So-Cal wheelin trip September 12th-14th

Alright nick hopefully you can join

 

Nice scotty ! Id be a great way to test out that rear LT

 

I think id more convenient for us to go to a place that has some high speed trails as well as some slower trails also. I personally think ocotillo would be a great place

 

Next year gys, next year I'll be down for one of these.

Wife is getting ready to pop

 

Thats why I put in Anza Borrego and Elliot Mine. They're two of my favorite places and Ocotillo Wells, the OHV Area, is actually within Anza Borrego. Elliot Mine is farther away, but if you were interested you could run trails in ocotillo in the morning, drive down to Elliot Mine (In-ko-pah park road exit off of I-8), drive in in the evening, camp, then drive out the back way in the morning and head back up to Ocotillo, hitting up the mud caves, diablo drop-off, Fish creek wash, Split mountain, and the wind caves on the way back to Ocotillo Wells. Could even stop by Sandstone Canyon at the end of the drop-off as a side trip that's really beautiful.

That's what I would do and that route back to Ocotillo Wells has a good mix of slow technical stuff (although they may have graded the technical rocky part of the diablo drop-off... ) and higher speed wash.

Pancake trail is much slower, quite technical, but it's much farther away from the actual desert.

 

Now that sounds like a great plan. Becore we decide forsure is everyone participating okay with wheelin ocotillo ??

 

There are tons of other trails and sights to see in Anza, too, don't need to do the elliot mine trip if you don't want to drive down there.
Also the other big bear/northern socal trails, too. I'd probably make it up there as long as the trail isn't too difficult for me.

 

Big bear trails require 4x4 and some armor unless you just drive the fire roads. here are some pics from Big Bear

 

This sounds like a great plan, seems like it was already thought out...? I would like to hit up some stuff to test out my new suspension by then. So stuff a 2wd could do or at least go around and some faster stuff as well. I might even bring my mountain bike along so that I could park at the bottom of a trail ride up with someone in their truck ride back down on my bike to pick up my truck to go around the stuff I can't do in my truck.

Speaking of which, what would be something I could do to my rear axle to help with traction as a 2WD prerunner truck? Most of which I see is really only for 4WD so I have never really been to sure about drive train on a prerunner.

 

Thanks for all the help from you socal members really appreciate it! We will be wheeling ocotillo forsure and if we have enough time another ohv area as well! As far as camping at ocotillo any advice you guys can give us or thinhs we need to know in advance?!

 

Oh man those pics of big bear look like a lot of fun! I'll have to get up there someday.

Haha, just combining two trips I've done before.
I think many of the trails around ocotillo wells are 2wd-able, as long as you can get traction from at least your tires. A buddy of mine did the drive from the entrance to Elliot Mine (that trail I think is definitely 4wd, but might be possible in 2wd) to the mud caves in a chevy silverado on balding tires and only got stuck once where he didn't have tire traction. I was doing it in 2wd to figure out where he would be good to go, and I had gone through there just fine. You should be fine.

A mountain bike might be fun! Just be prepared for mostly soft sand wash stuff...

No problem! I love the area and am happy to help and excited to go!
Not sure about camping at Ocotillo Wells...I think it's pretty developed, though. Might want to look into reservations. I'll probably just camp in Anza Borrego outside of the OHV area because it's free dispersed camping as long as you stay on the roads or no farther than 100 feet off the roads or something like that.
Definitely bring water, though!

Oh and we could check out The Slot, too. It's a trail right outside of Ocotillo Wells and there's one ass-puckering sandy downhill with ginormous whoops. Probably don't need 4wd for that but low range is nice. The road out at the bottom is rocky (see my build thread or flickr for pics) but nothing you can't get pulled out of.
Like I said, tons of options!

 

92shawman;Oh man those pics of big bear look like a lot of fun! I'll have to get up there someday.

Anytime you want to go just PM me. I try and go almost every weekend. Been so busy with work have not gone out for a few weeks.

 

Awesome, thanks! Won't be for a while because I'm in Ecuador right now and this socal meet will be my first wheeling trip after I get back, but maybe later in September.

 

Kevin lookin foward to wheelin ocotillo man! This sure is gonna be an awesome trip! Sounds like you know this place really good so having someone familiar with ocotillo is a great thing

 

Haha, I actually don't know too much about Ocotillo itself, but I have the socal off-highway trails book that has a pretty good map and I have a very detailed map of Anza Borrego that I'm pretty sure also has Ocotillo trails, so I'll be set there!
Neither my truck nor I do high speed stuff, though, so I'll just around Ocotillo and have fun on the anza trails.
It'll be cool to see some of the folks I've wheeled or met with up in norcal, too!

 

What's up my NOR CAL duders!!!! For the so cal guys who don't know we have a mix of pre runners and 4x4 guys that are cruising down. Probably a No Go on Big Bear (need 4x4). I'm stoked you guys are cruising down! Glen I can't wait to wheel again with you and Nick you better be busting out those Icons in the desert bro!

 

I know Alex (yotas4life) and the majority of the nor cal crew would be blown away out at Ocotillo...there's nothing like that anywhere up north.

 

just tell Mrs. Mademan925, "Bro I have Icons, I can do anything."

 

LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED !!!!!!!!! Haha so stoked lookin foward to ocotillo

 

You dudes could crash at my place if you needed to one of the nights (I'm in Escondido) ~ 75 miles away from Ocotillo...Glen gets dibs on the couch haha