Hey guys, It's been too long since my last run to the mountains. I have heard that Holcomb Valley is now open, and it's a trail that I've always wanted to run, but I'm not sure where it is!

I'd like to go with at least one other truck, but the more the merrier. Anyone want to run Holcomb Valley this Sunday? Can someone confirm that it's open? And finally, can someone point me in the right direction as far as trail numbers and locations to get there?

LOL, I sound pathetic, and I suppose I am :-)

Cheers,

Nathan Woods

If you are referring to the trails Holcomb Creek and Lower Larga in Holcomb Valley, they are still closed and will remain closed for about 2 years....

yes, I just realized that I meant Holcomb Creek, and Yes, I just found this link that showed the trail as closed:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/conditions/slide.shtml

What a bummer....

Recommendations? I'm looking for something safely challenging. John Bull was pretty easy, but fun. Something like that would be great. Is Dishpan Springs similar?

Yes Dishpan and 2n17x (Pilot Rock) are a good combo and challenging like John Bull. And they work together....we usually go up 2n17x and then over to Dishpan. Makes for a great day of trails.

Yes Dishpan and 2n17x (Pilot Rock) are a good combo and challenging like John Bull. And they work together....we usually go up 2n17x and then over to Dishpan. Makes for a great day of trails.

Wow, I just looked up Dishpan on the MJR data page: http://www.myjeeprocks.com/reports/category/big-bear/dishpan_springs/

It's not a straight shot from 2N17X! I didn't realize it was clear on the southeast side of Big Bear, closer to Heartbreak Ridge.


What trail would you recommend running PRIOR to running John Bull on the same day? I don't want to do Gold Mountain again, I'm looking for something different, and a bit harder.

Thanks for your help.

There are a lot of great trails in Big Bear.

3N17 White Mountain might fit your criteria

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/69a96290-63f0-40e0-89b0-5dea89b4111d.jpg




Black Diamond Trails near Big Bear

1N01 Pipes Canyon

1N37A Santa Ana River Trail

1N38 Heart Bar Peak

2N06X Lower Larga “CLOSED for fire restoration”

2N61Y Pontiac Sluice/Heartbreak Ridge

2N93D Lightning Gulch

3N02 Burnt Flat

3N03A Horsethief Flat

3N10 John Bull

3N17 White Mountain

3N69 Gold Mountain

3N80 Delamar Mountain

3N93 Holcomb Creek “CLOSED for fire restoration”

Yeah! White Mountain looks nice. I will look these up in my Well's book and figure out a route that keeps me in the John Bull area. Thanks very much for the info!

There are a lot of great trails in Big Bear.

3N17 White Mountain might fit your criteria

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/69a96290-63f0-40e0-89b0-5dea89b4111d.jpg




Black Diamond Trails near Big Bear

1N01 Pipes Canyon

1N37A Santa Ana River Trail

1N38 Heart Bar Peak

2N06X Lower Larga “CLOSED for fire restoration”

2N61Y Pontiac Sluice/Heartbreak Ridge

2N93D Lightning Gulch

3N02 Burnt Flat

3N03A Horsethief Flat

3N10 John Bull

3N17 White Mountain

3N69 Gold Mountain

3N80 Delamar Mountain

3N93 Holcomb Creek “CLOSED for fire restoration”

That White Mountain trail is B!TCH to climb with open diffs. I just kept digging but I made it. I did cheat a little though hehehe

Gold Mtn trail ends just minutes from the start of John Bull.

See the other post here "Back to Big Bear" They are great guys to wheel with and will be up there this weekend. Not sure what trails they are doing.

Gold Mtn trail ends just minutes from the start of John Bull. I know, but I've done it, and find it a little annoying. It's bumpy, not terribly difficult, and not very interesting after the 4th or 5th time

See the other post here "Back to Big Bear" They are great guys to wheel with and will be up there this weekend. Not sure what trails they are doing.

Yeap, I've PM'd them.

Anyone know if this is the White Mountain trail?
http://tinyurl.com/5k9l5z

That White Mountain trail is B!TCH to climb with open diffs. I just kept digging but I made it. I did cheat a little though hehehe

It's not THAAT bad... I only needed help over one section my first time wheeling with a BONE STOCK Jeep! I'm not going to say it's easy with by any means, but it's passable.

Here's my short-story from a couple years ago when I was completely new to jeepin':
http://jeep.matandtiff.com/gallery/2006-08-20-big-bear/

Anyone know if this is the White Mountain trail?
http://tinyurl.com/5k9l5z

That seems right. Here's the trailhead off 3N16-

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/Rivershark/Big%20Bear/IMG_0570.jpg

Hi nwoods!

I hate to disappoint you, but I have driven all of the Black Diamond trails in the SBNF except for 1N37A and 2N93D, and there isn't a trail more technical than John Bull in the NF in my opinion. Holcomb Creek is fun and tough in spots, but only in a few short stretches. Dishpan is a 'must do' if you have never been, but it is short and really only has 2 or 3 technical spots - but they certainly get your attention.

If you are looking for something local that is more technical than John Bull, I recommend Shredder Cyn (private land, need permission), or the Bronco Peak Connector (there is a run planned for 9/6. It is down past San Diego.)

If you really want to go to the 'next level', Pumpkin Eater in Stoddard Wells is a really fun and difficult trail...

But, hey, this is just my :2:

Any trail that is not paved and that I have never been on is fine by me.

Cool! Bronco Peak gets recognized. Its just all fun.
Mat, you went up the bypass. The hill is lots of fun. Loose, rocky. You actually get to work a little bit to make it up.

See you out there,
BobO

Cool! Bronco Peak gets recognized. Its just all fun.
Mat, you went up the bypass. The hill is lots of fun. Loose, rocky. You actually get to work a little bit to make it up.

See you out there,
BobO

Gonna try and go up Bronco this Sunday

Cool! Bronco Peak gets recognized. Its just all fun.
Mat, you went up the bypass. The hill is lots of fun. Loose, rocky. You actually get to work a little bit to make it up.

See you out there,
BobO

Bob, remember, we went down the other side, and it seemed easier (not just because it was downhill, but because there was no tall shelves for the stockers)... :D

Bronco Peak looks pretty intense from what I saw on YouTube... anyone have that trails coordinates or have it set in Google Maps?



Bob, remember, we went down the other side, and it seemed easier (not just because it was downhill, but because there was no tall shelves for the stockers)... :D

There are a lot of great trails in Big Bear.

3N17 White Mountain might fit your criteria

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/69a96290-63f0-40e0-89b0-5dea89b4111d.jpg




VERY nice picture of "Frustration". It was a bit frustrating with 4.10's, can't wait to try my new 5.38's out :)

It was a bit frustrating with 4.10's, can't wait to try my new 5.38's out :)

You were running 4:10's on 37" tires? I'm running 4:10 on 35's. It's not horrible, but getting up to speed on the road is an exercise in patience. Seems okay in low range on the trail though.

I want to upgrade to 4:88 some day, but I can never seem to find the spare $1500 to do it.

Yep, the 4.10's are actually "legacy" from my original build for the YJ, when I was "never going to need more than 33's again" :)

When I swapped in the rear D60, I went 4.10's to match the front D30, thinking I'd do the front 44 and regear all at once - ran out of money. Ran into a great deal on my front 44 (a little of all the manufacturers in that axle!) - no money to regear (and new Detroit) for the back. So...I suffered with 4.10's for way too long.

They were marginal with 35's (just forget about 5th), once I went to the 37x13.50's it wasn't happy time anymore.

Hi Jeff you need to come up and do sunbonnet on Oct 11 with me try out those 5.38,s on some big rocks leaving from my landers house about 9.00am

Hmm, right now 11 OCT is still open :)