Nitrosniffer
New member
Hey,, everybody, my name is Mike, I'm 46, born and raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada.
I've always had a passion for driving, and dreams of off-roading, but always had long commutes, and could never justify having an off-road commuter vehicle... A few years ago, I started working from home, got in shape, started to get outdoors more, and started taking my wife to all the small towns my Dad, who would travel throughout BC for work, used to take me to in the summer, as well as some of my favourite spots.
Last year, I tried to drive my wife to one of my favourite spots; the peak of Mount Maxwell, on Salt Spring Island, and I had no choice but to turn back. There was a sign at the end of the road warning people that a 4 wheel drive vehicle was required, because the road had not been maintained in 20 years. That's when I realized that if I truly wanted to explore the beauty of this part of the world, I was going to need more than a Muscle Car (2010 Camaro SS 6-Speed) and an EV (2020 Tesla 3).
I've always loved the 4-Runner. I first fell in love with them while bumping down a forest service road at 13 years old in the back of a 2nd Gen. I remember working for a Toyota dealer when the first of the 5th Gen's hit the lot, and learning that as beautiful and capable as they were, the people with older 4Runners had no reason to give theirs up. I learned that you buy a 4Runner, and drive it until it gives up, knowing full well that it will never give up.
I've never been comfortable with being limited in any way. When I got the phone call last September asking me what model I wanted, it was the Trailhunter, no questions asked. I'm starting my off-road journey late in life, in a part of the world known for challenging off-road trails, climbing mountains to find lakes and waterfalls, or scrambling down long lost trails to find old fly-in logging camps buried in the fjords. It's imperative that I start this journey with the right equipment, and Toyota decided to build it on the factory floor for me.
On Saturday, Sep 13, 2025, the day before my 12th Wedding Anniversary, my old friend called me. There had been a cancellation, and they were running through the wait list - first come, first serve. 2 hours later, there was a sold sign in the window, still plastered with the shipping stickers from Japan. "Nanami", or "Nami" for short came home on Wednesday, Sep 17, as I crossed another item off my bucket list.
Her first trip into the forests will be in October!
The garage of my dreams!
The peak of Mount Maxwell, I haven't seen this view in 18 years... We're driving that trail in December.
I've always had a passion for driving, and dreams of off-roading, but always had long commutes, and could never justify having an off-road commuter vehicle... A few years ago, I started working from home, got in shape, started to get outdoors more, and started taking my wife to all the small towns my Dad, who would travel throughout BC for work, used to take me to in the summer, as well as some of my favourite spots.
Last year, I tried to drive my wife to one of my favourite spots; the peak of Mount Maxwell, on Salt Spring Island, and I had no choice but to turn back. There was a sign at the end of the road warning people that a 4 wheel drive vehicle was required, because the road had not been maintained in 20 years. That's when I realized that if I truly wanted to explore the beauty of this part of the world, I was going to need more than a Muscle Car (2010 Camaro SS 6-Speed) and an EV (2020 Tesla 3).
I've always loved the 4-Runner. I first fell in love with them while bumping down a forest service road at 13 years old in the back of a 2nd Gen. I remember working for a Toyota dealer when the first of the 5th Gen's hit the lot, and learning that as beautiful and capable as they were, the people with older 4Runners had no reason to give theirs up. I learned that you buy a 4Runner, and drive it until it gives up, knowing full well that it will never give up.
I've never been comfortable with being limited in any way. When I got the phone call last September asking me what model I wanted, it was the Trailhunter, no questions asked. I'm starting my off-road journey late in life, in a part of the world known for challenging off-road trails, climbing mountains to find lakes and waterfalls, or scrambling down long lost trails to find old fly-in logging camps buried in the fjords. It's imperative that I start this journey with the right equipment, and Toyota decided to build it on the factory floor for me.
On Saturday, Sep 13, 2025, the day before my 12th Wedding Anniversary, my old friend called me. There had been a cancellation, and they were running through the wait list - first come, first serve. 2 hours later, there was a sold sign in the window, still plastered with the shipping stickers from Japan. "Nanami", or "Nami" for short came home on Wednesday, Sep 17, as I crossed another item off my bucket list.
Her first trip into the forests will be in October!
The garage of my dreams!
The peak of Mount Maxwell, I haven't seen this view in 18 years... We're driving that trail in December.
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