Historic East Big Bear

[the_al_mighty]

What a great trip. Lots of time to socialize. Thanks Mike......

[sarah]

Congratulations Mike! That is quite an accomplishment. You rock!

Great pics everyone, wow!!

[curtis]

So mike are we going to start calling your runs THE MIKE JAMBOREE?

[mkjeepers]

No you are the one for sure! I just might know something....Or someone.

Mitch

[COLOR="Blue"]Curtis!![/COLOR]

[Mitch]

No you are the one for sure! I just might know something....Or someone.

Mitch

[mkjeepers]

[COLOR="Blue"]Nathan, where are all those awesome pictures you took, can't wait to see them.[/COLOR]

[mkjeepers]

Mike,

Looks like a fun time (Crazy) time. I did not get up early yesterday morning to stick a balloon in the Rose Mine. I might know something about it though. I went out with 4 others today and we hit Tip Top Silver Mine tunnel, Rose Mine, Judy Kay (3 of 4 tunnels), Rose Mine Cemetery, The second arrastra and the small mine near it, and of course the Big One! Covered every inch of it today. Over a half mile of tunnels. And the only others we saw today were Art and Fred. Kinda quiet after your exodus across the mountain. Good job.



Mitch

[COLOR="Navy"][COLOR="Blue"]You say you might know something?? Must be another Mike.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[Mitch]

Mike,

Looks like a fun time (Crazy) time. I did not get up early yesterday morning to stick a balloon in the Rose Mine. I might know something about it though. I went out with 4 others today and we hit Tip Top Silver Mine tunnel, Rose Mine, Judy Kay (3 of 4 tunnels), Rose Mine Cemetery, The second arrastra and the small mine near it, and of course the Big One! Covered every inch of it today. Over a half mile of tunnels. And the only others we saw today were Art and Fred. Kinda quiet after your exodus across the mountain. Good job.



Mitch

Great photos! I counted 12 FJ. Great turn out!!

[mkjeepers]

[COLOR="Blue"]Any others that took pictures please post up
mk[/COLOR]

[mkjeepers]

[COLOR="Blue"]Here are a few pix form the BIG Bear run.

Link to slideshow
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow[/COLOR]







Horsethief Flats Trail


A friendly resident Rattle Snake






The bottom of the Horsethief switchbacks




Horsethief Flats




The hill climb out of Horsethief.


We circled the wagons for lunch. With all the vehicles it felt like walking through a county fair.


Driving across Lone Valley Meadow


This mine was very popular with the group.




Junk around the Rose Mine. The Rose mine area tunnel is about 300ft in length.


Climbing up out of Round Valley




Nathan assisting a vehicle


One of the Giant Junipers in the Onyx summit area.


Airing up at Onyx Summit


Beautiful sunset over Lake Arrowhead

42 people. Anymore pics?

[nwoods]

[COLOR="Blue"]I think the final count was 42 - we picked up a Swiss Unimog somewhere - know anything about that Nathan?[/COLOR]

After the mine, when we turned left towards 3N61Y, the Mog was waiting for all of us to clear the intersection. I was the last guy, and he waved me down and asked where we were heading. I pointed vaguely towards Onyx, and he asked if he could tag along, to which I said "Sure! but we are moving kinda slow." He (his name is CJ) responded, "Slow is the only speed I've got.", so he fit right in :-) Nice guy, he is a Corporal in the Marines and is stationed in Twenty Nine Palms. Says all his fellow Marines have big shiny chrome SUV's that are afraid of rocks, so he's been looking for adventure mostly on his own.

[COLOR="Blue"]
The Horsethief results were 3 blown tires and one major mis-aligned front end, and a few 3 wheel instances.[/COLOR]

I think that the poor visibility suffered by the Fj design was a MAJOR factor in all of those instances. I know for a fact the two times where an FJ nearly rolled off the trail is because the driver couldn't see well, and the flat with the bent upper knuckle or whatever was caused because the driver plowed right into a significant rock that he never saw. The FJ's have a nifty coolness factor, and are built well, but the design of everything above the frame is just bizarre to me.

[COLOR="Blue"]
I want to especially thank Nathan (nwoods) for doing a GREAT!! job as tail gunner. Nathan spent most of the day rounding up straying vehicles that missed important turn-offs. With out Nathan half of the group would still be in Big Bear.....or somehere.[/COLOR]

I didn't do much. Major help by Doug and Mike & Wendy for trail comm's, and Tony in the rear helping round up the FJ's. MRJ's "Blazer" (Steve) was also very helpful, keeping an eye out for the undertired FJ that was behind him.

[COLOR="Blue"]
We reached hwy 38 on schedule, 6:00 p.m. But the only mystery to me was how half the group arrived there on 1N01 and the other half on 2N02....can you explain this Nathan? [/COLOR]

The only way I know out of that trail is across Broom Flat, straight up to the 38. It's a wide, graded, smooth dirt track. From Onyx Summit heading into Big Bear, the trail head is RIGHT at a hwy 38 marker and there was a little hand painted reddish orange sign that said 3N01 nailed to it. It's almost exactly 1 mile north of where you were at at Onyx Summit staging area.

[ironbelle]

32 rigs! That is a huge group.

[aw12345]

Those big groups do present quite the challenge don't they. 30 something rigs for leading my first run ever was quite the thing, but I had fun with it.
I am sure your group made for some interesting moments