SoCal New Years Day Trail Run in the San Bernardino mountains

Ok this is a New Year’s Day Tuesday January 1[SUP]st[/SUP] trail run into the San Bernardino mountains, the meeting place is in Hesperia CA, the road starting point/ Trail head for this run is Bowen Ranch Rd and Roundup way in apple valley CA, going up Coxey Truck Trail NF 3n14 to Horse springs Campground, depending on weather time etc. we can stay there and return or may continue from there to big pine flats and return. This route can be done easily with a normal 4wd, I have been this way before as the main road to get to the trails, but not in the Deuce and there is a couple turns that may be tight with the big truck trucks hopefully all it will be is a few forward revers numbers to get through I did not have a chance to Prerun, this is what I see as a fun day drive trail ride for the new year with our trucks all are welcome should plan on 4wd also as it may snow today and Tuesday 50% chance, sunny for Sunday, Monday, Temps will be highs 32-40 deg lows around 15 deg that’s what’s forecast.

Meeting Place is K-mart in Hesperia 16968 Main Street, Hesperia, CA 92345 , I will be in my m36a2 deuce and a half shouldn’t be able to miss the green truck in the parking lot.

Time meet at K-mart between 6am-7am 7am roll out.

For fuel planning The distance from the meet place in Hesperia to horse springs is approx. 20 mi one way approx 15 mi being dirt and forestry road to go to big pine flats area would be an additional 6mi approx, so total miles to be safe fuel wise plan between 50-60 miles atleast round trip from the meetplace.

Forestry Satllite image page:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=74166&actid=94

to get a bearing zoom out and it’s the second campground down from the top by Rattlesnake Mountain, then to follow the route back to apple valley follow Coxey road NF 3n14 West to the North to Bowen ranch rd etc.

San Bernardino forest fees info: Basically to drive to the camp ground and back no stopping no pass required if you stop along the way a $5.00 Day Adventure Pass required, and at the campground if using it as a picnic area I think your supposed to pay for a camping day we will see how it goes as we won’t be camping.
Passes info here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/passes-permits

Please post if your going and what you will be in so we can watch for you at the meet place.

So far here is the list in attendance:

*Blendmaster2002- Me and my Dad in my m36.
*FASTNOVA-

Getting BRUTUS ready. Looking forward to a trail ride.

Here’s a current weather pic looking towards the Marianas, the trail and Bigbear Mtns are behind them on the left.
Hey FASTNOVA, might not want to bring your trailer.

Current weather update pic. Truck is ready.

Wow, I like the way you painted those stripes on your wheels. Is that some new camo paint? (yes, I know it's a shadow)

Those stripes are radar absorbent lol, after I took the photo I got to looking at my front tires that were cupping and feathering the outside (hopefully all it is, is that the toe is set wrong Ill check and deal with that latter), so anyway knowing we may hit some snow I decided to swap them for new ones off one of my trailers.

As sated in the first post all are welcome to come, deuces, 5-ton, cucvs, personal rigs, etc. just be sure to post up if your going and what your diving so we can watch/leave as a group.

So far here is the list in attendance:

*Blendmaster2002- Me and my Dad in my m36.
*FASTNOVA-

Love to but I am out of town right now...

Sniff....I want to go, but the truck...she's broken.

Lextreme no problem, there will allways be the meet in the spring, sorry to hear about your truck Gottlos.

Ok, will be leaving for the meet place in about 15min so if anyone else decides to go, We will be there for the hour arrival time window and leaving at 7:00am.

Still waiting for my plates from Arleene's. Maybe I can make the next one. My boy and I would love to meet some of the locals.

Waiting for that Spring run, hopefully in March/April
I'll be back around by then.

The trip report with a few pics

Ok the trip went great it was a blast, although the camera battery died just after we finally got on the trail so the pics only go that far, FASTNOVA showed up at the meet place and we waited till a little after 7am to depart in case anyone showed, we made a quick pit stop 1st pic, then headed out, the 1 hairpin turn I mentioned in my first post as concern was big enough and only would have required a backup forward maneuver but the snow had been packed down from the other day and with the cold night temps made the turn and some of the climb after it a sheet of ice, I still had 50 psi from our last desert trip in the tires I went into the turn and it was to sharp for one pass went to reverse and started to slide so I grabbed fist got the truck to stop then while I aired down to 20 psi while my dad, fastnova and his girlfriend worked hard picking and shoveling dirt to get the turn drivable. We then we drove up the rest the trail and took the turn off to horse springs campground, left the campground and headed down the trail toward Lucerne Valley and had lunch on a pull off barbequed hot dogs and sausage with toasted buns, talked a while and looked out at Hesperia, Victorville, Apple valley and some of Lucerne with Fastnovas big binoculars. We turned around went back to 3n14 and headed for big pine flats, then at another ice patch I attempted, I started sliding right when I was just about where it would have level out, the truck slid back down and blocked the whole trail, so this time once again out came the shovels and pick and wheel chock, just to be safe fastnova tied off my front bumper to a tree up the hill with his new tow straps, and hooked another tow strap to his truck if he had to straighten me out, a few failed attempts with more ice picking and dirt placing and unhooking the straps I was finally able to get traction and make a run to the top, while I was stuck blocking the trail a half dozen other 4x4 showed up and were asking questions and checking out the trucks some couldn’t believe you could own them and were excited to see the trucks, everyone was patient and when I finally got up the hill which put on a decent show, I got some cool comments from some people, Fastnova made the climb with no problem other than he started to slip when he started to take off and had to back up a bit, we finally made it to big pine flats around 3pm so we decided to head back no problems on the return trip.

More pics.

Last of the pics since the camera battery died at this point.

More pics, pulled from the movie my dad shot.

Looks and sounds like a good time was had, bummed that I missed it. My CUCV will be done soon. Hopefully I'll have the M109 ready for the next trip as well.

maybe by the spring run ill have my m1009 fixed and be able to make it!

Ok guys I have pulled more pics from the movie. Yeah Gottlos we all had a great time, except the ice! The actual snow was fun though! Shumate going off your location you have listed Arab, Alabama, that be a long hual to get here were in california! I see its also your first post so Welcome to the site!

More pics pulled from the movie.