Feature-length compilation: Overlanding Eastern Oregon in a Subaru Forester

[@itsJoshuaSkyy]

I miss the forester content. Thanks for this!

[@loveroos627]

Did we just get t-r-e-a-t-e-d with some Forester content?! Love it!!

[@michaeltaylor3551]

that river crossing making me rethink my foresters capabilities!

[@fifteenbyten]

Well done! I'm sure it's a lot of work to put these compilations together, but would love to see more feature lengths like this. Gave me a real sense of a complete week long adventure from start to finish. Awesome videography!

[@softroadingthewest]

Glad you enjoyed it. TBH I was unsure how this would be received. It was relatively quick and easy to assemble actually, which is why I did this instead of trying to build my next episode during an already-busy holiday week. I may eventually give my other weeklong adventures the same treatment. Thanks for watching!

[@elflordsjourneys]

Great backbone video of what your channel is all about.😀

[@Cgibbo84]

Great footage of your trip well done!

[@jeffcameron3390]

I forgot how much I miss the Forester. Good times!

[@swidahooverlanding2867]

What a great trip that was! Thanks for sharing again. Hope you find this place, before you end your days, and if you see me out there wave hello... See you on the trails! George.

[@donaldgerig9515]

I made it through it all. Good job and neat journey. Another "Don" from Eugene......

[@softroadingthewest]

Honk and wave if you see me around town! 👋

[@donaldgerig9515]

@@softroadingthewest Would be happy to

[@kennethprice5628]

Really enjoyed this one Donald, bummer about the water bro...71 yo Navy Veteran

[@thomasquigley7040]

What a great retrospective on your earlier trip. Thanks. And seeing Wheeler and Daisy was a bonus!

[@JBlinky67]

Yes. It was a pleasure to watch it all again as one great epic masterpiece 😎. That last view was spectacular 👌

[@kevinthomson6324]

Poured myself a old fashioned and relaxed by the fire. Was entertaining and relaxing to watch.

[@norsefalconer]

I remember all.of this. I didn't realize how long I'd been watching you grow as a content creator. But, I have to admit, the best part was seeing Wheeler and Daisy again. Miss them, and my heart is heavy for Jason. But, it's awesome you and Jason (and us) have video memories to revisit.

[@mikeforester3963]

38:10 The little Subie that could ... great moral cheers at the end of the crossing :D And yes. Never attempt this without spotters unless you're driving a Ural-375.

[@leapinlizard9487]

Hey Donald, great video. When observing horses from afar, their hindquarters are rounded, whereas cattle are square.

[@IcyReaper]

This is a good teaching/learning point. This is why when I meet up with friends we have a predetermined location to meet with map coordinates already passed around. If at dark or bad weather the GMRS radio helps a lot, we look for the headlights at night to guide them to us.. If for some reason the group location have to move, someone goes part way back to guide folks out if we cant contact them by various means. I have seen multiple folks driving around just like this looking for friends for hours while I'm out in the wild. When they stop to ask if I had seen their group, sometimes I have and sometimes not. Surprisingly a lot of these folks have no radio or GPS or anything to coordinate meetups...

[@jeffreyajello6046]

Great video! I enjoyed revisiting this trip as I continue to live vicariously through your adventures!

[@StereoSpace]

57:43 A good view of the buried, now exposed, landscape under the basalt flows.

[@fatherdaddy1]

All those cattle staring you down seemed kind of ominous. Glad to see you made it out alive.

[@arlenenolte8475]

I love your Pro-4X but I do miss your Forester alot, RIP little Subie

[@pala4833]

Nice to see the dogs.

[@dmitryfarmer3662]

Hey Donald, thank you for sharing the great video! Both you and Edward Shin are becoming my favorite overlanding channels on YT, and this video is just icing on the cake! Thanks again and I look forward to more great content!

[@bajasoobnut]

Just getting to this and I am glad that you did put this all together for sure, might have to show it to Gin soon enough to show her more places we can go.

[@christopherbuckley94]

I have a Forester as well and their capabilities are beyond what you think they might be.

[@chrismcelroy5193]

Love this, just got a Forester Wilderness. They should send you one.

[@bro-n-co7810]

Was awesome! Keep doing this with multi episode adventures. I had seen all of it before, but was all new, seamlessly edited together. Really great! Thank you!

[@softroadingthewest]

I'm putting together another one to drop on New Year's Day! It's actually nice for me to see these like this as well...I enjoy reliving these old trips, but I almost never bother clicking through all the episodes. :-) Happy Holidays and thank you for watching!

[@EricStorms]

Really enjoy the long format video!

[@softroadingthewest]

Thanks for watching!

[@susanm4988]

Yep! Just finished! I just found you this summer, so this video of "old times" was super fun!

[@greybearadv6514]

Thanks for this Donald.

[@johnwalker3263]

I love the feature length video! I’ve seen it all before but it has a different vibe when it’s all put together. Great work Donald, keep it up!

[@milonetzler67]

Even tho this vids a few years old it was good to see u n Jason busting each other up laughing making me laugh. Love to see friends have fun. Great vid Don.

[@forester_overland_nz]

Forester content for the win!

[@nwstoic8117]

Great video. Thank you. I really enjoy your old Subaru content. As a Central Oregon Outback Wilderness driver it’s nice to see adventures that I could take without a Rubicon.

[@reidcrosby6241]

I know this trip was a while ago ... BUT....watching this reminds me why I carry TWO spare tires. You could also do one unmounted, as long you have ability to "iron" them back on, set bead, and inflate (ever practice with ether??) LOL. Seen it alot in Mexico

[@letsgo_inc]

The forester than inspired me to get out there with my Outback.

[@rhllnm]

Great channel. I'm leaving motorcycles for an '07 Tacoma. Kinda miss the moto ride but now I can take my dogs and sleep in luxury inside a truck cap. Love learning about Oregon. Thanks for the content.

[@reidcrosby6241]

Hang a moto off the back

[@clifford_overland]

Loved this series, great idea posting it like this. Would make a great entertaining Amazon show, just saying.

[@softroadingthewest]

We'll see if they come knocking but I'm not holding my breath. 😆

[@erichughes9098]

Thank you, Donald 😎👍

[@ventureoffroading]

Nice video. We have traveled many of those roads you were on in this video. We went later in the year and there was not one square inch of green. 😆

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha, I bet there wasn't. :-) Thanks for watching!

[@imhidingintheshop8889]

once again wish I could have made that trip to meet you and Casey, you got some great shots of Georges magic bus doing its thing, it was great to see the old subee doing her thing in her prime before the unfortunate demise 😞

[@justinlucero6652]

Awesome video such a great adventure of exploration Backcountry video and you get to see quite a few people along the way to ur journey awesome.

[@luvwestern]

Excellent as always!

[@tobytrucker1]

This was great !! Thank you !!

[@24Alisonall]

Wow, just loved this whole video!! Such an adventure. That little Subaru sure did perform for you, didn't it!!! Videos like this one give me inspiration!!!

[@softroadingthewest]

It was a great little car for sure. It changed my life! 😄

[@onehundredpicks5531]

Miss the fozzy. One of the reasons i subscribed. Too bad you didn't get another one. I would have bought your old fozzy

[@atracin]

I miss the Forester!

[@softroadingthewest]

I do too! It was a great car!

[@sagebrushbob2321]

Yes. Yess... they are always watching. The eyes. the eyes. Fifty miles from anywhere and you think you're alone, but still you can feel them staring at you. M-o-o-o!

[@softroadingthewest]

LOL

[@jig85orak]

Great video! Do you record your Gaia route? Would be great to see what roads and trails you took.

[@one-WildCard]

Cool, Casey from Coyote Works. Cool Guy! great video btw

[@Dutch1951x]

Been waiting for this one! Thanks!

[@justinlucero6652]

Oh wow I actually thought u got a another Forester lol but it ur old Forester with ur video awhile back and u updated today of ur video

[@ryanjourney9607]

I absolutely love that area of Oregon. You are correct though, those roads are horrible out there. Interesting bit of history though, the area you crossed the river was close to the site of a battle between the military and Native Americans back in the 1860s.

[@hadynmcloughlin4661]

Hi is there a episode where you share your rim and tyre combo for the Forester? Is it +15mm offset? Thanks for sharing an amazing video and very well shot. Thank you from AUS!

[@softroadingthewest]

I'm pretty sure I have some kind of walkaround video buried some years back on my channel, but it'll be faster for me to just answer the question than try and find the video link for you, LOL. Rims: Black Rhino Boxer 15x7 +15 offset Tires: BFGoodrich T/A KO2 215/75R15

[@Gravelbeard1]

Anyone know what kind birds were calling in the shot of the sunrise, after camping across the river?

[@reidcrosby6241]

I have owned 18 Subaru wagons over the years. 1981 was my first, last one was 2004 Forester. Great cars.....not sure after Toyota took over in 2006

[@softroadingthewest]

I had a '92 Legacy wagon as our family car for 10 years (from 2000 - 2010) and was so impressed with that car that when it was time to move on to something else, we got a 2007 Outback, which I also loved (and my ex-wife still drives). After my divorce, I replaced my daily driver 2WD pickup with this 2012 Forester, which turned out to be my favorite Subaru of the three I owned. If I were to one day pick up another Subaru, I would almost certainly get the same exact Forester. :-)

[@reidcrosby6241]

@@softroadingthewest they have been SOLID for us...convinced my wife (28 years ago when we met) and later her mom to go Subie. My MIL is on #5...lives in snow country. How about a tag on the back #18 ha! GREAT production by the way. We'll be coming put to "play" in a few years when kids are gone. Prob a 7.3 4x4 cutaway ambo (singled out).

[@Matroskin000]

thanks for this awesome compilation! I am curious about the Alvord desert. Currently on the map it is depicted as a wilderness study area. Was it like this when you went (and it is drivable despite that), or this may have been a recent change of status?

[@softroadingthewest]

BLM "Wilderness Study Areas" are not the same as designated Wilderness Areas (such as the Three Sisters Wilderness Area). In my travels I've driven through numerous areas denoted as Wilderness Study Areas. They are places that have been identified as having wilderness characteristics making them possibly eligible for consideration for Wilderness Area status in the future. Designation as a protected Wilderness Area has to pass through Congress and be signed by the President, so it's not something some BLM manager can simply decide upon. For the moment, the Alvord remains drivable. :-) I don't know where you're located, but if you're intrigued by this sort of place, there's also the Black Rock Desert in NW Nevada. Very similar drivable dry lakebed, but even more vast than the Alvord. I visited briefly in 2021: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqWyp4uKjpp5fqc

[@Matroskin000]

@@softroadingthewest thanks a lot for such a detailed reply :) Good to know ! I am located in SoCal. We have lake Mirage I think , but I believe its a smaller surface area, though still pretty large to drive around. Thanks, I'll check out the Black Rock video of yours !

[@thewiredfox2691]

I feel like: 1. You miss the Forester 2. You've been watching some ASPW / 4XOverland. And if not, well... I watched to the end regardless!

[@shaolin224]

How does your cabin filter hold up in the dusty conditions in your frontier? Nice filmography as usual 👍

[@softroadingthewest]

They gets dusty. :-) I replace them occasionally (there are two in the Frontier) but also just clean them out and put them back in sometimes, removing any leaves that have made their way in and knocking out the dust.

[@shaolin224]

@@softroadingthewest oh wow ok. I thought it was just my Frontier:). I already placed a prefilter over the hole by the wheelwell for the intake and thinking about doing the same for the cabin. Thanks man

[@traveleractual]

I saw a mic on your dash, you folks didn't have any radio comms sorted before your meetup in the desert?

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, of course. We had a pre-determined channel and I was calling out on it frequently, and when I wasn't, I had my radio constantly scanning all channels for any transmissions, in case they had to switch channels. This area is so vast that even my dash-mount GMRS radio will not come close to reaching all the way across it, so I was on the radio all the time as I moved around the playa, hoping to stumble into range of any of my friends out there. Probably my biggest fail in terms of filming this adventure was not covering that detail in the video, because I got hammered with this comment over and over and over on the original release, LOL. :-)

[@mrskwrl]

All that setting up the camera for a drive by shot must have been so much work lol

[@IcyReaper]

Silly question, Why didn't you just use the radio to contact them? You had the GMRS then correct?

[@softroadingthewest]

We had a pre-determined GMRS channel and I was calling out on it frequently, and when I wasn't, I had my radio constantly scanning ALL channels for any transmissions, in case they had to switch channels. This area is so vast that even my dash-mount GMRS radio will not come close to reaching all the way across it, so I was on the radio all the time as I moved around the playa, hoping to stumble into range of any of my friends out there. Probably my biggest fail in terms of filming this adventure was not covering that detail in the video, because I got hammered with this comment over and over and over on the original release, LOL. :-)

[@IcyReaper]

@@softroadingthewest Gotch ya, that why I just upgraded to the Midland MXT 575. 50 watts to reach out and touch people😄

[@Commoncrumbs]

Move your water pump switch back to where the faucet is so you can depressurize the water line every time you use it.

[@richardsoto4894]

What lift and size tires do you have on the forester?

[@softroadingthewest]

1" lift from ADF. Tires were 215/75R15.

[@brandonteq]

Can't believe all those loud mouths out there while you're trying to camp in peace 😂

[@____EA____]

I miss those days with the Forester. You should buy a Subaru again.

[@softroadingthewest]

Could happen!

[@reidcrosby6241]

The sell "Wilderness" version of their new models, sit higher.

[@subaruforester5062]

I prefer the forester still I love this

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha, fair enough! It was a super fun & reliable rig! I hope to bring another Subaru back to the channel one day.

[@subaruforester5062]

@@softroadingthewest I think subaru should make a truck. Something similar to what you have now... 4cyc turbo with their awd and a low transfer case for crawling

[@softroadingthewest]

I could not agree more. The Brat and the Baja were cute but not truly functional as a truck. If Subaru had made a real truck with their AWD and low range, I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Honda all made trucks. I never understood why Subaru didn't enter that market.

[@allamericanTT7]

Timber Gulch next....

[@kelsey809]

😊👍🏼

[@johngifford7725]

At a little over an hour, while you soak in that scene, it's hard to take in and translate to video... The entirety of it all. All five senses going into overdrive and triggering a sixth spiritual sense. Nice.

[@SKULLKR3W]

No wild horses in the americas they are ok feral since they are descendants of domesticated horses

[@satoshikobayashi447]

come on guys! Subaru is not for this at all!

[@alexandersupertramp7353]

Thanks for the video! Hope your Turkey day was a great one

[@sheilahbeschorner5309]

Keep making videos, love your energy!! Do not get left behind = "PromoSM"!!!

[@Realtor_eliot_portland]

Enjoyed the long format 👍