Snow Wheeling in Big Bear

[mkjeepers]

Well all of the other guys are up there already. I'm sure I'll be able to make it up the hill.

The wife is coming with me so there will be plenty of pictures.

[COLOR="Blue"]As of today Friday noon, the 18 to BB is closed, the 38 to BB is closed, so you might have to use the backway to BB from Lucerne.

If the standing 4' snow is to deep for your 42's, try the LakeArrowhead trail system. We only have 2' at this point. The Pilot Rock ridge trail should give you a natural high.

Another BB trail that usually dosen't get TOO much snow is the Heartbreak Ridge trail.

mk[/COLOR]

[KINGSIZE]

[COLOR="Blue"]As of today Friday noon, the 18 to BB is closed, the 38 to BB is closed, so you might have to use the backway to BB from Lucerne.

If the standing 4' snow is to deep for your 42's, try the LakeArrowhead trail system. We only have 2' at this point. The Pilot Rock ridge trail should give you a natural high.

Another BB trail that usually dosen't get TOO much snow is the Heartbreak Ridge trail.

mk[/COLOR]

Thank you for that update. I will keep that in mind. :thumbs_up

[snydercj7]

Are you guys actually planning to run the trails or run 3n16 type roads? I am only sitting on 35" tires but have chains for all 4 which looks like chains are the only way to get up there at the moment? What time are you all planning on meeting up @ the Discovery Center?

[Mellow Yellow]

Saturday only? Anything going on Sunday? I'd love to bring the Poison Spyder up there but not sure if i'll be done wrenching by tomorrow? I have 35" Goodyear MT/R's & 4 Chains, + all safety equip & a winch!

[snydercj7]

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...ld2=-116.91056

This is crazy!

[sandjunkie]

Was going to try to get to our cabin in Green Valley Lake tonight but too much hassel. Hopefully the plows can catch up tonight and I will try to get up early in the morning. Going to take my big ole F-350 though, Not much that stops that thing.

[snydercj7]

Getting to Big Bear sucked today....

[viter]

hi guys!
I know you are all jeepers and I have a toyota, but hopefully as fellow 4-wheelers you can help me out!
I am hoping to go 4-wheeling this sunday (1/24/2010) in Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead area and after reading this thread I can see that some of you went 4-wheeling there today (saturday). Can one of the people who went there today call me and tell me what the trail conditions are, please? I am leaving San Diego around 7am on Sunday, but even if you call me anytime after that it would still be very useful. So if you can, please, give me a call at eight five eight 414 zero seven eight one. I would really appreciate it!

Happy wheeling!

[brokenujoint]

not sure on the amount of snow fall, but i enjoy playing at lytle creek when it snows. no chance of going off a cliff and its walking distance to any help needed. at times it gets 3' there as well.

I for the most part, hate snow. its so unpredictable with traction. Especially when going up and coming down the mt.

[ediot]

Went to Arrowhead area today. Went up the 18 at about 9:30 AM and there was no traffic and no enforcement of chains. I went primarily to take my daughter to play in snow but did drive over to hook creek road. The open forrest gate had about 5' of snow plowed up to the dirt road entrance and the dirt road had about ~3'. Maybe if you had 40's it would be doable. The way back down at about 3:00 PM had CHP checking chains and a line of traffic for miles going up the mountain.

[viter]

thank you very much for the replies!
do you guys think cleghorn ridge trail or some other trails in that general area will have less snow (yet still have some snow) and be driveable on 33's and with all 4 wheels chained up?
thanks again!

[mkjeepers]

thank you very much for the replies!
do you guys think cleghorn ridge trail or some other trails in that general area will have less snow (yet still have some snow) and be driveable on 33's and with all 4 wheels chained up?
thanks again!

[COLOR="Blue"]Cleghorn might be closed?? But Miller canyon staging area is open. It is located off of Hwy 138 on the far south/east side of Lake Silverwood right before you start up the hill to the mountains.

Miller Cyn takes you up to the Pilot Rock Ridge then into Lake Arrowhead. There should be 1 to 2 feet of snow on these trails.

mk[/COLOR]

[KINGSIZE]

Well we had a great time. It was NOT easy....even with 42s & a V8. We got a late start since getting up the hill was a massive chore in itself.

If anyone finds a Sony SD1000 camera up there....check out the pictures. It's my old wheelin camera that i lost. :-)

[viter]

thanks to everyone who replied to my questions!
this was really fun snow trip!!!
we didn't actually drive on trails in Big Bear but instead started out by climbing Cleghorn Ridge trail from fwy 15 up the mountain - that one ended up locked at higher elevation before we reached any undriveably deep snow but was still fun getting to the end with slushy mud and snow on some rutted uphill sections. Then we proceeded on hwy 138 to Silverwood lake area with a plan to take pilot rock trail to lake Arrowhead. that was the highlight of the day - trail started with some creek crossings and mud and then snow started to grow as we kept climbing. Up at the top of the ridge we encountered fresh snow than nobody has driven through yet - aired down to 10-15 psi, put on chains and with all lockers locked we proceeded to break through the snow and keep going forward - landcruiser with both lockers and chains on all 4 was the breakthrough vehicle of choice and I followed behind in my taco with chains only on the rear. Majority of the trail with fresh snow was about 1.5 foot deep with some 2-3ft drifts in a few places. Landcruiser had no problems. By about 5pm we encountered a huge pine tree that fell across the road and had to turn around after deciding that trying to saw it down (we had a chain saw)and move off the trail would take too long and it was getting colder. made our way back out to the hwy on a different portion of the trail with some steep, slippery, and bumpy downhills in a few places that we had to work through with our lights on as the sun went down. Once on the highway we hit up a korean bbq / sushi restaurant in the middle of nowhere by hwy 138 - after finishing off a family meal for 4, sushi roll, and some big sapporo's it was time to drive home. Tired, but happy and high on Monster energy rush we made the 2.5 hour trip back home without any particular misadventures.

some of my friend's pics are here if you guys want to see - http://www.snapixel.com/set/RIDEitINTOtheGROUND/1647
unfortunately his camera died just as we reached pristine snow at the top of the ridge, but my other friend might have some pics of that and I'll post them later if I can.

[Roberto Miranda]

cool pix, thanks for sharing...