Subaru Adventure! Bend to Alvord Overland Expedition

Happy New Year! I'm out camping in the snow this weekend, but here is some relaxed holiday viewing for you...SIX episodes of my 2020 Bend to Alvord overland expedition, boiled down to a one+ hour mini feature. Edited for a smooth flow beginning to end with sponsored content removed and greatly reduced ad breaks. Join me for one of my favorite weeklong adventures ever, encapsulated in one (hopefully) engaging featurette.

[@swidahooverlanding2867]

Somehow I miss the old Subaru stories. Thanks for posting! George.

[@softroadingthewest]

There was definitely something about the Subaru! Thanks George!

[@larrymcmakin1153]

I bought a Forester because of watching your earlier videos. I have no regrets. A lift and more aggressive tires are in the future.

[@darrylk808]

Subaru? Old footage...loved seeing a glimpse of Wheeler & Daisy together again...

[@jeffkuust1662]

You did an outstanding job on this video! Epic drone shots, great narration, appropriate and dramatic music, poetic introspection and description of what you were seeing and feeling! Great job! 👍

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you for watching, and for the kind words!

[@kevinnorwood7355]

Love seeing this older footage again it makes me happy I found your videos. You inspired more people then you possibly know to buy a Subaru and head out. Lots of fond memories. I personally can't thank you enough for that!

[@Orinocoe]

Yeeaah! Like for Subaru! 🤟

[@MrEnglischjules]

i like your videos, i watch from over here in England...Only came across your channel about a year or so ago.... what i like the most is, they are simple.... the simpleness of your gear, your vehicle etc. That you dont have or spend a fortune so have a super off road rig but a simple vehicle with simple mods. I have a old mid 90s Pajero, Montero in the US with some simple mods...... the story in the videos i like, your trips.. nice adventures... and cool scenery and yet not everything goes to plan.... so we see the real story all told

[@850OVERLAND]

Agreed!

[@tpseeker3367]

Thank You @softroadingthewest @PrimalOutdoors . Hope you had a Good Christmas & may your Year be a Good one & better than last year. Talk about the good ole days. No matter what you'll be driving I'll be watching. Careful around those Vanlifers, rumor has it their a bunch of Hooligans 🤪🤭. Such an amazing trip, photography, filming & editing. Thank You so much for sharing these Adventures with us Donald.

[@jeffmorris739]

Seeing Wheeler and Daisy made me smile. They were both sweet pups. That being said, this series is one of the reasons I have built a Tacoma to do this type of touring in. In all of KZbin this has to be one of the most classic trips I have seen. Talk about timing. As I have said before, I have used a lot of your DIY to make my rig more livable and now that you are back in the Gazelle our setups are very similar. Thanks for the idea's and the adventures you have brought us and have a happy new year.

[@louiskudlak2241]

Great trip buddy, such a great voice & storytelling, awesome hot & dusty one day then snow the next, beautiful seeing Wheeler and Daisy again, RIP furry friends ❤

[@FrJWF]

Your videography and editing are amazing. Thank you!

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Yay! What a great few trips that must have been. Sad to see wheeler and Daisy, and then just daisy. Thank you both for great cinematography and your ability to tell a story.

[@metaglypto]

I love the way you integrate the narration with the music and video. Everything flows seamlessly. Great video. I met you briefly at Jason's summer camp.

[@pofishing5129]

thank you for the flashback video

[@flaviusbarker9388]

Hey Donald, what another great video! I just got back home to Tennessee from a road trip to Salem Oregon. When we got to Oregon we drove from Ontario to Sisters on HWY20 then from sisters to Salem. What a beautiful drive. Two lanes out west are the way to travel. Thanks again for the wonderful content. Happy New Year

[@909lilac]

Excellent production Donald. You are ready for "prime-time".

[@JeffBreyer]

Beautiful trip. Your editing spot on. Well made film.

[@garyb3816]

Thank you for the great travelogue of your trip. Amazing scenery, glad to see the snow sections and your coping with them . Your commentary really brought the trip to life and made for interesting filling in the blanks of the areas. Enjoyed the ranch segment as it brought amazing history into the adventure. Enjoy and BE SAFE

[@YouTubeTyler]

Did I hear you beep going over the cattle guard? Good thinking. Safety first. Trolls will pop your tires if you don't.

[@GaryScott-pdx]

This video brought back great memories. I lived in Fields, south of the Alvord, almost to Nevada, for a year in the early 70s. There is a serene beauty to the high desert. I remember a few days when the roads were so slick from the rain that it was challenging to drive them even in a 4x4. That volcanic mud has no bonder, making it slick as ice in the right conditions. Great video; I look forward to your videos around Oregon.

[@alsome350]

Great video, thanks for sharing!! God bless, and many safe travels!

[@tegucigalpa2]

What a beautiful trip!! Such enjoyable, well made video and editing, music, sounds and your usual great narration! This was great to watch, thanks for this!

[@kingofbaja5b]

bitter sweet memories

[@JackStewartEnjoysRealEstate]

I like the idea of all the smaller videos and then making one large video so to have options on how you want to view the adventure. I know personally that sometimes I just don't have the time to sit and watch a long video like this, but the there are times that I do.

[@kevinwhitten7838]

Great video, photograpy and narrative. I have been on a couple of your same adventures in Christmas Valley and the Bend area. Glad I found your channel! Great job! and I will continue to watch your adventures

[@jeffkuust1662]

You have a poetic way with words!

[@georgestark4100]

I have busted a side wall on a tire out there in the desert on my Subaru. And as you know on a Subaru you replace one tire you have to replace all 4.

[@tpseeker3367]

TireRack can shave a tire down to match. That is if you have enough time to wait.

[@softroadingthewest]

I owned Subarus for over 20 years. I've lost count of how many full sets of tires I've purchased after damaging just one. 😆

[@kellyohara806]

Thank you. You did a great job. It was like watching a movie. The flow was seamless and your narration poetic. You have a gift.

[@stephenfox5133]

Miss the Subaru content,…

[@andreb3039]

Thanks for bringing back the good old Subie ! Great video, suberb images. Congrats to you and Jason for the images !

[@j.garcia7832]

Beautifully done video that anyone can watch over and over again. If this video doesn’t make you want to get out and explore, nothing will. Very well done.🤙

[@ThatOneDudeNick]

Cool. I started watching after the Frontier purchase so this one is new to me.

[@megclifton6692]

I know ways to get across the entire state of Oregon and down into California on nothing but dirt roads pretty much maybe a little bit hard up by the Columbia River to fully do dirt but once you get a few miles South I know I can cause I've done it...I haven't tried to do the entire state ....

[@c-martz2846]

Enjoyed every minute of your journey. Thank you for sharing and George for being the right wing man! Owns Baja Turbo since 2007 made many brief journeys and it’s resting in Puerto Rico with 197k well enjoyed miles

[@tomas5376]

An epic journey made sooooo much more beautiful by the snow! Feliz año nuevo🍾🥂

[@nealrobinson175]

Great to see this throwback video!

[@jayfoster5756]

Simply amazing adventure and storytelling!

[@Overland_Subies]

one of my fave episodes to date.

[@dylanschmidt4607]

You would be the best commentator for National Geographic. I must say beautiful scenery.

[@softroadingthewest]

Still waiting for that phone call... :-)

[@bobhicks9584]

Very Impressive Video! Great photography also.

[@yurizaitsef]

Awsome video guys. Thank you so much. Greetings from idaho.

[@thomashansen3450]

thanks, wonderful report

[@ChambersFamilyOverland]

Looking forward to spending a nice cozy afternoon watching this! As you know it was a really rough NYE camp trip for us 😂

[@CamperPrius]

This is SOOOO COOOOOOL

[@fialho_english_tips]

Hey that's an awesome video. Thank you so much for sharing it. You could win some kind of prize for that. It's really professional. More than an hour and I didn't get tired of watching at all.

[@charlieswearingen500]

I live in Owyhee County, Idaho and Owyhee mud is slicker'n snot ona brass doorknob...

[@softroadingthewest]

I learned that the hard way in SW Idaho a few months ago. 😆

[@justinlucero6652]

Jason such a good friend also miss and God bless to wheeler and daisy rest in peace to the dogs

[@RichYoung]

I miss the Subaru.

[@rickysiebert9618]

What a trip!

[@sagebrushbob2321]

Hope you guys had a nice, snowy New Year's eve last night and everybody took video. I tried getting out into the Owyhees yesterday, but the whole area is either under water or deep, gooey mud. And for those who don't know, you don't mess with Owyhee mud. It will eat a full size truck for lunch and not spit it out until sometime in May (not kidding!).

[@softroadingthewest]

I now know, you don't mess with Owyhee mud. 😆 Happy New Year!

[@sigstuko5270]

Awesome video thanks

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Yay!

[@MattCookOregon]

LOL when the hell did I take a pic of Crater Lake?!

[@justinlucero6652]

Great video awesome to edit ur full blown video and throughout your journey in the Subaru I have 2012 Subaru Impreza and my grandparents have a 2015 Forester I just always want to do overland and live in vehicle but Forester I'm not sure both cars amazing in anything . Donald would u get another Subaru ?

[@jasongza4153]

what rims and tires are on the forester .. it looks awesome thanks

[@softroadingthewest]

Black Rhino Boxer 15 x 7 BFGoodrich T/A KO2 215/75R15

[@kennethprice5628]

Ill be out there looking for Coyote Works come spring...FeistyGuy...71 yo Navy Veteran ya'll

[@e.c.8668]

Gosh how far things have come since 2020, eh? Losing the Forester and gaining the Frontier. Jason losing Daisy. Everyone a couple years older.

[@sox7191]

Today I lifted my Forester and have been watching your videos for parts recommendations (tires), and then I stumble across THIS???!!! I live in Bend and now I have to do this trip… and possibly in the Foz. Although I have a heavily modified silverado 2500hd with a flatbed- do you think I could do this trip with a 4500lb australian designed overland trailer Opus OP15) 1:07:21 ? If not… then it has to be the Forester. Either way, you sir, are an inspiration and have inspired.

[@softroadingthewest]

I've never driven a rig like that, and never pulled a trailer, so I really have no point of reference to answer that. It's been a few years since this trip, but to my recollection, 52:40 and 58:52 were the most challenging bits as they were steep with large rocks (and obviously a little trickier with snow on them, though that can be avoided by timing the trip differently). I believe Jason has driven the entire route - in segments at different times - in his old Ford 250 pulling a teardrop. That's scattered over multiple videos but this one covers one of those rocky climbs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6Dcp5mNodN2b9ksi=4HDhYNb8-kRXB4tW

[@sox7191]

@@softroadingthewest Perfect! Its hefty trailer and I think Ill do what you mentioned, try it in segments like Jason or scope it out with the subie. Thanks again- looking forward to bingeing in your videos.

[@charleyfolkes]

What was the breakdown on day 1 ?

[@softroadingthewest]

It was an issue with something provided by one of Jason's sponsors, which is why I didn't go into it. I believe they very quickly remedied the issue so I wanted to leave it to Jason to decide how he wanted to cover this.

[@thunderweed]

Man is your forester equipped with x-mode?

[@softroadingthewest]

No, this is a 2012, before X-mode was added to the Forester. Frankly though, based on my experience with this car and my friends' experience with newer X-mode equipped Foresters, I would still opt for this model if I were to do it again. The 4EAT transmission is super reliable and the traction control programming in this era of Subaru is excellent, almost always coping perfectly with diagonal wheel lift despite the open diffs.

[@zacharychamberlain4189]

how easy is the ash and pumis, compared to normal sand, to drive on? is it easier to get stuck? and how would RWD with a limited slip differential? I would like to make a trip out there at some point.

[@softroadingthewest]

Oh no this stuff is MUCH easier to drive than normal sand. I haven't looked at it with a microscope or anything, but I feel like those tiny fragments of sharp, jagged pumice tend to interlock, unlike river or ocean sand formed by erosion, rounded granules that are effectively like marbles. I've driven both beach/coastal dunes sand and river sand, and this stuff was way way grippier. I have zero experience driving a RWD with limited slip diff so I cannot begin to speculate on how that would go. My instinct is that even with limited slip, rear drive only is asking for trouble. I would recommend hitting the dunes with a buddy with 4WD and a recovery rope. :-) Let me know how it goes!

[@softroadingthewest]

I should add...I have friends with 4WD rigs who have gotten stuck out there. Even though this sand is (IMO) relatively grippy, it's still super easy to come over some little rise and bury your nose in an unexpected gully, and find yourself stuck in a way that traction boards cannot remedy. 🙂

[@zacharychamberlain4189]

@@softroadingthewest ok, so it's a smart idea to go with a buddy or two just in case, thanks for the info. I am curious now iff chains would help or make it worse

[@mryantong]

12:41 where is this place?

[@MattCookOregon]

Wow you are so handsome, are you an insta gram model?

[@softroadingthewest]

Up that tip amount high enough and I can be anything you want, big boy.

[@MattCookOregon]

@@softroadingthewest My kids don't need to eat this week let's see where this goes.

[@softroadingthewest]

@@MattCookOregon Yesss...might finally be able to get that big screen TV after all

[@alshotrodgarage4779]

Booooooring

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you for taking the time to provide constructive criticism, much appreciated. I'll check out your channel for tips on how to be more successful. Thanks!