I highly advise you FULLY read the relevant threads.
After you flash, you simply install the driver: kmod-ath9k and reboot.
I assume that means it will need internet access to install kmod-ath9k?
I'm still local to my laptop messing with this.
You can also install the IPK (and all dependencies) from your laptop...
You're loosing me...OpenWRT turns off Wireless by default anyways for security. It's off on a normal flash anyway, even with the drivers are installed in the image.
It's been noted multiple times the version 17 image has issues. This is noted in the the threads.
Let me be clear, after you successfully sysupgrade, YOU'RE DONE. The TAR works, and I don't understand why you couldn't plug it up the Internet as normal.
The only issue is if you reset the device to default, you will have to plug it in as a wired router and install the driver again, until version 18.
You can also access ssh, upload the MX60W TAR to /tmp and flash using sysupgrade -F ...but I'm not sure if the driver is present there either. Do so at your own risk.
Cryptomining rigs. That's the reason I don't put this on the internet until I'm sure it will work. 
how would I manually load the driver from my laptop? transfer it to /tmp and run what command?
Totally lost me, it's just a driver. If the router flashes and boots, you succeeded. I'm wondering if you'll make another thread when you find out OpenWRT doesn't include the USB drivers by default.
See:
https://openwrt.org/packages/table/start
Get all packages for you CPU that are the prerequisites and requirements of kmod-ath9k, download them, and install them, in order.
Also, if you have successfully sysupgraded at this point, please consider marking this thread as [SOLVED]. There are other threads open for the issues you are now having.
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