Elherbinator Posted May 6 Report Share Posted May 6 (edited) So I want announce the June MORG that I will be leading. It will be the second weekend (6/7-9) of June instead the traditional first weekend. That will give folks going to the PNW event a weekend to rest. This is an excellent trip and good warm up for the summer rock crawling season. Camping plans are still up in the air, but I wanted to at least give the dates and trail plan so we can all cancel the children’s baseball tournaments with plenty of time to spare. This thread will be updated. This MORG will be an overnight and a rock crawling trip. Non rock crawlers can still come and have some fun though. There are plenty of dirt roads and overlanding opportunities in the surround area, not to mention we will be camping near some really nice lakes. I will be leading the run down Hell Hole Jeep Trail, but anybody is welcome to plan and lead a run on some of the surrounding trails and forest roads in the area. The plan is usually to camp at French Meadows, but another late winter has that campground closed again. The option we used last, Stumpy Meadows Campground, is also currently closed. Luckily we did find a really cool campground on the way to the trail from Stumpy Meadows. i don’t have the coordinates / address, but I am sure someone here has it pinned from last year right? Please share if you do. I haven’t had any luck contacting the Forest Service yet, but I should have more concrete plans later on in the week which will be dependent on potential June openings. We will be running the trail on Saturday with the plan being to leave camp at 9am SHARP. The trail isn’t long, but you’d be surprised and how quickly we always seem to lose daylight. Getting back to camp at night is not uncommon. Hell Hole Jeep Trail (it’s called a Jeep Trail, otherwise I would not include Jeep in anything) is an out and back rock crawling trail. It’s only about 4 miles long, but it very narrow and steep. The first half of the trail will be dropping down to Hell Hole Reservoir and the second half will be coming back up. Depending on our group, I would anticipate it taking 2-3 hours each way with about an hour long break at the bottom. This is a very rewarding trail that will definitely leave you with a sense of accomplishment when you finish the trail. Body damage is a risk as the trail is narrow, but avoidable especially if you have something short like a D90 or something. The trail involves climbing and dropping down ledges and staircase sections. Minimum vehicle will be rock sliders, a lift, 33” tires, and a rear locker. Independent suspension vehicles can come, but they will need to be built and have a winch. Winching is likely for vehicles that just meet the minimum. I have yet to see an independent suspension vehicle do the trail. It would be an impressive challenge to any driver. Maybe we can convince Don to leave the ROKROVR at home 😉 😂 This is one of my favorite trails to run. This will be my 5th or 6th time leading a run on the trail for the club. I am excited to introduce the trail to folks who haven’t had a chance to run it yet. It is always a challenge for even the most built vehicles and also a good test for the spotters. Please feel free to DM if you have any questions on the trail or trip in general. This is a trip you don’t want to miss and also a great opportunity to test your skills if you’re looking to do other trails like the Rubicon. If you can handle this trail without issue, you’ll be fine for the Rubicon. If you have a lot of issues, it’s a short trail so we can manage any issue and it won’t be the end of the world. Edited May 6 by Elherbinator Oliver Draffen, LR4HD, Tyler Mattson and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Draffen Posted May 7 Report Share Posted May 7 Planning on being there! I'm hoping to go on the Rubicon so looking for more practice! Jethro 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted May 7 Report Share Posted May 7 6 hours ago, Elherbinator said: So I want announce the June MORG that I will be leading. It will be the second weekend (6/7-9) of June instead the traditional first weekend. That will give folks going to the PNW event a weekend to rest. This is an excellent trip and good warm up for the summer rock crawling season. Camping plans are still up in the air, but I wanted to at least give the dates and trail plan so we can all cancel the children’s baseball tournaments with plenty of time to spare. This thread will be updated. This MORG will be an overnight and a rock crawling trip. Non rock crawlers can still come and have some fun though. There are plenty of dirt roads and overlanding opportunities in the surround area, not to mention we will be camping near some really nice lakes. I will be leading the run down Hell Hole Jeep Trail, but anybody is welcome to plan and lead a run on some of the surrounding trails and forest roads in the area. The plan is usually to camp at French Meadows, but another late winter has that campground closed again. The option we used last, Stumpy Meadows Campground, is also currently closed. Luckily we did find a really cool campground on the way to the trail from Stumpy Meadows. i don’t have the coordinates / address, but I am sure someone here has it pinned from last year right? Please share if you do. I haven’t had any luck contacting the Forest Service yet, but I should have more concrete plans later on in the week which will be dependent on potential June openings. You ask and you shall receive! https://maps.app.goo.gl/esGwRViPsFFcgizC6 Elherbinator 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted May 9 Author Report Share Posted May 9 Thanks Greg! The plan will be to camp there. I couldn’t find any good internet info on the camp, but we know it’s there. We passed it and it looks really nice and secluded. It doesn’t look like it gets a lot of use, so I don’t anticipate any issues with it presumably being a “first come, first serve” camp. Can I get a roll call of people planning on going or interested in going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Draffen Posted May 9 Report Share Posted May 9 For sure me. Maybe a friend or 2 but unlikely. I'll be bringing the D2. SDS and Elherbinator 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted May 22 Author Report Share Posted May 22 Bump. Come on guys, let’s hear it if you’re coming. Need at least a handful to do this run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodwelsh Posted May 22 Report Share Posted May 22 Looking to attend. No rock crawling but camping, overlanding and unsolicited repair advise. And a dog. Jethro and Mr.BlueSky 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickK Posted May 23 Report Share Posted May 23 I’ll be there SDS and Jethro 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Mattson Posted May 23 Report Share Posted May 23 Pending any burn downs I'll be there as well. SDS and Jethro 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 You ask and you shall receive! https://maps.app.goo.gl/esGwRViPsFFcgizC6 http://content.invisioncic.com/j299939/monthly_2024_05/image.thumb.png.f84b637630177dc1fbfcfb9321335aee.png As we stopped by last year I marked the spot...my buddy Dan who's slowly coming around to joining the rover club with his Subaru...He was looking for a place to camp and reminded him of this spot.So we have more recce info. Wasn't many if not really anyone.Best spot is enter location head left all the way to the end.Epic swimming hole and tons of trout and possibly salmon fro. 6-9" in length.Hopefully I'll make this trip...if not on my list to hit even for a day trip!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk SDS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted May 28 Report Share Posted May 28 I will be there, if life doesn't through something unexpected at me. Looking forward to the trip. Will be interesting to see where the water level is in the lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mffoster Posted May 29 Report Share Posted May 29 We're planning on going and camping Friday and Saturday night. PaulD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted June 3 Author Report Share Posted June 3 We will also be going up Friday and camping till Sunday or Monday or Tuesday. I am going to not schedule any work and try to get out of the bay anrea early. Anybody down to meet at Uncle Toms before heading to camp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mffoster Posted June 4 Report Share Posted June 4 What time you thinking for Uncle Tom’s? That’s actually on the way for us if we camp at Long Canyon Creek campground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Draffen Posted June 4 Report Share Posted June 4 I'll likely head over early Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted June 6 Author Report Share Posted June 6 So I still need to take apart my rear axle and put in the new diff, but I should t have a problem getting that done after work today. So I anticipate leaving in the AM and getting to Uncle Toms by noon. I will update my eta when I’m on the road tomorrow. for those doing the day trip, you can meet us at camp or at the trailhead. The plan will be to leave camp at 9am and depart down the trail by 10. Attendance will determine whether we run it in one or two groups. It’s a narrow trail with a few sections that require time, so we will likely eventually merge into one group anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Draffen Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 (edited) Planning on heading out mid/late afternoon in Merced (2-5pm) and should arrive before 10pm (knock on wood). If you need to reach me my number is 650-918-9823. Please be sure to indicate who you are when you text/call. I tend to ignore unknown numbers. Edited June 7 by Oliver Draffen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mffoster Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 We’re shooting to get to camp around 3:00, will post an eta once we’re on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Mattson Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 Unfortunately I can hit the road till 5ish so I'll be a late arrival but excited to get there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 Sadly, I have to bow out. Too many things to do at home, including taking care of growing puppies. Will wait for photos and stories. IMG_7220.mov PaulD and Tyler Mattson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Mattson Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 Just bring them I'm bringing our latest addition. He falls over alot but I couldn't bring myself to name him don so cooper picked the name disco. SDS and Motobrewer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickK Posted June 8 Report Share Posted June 8 2 hours ago, Tyler Mattson said: Just bring them I'm bringing our latest addition. He falls over alot but I couldn't bring myself to name him don so cooper picked the name disco. I believe that’s “Donny.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mffoster Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 Got home safe, another great trip! Amazing camping site right next to a clear stream with nice swimming and fishing spots. Rode with Oliver most of the way up and down the trail trying to give him some pointers. He did an excellent job, no real damage to his truck. A couple of others took a few dents, but only because they were playing on the difficult obstacles. Thanks Eric and Merlyn! IMG_1048.mov LR4HD, SDS, Jethro and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 Made it home without issue. Good to be back from a trip like Hell Hole with nothing to repair. Was a fun adventure as per usual. Plenty of winching, tire spinning, rock stacking, body kisses, and we even had a busted out window! Hell Hole never disappoints. We will be getting a Google album soon for photo and video sharing. Also look out for a recap podcast coming soon. Thank you to Jesse, Oliver, Timm, Jeff, Tyler, Cooper, Mike, and Leigh Anne for coming out! SDS, PaulD, So...Yoder and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.BlueSky Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 Welcome back everybody! Sounds like an epic time. Can't wait to hear more about it! Please find here for the google photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/szbTxT31Fd4tik2y9 PaulD, Jethro, LR4HD and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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