Planning 2 CA runs this fall/winter, Anza Borrego and Big Bear Lake, CA

[Kurt]

I'm moving back to California this August, and I'm planning out a few trips for later this year.

An Anza Borrego desert round around Black Friday in later November and a Big Bear Snow trip when there's enough snow to take a few kids out for a sled right and to do a casual trail loop in the area, maybe coming in from Apple Valley/Lucerne Valley "the back way" up the mountain. and ending in Fawnskin/Big Bear.

 

[cbetts]

I just might make a run! Pencil me in!

 

[rascole]

I'm in.

 

[Kurt]

Just an update, still in the plans for those rough dates. I'm moving to Rancho Santa Margarita next week. It'll be nice to hit the trails from the "other side" of the LA region without having to burn an hour of time crossing the city

 

[Kurt]

Finally mostly unpacked in the new house in RSM. Hummers getting everything looked over by Dr. Mike.

-Got a new top for the truck.
-Mike tracked down a drain issue with my electrical system, my monsoon amp is fried.
-Got my front drive shaft rebalanced
-New harmonic balancer and engine seals.
-Swapping in a rock ram setup for assisted steering and a new steering pump.
-Getting doors realigned for a better seal to keep in the HVAC.

I have a friend who works with telescopes/optics going out to a big astronomy thing in October in the area. So I'll be heading out there to do a dry run and check out trails/changes over the past few years. Want to get my GPS-X maps and recording moved over to a newer app. Thought I lost years of trail recordings but I got all that stuff backed up now

 

[Kurt]

Trucks still in the shop, so its 50/50 the anza borrego black friday trip will happen on that date I'll keep folks posted. I'll also update when I get a Big Bear run planned there's a lot of snow up there now I believe.

 

[3Hummers]

Snow run would be fun. I bet Art would go.

 

[MuDnYrI]

it's been a while since we did a meet-up. Hope everyone is doing great! Depending on the dates we may drive to BB from Las Vegas for the Snow run. When you have the dates please let me know.
Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[rascole]

Hate snow, hides bad things. If my camping trip falls apart Thanksgiving weekend I'm up for a run any of those days.

 

[2dr_h3]

Kurt Please keep Me Updated, would love to join you guys.

 

[Kurt]

I'll have an update tomorrow. I haven't gotten my H1 back from Tustin yet. I'll call for a status, worse case I'll post pone, it's still on the books just may have to shift it a bit. I'll call Mike Tomorrow and see where things are at.

My truck wasn't in for anything major but there was a lot of little small things thaat needed done.

 

[Kurt]

As for the snow run I'll check with another friend if its ok we have a small get-together afterwards at a vacation home up there once we wrap up. I'll go up first to check out the spots in the BLM areas/Park areas where there will be no crowds or anything.

 

[Kurt]

Update: No truck this week for me, even if I got the truck I'd like to do a shakedown run with the new hardware before leading/organizing a trail run. It'll happen, I'll keep everyone posted

 

[Can007]

Can’t wait!!!

 

[MuDnYrI]

I thought I read somewhere about a spring run to Sand Ha
Hollow, UT. I Can someone post a link to it I can't seem to locate it.
TIA

 

[Kurt]

Yeah that trip is listed for April under the Rockies sub section [Utah is listed under that grouping].

April 2023 Black Sheep Week - Sand Hollow UT

Well, it's time, maybe overdue, for a change. 2023 will take us to Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, UT (pronounced "Her-ah-kun") in the SW corner of UT next to St. George. Lots of great trails, a reservoir for water sports and affordable lodging for the week. Dates: Sunday, April 9, 2023 to...

hummer4x4offroad.com

Also getting my truck back next week, Mike was welding up a new center link for the rock ram installation.

 

[Kurt]

If I get my truck next week, I'll be doing a shake down run up to Big Bear on the following weekend [jan 7th], I'm transfering 15 years worth of GPS trail data into a more universal format and I want to rerun some easy/moderate trails to see what changed over the past few years, I'll be staying the weekend up there most likely, at least 2 nights. If anyone is interested in tagging along or meeting I wouldn't mind an extra vehicle coming along even if its for a partial day, I want to run some trails before organizing something. It would be pretty bad to plan a run on old data.

 

[Kurt]

Ha, truck back next week. That was something. Well I'm finally about to get my truck back for real now, got held up with the Rock Ram and the parts availability issue with them. We're bypassing them and going to the supplier to get the pump we need and we're done. After a few shakedown runs I'll organize something.

 

[rascole]

Well, organize a shake down run. I have the number for Matt's Off Road Recovery.

 

[Kurt]

Better Late than never, I got my truck back the other day, so much for June .

Had a Rock Ram kit installed, new old stock, bad pump, and spent months trying to get the proper pump. Rock Ram doesn't support the H1 anymore, had another shop attempt a custom pump which didn't work, and finally we tried PSC's pump which did work. Which is a bonus since that's the one used in the current Rubber Duck kit.

Putting new tops and going over the truck tomorrow, I'm going to do a short shake down run / pre run of Anza Borrego area on Saturday, I'll probably have another co-worker along in a Gladiator, anyone is welcome to join but I'll organize a proper run later so people will have more notice.

 

[Kurt]

My last GPS charts is from 10 years ago, so I want to see what changed in erosion/earthquakes and trail openings/closing, I'm converting my old trail data from XGPS to gaia GPS, but their app has a decent topology and trail listing for the area so I'll check out the usual spots. Fonts point, pumpkin patch, truckhaven, etc.

 

[rascole]

Not much has changed out there. Keep us updated with dates.

 

[Kurt]

I heard Coyote Canyon pass is one way now and I'll check in with park services office to see what the status is on that.

 

[rascole]

I heard Coyote Canyon pass is one way now and I'll check in with park services office to see what the status is on that.

I've only gone up and back from the South but it has been @ 6 years since I last was there.

 

[Kurt]

I'll end up doing the prerun before the year is out, I had a few last-minute cancellations, which was just as well, turns out my batteries were shot, so no trip last weekend.

I was going with a co-worker to check out a few trails on the Santa Ana mountains in Orange County, turns out there's a trail head 2 miles from my house going from Trabuco Canyon to Holly Jim Falls and another route possibly to Santiago Peak without having to go around Like Irvine. Apparently, there's an accessible gate but we don't know who to talk to about access. Part of the area falls under Cleveland National Forest and I guess the rest falls under BLM, I'll probably stop by the rangers office off Ortega Highway with a trail map next time I'm by there.

My truck's steering feels like a tiny car now that the Rock Ram is installed. Also, Mike tracked down a difficult intermittent parasitic power drain I had for 2-3 years, turns out my monsoon amp was shot, I put a new one in and let my truck set for a few nights and finally no more drop in voltage. Going over small upgrades, just put in updated wiper arms on the truck, going to install a new fuse/relay system from a race truck to move all my lights/radio/shock control, and other aftermarket electrical systems onto. New Canvas went on the truck last week as well. Good to have it back.