After spending all day out driving in nature yesterday, I wanted to share some of the other things I truly enjoy outside of photography. In this post, I want to talk about one of my other passions, 4 wheeling.

You wouldn’t initially think that driving off road for it’s own sake would be complementary or beneficial to being a photographer, but it very much is. Obviously it makes me able to get to places that most can’t, which in turn allows me to shoot and find things that most people never will. But outside of that, just the activity of driving in challenging conditions remotely adds so much more excitement to my life.

I grew up loving sports cars and used to race a bit in my 20s. That love of the driving experience has now transitioned from going fast on asphalt, to slowly navigating back country dirt roads and trails. This might sound esoteric, but any activity that forces you to be present and 100% focused on the task at hand is oddly therapeutic and also quite exhilarating. I recently spoke with a neighbor of mine who joins me on the trails occasionally, and we both agreed that it you aren’t doing something that makes you a little nervous, you are missing out. Making a small mistake on a narrow snow covered trail with a cliff on one side, could mean you and your car are toast. That reality forces you to be completely locked in, and you aren’t thinking or care about anything else in the world. I’ve had situations that I’ve figured my way through, that once safely passed, I’ve had to stop and take a few deep breaths, as my hands were shaking from all the adrenaline that built up in my system during the experience. It’s an amazing feeling of accomplishment when you know you just stared possible death in the face and persevered.

When I decided to move up to the Sierra’s a few years ago, the first thing I knew I needed to get squared away was a solid 4wd SUV. I was originally looking at a Toyota Landcruiser, which are legendary for their reliability and off road prowess. The problem was, that during Covid a lot of people were buying SUV’s to get away from cities also, and the used car market was absolutely bananas. Supply of quality SUV’s was super low, and they were getting bought before I could even speak to the owners. After looking online for weeks for the ideal rig, I finally found a 2011 Lexus LX570, which is basically a fancy Landcruiser, that fit the bill perfectly. The only problem was it was being sold by a dealer in Atlanta, GA! (I was living in Los Angeles at the time). After a quick back and forth on the phone, I flew out, decided to buy it, and then drove it all the way back to CA. Once I had it back to LA, I immediately spent a small fortune on a list of things I knew would be needed during my remote travels in the woods. Good off road snow rated tires were a must, as was underbody protection and rock sliders. Why spend a bunch of money if one tree or rock hitting the wrong part of your underside could jeapordize it, right? The main piece, which I absolutely LOVE, was a front bumper package that included a winch, and also a light bar and fog lights. When you spend as much time alone in the woods as I do (not totally alone, my dog Foxy is always with me, but she’s not much help if I get stuck), having a winch and knowing how to properly use it is a huge peace of mind. As long as there is a decent size tree around, which there pretty much always is where I am, you can usually safely recover yourself with a winch. I’ve used it to save myself a few times, and also a few people that bit off more than they or their vehicle were capable of out on the trails. The last piece, was adding an on board air compressor. Lowering your tire pressure helps to improve your traction and ride off road, and now I can quickly air my tires back up before I hit the streets and drive home.

All in all, the experience of being in a capable SUV in challenging off road driving conditions is second to none. I hope you can get out and experience it one day. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and adds so much pleasure and sometimes a serious sense of accomplishment to my life. Get out there and get some!