| 6,600 mile Western Odyssey
- Click HERE for Original Thread
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Just got back from our one month long, 6,600 mile, Western Odyssey. The MDX performed perfectly both on and off road and through all types of weather. It maid the many long hours in the saddle a real pleasure. As promised, I will create a special MDX-trip web site and post the link here. For now I just wanted to share a few more favorite pictures.
This first image is from the Painted Desert in Arizona. The Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest together form a not-to-be-missed excursion.
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This image is from the Grand Canyon, also in Arizona. The high seating helps give a great view in between overlooks.
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These views are from the Monument Valley, which is located on the border between Arizona and Utah. Remote enough to not be swamped with tourists, the Valley can be toured on a fairly crude dirt road. Not rough enough to qualify as true off-road, it will let you bounce around and kick up a serious dust cloud. The scenery, used in countless Cowboy films is truly spectacular and you are allowed to get up close and personal to the landscape.
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Another view from Monument Valley
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Crossing over the Rockies through Wolf Creek Pass we encountered an unexpected heavy snowstorm, which quickly deposited three inches of snow on a winding road already covered in patches of ice. Though an unexpected winter driving test, the MDX came through in great form, even in the hands of a fairly inexperienced driver (we don’t get many blizzards back home in Charleston SC). A lot of other vehicles including a few 4WD pulled over. One Ford Explorer managed to pull over into a highway sign. This shot is through the windshield as the storm was starting – later I was too busy doing that driving thing to take pictures.
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While visiting family in Colorado Springs, I took advantage of the services of my nephew as an off-road guide. A real 4 WD veteran he knew where the fun roads were and was itching to put my new Luxo-SUV to the test. We went to Metberry Gulch which is rated “More Difficult” by the Colorado Association of 4WD Clubs Inc.
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In the opinion of my nephew, the MDX performed very well indeed. The biggest difference as compared to his favorite Scout was that with a brand new 40K vehicle you are not particularly anxious to go places that might result in permanent damage or scratches. For instance, I had no intention of attempting to ford the snowmelt-swollen Platte River, which can be up to four feet deep. We also balked at bulling past a two-foot thick ice shelf, which threatened to do a number on the undercarriage. Mud snow and rough terrain proved no hindrance at all.
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Going off-road requires the accumulation of a really great coat of mud – and this through-the-windshield picture shows a nice splash adding to the new color scheme.
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All that off-road fun creates a powerful appetite so we made a quick lunch stop at Victor, an old Colorado mining town, now nearly a ghost town. Surprisingly, you can get a world-class milk shake. Note the rapidly building mud layer on RoadRunner.
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And finally, we made a quick run back to Colorado Springs down Gold Camp Road. Gold Camp is one lane (though two way traffic) winding and muddy with no shoulders or guardrails. That unique sure-footed MDX feel is very welcome here although that MDX width makes passing other vehicles a bit more exciting.
Note the final mud coat - it got a few stares the next morning at the carwash.
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Roadrunner:
This is SOME MDX adventure !!!!!
Wow, you have achieved special status here at http://www.acuramdx.org with this trip. This is something many of us will never be able to do. Thanx to you, we can live the experience here online!!
Thank you for posting the pictures with descriptions.
I'm sure this took plenty of time. It is greatly appreciated!!
MDX4Life !!!!
:D
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| Great pictures, and narration too. Thanks also for the first real description of the MDX's off-road prowess. I wish I could get a month off! |
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| Thaks for sharing!! Makes me wish mine was here. |
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| Sounds like a great trip, RR. Thanks for "inviting" us along w/your enroute pics from last month and the recap! |
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Did you lock the VTM-4 for onroad driving through the winter snow? Did you notice any differece with it locked vs. unlocked? I assume you had it locked when you were offroad.
BTW, great pix!
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I never locked the VTM-4 for snow driving, but just maintained a moderate speed and let the automatic control do its own thing. I never had any noticeable problem while driving but did feel a slight skid once when braking (quickly controlled). The sure-footed feel while driving shouldn't lull you into forgetting that NOTHING (even antilock brakes and 4WD) will stop a 2-ton vehicle instantly on sheer ice.
I did not keep the VTM-4 locked normally while driving off road, nor did it seem necessary. The automatic feature seemed able to handle normal, snow, slush, mud, ruts, gullys and all combinations of these things. In fact the only time I actively locked it in was when stopped cold in a deep hole by a sheer 2-foot wall of ice. RoadRunner actually ended up with one wheel in the air. We pushed the nose down to reengage that wheel and locked in the VTM-4 to back out of the mud hole. It should be noted that, in this case, locking the VTM-4 did a fantastic job on backing us right out of what seemed to be a pretty bad hole.
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Excellent Pics of this great country. The narration was very nice and helped us imagine we were there with you.
Thanks for sharing with us. |
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Man, that was some trip! How long did it last? I'm so excited looking at those pics that I'm thinking of taking off for a similar adventure. I agree with you whole-heartedly on the comfort while driving long distance with the MDX. On a recent 10 hr drive from DC to Atlanta, I was comfortable and rested through out my drive. The car just amazing to drive and handle. My wife was amazed I didn't grumble one bit thru the drive. She's used to me cursing differnt aspects of the truck when I used to drive my Explorer around.
Great pics. Thanks.
-S |
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rr,
Great Pics!! Thanks for sharing your adventure. |
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| Great pics and travelogue however, no mention of the Navi. Did you use it much and did it help you find restaurants, etc. in strange places? |
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Thanks for asking about the navigation system. Yes! I used it extensively and now can hardly imagine traveling without it. It is a fantastic time saver (and stress reducer). One morning in a large unfamiliar city I needed to find a laundry, a car wash, the local Acura dealer and a cell phone store for my daughter and still be checked out of the motel by 11:00 AM. I can’t imagine pulling it off without “Mabel” (my pet name for the friendly helpful voice of the navigation system).
I pulled up to a Bed and Breakfast located on an obscure back road miles out from Taos. The proprietor was very complimentary saying that we were one of the very few to be able to follow the map she sent without calling for help. She was really amazed when I told her that the map hadn’t arrived in the mail in time and we had found her strictly by use of the Nav system.
The west in general seems very well mapped and we let “Mabel” choose the route all the way out and back. My technologically resistant 86-year-old mother was the real skeptic. She kept wanting to stop for local directions rather that rely on the computer. After a few really bum steers from the locals she came around and became a true believer as well.
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I just noticed how little mud actually got on the rear of the vehicle. And not that much past the rear tires and that's without rear flaps. I wonder if running boards would have helped with the middle splatter. What do you all think?
What'd it do to the clearcoat? Has you has a good wax before this? |
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Your observation is correct, the rear received a pretty much even but light coat of splatter - as did the sides up to and including the roof.
I'm not sure if running boards would have made much of a difference or not - they might reduce the heavy pattern low down but would probably have little effect on the splash.
Everything washed off with no problem although I did pay two bucks extra for a complete underbody wash. Actually the 16 state bug collection proved harder to wash off but it also yielded to a good soak and a little hand action.
I had no special waxes or preperation although if I had known how muddy it was going to be - I might have. I probably will in the future - but as I said, everything came off without trouble in a good car wash. |
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Roadrunner, what a fantastic job you've done of posting your trip pictures here !! Looks like you tackled some really nasty off-road terrain. Just out of curiosity, did you hear the MDX scrape anything - in other words was the ground clearance adequate to clear obstacles while off-roading ??
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful pictures with us !!! |
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I only heard what I thought was bottom scraping once and it may have been just underbrush. The ground clearance seemed adequate for the medium rough off-road that we were doing. Moguls did not seem to cause any major problem except for making the cargo in the rear bounce pretty hard. I should have removed all cargo or strapped it down well. The rear cargo guard net that separates the cargo area from the seats was a real asset here.
We were stopped once by a sheer rock-solid ice ledge about two feet high faced by a mud puddle. I think the only thing that would have overcome that would be oversize tires and very high ground clearance - the type of vehicle that I am not interested in since I put in a lot more highway miles than off-road excursions. In any case, it was not a normal trail feature but an accident of timing with the spring thaw since a few days earlier it would have been solid ice and a few days later melted down to manageable proportions. I think that you have to recognize that a stock MDX will not go every place that a big wheel Scout or Wrangler will go - but it will handle everything but hardcore recreational off-road torture tests.
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A fellow SUV fan suggested I share this through-the-windshield shot with this group. This was taken on Gold Camp Road descending the mountain to Colorado Springs.
Yes - the road is as narrow as it looks - it was originally a narrow gauge railroad right-of-way and is just wide enough for an MDX. It is also two way traffic which can create some exciting moments (and creative language). And yes, that is a solid sheet of ice on the road.
To me, one of the greatest things about the MDX is that incredible sure-footed feel and the confidence it inspires - and never was that confident feeling more tested than on these 28 miles of incredible mountain driving.
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