- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
This run started out as a SoCal run, but the Sierra chapter made it an official run last year. It makes a great joint NorCal/SoCal XJ run, and has grown every year. This will be the fifth or six year, and last year I think there were 26 rigs. Swamp Lake Trail is in the Shaver Lake area, about an hour east of Fresno. The trail is easy to moderate rock crawling, is 12-14 miles long, and tops out at 9900' elevation. This is a three day trip, starting the trail on Friday morning. We'll camp in our usual spot at Dinkey Creek on Thursday night.
We run the trail halfway and then stop to camp at Grouse Lake. We've been rotating every other year between camping one night or two nights at the lake, when we camp one night on the trail we run Bald Mtn on Sunday. This year we'll camp two nights at the lake, which makes for a very relaxed and enjoyable trip. We swim in the lake, some bring blow up boats, and do some fishing and hiking. Saturday I'll lead a short hike to Little Doris Lake, a very secluded lake in the rim of the bowl above Swamp Lake......very scenic!
This year we're going to run the trail backwards to mix things up a little bit. For those who want and have the time, we can do a quick run up Bald Mtn Trail on Sunday afternoon, since running Swamp backwards will bring us right past the trailhead on the way out. If anyone can get Monday off also, this would be fun to do and we can camp again Sunday night at Dinkey Creek, or just make a late trip home.
Equipment should be at least 31's, rock rails, and a good limited slip or locker.
Is there any desire to make this a SoCal chapter run.....maybe joint with the Sierra chapter? Who wants to go?
We run the trail halfway and then stop to camp at Grouse Lake. We've been rotating every other year between camping one night or two nights at the lake, when we camp one night on the trail we run Bald Mtn on Sunday. This year we'll camp two nights at the lake, which makes for a very relaxed and enjoyable trip. We swim in the lake, some bring blow up boats, and do some fishing and hiking. Saturday I'll lead a short hike to Little Doris Lake, a very secluded lake in the rim of the bowl above Swamp Lake......very scenic!
This year we're going to run the trail backwards to mix things up a little bit. For those who want and have the time, we can do a quick run up Bald Mtn Trail on Sunday afternoon, since running Swamp backwards will bring us right past the trailhead on the way out. If anyone can get Monday off also, this would be fun to do and we can camp again Sunday night at Dinkey Creek, or just make a late trip home.
Equipment should be at least 31's, rock rails, and a good limited slip or locker.
Is there any desire to make this a SoCal chapter run.....maybe joint with the Sierra chapter? Who wants to go?