Off-Road Expert Shares His Experience on Paradise Valley 6 Mile Creek Trail

(The off-road photos of Paradise Valley in the article are all from Zachary Gray @the_rugaru)

Welcome to AUXITO's new column---Off-Road Feature Blog! You must have been looking forward to it for a long time! Off-road activities have been a popular trend among modern car owners. The hot-blooded, cheerful off-roaders have been so heroic and energetic!

Today we invited Zachary Gray @the_rugaru, an off-road expert from Montana, to share his off-road story with us. Living in Montana, off-road is part of his daliy life. We can see that Zachary has been dedicated to this field for many years, and recently, he also hopes to make his off-roading experience available to more people through the output of articles! With his rich outdoor experience and techniques, we may learn the off-roading knowledge we just need!

AUXITO: Hi Zachary! Can you introduce a bit more about yourself?

Zachary: Yeah. My name is Zachary Gray. I got into off-road living in Montana. In eastern Montana, we have harsh winter conditions, hot summers, and frequent gusts of 60-100 mph. As I hunted and drove in these complex conditions, I learned how to be prepared for the ever-changing weather we experienced. So I developed my Jeep to help me better survive and thrive in these places, while also observing how my father and grandfather handled themselves when dealing with risky disasters.

AUXITO: So, could you tell us what keeps you Overlanding and off-roading?

Zachary: As a Native family with a long history in Montana, I live so far from the nearest small town that I might have a flat tire or get stuck in the snow while driving without immediate access to the outside world. Because of my experience navigating the complex environment of Montana, I also naturally became a cross-country enthusiast. I love camping, hiking, fishing, and walking, and I love the interesting life that my off-road vehicle brings me.

Now, I've been able to use my media to help share off-roading stories. Through my journey, I was able to share my interesting stories about my unique Montana land and feel the tolerance of nature to different cultures.

AUXITO: Can you tell us why you shared this trail in Paradise Valley, is the trail suitable for off-road beginners?

Zachary: This 6-mile creek in Paradise Valley is my favorite trail. I like to go here for cross-country activities in the summer. Because at this time, the sunshine is at its best and it is also a good time for you to have a panoramic view of the whole valley. In my opinion, this trail is suitable for off-road beginners if rainy or snowy however experience may be needed.

AUXITO: Yep, weather conditions may have some influence on off-road activities, so what do you think is the biggest difference between cross-country routes in snowy weather and sunny days?

Zachary: The light on the road in winter will be dimmer than in summer, especially when it is dark and there are many drivers on the road, good lighting and careful observation of the surrounding roads are very important. If you need to drive in such harsh conditions, you'd better make sure that your off-road vehicle has good tires and chains, which can help your vehicle achieve better grip and traction. If you encounter snowy weather, there will be dry snow on the road, which is easier to drive than icy roads in sunny weather. These are based on my experience with nearly 20,000 miles of off-roading driving per year.

Therefore, I recommend everyone to go to Paradise Valley for cross-country activities in June when the weather is perfect. This is the season you can take the most comfortable and flat ride and see the bluest sky!

AUXITO: What makes this a difficult trail?

Zachary: Although this off-road trail is suitable for novices, the road is more slippery due to more snowy weather in winter. There is a lot of fog on the roads covered by jungle and trees, which makes the environment darker. Therefore, you need to install better off-road lights and tire skid strips for your vehicle. This way, whether you are a novice or an experienced person, your off-road journey will be safer!

AUXITO: We all know that suitable lighting equipment and interior and exterior equipment are significant for off-roading. We sincerely hope that our lighting products would ensure every driver can drive safely at night. So have you added Auxito's products to your car? What can these products and equipment do in your off-roading?

Zachary: Yes! I have added the AUXITO fog lights to Jeep and they have immensely helped. They have opened up more fields of vision. Which helps us see into the ditches on the side of the road here in Montana and help us avoid running into wildlife like deer and elk.

I have also added the reverse light bulb which helps send more light making my backup camera more visible at night allowing me to reverse safely too. It is beneficial because if I have a lot of stuff for camping or fishing I might not be able to see out the back of the jeep. This allows for a better camera view.

I have also got AUXITO headlights for my Honda Civic as well since I do a lot of interstate travel on I-90 back and forth between Oregon and Montana!  

AUXITO: Thank you for your great support of us! AUXITO may launch some off-road lights in the future, what kind of products do you expect?

Zachary: Sure! For example, light bars, 7'' circle jeep driving lights (also used on motorcycles), rock lights, grill lights, and interior lights for off-road vehicles are the most expectation.

The following is the detailed Trail Info provided by Zachary. If you are interested in giving it a try, please refer to it!

Name of the trail: 6 mile creek

Location: Paradise Valley

Length: 6 miles

Best time of year to go: Summer

Key Features: You can see the whole valley and suitable for beginners

Elevation: 1,342 feet (409 meters)

Grid Coordinates: 33.5311541°N, -111.9426452°W

Fees: 0

Tire Pressure Advice: Standard tire pressure

Rig requirements: (Example, must be 4x4 with lift kit, or standard 4x4): 4x4 is all you need

Other considerations: 

1. Vehicles are easy to slip on roads in rain and snow, and novices need to pay attention to adding anti-skid belts to their tires when driving.

2. The temperature here in winter is very low, in the outdoors need to pay attention to the cold to keep warm, and prepare sufficient food and water.

Thanks again for Zachary's interesting off-road trail route sharing! I believe that there more people will become adventure companions of off-roaders! Interested in Zachary's off-road sharing? Give @the_rugaru a follow on Instagram and get more info on off-road travel!

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