California Southern CA Shakedown w/ TJ Turley: May 2024

[Dino - KX6D]

Greetings SOCAL! @TJTurley is coming to Southern CA in May to shake down BIG RED after its Mid-Arm and axle upgrades! We are looking at one of two weekends and this is where you come in! She would like to invite you all to come out for one or two days of wheeling with her! Especially those of you who went to TJ Fest 2021! The two weekends we are looking at are the 3rd-5th and 17th-19. I'd like Day 1 to be on Friday, stay Friday night in Big Bear and Day 2 on Saturday. If this doesn't work for everyone, then Sat/Sun will do.

Day 1: Cleghorn Ridge and up to Arrowhead via 2N17X. Then Dishpan Springs to Big Bear via Holcomb Valley (3N16).
Day 2: Gold Mountain, Little John Bull, John Bull, and out Polique Canyon to end the day.

Again, this is a simple shakedown weekend so Lauren can re-learn her newly modified Jeep and find out what works and what doesn't work. We will NOT be doing Holcomb Creek and there is a possibility that we could pull John Bull depending on how Day 1 and Gold Mountain goes. I understand these are all simple to moderate trails so feel free to break from the pack if we decided to drop JB. Remember, we're not here for you.

If you would like to attend, chime in with your prefered dates, and we will make a final decision no later than April 5th. Come for one day or both. Stay overnight in BB or drive up. We'll be meeting at the trail heads at 8:30am and on the trail no later than 9am.

 

[TJTurley]

WHS I think i'm leaning towards May 17-19th weekend

 

[1904-06LJR]

Just some input:

If you're planning to hit Dishpan, just know that Hook Creek Road (2n26y) is closed so the only way to get there is via Willow Creek Jeep Trail (3n34x) if you're doing it west to east. If you have not been up there in a while, all the rains from 2023 and I imagine 2024 have made the two Dishpan Waterfalls pretty difficult with all the washout. This was back in late October and we started at Pilot Rock. By the time we reached Crab Flats campground via Willow and finishing Dishpan, it was almost 9 o'clock at night and we had an XJ running on fumes. Most of us are on 35s. It's a fun story to tell now, but we definitely underestimated Dishpan. Just a suggestion, but take Cleghorn to Pilot Rock and do the difficult off-shoots that each trail has to offer for Day 1. The route up to Pilot Rock will not disappoint with the views! I would suggest Willow Creek to Dishpan be its own trail day is all. John Bull was slightly more difficult than it used to be also.

It sounds like a great trip and BB is by far one of my favorite places to wheel! Your Day 2 will be awesome!