road... ha ha i don't know. so how is your car running!?!?!

The car is running great! It loves dirt, sand, water, and mud. It drives better after such an outing... my theory is that it is happy!

I just make sure to get it up on ramps at the Spray N' Wash and get all the caked mud out of the driveshaft plates, cv boots, brakes, etc etc etc. You can never get all of it out and my fender wells are south carolina clay orange in most places (that stuff is in there so good I would need an icepick to chip it off).

True, the outback is not really designed for serious offroad use, but as long as you use common sense and watch the CV boots and overhangs then you will be OK. Also have a cell phone and a buddy with a 4WD truck to call if you ever get stuck badly and need someone to tow you out.

Either that or carry a good sized winch and some chains.

Another tip would be to take things slow and scope out stuff ahead on foot. Poke a stick into that mud hole. Make sure there aren't any bricks lurking under the sand.

I don't do this often because up until now I hadn't found any really good spots locally. Now that I have... well the cat is out of the bag. Planning on another run tomorrow if I can get a friend with a truck to ride with me (so I can try the more serious stuff).

I may just take it easy tomorrow and take in the scenery though.