Big Bear Trail condition

[Kejtar]

Well, unless it gets real warm real fast it's going to be interesting We ran today gold mountain and john bull and we had a blast but..... we started on the trail at 10 and got off about 9pm.
Also the unmelted snowbanks are responsible for some interesting damage (a small puncture in my roof is one) as well as for the fact that every winch in the group got used more then once and not only for self recovery but for recovery of others as well. Also straps were deployed fairly often . I gotta say this though: Tim, even though he had to winch him self couple times, as always put everyone to shame with his open open driving skills.

Anyways, there was couple of close calls (I wish I had my camera with me to take a pic of Ron's beet red face and Artis' pale white face ) and all I can say is this: even easy trails will be hard due to damage caused by rains as well as unmelted snow banks (I'm pretty sure that in some shaded areas the snow banks will survive).

Remi
P.S. We didn't make it to our adopt a trail as it got REALLY dark REALLY fast.

 

[Kejtar]

Oh yeah, when the sun goes down it gets REAL cold REAL FAST!

 

[Lady XJ]

Okay, reservations made. Now what, oh, VERY WARM sleeping gear or a hot body to sleep next to.

Oh yeah, when the sun goes down it gets REAL cold REAL FAST!

 

[ryurabbit]

Yeah it was an interesting run. Somehow I was put in the leadership position. (thats not supposed to happen, I deliberatly make wrong turns so nobody will do that :laugh3: ) I had the resoponsibilty and privelidge to charge through 1-6' (yeah thats feet) snowbanks and blaze a trail for the rest of us. Tim was amazing as allways (still pisses me off). I will hopefully post pics on tuesday. Anyway the gold mountain trail can be done open/open without to many issues. John bull will be locker/locker or locker winch minimum. Expect mud and snow on any trails that are shaded or on northern facing slopes. Also the trails are overgrown and you will recieve scratches or more on some of them because of the slippery conditions. Cold it will be, around 28-40 degrees at night, but pretty nice during the day (fingers crossed) about 65-75.

All in all, I think it's a little early in the season but its definately going to add quite a few new twists to some trails that have gotten kinda predictable.

 

[cal]

That will be interesting. I'll be there, open/open, no winch, on 3.55's with 32's. But you know that already.

But I have good tow points, no fear of getting stuck, and I dont freak over damage. As long as I dont break an axle I'm good with anything, and I'm not TOO worried about that.

-cal

 

[rpraterxj]

I saw a trail report from another group that tried to run Gold Mountian on Saturday. They tried runnig from 3N16 towards Big Bear. They reported that they could not make it up the backsdie due to snow and ice. If we run Gold Moutain, we may want to run it from Big Bear towards 3N16, then we can take 3N16 towards Holcomb creek.

just an idea and passing along some info.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[rpraterxj]

:wave: Oh yeah, one more thing.. we may want to consider bring snow chains. I will have mine with me

 

[Ed A. Stevens]

It sounds like you guys had a lot of fun (and I am seriously unhappy that I missed the run). The snow adds a dimension that is unpredictable (rocks you cannot see, slip and slide, and "how did that hole get there").

Were there tire tracks on John Bull (or did you go where no man has gone before)?

No photos?

To provide an idea why the AAT program is critical, the priority of USFS funded road repair/maintenance list follows.

Our little trail (2N04) is not even on the list, and is not expected to get any agency attention. The good side of this low priority is that trails & roads not listed are very unlikely to see a grader blade this year (only if demanded for fire prevention and resource protection).



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FRONT COUNTRY / MOUNTAIN TOP
ROAD MAINTENANCE ROAD PRIORITIES

F.Y. 2005

1N09 City Creek
3N14 Coxey
3N16 Holcomb Valley
1N45 Santa Ana River
3N09 Van Dusen Canyon
2N09 Polique Canyon
2N10 Mill Creek
2N75 Ash Meadows
2N37 Miller Canyon
2N13 Snowslide
2N13B Butler Peak
1N02 Coon Creek
1N05 Fish Creek
1N53 Camp Angelus
3N31 Lower Lytle Creek Divide
3N31Y Upper Lytle Creek Divide
1N34 Big Tree Cucamonga
1N35 West Fork Cucamonga
2N58 Middle Fork
3N34 Crab Flats
2N25 Rouse Ranch
2N47 Cleghorn
2N53 Applewhite
3N22 Elliot Ranch
3N33 Slade Canyon
2N01 Broom Flats

With the amount of storm damage to the road system we will be opening these road to make them passable and will do additional work and add additional roads when or if extra funding comes available. Please look over the road list and make any comments as you see fit.

Greg Hoffman
OHV Manager
OHV Volunteer/Adopt-a-trail Programs

----------------------------------

 

[Captain Ron]

Thought I told you guys I've done my "snow" run for the year

What a humiliating experience.

Don't expect to see many more pictures like that.

Some others...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=byggmfm.joc0dte&x=1&y=prc02c

Some "exciting" moments, minus the audio comentary from Ardis...

Got as close as I want to get to going over ass backwards, while going backwards.

Now about that heatwave...

--ron

PS: There were 1, maybe two sets of tracks, appeared to be a few days or maybe more than a week old, but it was obvious that other than that, no one has been able to run the whole trail.

 

[Kejtar]

That picture doesn't do justice. I wanna see the video that Ardis shot

 

[Kejtar]

It sounds like you guys had a lot of fun (and I am seriously unhappy that I missed the run). The snow adds a dimension that is unpredictable (rocks you cannot see, slip and slide, and "how did that hole get there").

Were there tire tracks on John Bull (or did you go where no man has gone before)?

There were but IIRC there was a section of snow where the tire tracks got to it and stopped and just on the other side there was the same thing.
I can vouch for the presence of insible rocks and holes under the snow as I think I found most of them

 

[IMORTL]

well I still plan on being there. I dont have a winch but I have towpoints front and rear and the rear is locked. I dont worry about body damage. I did this on Saturday in Calico (Odessa)

I have taken Friday and Monday off that weekend. I plan on driving up on Friday to help with Trail maint. But I wont be able to be up there until about 9:30... SO i will need to know where you will be... I can always meet you on the trail.

But I wont be spending the night Friday... I will come home and pick up a buddy and stay at home for the night. I wotn be able to leave until 10:00 or so on Saturday so I wont be up there until 11:30 ish... I will have a 2 way radio with 7 mile range (2 or 3 in the Mtns)...


We will spend the night Saturday and stay sunday... Do I need to do anything? Reserve a camp space? There will be 2 guys (I will sleep in the Jeep - My buddy can rough it)...

It should be fun and cold... Funny - Somehow snowboarding should be included with those 2 words...

Ken

 

[Kejtar]

well I still plan on being there. I dont have a winch but I have towpoints front and rear and the rear is locked. I dont worry about body damage. I did this on Saturday in Calico (Odessa)

Oh that little scratch? That's nothing

 

[IMORTL]

Oh that little scratch? That's nothing

It was nothing... but I just finished painting it on Friday... :rattle:

Look at the gas cover below...

I also dont have a passenger mirror (thanks to John Bull) ... I also have a dented A- pillar on the passenger side from a Suburban backing into me at Azusa...

 

[Kejtar]

It was nothing... but I just finished painting it on Friday... :rattle:

Look at the gas cover below...

I also dont have a passenger mirror (thanks to John Bull) ... I also have a dented A- pillar on the passenger side from a Suburban backing into me at Azusa...

Got you beat: ripped off the roof rack TWICE and punctured my roof with it the first time around For now duct tape is the fix

 

[Renegade Jpr]

I dont have a single strait pannel on my heep, even the roof is kinda wavey

 

[saki669]

..... and punctured my roof......

:gag: Roof's are overrated anyways. :gag:

 

[Kejtar]

:gag: Roof's are overrated anyways. :gag:

no they're not... it's what keeps :moon: warm

 

[ryurabbit]

Maybe I came on a little strong. It will be doable and if weather holds up it should be a little nicer up there as well. Gold mountain would have been just a little harder from the 3n16 side but still very doable in comparison to john bull. I think john bull is for the hardcore weelers this early in the season with the right equipment could be done in about 4-6 hours as long as everybody has the proper equipment. The problem lies in the fact that people want to try the hardest trail there vehicle would be able to go on in ideal conditions and see if they can hang. This trip though I do not want to be out there in the darkness in 28-40 degree weather!!! That is why the stringent minimum equipment is in place. I think john bull will be the hardest trail and we got through with effort and the right equipment. I think it will be a little easier in 2 weeks. All the other trail with the exception of holcolmb creek that are open will be doable. I am unsure of holcomb and might run it before the jambo just to see.

p.s. pics are on the way as soon as I figure out this hosting bussiness.

 

[rpraterxj]

Maybe I came on a little strong. It will be doable and if weather holds up it should be a little nicer up there as well. Gold mountain would have been just a little harder from the 3n16 side but still very doable in comparison to john bull. I think john bull is for the hardcore weelers this early in the season with the right equipment could be done in about 4-6 hours as long as everybody has the proper equipment. The problem lies in the fact that people want to try the hardest trail there vehicle would be able to go on in ideal conditions and see if they can hang. This trip though I do not want to be out there in the darkness in 28-40 degree weather!!! That is why the stringent minimum equipment is in place. I think john bull will be the hardest trail and we got through with effort and the right equipment. I think it will be a little easier in 2 weeks. All the other trail with the exception of holcolmb creek that are open will be doable. I am unsure of holcomb and might run it before the jambo just to see.

p.s. pics are on the way as soon as I figure out this hosting bussiness.

I agree with this viewpoint. I would love to run John Bull, but I am not even going to try it with my open/open, no winch XJ. I will run any other trail. I propose a medium run to include Gold Mountain and Holcomb Creek. We can run either direction.

I am open to any other runs as well.
Just my 2 cents..

Robert