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Arnold, CA Area Trip - April 17-19


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Just throwing this out there..we have a cabin in the area and do lots od backpacking, mtbing and camping up there. There are tons of 4x4 trails one which i even read about on a blog by the a guy that used to run a land rover and now run a land cruiser (i think). its not too crowded up there are hwy 4 is the only way in and out. Scenery is beautiful and it would make for a nice place for a trip. I dont have a timeframe in mind but if there is snow it can stick around there for a while, although maybe not this year....

 

Any interest? Tons of lakes up there.

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SlickRock is on my spring to-do list just as a quick weekend trip. Just need to make sure the snow is low enough then find an open weekend when both the wife and I are at home.
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Ive been to both those places. Slick rock was snowed when i was there last so we didnt go too far. Im partial to the area as we love it. Its 2 hours from sac for us to dorrington (where our cabin is). Utica and union resoivors are probably 30 min further up hwy 4 towards bear valley. lake alpine is a beautiful lake too bu it gets busy during the summer. There is even a restaurant and bar next to lake alpine..we stop there after a long hike.
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I'm in. How built up does your truck need to be? RedRover is set up for long distance overlanding; scaling rocks, not so much. ::blink1::

 

-Jared

 

Then you were paying good enough attention on Indian Springs Road. Scaling rocks! Ha! Two and half hours of scaling rocks! ::evil::

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Then you were paying good enough attention on Indian Springs Road. Scaling rocks! Ha! Two and half hours of scaling rocks! ::evil::

 

We certainly put our fair share of dents in the exhaust muffler that day

 

putt putt putt ::redrrc::

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I think Indian Springs Rd should henceforth be known as 'the road that shall not be named'. At least so far as the Red Rover is concerned.

 

I haven't run Slick Rock, but I've talked to a number of people who have and there are plenty of youtube videos you can check out. The Wells book rates it as 'difficult', but only due to a couple of obstacles. From what I can tell there are bypasses for the worst one, which is at the south end of the trail.

 

It's a pretty short trail, so as long as we pick a time without a lot of traffic we can take our time and stack rocks as needed. I'd say we can get RR though. Nick, as long as you have some armor (skids and sliders) I think we can get your LR4 through as well. I would recommend anybody trying it be willing to accept the possibility of scratches, but I don't think actual body damage would be an issue here. (the LR3/4 is sort of prone to dragging it's a$$, so expect that as an example)

 

http://4x4trailmaps.com/4x4Trails.php?Trail_ID=5

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I've done Slickrock a couple of times, and Deer Valley/Blue Lakes, which is one of my favorite trails. I've done it both directions. In 2010 Antonio, Colin and Paul and I took our trucks up there, camped at Lake Alpine the Thursday and Friday nights and ran Slickrock on Friday, then Deer Valley on Saturday, camped at Blue Lakes Sat. night and home on Sunday after taking the high pass out of Blue lakes up to about 9K ft. elevation and over to Red Lake and Hwy. 88. Great trip, and I still have a lot of pics of all my trips in that area. Been wanting to do it again.

 

Yes, it's rocky, you're going to do some crawling at times and sliders are definitely recommended (just ask Terry, AKA Mtn. Rancher!) Deer Valley is listed as a 6 in difficulty running north to south, but 7 running south to north as there's a quite bit more climbing involved that direction. I've only run Slickrock in one direction, which is basically north to south, from Lake Alpine to Utica Reservoir. It's nothing too extreme but stock or near stock vehicles will have a rough go of it with some damage, I would imagine. There's one really nice gully that you have to sort of straddle while you squeeze through the gap, and the other main obstacle is the gatekeeper at the south end. There's a bypass, but even getting up to it is a bit of work.

 

All pics are from Slickrock trail, note that Colin and Paul are in the old, tree-killed DII before Colin got his RRC.

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Thanks Dan, that pretty much agrees with what I was expecting. Challenging but doable with some basic mods, a little patience, and good spotting.

 

I expect camping at Lake Alpine would be the way to go unless it's busy, then we could run down the trail a bit since most people seem to stay around the lake.

 

The only question is timing. After the snows melt but before it gets busy. Since it's just a weekend trip it shouldn't be too hard to fit it in. My year is already pretty booked for week+ trips between work and play.

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Hard to tell with the lack of snow/rain this year. Normally I'd say June at the earliest, but maybe May?

 

Man, the calendar is filling up fast this year! And just last night I had a client ask me about taking his boat to Canada, cruising around for a week or 2, then bringing it home. Great! Love to! Of course, that's like a month of time to block out right in the middle of the summer.

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I'll tell you this much, I was at the cabin about 2 weeks or so ago and there wasn't a lick of snow on the ground and I went on a hike in a tshirt. Usually, it's in the 30's and covered in snow this time of year. I think it's safe to say, pretty much anytime this year would be alright!

 

 

1995 Range Rover LWB 300tdi

1986 Defender 110

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I'll tell you this much, I was at the cabin about 2 weeks or so ago and there wasn't a lick of snow on the ground and I went on a hike in a tshirt. Usually, it's in the 30's and covered in snow this time of year. I think it's safe to say, pretty much anytime this year would be alright!

 

 

1995 Range Rover LWB 300tdi

1986 Defender 110

 

I'd like to do this as I had tried forever to go with Gary (PC Rover) and run the whole thing when the creek was open to cross, but we never got to. And if it works, I am in Stockton for work on Friday, so I can head right out!!!

 

Too many trucks, I'll come as a passenger as well. Should be fun. Just need to know when and see if I can shoehorn this into the schedule.

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I'd like to do this as I had tried forever to go with Gary (PC Rover) and run the whole thing when the creek was open to cross, but we never got to. And if it works, I am in Stockton for work on Friday, so I can head right out!!!

 

Too many trucks, I'll come as a passenger as well. Should be fun. Just need to know when and see if I can shoehorn this into the schedule.

 

I'll drive the tdi and you can co pilot for me this round

 

 

1995 Range Rover LWB 300tdi

1986 Defender 110

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If the white stuff will cooperate this early, I'd say the weekends of April 11 or 18 are the earliest I'd have available. Might be a bit chilly for camping at elevation but certainly no worse than Shaver...which wasn't all that cold this year.
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I'd certainly be up for this, but neither of those weekends will work for me at this point. It's amazing how fast my schedule has been filling up lately. Right now I've got the weekends of May 9th and 30th, and June 27th. If that doesn't work out for you, I may wind up putting together another Deer Valley (I think it's open again) and Slickrock trip like I did in 2010. Wow, can't believe that's been five years already...seems like just a couple years ago.
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I'd certainly be up for this, but neither of those weekends will work for me at this point. It's amazing how fast my schedule has been filling up lately. Right now I've got the weekends of May 9th and 30th, and June 27th. If that doesn't work out for you, I may wind up putting together another Deer Valley (I think it's open again) and Slickrock trip like I did in 2010. Wow, can't believe that's been five years already...seems like just a couple years ago.

 

Dan,

 

Hahhh, imagine having an offspring to plan for too ....

 

I'm with you on the dates. May 9th, or better June 27th work well for me at this second in time ...

 

Graeme

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I'm free (at the moment) on the 9th and 30th. The 9th would be the weekend after Pismo, and we're also trying to put together the 'trails and targets' trip one weekend in May.

 

I sort of picked the April dates thinking the earlier the better in terms of avoiding crowds as this is a popular area and it looks like we may have a big turn-out which inevitably means moving slower - and I hate being the jam car.

(bonus points for those of you old enough/childish enough to get that reference!)

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I'm admitting nothing as to age references....

 

And the weekend of the 9th is looking like it might be doable, should still be early enough in the season to avoid the worst crowds. I think that trip in 2010 was in mid-May and we encountered no one on Slickrock, and only a few others on Deer Valley. And plenty of camping was still available at Lake Alpine and Blue Lakes Mid-lake campground.

 

BTW, Slickrock is only 4 miles long and even moving fairly slow, only takes a couple of hours.

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I'm free (at the moment) on the 9th and 30th. The 9th would be the weekend after Pismo, and we're also trying to put together the 'trails and targets' trip one weekend in May.

 

I sort of picked the April dates thinking the earlier the better in terms of avoiding crowds as this is a popular area and it looks like we may have a big turn-out which inevitably means moving slower - and I hate being the jam car.

(bonus points for those of you old enough to get that reference!)

 

I'm not sure if I should be bummed that I don't get the bonus points or happy I'm not old enough to get the reference?

 

-Jared

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I'm free (at the moment) on the 9th and 30th. The 9th would be the weekend after Pismo, and we're also trying to put together the 'trails and targets' trip one weekend in May.

 

I sort of picked the April dates thinking the earlier the better in terms of avoiding crowds as this is a popular area and it looks like we may have a big turn-out which inevitably means moving slower - and I hate being the jam car.

(bonus points for those of you old enough to get that reference!)

 

hahaha....... the good ol days....

 

 

may 9th I am out. June 27th? that would work.....at this second in time (ATSIT).

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