I'm on a work assignment for a couple months in Farmington, NM. I was able to get the company to comp me gas mileage for the drive out here and am using my weekends to go find as many cool driving roads as I can.

I bought some Blizzak LM-60s to drive through the Rocky's on, and a GoPro HD Hero3 Black edition to document my adventures. See below for a review on those.

I'm getting some great footage and plan to add more stuff, but for now I found this amazing road in southern Utah and figured I'd share.

I'm an engineer and in no way artsy, but thought I did a decent job for my first time ever really making a video. I'm learning good camera positions as I go along, but think this video came out pretty well.

Hope people Enjoy, this road truly was something else.


*Bonus points if you spot the skull in the video

I figured I would write a review on the GoPro HD Hero3 Black series.

To start: this is my first action camera, pretty much my first real video camera. So this isn't a comparison to other cameras, just my impressions.

The picture quality from this camera truly blows my mind. I record mostly in the 1080p 60fps settings. But I've played with the 720p 120fps mode too. It's impressive how much you can slow down a 120fps video and still have it look smooth.

Obviously the video on page 1 was shot with the GoPro (the pictures in the beginning were taken with my Galaxy S3). While I do think the youtube video looks pretty good, it's obviously lacking detail due to the heavy compression. I have the original file on my computer which looks soo much better then the youtube video. The biggest difference that I can tell is that the colors for the original video are just more vibrant, and the sharpness/crispness of the video is much better. There clearly is just much more detail. This could also have to do with the fact that the youtube video is 30fps, while the original is 60fps.

Anyway, I figured I would just share some various frames so you guys could see the quality.

I did not spend forever trying to find a good or the best frame either. I just looked for what might be interesting places on my various videos and hit pause and then took a screen shot of that image.

1) This was on a snow covered dirt road that was heavily washboarded. I was laughing to myself while I recorded because I knew there was no way the video would be watchable. The car was vibrating soo much, it was truly ridiculous.
But I decided to see just what the images being captured by the camera while it was being tortured looked like. This is a screenshot from pausing the video randomly. Needless to say I was very impressed. The car was travelling on that surface at around 40mph in this screenshot.


2) This was a sign I passed doing about 50mph. This was clearly on smooth pavement, but you can see how easily legible the sign was. Again, I just hit pause randomly. I did not got frame by frame to find the best one.


3) Random town I passed while driving up the rocky's. The camera angle wasn't my favorite, but I was testing different positions out.


4) Just a random screenshot of the car doing around 50mph on smooth pavement. Everytime I paused it, the level of detail that you could see in the road surface amazed me.



The Bad

1) Took some pictures with the gopro, they weren't very impressive. I've reverted to my Galaxy S3 for picture taking.

2) The camera has some weird software/firmware problems that cause it to freeze up when you are turning it on or off manually every once in a while. I say manually, because I have never had a hiccup using the wireless remote or the gopro android app. Hopefully there will be an update to fix this, but it's not a deal breaker to me. I like the videos enough to deal with having to pull the battery out once in a while.


Other thoughts

1) I got a 16gb memory card with the camera. The memory card fills at pretty much the same time the battery dies. This is recording in "protune" mode. I'll probably look into getting the battery backpack and another memory card as that really is only about an hour of camera use.

2) The wifi does eat the battery. I know wifi will drain battery, but it seems to drain it faster then I would have expected. So I don't leave it on until I have the camera setup and know I will begin recording in a bit.
- However, the versatility and convenience of the wifi remote outweighs the draining of the battery. Mostly because you can mount the camera on the outside of you car, then drive around and start and stop recording whenever you want. So you don't drain anywhere near as much battery as just driving with it continuously on.

hope someone found this info useful.

I figure better then a boring tire review is a true story that showcases the tire's capabilities.

Quick background: I've had the tires on the car for a month now and around 1000 miles. All mileage was driven on road trips through the Rocky's and southern Utah. Lots of experience on literally every type of road.

For those who want the quick summary:

Dry Road Performance - 6.5/10.
-The tire is surprisingly responsive in corners. Turn in is sharp, and there is more then enough grip to enjoy the twisties on them. I would have rated them higher based solely off cornering, but I find that in straight line braking you can tell they have less grip.
(For comparison, I'd give my Yokohama S.4.'s an 8/10, with the Start Specs getting a 10/10)

Snow Performance - 9.5/10
- Well that score should be pretty obvious. Read the story below for more details. I didn't give them a 10/10 cause I'm assuming studded winter tires would probably hold that spot.
(For comparison, I'd give my Yokohama S.4.'s a 5.5/10. I drove around the roads of Chicago for 3 winters on the S.4.'s without a single problem. I honestly didn't see the need for a dedicated snow tire after how well the S.4.'s did. The LM-60's though are in a completely different league and have greatly altered what I would rate the S.4.'s. Before I experienced the LM-60s I probably would have put the S.4's at a 7.5/10 snow performance.)

Conclusion: If you want a tire that will drive phenomenally well in the snow without sacrificing too much dry road performance... What everyone says about this tire is true.


The Story

I got my car back from repairs late on Friday night. Excited to have the car, I wanted to take a road trip someplace to wash the foul taste of the previous weekend out of my mouth. As was true of weather across the country this past weekend, Colorado was looking pretty snowy. I decided I'd probably have a better shot at some decent weather if I stayed further south.

One place on my list to visit was "Canyon de Chelly". I figured I should be ok driving there even if it were snowing because it's a canyon; which, to me, meant driving along flat roads and looking down into it as opposed to having to drive up steep mountain roads. The trip there proved to have some exciting views along the way:

1st being an SUV running a sweet stance.


I also saw a very enticing video store:


But anyway, I looked on the maps and picked the most direct route from Farmington to the canyon. While on google maps you could see there were some "mountains" to drive through, the depiction didn't make it look like anything crazy. Here you can see the route:


I drove "Option 2" on my way out to the canyon. It wasn't until I got to the part highlighted in green that I hit any snow. As I climbed over the "mountains" the snow really got dense, but the evo made it just fine with absolutely no trouble whatsoever. I was surprised though by just how high of a pass it turned out to be, but it added some fun and excitement to the drive. The Evo handled like a champ in the snow.


The canyon was truly beautiful.


And the weather even started to clear up, with the sun coming out later in the afternoon. This led to the evo wanting to drive through the canyon. I had to tell her no:


It was getting towards late afternoon and I had a choice to make for the tip home. Do I drive back along the route I had driven there which takes me through that mountain pass, or take "Option 1" above which would be the long way up and around?

Given as the weather had cleared up for some time, and how I hadn't had any problems making it over the pass the first time, I decided it would be fun to go back along that route. I also figured it would be a more scenic route as I could actually see now that the sun had come out.

The fun part: So I drove back to that mountain pass. Several more inches had been dumped on the road since I came down, leading to the evo having to plow her way sometimes. But I'll tell you, on the Blizzak LM-60s I couldn't even tell. There was a more heavily driven part of the road, but I was purposely driving off on the completely untouched ~8-12" deep fresh snow with no problems. I couldn't even feel the difference. The tires and car were performing just unbelievably well.

I now am getting up towards the top and to where the roads get the steepest. I come around a bend and see a pickup truck pulled over. I stop and ask them if they are ok, and they tell me they are putting chains on. So I continue on up the mountain, still no problems. The road started to get very very steep, and all I could do was laugh at how great these tires are! The car was literally plowing it's way up this pass that a pickup couldn't get up without chains. I felt completely in control, despite a little bit of tire spin here and there.

Continued...

The hectic part: But then I saw an SUV cocked at a 90 degree angle with their nose in the ditch. I had no choice but to stop, something I really didn't want to do as I knew I might be in trouble if I lost my momentum on what was the steepest section of the entire pass.

I get out and walk up to the SUV and ask them if they are alright. Which they tell me they are. I then see the pickup coming up behind me, and realize they must have called for the pickup to come help them.

I go back to my car as I'm stuck now with no place to go. My main fear is this SUV or any other car coming down the pass loosing control and hitting my car. So I look at the road and pick where I think is the safest place to pull the car. I tell the pickup to wait and I slowly start working the car over. The evo had finally met it's match though as I could not get the car to go uphill any more from that dead stop. So I basically pulled a 3 point turn which enabled me to get the car far off on the side of the road.

I park the car and go to help the 2 guys in the pickup assist the people in the SUV. The whole scene was a debacle. Leading to me getting very bossy as I was getting fearful for my car parked a little ways downhill. The Lexus SUV had some bald all seasons and had absolutely no grip. Through 4 of us pushing and the lady flooring it in reverse we were able to get the SUV out of the ditch and facing straight. But the lady then straightened the wheel out which led to the SUV sliding down the hill some and slamming into the back of the pickup which was luckily parked right in front of the SUV.

Then the chains they had brought were too small to fit around the Lexus's big *** rims. So the pickup decided they were going to pull behind the SUV and chain themselves to the SUV and basically act like an Anchor.

By this point another SUV was coming down out of the pass. I asked them to wait till we were all able to get the Lexus out of the way and everyone back down, but they were in a hurry. I told him it was very steep and nervously watched as he went down the road. He locked his brakes and skidded all the way to the bottom, but managed to keep it mostly in control.

Behind him was another pickup. I asked this guy also to wait, but again they insisted on going. I warned him that it was very slippery, but he said he'd be fine. I told him not to hit my car parked off on the side of the road. He had what looked to be some decently treaded tires, so I watched as he tried to go. As soon as he hit the steep part he completely lost control. The wheels locked up and the truck was rapidly gain speed. I started sprinting downhill after them thinking I was about to watch this truck hit the guardrail at the bottom and go off the side of the mountain.

He threw the truck in reverse and cocked the wheel and gunned it. This worked as it started to get the truck at a 90 degree angle to the road, and also headed right towards my car. My heart froze as I thought I was about to watch this truck slam into my car. I'm basically skiing downhill on my sneakers yelling "NO NO NO NOOOOO!".

When I say that the truck passed within an inch of the car, I am not exaggerating. My heart must have skipped about 10 beats as I watched this truck almost t-bone my car. I actually didn't know if he had hit my car or not it was that close, but, I'm still chasing this truck as I think they are going to go flying off a mountain. Luckily, the truck sliding at a 90 degree angle to the road starts slowing them down, and they come to a stop about 2 feet from the guardrail.

I come "skiing/sledding" down there a second later, and, I'm not lying, lean in through the window and give him a big *** hug. No HOMO. But I was so happy that he hadn't hit my car or gone off the mountain.

We then talk, and despite my best efforts to get him to just leave the truck parked off the side of the road, and I'd drive him, his wife and 2 children back down the mountain, he insisted on driving the truck. But I insisted that his family ride with me and they agreed to that.

So I tell the guys working with the Lexus to wait for us to go as I did not want them sliding down the mountain and careening into us. And then I proceed to slowly follow this guy out of the mountain driving his family. He's now facing the wrong way and backing out. I watch as he almost slams into ditch after ditch or guardrail. Unable to maintain any sort of control. His wife gasping, and I'm having to talk to his kids and try to keep them calm as they were clearly scared for their dad.

I admit the guy had skills, tossing it into gear and just flooring it this way and that and managing to get the truck all the way down the mountain without crashing into anything.

Meanwhile, guess how much trouble I had? or how many scary moments? or moments where I wasn't in control or unable to stop? NONE.

So, of 2 SUVs, 2 Pickup trucks, and 1 sports car, the only one who didn't lose control was the sports car.

I love the Evo. And if you still question how good the Blizzak LM60s are in the snow, then you need to re-read my story.

In the end, as I had driven all the way back out of the mountains and I had seen how badly all the other cars were struggling. I decided I had had enough adventure for the day and to play it safe and drive the long way around (Option 1 above). I'm sure the evo would have made it fine, but I didn't not want any other cars crashing into me.

Wow!

I've been holding off on getting a Hero3 due to the very issues you stated. It seems that GoPro just puked the Hero3 out to release it for the holidays when it wasn't ready and still seems be the case according to many a review. I'm waiting for a sort of "all clear" to pick one up.

ok now I want to drive my evo in mountains , snow , gravel . Dam you!

btw I am hating my go pro mine locks up ALL the time now. i am thinking of going back to the store and have them refund my money.

thanks for the great post!

This feels like a Blizzak commercial

Nice write up. I think you were luckily you survived no damaged.

Sounds like no one had snow tires but you.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Yeah, I was hesitant as well, but I really wanted to document everything since I had this opportunity.

I've found a way to get it to work reliably, and the picture quality is amazing. But if you have no pressing need or use for one, then I would wait to make sure they iron out the problems.

I've found that I don't have any problems if I only use the wireless remote. This isn't really a problem to me as I mostly have it mounted outside of the car.

Just turn the wireless on with the button till the blue light is blinking.

Then make all your setting changes, start an stop recording, and turn it back off all with the remote or your phone app. I like the phone app, but the remote is so damn convenient i've stuck to using that.

I was very lucky. And I spent all day Sunday looking out the window breathing a sigh of relief the car was parked there with no damage.

No, nobody was prepared. The SUV had bald tires. The rescue pickup tires were ok, but pretty warn. But they had chains.

The pickup that almost rammed me had something that looked like decent treaded tires, but i guess must have been the wrong tire compound? Also it's problem was a simple weight disparity, that back end had no grip, yet the truck must have weighed tons.

I'm bored in the hotel room so figured I'd share some more pics with all of you.

1) First photo I took on my trip from KC to Farmington. Car at her favorite place.


2) I played a game to see if I couldn't maximize my gas mileage to keep myself entertained driving across Kansas. This was the best I've ever gotten in the car.


3) Stayed the night in a shady Hotel in La Junta. Got there at 1am and left at 5am cause I couldn't sleep much worrying someone was going to break in my car and steal all my stuff. Usually I park far away, but I thought being hidden between some big vehicles might be helpful that night.


4) Had the car washed and waxed before making any big road trips. This is one of the few pics I ever took with the GoPro, I wasn't that impressed. (all other photo's taken are from my Galaxy S3).


5) Car at Chaco Canyon, first place I visited.


6) Then took a road trip on the snow covered roads into the Rocky's.


7) Stopped at a bar in Rico and met this amazing bartender. Spent too long there and ended up stuck in a blizzard on my drive out.


8) I don't know how, but I managed to **** off a local that I passed after getting out of the mountains and back into New Mexico. They road really far up my ***, until I basically had to just outrun them as they were making me nervous. Scared they had maybe gotten my license plate info or such, I breathed a big sigh of relief when I stopped to get dinner and saw this:
I love the snow!

9) Took a trip to visit Natural Bridges in Utah.


10) And got a little artsy.


11) I Just liked this photo.


12) And I was experimenting with places to mount the GoPro
I thought having the camera right in front of the driver would give a cool perspective, but people give you weird looks as they drive by.

13) Went skiing at Durango mountain resort. It was soo beautiful.


14) And then took a fateful trip through the mountains. At least it was beautiful.


15) And the car ended up back on her second favorite location.

But at least she ended up with some nice upgraded parts, fresh transmission and t-case fluid, and back up and running really well.


Thanks for reading!

great read!

that road is so fking beautiful
read all, great write up

Thanks!

Yeah, the details of where it is located are on the YouTube page.


Glad people are reading it all. I was afraid I might be posting too much at once and the quantity of info would turn everyone off.

My next 3 day weekend here starts tomorrow so might have more stories or video for you guys soon! Still trying to decide what adventure to tackle next.

This is the story behind why I hate pickup trucks:

To start there was the pickup that almost slid into me out of control on the snow covered mountain a couple weekends ago, after I explicitly warned him that it was slippery and asked him to wait (see posts #3 & 4 in this thread)

Or, some of you might have read my ordeal with my coworker running over the rock. He didn't see the rock because of the pickup in front of us. I guess I can't blame that on the pickup, but I will anyway because:

I was in another accident over the weekend. I was coming around a blind left hand corner on a gravel road hardly wide enough to fit 2 cars and some ******* hicks or natives were coming the other way in guess what? A BIG *** PICKUP. They were going way too fast and in the middle of the road.

I hardly had enough time to swerve hard to the right, hitting the edge of the road that had a mound of gravel and dirt, and then having the car bottom out as i drove over a heavily washed out area before pulling back onto the road and coming to a stop. I had barely missed colliding with the pickup by inches.

And did they stop!? OF COURSE NOT.

I realize now it was probably a good thing they didn't stop as I'd either be dead or in jail for homicide right now. But I got out of the car and looked to see pieces of the car all over the road behind me. I had really slammed hard into that washed out area and at this point my heart about stopped as I thought the car was destroyed.

I walked back to see what the parts were and quickly felt relieved some as it was just all the plastic pieces from under the car: front lip, undertray, left and right fender liners (yes, it ripped the finder liners off).

I go back to the car and start inspecting it. After much scouring I realized the only damage was a minor dent in the oil pan and the carbon fiber mufflers on my exhaust were damaged. But mechanically everything else was fine and I was able to drive the car. Also inspected it at the dealer and there wasn't any frame damage, but in total about $4500-$5000 in damage.

F*CK PICKUPS.

photo's:

1) Plastic pieces I had found laying on the gravel road:


2) View of the Front Bumper (lots of things behind the bumper were damaged, like the oil cooler air guide and clips and such:


3) Drivers side fender well (nice exposed AMS CAI)


4) Passenger side fender well (nice dirty oil cooler)


5) Dented Oil Pan (thankfully wasn't leaking)


6) Scraped up front cross member, amazingly not bent or damaged


7) And the most annoying part (to me) Damaged Exhaust mufflers:

But I at least got some cool pics before that happened: