The Best Big bear has to offer in 2 days....Dishpan,Holcomb,John Bull, Lower larga ..

m3pedro

Observer
The guys from Como Chingas Offroad (CCOR) announced they were going to do a pre-run for the annual CCOR Big bear fest ..... I had always wanted to do these infamous trails in big bear so I jumped at the chance to bash some rocks with the best.

....and bash rocks I did. My skid plates never took such a beating!

2 days full of dirt and rocks, great weather......and new friends.

On saturday we started in Lake Arrowhead, running DishPan Springs,
followed by Lower and Upper Holcomb and then ending the day with John Bull. Then on sunday a bit more relaxed run thru John Bull connector, Upper Holcomb, followed by Lower Larga.

Hawk lead the group expertly thru the trails with Bajatoy running cleanup and taking notes for thier pre-run planning.

We started of at Dish pan......with a group of 7. My FJ, Bajatoy, Bobby's Land cruiser and Hawks 4runner and 4 other jeeps.

IMG_9387_zpslmcetdp5.jpg


Things started to get rocky real quick

PBG_4841_zpsgxwtovrw.jpg


PBG_4843_zps4kkqptp8.jpg


arriving at the first major waterfall obstacle.

PBG_4845_zpspbuhmuh7.jpg


Hawk went for the big boy line and was not able to get up but his attempt was spectacular ( I missed him burying his rear bumper with his front wheels in the air)

IMG_9388_zpsvmrzh2c5.jpg


IMG_9389_zpsun1yi51k.jpg


PBG_4849_zpsq4mtzdeo.jpg


Bobby was successful in getting up the big boy line but then was kinda stuck in a predicament at the top with no way safely down.....
IMG_9393_zpsfs5safko.jpg


IMG_9391_zpskr9utucz.jpg


Meanwhile....I tried to squeeze by him as they winched him to safety.....

I got stuck by the tree on the left....and failed to pick the right line....and unfortunately started the trip with a rock on my door..... I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. My first trail tattoo....damn.

The tree and the rock (by the base) that decided to take a paint sample.
IMG_9394_zpsehrti6sk.jpg


all said it could of been worse....it scraped and mostly didn't push in much. Less of a dent and more of a scratch..... ow well.......chicks did scars right?

IMG_9395_zpsezrccuam.jpg


seams so easy from up here

IMG_9396_zpsjwr1dyco.jpg


--

Hawk Flexing out his 4Runner.....such a clean ride! I dont know how he does it!

IMG_9397_zpstnwx2lpd.jpg


PBG_4861_zpsln8ssq3v.jpg


As we got higher the weather closed in....
PBG_4862_zpsepmf2hwd.jpg


Soon after a small break for lunch we got to the gatekeeper for Holcomb. This first obstacle (where the yellow jeep is.....caught me out....highcentered...damn!

PBG_4863_zpsw4gycrfk.jpg


I tried a few lines thru it but always ended up highcentered. Finally they tried unsuccesfully to tug me out....

IMG_9398_zpsusvobjci.jpg


Later hooked up my winch to a tree and pulled myself over the rocks.

Traveling thru Holcomb valley still with eerie sight of all the burned trees from the massive butler fire 8 years ago or so...

PBG_4866_zpslhdsasba.jpg


IMG_9399_zpsfm5wess2.jpg


PBG_4871_zpsv2a0da3e.jpg


drove thru a bunch of boulder fields along the way...some wet which made things intresting...

pulling over to let by some traffic...

PBG_4872_zpst0ulxaii.jpg


IMG_9400_zpsmmwvk0p9.jpg


The famous boulder stream crossing....I managed to get by this one.....it's much easier going down...

IMG_9401_zps2wxnzbhy.jpg
 

m3pedro

Observer
Finally we arrived at the gatekeeper for the infamous John Bull trail. Although we were running it in "reverse" which is a bit easier....

PBG_4874_zps0tutn7dv.jpg


PBG_4875_zps0jhvxrui.jpg


PBG_4878_zpsbzqwp34c.jpg


PBG_4880_zpsrtzciwlt.jpg


Took this one while we waited at the top of the trail for many backed up trucks to get thru the waterfall section of JB. We had to wait to close to 1 hour!!

IMG_9402_zpso8uwdcwj.jpg


The payoff? The light was falling but we made our way down the tricky sections.....Bobby showing us how its done on 37"'s

IMG_9403_zps1i703ixq.jpg


IMG_9404_zps5fd1fijv.jpg


IMG_9421_zpsrn807rug.jpg


My turn!!
IMG_9413_zpswf5skyfk.jpg


IMG_9380_zpsalptwvfw.jpg


Had to stack some rocks to get down this...
IMG_9405_zpsv3anpk3r.jpg


IMG_9406_zpscck8cpzk.jpg


IMG_9407_zpseatqysqk.jpg


by the time we got done with John Bull it was dark and we made our way back to town to turn in for the night....

PBG_4882_zpskdslny3k.jpg


PBG_4884_zps2ba8phji.jpg



Bajatoy splashing some nighttime mud...
PBG_4886_zps7w3eoo9e.jpg


I made my way to Pine knot campground and got my camp setup and started to unwind and enjoy the beautiful night....

PBG_4894_zpseioruodw.jpg


....and enjoy my well deserved cold beer....under the starry night.....

PBG_4902_zps2gctmpnw.jpg


PBG_4904_zpsetpngruy.jpg


The night sky above......

PBG_4909_zpsjdfimdzu.jpg


Had a great time taking some pictures....made me wish I had done a timelapse....

PBG_4911_zps0bhv9xyu.jpg


IMG_9416_zps4kk1swtj.jpg
 

m3pedro

Observer
It's a new day! Day 2

Time for more trails.....

PBG_4915_zpsrbhxcaim.jpg


The Rock squeeze in the beginning of the day was good fun....

Dimitri aka...FJ Bruzer? Came out and joined us for day2

IMG_9452_zpsdqf2pcxf.jpg


IMG_9453_zpsng3katb8.jpg


IMG_9451_zps68pcsyvf.jpg



IMG_9430_zps9w4nrvnq.jpg


IMG_9455_zpsmx1fjlbx.jpg


IMG_9456_zpsuioxao1d.jpg


IMG_9454_zpsbmn4xfzy.jpg


Sunday the sun came out at it was a lot warmer....

PBG_4917_zpsk5jlbni2.jpg


Back in the holcomb trail we had to go past the same river crossing obstacle....except now in reverse....much harder!! Try as we might we got highcentered......

IMG_9457_zpsurofygub.jpg


First Hawk tried to tug him out.....not even a budge.

IMG_9458_zpssfsfrlut.jpg


Then we got smart and I pulled up behind him and tried to winch him by using a snatch block off of Hawk's car!

IMG_9459_zpscoarqfes.jpg


No luck!! still firmly stuck on the rocks.

Then I backed up and finally was able to winch him out from behind and pull him back off the rocks.

IMG_9460_zpshajxp0fx.jpg


I was up next and got stuck almost in the same position! Winched myself out once again....

Then we drove towards lower larga thru the burnout forest valley...

PBG_4918_zps81p2s7ca.jpg


I could imagine this all with trees I wonder how long it will take to grow back?


PBG_4922_zpsw6agfgpp.jpg


Towards the end of lower larga which is a trail maintained by the SoCal FJ Cruiser forum we came up on a massive fallen tree blocking the trail.

We managed to get around it......Bajatoy looking good.

IMG_9461_zpsqbifhvje.jpg


The tree was easily as long as 4-6 FJ's....

IMG_9462_zpscgzu0wht.jpg


IMG_9463_zps9gqkbc3t.jpg


So Hawk and Bajatoy quickly came up with a plan to winch the tree off the trail so they got to work....

PBG_4923_zpsotziunuf.jpg


Hooked up a choker chain to his winch and slowly pulled most of the tree off the main trail.

PBG_4925_zpsuontk7e3.jpg


We took the chance to break for lunch......which I once again cooked up on my DaMello bumper.

IMG_9464_zps38udv0jz.jpg


mmmm.my favorite.....bratwurst.

IMG_9465_zpsiaodce8n.jpg


Airing up, saying our good by's and heading home...

IMG_9466_zpsltw3usc0.jpg


All that's left now besides the good memories is to clean up the mess and plan the next trip.

IMG_9474_zpsaqei542h.jpg


Thanks to the Como Chingas crew for the invite and for baptizing me on a weekend full of adventure and fun.

see you all soon I hope.
 

v_man

Explorer
Very Nice TR ! Holcomb Valley is one of my favorite trails , makes you feel like your far away from So. Cal .
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,544
Messages
2,875,702
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top