Trail Report: Lytle Creek & Cajon Pass

[Mike]

On Sunday we tried to run the Rincon Shortcut Road, but after stopping at the ranger station at the base of the San Gabriel Cyn, we found out that the Rincon Road was closed to the public until the folks at Edison finish some work along the ridgetop. The rangers told us that the trail is not expected to be reopened until late in 2009.

Disappointed, but yet determined, we headed back to my home turf and headed up Lytle Creek!

We went to the end of the pavement and started up 3N06. We took the turn off to Coldwater Canyon (3N06).

After a long climb, we were rewarded with wonderful views:




On the way back down, we were visited by several locals:


But what I REALLY want to know is why, no really WHY!, does the regular carnage happen to me on the GREEN trails?:


The shock hanger ripped off the axle (again), so I removed the shock and we continued on.

While Sharon and her mother were waiting on me to remove the shock, Sharon got a nice close-up of the local bloomage:


From Coldwater Cyn, we headed up to 3N31 along the Lytle Creek Ridge. There were some nice views of the small amount of snow left on the back side of Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy):


We made our way to Gobbler's Knob to have lunch:


Afterward, we wound our way down to the Mormon Rocks:


We then trekked to one of my favorite 2WD trails in the SBNF, 3N49. From that trail, we had great views back at the Mormon Rocks:


A cool view of Cleghorn Mtn:


And some really cool rock formations all along the way:


It was a good day despite the road closure and trail carnage. Any day spent driving on dirt is far better than a poke in the eye!

All of our pics can be found at this link:
http://s139.photobucket.com/albums/q...ep/F-Day%2009/

[Mitch]

Mike,

Looks like the perfect way to handle a closed trail, just find another one! I've never run any of the trails south of Hwy 138 and west of the 15 FWY. I might need a guide one day. What a nice day. Thanks for sharing you day with us.

You need to do that set up I did on the rear shocks. The offset bracket moves the top shock mount location up about 3 1/2" so the the bottom bracket can be level with the bottom of the axle instead of hanging down waiting to hit the next rock.

Mitch

[aw12345]

For the rear shocks the simplest fix is to move the lower mount behind the lower control arm that way it doesn't stick out like asore thumb and it will happily slide over rocks works like a charm
Nice pics of a good day on the trail

[dirtman13]

Nice report Mike. Did you go on the trail we were talking about by Mormon Rock? Bad news on the shock mount but an easy fix.

[SmkSignals]

Nice pix. I need to do a Lytle Creek run some day.

Thanks for sharing.

[sarah]

Sweet pics! Love the views - and the lizard. Fix your junk! (Like I should talk ) hehe
See you soon.

[inVERt'D]

Beautiful scenery. Those shock mounts sure are problematic...besides the sore thumb factor, it seems the welds suck.

[phant0omx]

I've been wanting to run the Rincon Shortcut since last year. Last year the ranger told me there was a slide and some work being done at the end of the shortcut by hwy 2.

[Mitch]

Mike is this a 2 wheel drive road or a 4 wheel drive road? If it is an easy trail I might take my "new" Jeep for a spin.

Mitch

[Mike]

I've been wanting to run the Rincon Shortcut since last year. Last year the ranger told me there was a slide and some work being done at the end of the shortcut by hwy 2.

Yeah, I asked about it last February and I was told the Edison was working on it until the end of spring. Now it sounds more like the end of Summer (if that). The trail is awesome in late May through June. The top of the trail has a long row of Spanish Brooms and they are in bloom at that time of year.

BTW, where you been? It's good to see you posting on MJR again.

Mike is this a 2 wheel drive road or a 4 wheel drive road? If it is an easy trail I might take my "new" Jeep for a spin.

Mitch

All of the trails are two wheel drive with the exception of 3N06A (Coldwater Cyn). There are some shelf roads but nothing worse than the Cleghorn fire road.

For the rear shocks the simplest fix is to move the lower mount behind the lower control arm that way it doesn't stick out like asore thumb and it will happily slide over rocks works like a charm
Nice pics of a good day on the trail

Thanks Art! I'll take a look at doing that option tonight.

Did you go on the trail we were talking about by Mormon Rock?

We just went down it far enough to get some pics and then back-tracked to the start of 2N89/3N49.

Those shock mounts sure are problematic...besides the sore thumb factor, it seems the welds suck.

Yes they do! This time though, the sheet metal ripped! My re-welding from last time held, but the metal sheered. I'll be reinforcing the whole thing this time.

[ECV Jeep]

Mike is this a 2 wheel drive road or a 4 wheel drive road? If it is an easy trail I might take my "new" Jeep for a spin.

Mitch

Yes Mitch..........your new Jeep will handle Rincon. Only 2 sections that might require a tug, but I doubt it. We drove it in a 2 wheel drive VW Thing with no problem.

[Roger]

Mike,
was 3N49 the trail i joined you on for a night run last year?

[tony m]

Great pics Mike,just love that Coldwater Cyn area!

[inVERt'D]

Yes they do! This time though, the sheet metal ripped! My re-welding from last time held, but the metal sheered. I'll be reinforcing the whole thing this time.

It ripped because they make those mounts out of old mailboxes. I decided if (when) I ever broke mine again I was going to buy or fab some out of 1/4" steel, you know, like a mil-spec mailbox.

[Mike]

Mike,
was 3N49 the trail i joined you on for a night run last year?

That was the San Sevaine road (1N34). Unfortunately, it is closed until after Labor Day. 3N49 Runs from the Mormon Rocks in the north to the railroad tracks near Cajon Blvd to the south. It follows the powerlines.

It ripped because they make those mounts out of old mailboxes. I decided if (when) I ever broke mine again I was going to buy or fab some out of 1/4" steel, you know, like a mil-spec mailbox.

I agree, but I have to eat my words about the welds. As I got to work on the mount, I found that one side of my old welds didn't fully penetrate the metal like I had thought. The the poor weld cracked, which lead to the rest of the story. I think that I got a good melt on that side this time.