Odessa Canyon and Duran Loop

[Renegade XJ]

It's been over 10 years since I've been to Calico and am planning on going some time this month. However I can't remember the trails... Specifically the "gate keeper" looking at a map it seems I can enter one trail and exit the other however, is Gate Keeper an optional section or are your forced through it? I'm gonna have two newbie's with me and they are not ready for an obstacle like that.. Any info would be great. Thanks!

 

[GSequoia]

Gate keeper is optional. Be aware Odessa is more challenging than it traditionally has been.

 

[Renegade XJ]

The smallest rig will be an XJ with a 3" lift and 31's.... Think he will be ok?

 

[GSequoia]

If he's a newbie he may be challenged based on what I saw there in 2012, some folks have been tehre more recently though so have more current data.

 

[Jays siik xj]

The smallest rig will be an XJ with a 3" lift and 31's.... Think he will be ok?

My Buddy with a long armed MJ on 35s and about 10 yrs seat time (makes a huge difference) had a lil trouble...

 

[Carol.92124]

A few of us went up there the weekend before Halloween (along with half the population of the LA basin, I think...)

We originally were going to run Odessa but there was a traffic jam of 20+ rigs behind a couple of broken ones, so we backed out of the twisty canyon & opted for Doran instead.

We ran Doran (bypassing the Gatekeeper). I'm on about 3" of lift and 31s, with an Aussie Locker in the back, but open front diff.

I had to take a winch on one tall waterfall; I was definitively told that if I'd had a front locker, I would've walked up the rest of it.

The only other issues I had were mostly just me not paying attention :twak: or me trying to take the same line as Team #4643 (35s & 6" of lift, locked f/r and just a slightly nicer lift & suspension than I have! ) :wierd:.