California Big Bear Father’s Day weekend

Nickgsjeep

Nickgsjeep

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Ok it’s in the title. Heading to Big Bear for Father’s Day weekend. June 18, 19, 20, and 21. We’re driving up Friday evening going to wheel on Saturday and a half day Sunday and then relax Monday morning and drive home Monday evening. No firm plans on what trails yet until I know who or if anyone else heads up. Hope you guys can make it!
 
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Thanks. I sold the Jeep. I would head up to camp but, my daughter’s birthday is the same weekend. My Father’s Day gift each year is party planning/host/chef/checkbook
 
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I was just there this last weekend.

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I was thinking Saturday would be a big day and Sunday more like a chill half day. I kinda wanted to do Gold mtn on Saturday with the option to keep going. Totally open to suggestions.
 
If you turn left out of Gold Mountain, you can do John Bull East, and the Squeeze. If people camp at Holcomb Valley, they can choose to continue to those two intermediate trails, or Just continue down 3n16.

If you're willing to air back up and want to shoot, there's lightning gulch off the 38. All of the trails south of the lake are mellow.

If anyone wants to eat great Mexican food, Sonora Cantina off big bear blvd is phenomenal.
 
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Gold Mountain is always a good one as long as there isn't too long of a line. DoOver and I had to turn around on on our last trip due to someone breaking on one of the waterfalls. I think they were there for 8 hours or so. If hitting John Bull we'd want to be there early as well.

The path I find is a good for a full day is Gold Mountain —> John Bull —> the squeeze. Of course, this depends on each build as well as comfortable level.
 
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Rec_Rider said:
Blazin, you and I are on the same page
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I'm down for that exact route. The second to last time I did Gold Mountain, I was last in my group and there was a group of those silly jeep trucks kinda pressuring me from behind. on the first waterfall, I bent my steering rods, dropped my Tcase linkage, sheared a bolt off my tcase skid plate, and smoked my tires and the JT's turned around. Joke's on them, I made it up in 2wd.

haha good times!

The last time, I aired down to 9 and pretty much breezed through.
 
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Those are the days you don't forget. As long as no one gets hurt and you aren't stranded on the trail you can laugh about it afterwards.

If we do that route then those that haven't done John Bull before can take advantage of others that have. Last year we met a lone jeep on one of the trails that was cruising around (easier stuff). His Jeep was capable but he wasn't even thinking about it. He told us that he'd been wanting to try it so he tagged along with us, He made it through just fine with only ripping off his stock side step. Who needs that anyway? Good day for everyone.
 
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I’m locked, tucked, and on 44 axles with 35’s but I am novice. I’d love to get those trails under my belt. Is a link up of trails as mentioned above okay with wife and kiddo in the jeep? Or would that be a pretty rough day on passengers? I know @LarryTJ is wanting to come up so I’ll need to see what he’s feeling as well.
 
Nickgsjeep said:
I’m locked, tucked, and on 44 axles with 35’s but I am novice. I’d love to get those trails under my belt. Is a link up of trails as mentioned above okay with wife and kiddo in the jeep? Or would that be a pretty rough day on passengers? I know @LarryTJ is wanting to come up so I’ll need to see what he’s feeling as well.
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Sounds like your Jeep is good to go. Most on those trails have passengers and some have kids. Those passengers who get nervous (or want to take pics) are out walking during the rough stuff. You can also get 2 badges if you are into that sort of thing (Gold Mountain and John Bull).
 
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Rec_Rider said:
Sounds like your Jeep is good to go. Most on those trails have passengers and some have kids. Those passengers who get nervous (or want to take pics) are out walking during the rough stuff. You can also get 2 badges if you are into that sort of thing (Gold Mountain and John Bull).
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377D3D85-7D52-4E24-B2B4-3C99A2EC2453.gif
 
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^ love that.

Gold mountain is probably the easiest hard trail. There are two spots other than the gatekeeper that I would consider major, both are waterfalls, one is tight with a limited amount of lines, and the other has many constantly shifting lines. Both of them have great places for spectators to watch from outside the jeep.

John Bull East (little John) is a short intermediate trail, but it has an interesting off camber v-notch where people sometimes break. You have to watch for insane dirt bikers coming head on as well. It comes to a Y intersection where you can go right to John Bull, or left down union flats, if you take the left there's a fun little trail called the squeeze there are a couple spots you can really flex out on that trail and it's again, fairly easy.

John Bull West has parts hanging from the trees, and sculptures on the sides of the trail made with broken parts. Yet, people take weird things up it like a toyota sienna front wheel drive van. My jeep is in my daily driver rotation, so I wouldn't do this trail without a better driver in front of me and a good spotter in the group. Yet people take stock jeeps up there all the time.

Holcomb Creek is the third badge trail in the area, I haven't done this trail and I'd like to but again, people break all the time here when they take the wrong lines, and I'd want a better driver in front of me. There are smaller trails near there that don't have names and are also hairy.
 
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Holcomb Creek is probably the most fun besides Dishpan. Dishpan has an obstacle that is pretty rough if you take the hard line.

John Bull has its moments but I don't think it's too tough even when I was on 35's. There are usually easier ways around the tough sections. Doing it in the snow can make for a wild ride.
 
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