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Return to Dusy Ershim 4x4 Trail

lutz

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lutz Community Regular

lutz

Posted
Posted

Its time to return to Dusy  trail. Looking at Second week of September 8-11 .This would be a four day long adventure 3 on trail. limited to 5 trucks.

 

 

Overview: A very scenic trail that climbs to 10,000 feet at Thompson Lake, then rarely drops below 9,000 feet after that. You’ll pass several excellent lakes offering good camping and fishing. Almost the entire trail passes through wilderness, which is just 300 feet on each side of the trail. Stay on designated routes at all times. Do not camp within 100 feet of lakes and streams. Carry a fire permit and fishing license if applicable. No target shooting anywhere along route. Pack out your trash. Trail is for summer use only and is approved for ATVs and dirt bikes. Make sure you have plenty of mosquito repellent in the warm summer months. Located in Sierra National Forest

 

 

​Interested 

Colin RRC

Nathan----out

Greame

Nick---  Out

Chad

Stefano D90

 

 

Quick List of vehicle mod req (and given your vehicle is in mechanical tip-top shape):
1) Solid recovery points both front and back,
2) Enough lift to run 33s/aggressive tires,
3) Sliders and Diff Guards,
4)Front and rear lockers, HD axles
5) Upgrade rear trailer arms (D90s/D1/RRC) if applicable
6) HD bumpers
7) Winch. optional be recommended
8)Ham operator a plus.
9) 5 gal spare fuel can
10)spare parts (will discuss this as trip planning)

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/lutzg/Dusy%202012/P1050368.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/lutzg/Dusy%202012/P1050194.jpg

 

Info about Trail

Difficulty Rating: MOST DIFFICULT.

Recommended for advanced drivers. A route requiring a high degree of skill and challenge to travel.
Not recommended for full-size pickups long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone.

Directions to Route:

From Fresno:

Take Highway 168 toward Shaver Lake.
Turn right on Dinkey Creek Rd. (next to the Shell Station).
At Shaver Lake Once you reach Dinkey Creek (about 10 mi) turn right on McKinley Grove Rd.
Follow this for another 13 miles and turn left on Courtright Rd.
Follow the road 8 miles, turn left to Courtright Reservoir.
Cross the dam on the east side of the lake and stay on the road to the Dusy‑Ershim OHV Route sign.

Courtright Reservoir is 32 miles south of Shaver Lake in the Sierra National Forest.
Shaver Lake is 45 miles east of Fresno.

The route begins at 8,400 feet elevation with many open rocky areas. Be aware that portions of the trail cross large granite slabs and are marked with rocks. Elevation rises to 10,000 feet at Thompson Lake, remaining at the 9,000 to 10,000 foot range for the rest of the route.

The Route:

The first mile of the route is shared with foot and horse traffic. Please be considerate of other users and allow them safe passage.

Voyager Rock Campground has fire grates and tables and is a popular camping area for fishing Courtright Reservoir. Leaving the campground keep to the left as the "fun" begins at Chicken Rock, a definite attention getter. The panoramic view of the Le Cords Divide from the top is breath taking. The route wanders on to Dusy Creek where 4WD enthusiasts built the crossing over the creek.

Three hours ahead, is the very challenging stretch of road known as "Thompson Hill". Vehicles should have a body lift, running fairly cool and hitting on all cylinders. Even tires with aggressive tire tread will benefit with reduced air pressure. Even with all of this preparation, several stops may be necessary to throw a few rocks in the right places for traction. Access into Thompson Lake is closed at the wilderness boundary. A camping site with room for a few vehicles and tents is available here. The walk to the lake is short and easy.

Continuing on the route, Summit Lake is about an hour from Thompson Lake. Summit Lake does not have a defined camping area, so please use care in choosing your site away from the meadow area.

The next stop available is East Lake, which is not visible from the route making it easy to miss. It's only a short walk to good fishing and an excellent photo spot with picturesque Dogtooth Peak in the background.

Ershim Lake is next with lots of space for camping and parking. Follow signs to campsites. The route from the top of Thompson Hill to Ershim Lake is fairly tame. However, the scenery becomes more interesting than the challenge of the route. This will soon change.

It will take about three hours to cover the four miles to Lakecamp Lake. Rainbow Trout make Lakecamp unique as the other lakes along this route have Brook Trout. Another fishing spot, Mallard Lake, is an easy 20 minute walk beyond Lakecamp.

The next four difficult miles to Whitebark Vista will test driving skills, but the panoramic views make it worth the effort. The route ends at Whitebark Vista. Many people prefer use this White Bark Vista as a starting point. Huntington Lake is about 30 minutes away.

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GraemeWare Newbie

GraemeWare

Posted
Posted

Its time to return to Dusy  trail. Looking at Second week of September 8-11 .This would be a four day long adventure 3 on trail. limited to 5 trucks.

 

 

Overview: A very scenic trail that climbs to 10,000 feet at Thompson Lake, then rarely drops below 9,000 feet after that. You’ll pass several excellent lakes offering good camping and fishing. Almost the entire trail passes through wilderness, which is just 300 feet on each side of the trail. Stay on designated routes at all times. Do not camp within 100 feet of lakes and streams. Carry a fire permit and fishing license if applicable. No target shooting anywhere along route. Pack out your trash. Trail is for summer use only and is approved for ATVs and dirt bikes. Make sure you have plenty of mosquito repellent in the warm summer months. Located in Sierra National Forest

 

 

Quick List of vehicle mod req (and given your vehicle is in mechanical tip-top shape):

1) Solid recovery points both front and back,

2) Enough lift to run 33s/aggressive tires,

3) Sliders and Diff Guards,

4)Front and rear lockers, HD axles

5) Upgrade rear trailer arms (D90s/D1/RRC) if applicable

6) HD bumpers

7) Winch. optional be recommended

8)Ham operator a plus.

9) 5 gal spare fuel can

10)spare parts (will discuss this as trip planning)

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/lutzg/Dusy%202012/P1050368.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/lutzg/Dusy%202012/P1050194.jpg

 

Info about Trail

 

Difficulty Rating: MOST DIFFICULT.

 

Recommended for advanced drivers. A route requiring a high degree of skill and challenge to travel.

Not recommended for full-size pickups long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone.

 

Directions to Route:

 

From Fresno:

 

Take Highway 168 toward Shaver Lake.

Turn right on Dinkey Creek Rd. (next to the Shell Station).

At Shaver Lake Once you reach Dinkey Creek (about 10 mi) turn right on McKinley Grove Rd.

Follow this for another 13 miles and turn left on Courtright Rd.

Follow the road 8 miles, turn left to Courtright Reservoir.

Cross the dam on the east side of the lake and stay on the road to the Dusy‑Ershim OHV Route sign.

 

Courtright Reservoir is 32 miles south of Shaver Lake in the Sierra National Forest.

Shaver Lake is 45 miles east of Fresno.

 

The route begins at 8,400 feet elevation with many open rocky areas. Be aware that portions of the trail cross large granite slabs and are marked with rocks. Elevation rises to 10,000 feet at Thompson Lake, remaining at the 9,000 to 10,000 foot range for the rest of the route.

 

The Route:

 

The first mile of the route is shared with foot and horse traffic. Please be considerate of other users and allow them safe passage.

 

Voyager Rock Campground has fire grates and tables and is a popular camping area for fishing Courtright Reservoir. Leaving the campground keep to the left as the "fun" begins at Chicken Rock, a definite attention getter. The panoramic view of the Le Cords Divide from the top is breath taking. The route wanders on to Dusy Creek where 4WD enthusiasts built the crossing over the creek.

 

Three hours ahead, is the very challenging stretch of road known as "Thompson Hill". Vehicles should have a body lift, running fairly cool and hitting on all cylinders. Even tires with aggressive tire tread will benefit with reduced air pressure. Even with all of this preparation, several stops may be necessary to throw a few rocks in the right places for traction. Access into Thompson Lake is closed at the wilderness boundary. A camping site with room for a few vehicles and tents is available here. The walk to the lake is short and easy.

 

Continuing on the route, Summit Lake is about an hour from Thompson Lake. Summit Lake does not have a defined camping area, so please use care in choosing your site away from the meadow area.

 

The next stop available is East Lake, which is not visible from the route making it easy to miss. It's only a short walk to good fishing and an excellent photo spot with picturesque Dogtooth Peak in the background.

 

Ershim Lake is next with lots of space for camping and parking. Follow signs to campsites. The route from the top of Thompson Hill to Ershim Lake is fairly tame. However, the scenery becomes more interesting than the challenge of the route. This will soon change.

 

It will take about three hours to cover the four miles to Lakecamp Lake. Rainbow Trout make Lakecamp unique as the other lakes along this route have Brook Trout. Another fishing spot, Mallard Lake, is an easy 20 minute walk beyond Lakecamp.

 

The next four difficult miles to Whitebark Vista will test driving skills, but the panoramic views make it worth the effort. The route ends at Whitebark Vista. Many people prefer use this White Bark Vista as a starting point. Huntington Lake is about 30 minutes away.

 

Lutz,

 

If Katrina survives the summer, I'm in ....

 

Graeme

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DHappel Mentor

DHappel

Posted
Posted

Well, you know I've been just waiting for a reason to take the LR3 up there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh wait, that's totally the oposite of the case! Unless I have the classic built by then the best I can do is try to beg a ride.

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lutz Community Regular

lutz

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Not as hard as Fordyce but has some challenging parts. The big thing is its long at 33 miles making it twice as long as Rubicon.its hard on the vehicle and physical and mentally hard on you.One of the best trails ive ever been on. This is the worst part Thomson hill. Its at the end of day one.First day is only 10 miles but it takes 8-10 hours to run if nothing goes wrong.Its steep and about half mile long 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/lutzg/P1080195_zpsa566c501.jpg

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DHappel Mentor

DHappel

Posted
Posted

Tentatively Count me in.

 

I will have all of the requirements except maybe a winch but hey you owe me one Lutzi :P

 

No Ham either

Get the licence. It's easy and cheap. Even if you don't have a radio in the rig there are plenty of us with hand helds to loan out.

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lilcrawler Newbie

lilcrawler

Posted
Posted

What so I can ruin it pulling you guys out?

Nathan, there are these things called "winch hills" for you to ruin it on. :P We each have our own, so you should just need to pull yourself.

 

 

Sorry Lutze. I promise I'm done throwing your thread off-topic.

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