Pine Valley snow Run 2/26/11

[moorehouse77]

We didn't post up this run before we left cause we didn't know if the trail was gonna be open.  It was!!!  Left at 9:00am and had snow on the ground by 9:30.  First snow was a 3000 ft. and never stopped snowing until we got back below 3000 ft. on the way home.  It was a so-cal level blizzard.  Once we got to the trail there was maybe a half inch of snow on the ground and by the time we got off the trail there was 6 inches on the ground.  This was the most visually amazing trip i've driven on yet and the wheeling wasn't bad either.  Coming back from the helicopter pad there was some spots that took a couple attempts and some serious amounts of skinny pedal.  I DO NOT recommend you run this trail in the snow or rain with all-terrain tires.  Mud terrain tires are a must and today was on the verge of needing a locker.  When we came off the trail there were about 6 forest ranger suv's and they said they were gonna shut the gate.  I told them that 3 trucks had just gone up past us and he said thats ok their just gonna come back to a closed gate.  I think that means they don't lock it just close it.

SO anyways here's the pics i got on my dumb phone.  Chad took alot more than me.











Don't eat it!!!!!












Dave.

[99xj]

Looks like a good time!

[-96jeepspeed-]

Darn i wish i knew you guys were going, I would have taken the dodge.

[JustChad]

I had a blast!!  Usually that trail isn't much more than a fire road but today it was pretty decent.  The snow was amazing and made the road pretty interesting because you couldn't see the ruts and hols till you fell in them. 

Starting out


On the trail






On the way out we came up on three Yota Taco's.  Two were doing it right in 4WD and one poor kid thought it was OK to go in 2WD.  He fell into a hole and the other two couldn't strap him out.  So for the first time I got to use my winch for a real recovery.  It was awesome.  Sorry no pics of the action but it was fun.  All in all it was a great way to kick off a Saturday.

[-96jeepspeed-]

Im jelous(sp?)

[calcat]

looks lke a lot of fun, great pics.

[jdjamul]

Just like outside my house right now.

[moorehouse77]

Darn i wish i knew you guys were going, I would have taken the dodge.

Don't think the dodge would have made it Ted.  Tires too small and not aggressive enough.  Chads on 37's and he was dragin diff almost the whole way back out.  He actually ruptured a rear pinion seal from draggin so much.  This was the one time that my offset diffs came in handy.  We didn't get any pics of the deep stuff.  Soupy muddy ruts from the rain and then 6" of snow on top of that.  It was so slick that you had no choice but to drive in the ditches and ruts cause if you tryed to go around them you would just slide into them.


Dave.

[David K]

I had a blast!!  Usually that trail isn't much more than a fire road but today it was pretty decent.  The snow was amazing and made the road pretty interesting because you couldn't see the ruts and hols till you fell in them. 

Starting out




On the way out we came up on three Yota Taco's.  Two were doing it right in 4WD and one poor kid thought it was OK to go in 2WD.  He fell into a hole and the other two couldn't strap him out.  So for the first time I got to use my winch for a real recovery.  It was awesome.  Sorry no pics of the action but it was fun.  All in all it was a great way to kick off a Saturday.

Hello 'JustChad', I am thee driver of the silver 4 door Tacoma on the trail with the other two, Saturday morning. Thanks for helping out James (in the 2WD Taco)! I just met him and Josh (the other 4WD Taco), that morning. We are on Tacoma World Forums... I just joined this forum after reading your post and saw you would like a photo of your winch at work!



My Tacoma:



Josh's Tacoma and mine:



The two guys on 3 wheelers:



I will check out your guys' forum here and look forward to more good 4 wheeling talk! Anybody here into Baja California?

[-96jeepspeed-]

On second thought, Those 3 wheelers look more fun then anything else up there!

[moorehouse77]

David K.   I'm Dave the guy in the old Jeep FSJ.  Thanks alot for the winching pic.  Chad and I have alot of work into that winch bumper so we really appreciate the pic of it in action.  

Hope you guys had fun up there I know we did.    Post up an intro in the new member introductions when you get a chance so the rest of the forum can meet you.  

Did you guys get locked in.  After winching out James and following him down there was about 6 park rangers at the gate.  I told them you guys just went up and he said that you would just come back to a closed gate.  I assumed they wouldn't lock you in.

Glad to have met you guys, see ya on the trails.


Dave.

[David K]

Hi Dave (and Chad again),

No, we didn't get locked in, but there were a bunch of people at the gate area including Border Patrol and Forestry. I guess the guys on the three wheelers got busted for drinking... but at least they told the cops there were two Tacomas still in there! It was a nice drive in there with all the snow. We turned around before the 'high point'... It was my first time in there, so I don't know where that was... but we took a lot of photos and had no traction problems at all. Josh with the '08(?) Sport Tacoma had a limited slip differential and low range working for him and I (2010 Off Road Tacoma) had the rear locker and A-TRAC working (in low range) and just cruised.

I need to figure out how this forum works still...  and I will introduce myself in the new members area and share my 4WD low range/ rear locker/ A-TRAC trail photos with you... and share locations with those who dare to go to Baja! Thanks!

[moorehouse77]

Awesome glad you had fun.  I'm to the point now that I need to get the rear of my jeep locked.  I was havin some trouble comin back up the "high point" with my open diffs but luckily my tires are chunky enough that they dug me out of a few ruts.  I'd be happy to show you the hole trail some day.  Its nothing too special unless its raining or snowing but fun anyways.


Dave.

[David K]

Awesome glad you had fun.  I'm to the point now that I need to get the rear of my jeep locked.  I was havin some trouble comin back up the "high point" with my open diffs but luckily my tires are chunky enough that they dug me out of a few ruts.  I'd be happy to show you the hole trail some day.  Its nothing too special unless its raining or snowing but fun anyways.


Dave.

Thank you Dave!

[JustChad]

Hi David,
Thanks for signing up.  This is a great group of people on here.  That trail is a lot of fun when it's messy like it was.  We'll post it up next time we run it. 
Chad

[David K]

Great... but 2 Saturdays in a row in snow has me longing for some desert sand! My new Hankook DynaPro ATMs ned to be tested in sand. I am thinking Devil's Slide (Ocotillo Wells)? Any other sand test places that are good (or better)???

Is Broken Shaft Gulch to Diablo Dropoff open since the Easter 2010 earthquake? We came down the dropoff and through the gulch the weekend before the quake (to the surprise of a modified Jeep group having lunch in Sandstone Canyon... as my Tacoma is pure stock)!

[BrandonTJ]

Pretty sure it is open. I've been out there since the earthquake and it was easier than ever.

There was a part of sandstone canyon that was impassable to all but the truly nuts (there should be pics here on the forum because we have many who meet that description).

[moorehouse77]

Great... but 2 Saturdays in a row in snow has me longing for some desert sand! My new Hankook DynaPro ATMs ned to be tested in sand. I am thinking Devil's Slide (Ocotillo Wells)? Any other sand test places that are good (or better)???

Is Broken Shaft Gulch to Diablo Dropoff open since the Easter 2010 earthquake? We came down the dropoff and through the gulch the weekend before the quake (to the surprise of a modified Jeep group having lunch in Sandstone Canyon... as my Tacoma is pure stock)!

Yes its open .  We have been throught there twice since the quake.  Chad and I were just talking last night about headin out to the desert sometime around the third week if March.  Keep an eye on the runs and events threads towards the top of the home page.


dave.

[Metal Twister]

Now that im all over the wet weekend at the big three I can say this... Man I wish I would of gone with you guys instead of. That looks like such a blast, and no overheating issues.

Thanks for posting up the pics and rubbing it in our faces...    

[David K]

Thanks for the details on Broken Shaft Gulch...

Perhaps I should be asking these desert questions in a new thread... but at least it keeps refreshing last Saturday's GREAT snow run that everyone but Dave and Chad missed from this site!

I have been busy this week, so just looking at the site briefly... but I promiss to take more time soon and introduce myself properly!

Hasta Pronto Amigos de Dobl? Traci?n (See you '4WD friends' soon)!