Emerald Lake Trails: Unlock the Trail Burner & Burro

Two vehicle unlocks, three different reasons to drive

If you are looking for another car, Windy Joe and Hermit are the two Emerald Lake challenges to keep in mind. Windy Joe unlocks The Trail Burner; Hermit unlocks The Burro. Elizabeth Oath is still worth a visit, but its reward is Kayaks rather than a third vehicle.

This gives you a useful way to choose the next objective. Head for Windy Joe when you want to expand the garage, take Elizabeth Oath as a shorter checkpoint outing on the western side, and leave enough time for Hermit's longer sequence in the southeast. That is a suggested order, not a mandatory progression chain.

Find the start, not just a nearby piece of track

An inviting dotted track can lead you into the middle of a challenge. Driving along it is not the same thing as beginning the objective. Make the start marker your first destination, then follow the active checkpoint sequence shown by the game.

The overview below connects the actual checkpoints in order. It is useful for seeing where a trail goes and which end to approach, but the straight joins between points do not describe every bend, rock or crossing. Keep reading the ground between one checkpoint and the next.

Before leaving the mechanic

Choose the vehicle you can place accurately on a slope. There is little value in a theoretically strong truck if you are still guessing where its wheels sit. Carry recovery equipment for an awkward stop and inspect the tool slots before committing to a long detour.

Engine, tyres and suspension address different difficulties. A small upgrade to the system causing trouble is easier to evaluate than a complete rebuild. Revisit a familiar stretch after a purchase and pay attention to whether the wheels, body clearance or pulling effort were the limiting part.

• Use low range when rough ground or a climb calls for controlled pulling.
• Check the next anchor before driving into a position with no easy way back.
• Bring a repair kit if repeated landings or impacts have been cutting trips short.
• A portable winch point is useful where a convenient natural anchor is missing.
• Treat a visible checkpoint as the next target, then find the approach that keeps the truck supported.

Windy Joe Trail: the Trail Burner unlock

The start is in Emerald Lake's central-southern half, west of the map's centreline. Use the named start pin rather than driving toward any yellow challenge marker you happen to see. From the start, the sequence contains 11 checkpoints.

The important habit here is to arrive at a checkpoint with a plan for the next slope. If you cross one at an angle that leaves you sliding downhill, stop and regain a manageable position before taking on the next gate. A small correction on the approach is cheaper than recovering from the bottom of the bank.

Use the winch to move onto better ground when a climb stalls. Aim for a pull that improves the vehicle's position rather than dragging its side across the same obstacle. Once you can drive again, give the next checkpoint your attention instead of continuing to pull out of habit.

1. Reach Windy Joe's start marker and begin the challenge there.
2. Follow the active gate sequence, using low range where a slower climb is easier to control.
3. If progress appears to stall, look back for an unregistered checkpoint before trying to cut toward the finish.
4. After completing the sequence, check the reward notification for The Trail Burner and 25 Pebbles.

What the Trail Burner changes in your garage

The Trail Burner is a Wagon. Treat the unlock as a chance to try that vehicle's shape and handling, rather than an automatic replacement for whatever you have been driving. A new car is most useful when you take it somewhere familiar and notice how it fits through the same obstacle.

Do not assume the upgrade budget spent on your previous vehicle is a free maxed-out build for the new one. Inspect the Trail Burner's own upgrade menu before setting out. The vehicle list separates its stock figures from later engine stages so you can compare the actual configuration you intend to drive.

Elizabeth Oath Trail: the Kayaks detour

Elizabeth Oath begins on the western side of Emerald Lake. It has 11 ordered checkpoints, the same count as Windy Joe, and its first completion gives Kayaks plus 15 Pebbles. The smaller repeat payout is 3 Pebbles.

Take this trail because you want the cosmetic, want to finish the area's challenges, or happen to be exploring that side of the lake. There is no need to wait for a car unlock to appear at the end. Confusing a cosmetic reward with a missing vehicle just leads to an unnecessary search through the garage.

Check the sequence as you go. When a track looks familiar, it is easy to drive by memory and miss the actual gate the objective is waiting for. The challenge indicator is the useful check; merely reaching the geographical end of the route is not enough.

Hermit Trail: a longer run for the Burro

Hermit's start is in the southeast of the area. Its 31 checkpoints make it the longest of these three sequences by checkpoint count. That is a reason to set aside time for the whole attempt, not a promise that every individual section is harder than Windy Joe.

Keep the objective visible and work from one registered gate to the next. On a longer sequence, a missed gate can leave you a long way from the place that needs attention. If the next marker seems wrong, stop early and investigate instead of driving farther into the route.

Pace the descents as carefully as the climbs. Arriving fast at a rock step can leave the truck at an awkward angle or damage it before the next section. If you need recovery, first identify where you want the wheels to land and then choose the cable direction that gets you there.

A recovery checklist for a stalled attempt

When the truck stops, pause long enough to identify what is holding it. Tyres digging into soft ground, a body hung on a crest and a vehicle lying on its side are different problems. Repeating the same throttle input usually makes that distinction less clear.

For a poor line, back out while that is still possible. For an awkward position, use a suitable anchor or a carried recovery tool to regain a driving stance. If you have taken damage, deal with it before asking the truck to handle another difficult section. Use the control prompts for your current input device; a keyboard command copied from another setup may not apply.

Leave yourself a useful next-session note

After a trail, mark the stop you completed and write down the obstacle you want to revisit. A note such as 'approach this gate from the higher side' is more useful than a vague reminder to upgrade everything. Keep it tied to the point on the atlas where you learned it.

The site's discoveries and personal notes stay in your browser; they do not modify the game save. Use Share map when you want to send a start pin to a friend. Your private note text is not included in that link, so describe the driving plan separately when you play together.