Winter 2020

Snow wheeling in the San Juan Mountains of south western Colorado in autumn is about as good as it gets. In late October the fall colors and early snowfall make for a visually stunning and technically challenging off-road route. There is an old military road that follows the East Fork of the San Juan River near Pagosa Springs that is steep, rocky and narrow as it ascends towards the Continental Divide. I hooked up with a couple of local Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiasts in an attempt tackle the snow covered Elwood Pass(11,875 ft.) trail in two vintage rigs, a FJ40 and a FJ45-P. The adventure that followed proved to be far more difficult that we imagined.

Remember when you first bought your new Toyota 4x4 and got the “mod” bug? You started searching the internet for available products that would suit your needs. One of the first companies that comes up on the search –Toytec Lifts. Toytec has been providing suspension solutions for today’s Toyotas since 2004. From the humble beginnings of their Aluminum spacer kits, to the solid BOSS 2.0 platform, Toytec has grown over the years into a 1 stop shop to outfit your rig from the mild to the wild. Now offering everything from a simple suspension install to a full vehicle build to get you out there and back safely.

French Guiana is a tiny stretch of land tucked away in the northeastern corner of South America, bordering Brazil and Suriname. The combination of having your own wheels and going for hikes gives you a great combo to see the best of the country, particularly flora and fauna. The French are avid hikers and you can hike trails along the coast, through the savannah and marshes, and into the rainforest. French Guiana is where we saw the most wildlife animals that live in the Amazon, in particular sloths (and snakes, too). At the head of some of these trails are ‘carbets’ -open-sided huts, where you are free to hang your hammock or pitch your tent for the night.

So, you’ve decided it’s time to purchase a winch. Or, maybe it’s time to replace your winch with something newer or stronger. Maybe there’s a new feature you just can’t live without!