StephenJulian

I am going to be there! 
 
 

What is the camping situation going to be? 

I am going to be there! 
 
 

What is the camping situation going to be? 

I am going to be there! 
 
 

Okay, we're planning to head up this Saturday, December 4th, and cut down xmas trees ideally we would have had some snow but no chance this year.
We are heading to China wall and here's a Google link for reference.
https://goo.gl/maps/VuBWMpiUSKHy6Tiy5
You will need a tree permit for Tahoe national forest and they are $10, not sure if available still...but occasionally folks have extra.
Have a read through here.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/tahoe/home/?cid=fseprd677370&width=full
 
For the details:
Meeting from 10:30 - 11am in Rocklin at the Starbucks
https://goo.gl/maps/KmA4xBnYP3n4x1uF8
We'll leave at around 11am and plan to arrive around noon to China Wall.
 
From there we'll park and have lunch, explore around and cut down a tree.
 
For those wanting to explore, the road converts to dirt shortly past the parking lot and we'll head out and check out some the area depending on time folks want to spend.
 
For those wanting to camp, there are sites in the area and weather is fairly warm.  You can also disperse camp as long as there are no posted signs stating otherwise in the US Forest Land.
Let me know if you have any questions.

Some updates!!
Engine was procured, going with a gen IV LS 5.3 that has less than 80k miles!!
Picked up some rollers in a 37x17 and have mounted them to the beadlocks, so those will be good for a while and probably run trails on them for a while too.
Finally got the engine on the stand this week so I can begin to pull wiring harness, and unneeded accessories. 
I need to swap exhaust manifolds and throttle assemble too.  
Much more to do but slowly moving along...

Hey folks,
 
I am going to be building up my Disco II with the ability to make it through the Rubicon Trial. With that said, I am on the hunt for the following items, preferably used/as "budget" as possible... If you have any of these you are willing to part with, please let me know!
Rock Sliders Front/Rear locker (Detroit/Truetrac... probably not air)  Rear bumper Other armor i.e. diff guards, fuel tank, steering... 16" steel wheels Thanks for helping out!
 
~Stephen 
 

I do have the center diff lock.
For the wheels, I want to get away from alloy and 18". I get more sidewall and the ability to make my own beadlocks in the future with steelies. I am planning on 33s and staying with stock gearing. I'll pick up some HD axel shafts at some point, just in case.
 
I will check out facebook, I'm not very good at checking that one. 
 
Thanks for keeping a look out! 

Hey folks,
 
I am going to be building up my Disco II with the ability to make it through the Rubicon Trial. With that said, I am on the hunt for the following items, preferably used/as "budget" as possible... If you have any of these you are willing to part with, please let me know!
Rock Sliders Front/Rear locker (Detroit/Truetrac... probably not air)  Rear bumper Other armor i.e. diff guards, fuel tank, steering... 16" steel wheels Thanks for helping out!
 
~Stephen 
 

What a great time seeing all of you who made it out.  

Hey folks,
I was thinking about running the Signal Peak 4x4 trail this weekend, 10/2. Would anyone be interested in wheeling?

I would like a tent spot! My wife and I plus a dog. Can't wait to meet everyone. 

I would like a tent spot! My wife and I plus a dog. Can't wait to meet everyone. 

I would like a tent spot! My wife and I plus a dog. Can't wait to meet everyone. 

Going to start the conversation this month! Sac area DITD is Thursday the 12th! Taking ideas for meeting spots. Prep for Back to the Rovicon 3? For me that’s a beer or two as my truck is ready. I’ll bring another British car. Let’s hear those ideas!

I am in!
 
I'm in Sac, let me know if anyone wants to caravan up there. I could probably leave Friday afternoon, but also willing to leave early Saturday. 

Great trip guys. I was a little nervous about bringing so many trucks, but it worked out fine. We actually ended up being the only ones on the trail on Saturday. That was a relief because passing can be a real chore on that trail.
 
I ended up taking the first group down at about 10am. The group consisted of myself (D2), Gustav (defender), Ed (D2), and Tyler (Series). Don led the second group that consisted of himself (D1), Nick D (RRC), Nick K (series), Brian (series), and Robert (D2). Unfortunately Andrew and Greg had mechanical issues that prevented them running the trail.
 
My group’s run went very smooth on the downhill half of the trail. We kept moving at an efficient pace knowing that any saved time could easily get eaten up later on the trail and we would likely be fighting daylight. So we just kept chugging along with minimal stops for the first mile plus of the trail which is relatively easy compared to the rest of the trail.
 
We moved quickly through the easier sections until we got to first big challenge. It is a series of a few step down boulders that curves around a tree and it’s root systems. The boulders are tricky to navigate and you can’t help but drive it dangerously close to wall of roots and rock. This is easily the section most responsible or body damage.

 
Getting down it is pretty straightforward, but requires careful tire placement and precise turning to avoid kissing the inside wall. I kissed my already hanging by a threadrear passenger fender flare and effortlessly popped it off onto the ground. Ed somehow avoided ripping off his entire rear quarter panel and wasn’t any worst for the wear after his close encounter with the wall. Tyler and Gustav easily navigated down and around the obstacle without damage.

(Note the root is literally inside the wheel well )
 
That obstacle is quickly followed by another tricky step down section and then some rock gardens that require a lot of quick, on the fly line picking. We moved efficiently through those sections. The trail then eases up for a bit and becomes just a narrow, but very easy route with minor climbs and S turns.
 
Things change up maybe a quarter mile or so from the bottom. That’s when you get the series of very steep ledges. Going down the ledges requires some good tire placement and some controlled braking. Especially for D2’s with their departure angles. Getting down the ledges is fun and exciting, they also get you thinking about how you’ll have to get back up it after the break at the bottom of the trail.


 
Once the ledges are completed, it’s just a beautiful steep and shady drive down to the bottom where Hell Hole Reservoir lies. Once down at the bottom we drove through what normally is the lake bottom, to the small river feeding the reservoir to hang out and relax and wait for the rest of guys to meet us at the bottom. The trip down ended taking us 2.5 hours and had us at the bottom at about 12:30. Not bad time and left me foolishly optimistic about getting back to camp in the daylight.

 
I’ll finish the second half write up of the run up the trail tomorrow and I’ll let Don break down some of his groups excitement.
 
Spoiler Alert: we have trail repairs
 
 
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