California NorCal Jeep adventures!

Does anyone know if you start the Fordyce Trail from Cisco Grove and go to the first river crossing and turn around you go back up a very steep hill; would you need lockers and a winch for that portion of the trail?
 
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Does anyone know if you start the Fordyce Trail from Cisco Grove and go to the first river crossing and turn around you go back up a very steep hill; would you need lockers and a winch for that portion of the trail?

The normal starting point is on eagle lakes rd, I think you could make it down to the first water crossing without lockers or a winch. It will definitely take some careful spotting here is a picture of the last downhill before the river crossing
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Does anyone know if you start the Fordyce Trail from Cisco Grove and go to the first river crossing and turn around you go back up a very steep hill; would you need lockers and a winch for that portion of the trail?

When are you thinking of going?
 
Eyeing various trails in the region for a 2-3 day trip next year.

Fordcye is definitely a fun one. Certainly a trail that will beat up the jeep a bit though if you don't pick the right lines. We just did half of it with the river at 100 cfm and I was probably an inch from water getting in the jeep through the crossing. (No doors) it's certainly one of my new favorites though and I'm looking forward to the day I make it through the whole thing. Spring was pretty fun because you drove through a bunch of water between the crossing but the traction was way worse then last week.
33s may be difficult but if you have lockers probably doable. Otherwise, it'll likely involve some winching but may be worth the price of entry if that level trail is your thing. Without a doubt it's more difficult than rubicon or slickrock though.

Let me know if you decide to try it out.
 
Looks like I cant make it, I have to put on the winch still. My 33s would give me too much trouble I think

You'd be fine on 33s. May need a winch up the last obstacle but if you have lockers you'd have a fighting chance.
 
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Well as it turns out Deer Valley was a bust.

My buddy and I arrived about 9:15 aired down and hit the trail around 9:45. Got into the trail 45 minutes and found the trail blocked by a new Bronco and no one around. We thought that maybe the guy walked back to get some friends running the trail to help him out. After waiting about 1/2 hour we decided to try and get around him.

I tried about 6 times and each time the right side being so high kept making me side into him ( the picture makes it look flat but but it was much worse than it looks ). Then it would put me in a not so good place and then backing out was putting me off the edge of the trail so after having to have my buddy winch me back onto the trail twice and getting to finally use my new TRE snatch block :) we decided to call it a day. We turned around and headed back to the trailhead. Had lunch, and a bit later a Jeep Cherokee came driving up and talking with him he was an off duty sheriff from Bear Valley there to get the guys Bronco out.

As it turns out the guy got high centered and then started sliding off the side of the trail late the day before. He spent the night in his car and then walked out and hitched a ride to the Sheriffs Station in Markleyville with is about 25 miles not knowing he could have went to the one in Bear Valley only about 13 miles. So the Sheriff from Bear had to wait until the Sheriff from Markleyville brought him back around.

It was now about 2:00 and we thought to late in the day to do Slick Rock so we haded back to the cabin.

Worst part was the guy walked out about 30 minutes before we had arrive at the trailhead or we could have winched him out and finished the trail.

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Yea what made it difficult to get around him is this large boulder on the far left side of the picture. This poor guy was having a bad day as he already had lost a bead on one tire looking at his spare.

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