Trail Discussion: trail recomendations please

[Mysammierocks]

I'm trying to get my wife more interested and she is scared to death at the moment when we hit anything questionable in her eyes. I'm living in California City and am wondering if anyone can reccomend some trails in area that would ease her in and not bore me I'm not fully built up yet either only running 31s ATM. oh and maybe something out of the desert it's pretty hot out for the little one

[FishPOET]

Big Bear

http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/showthread.php/19642

[daniel_buck]

you are right near Last Chance Canyon and Nightmare Gulch, both of those have bypass lines for most of the major rock obstacles if I remember correctly (LCC does for sure). You can take a stock wrangler through there with the bypass lines easilly. But, it's in the desert, hot, not alot of shade for most of the day. But it's close by you!

[Roger]

Look at the map Fishpoet posted of Big Bear. You can run 3N16 from one end of the other end. It is really a graded road, but there is a lot of beautiful areas that you drive through. It's not scary at all.

[DaK]

Eh, there is more here than just Last chance and nightmare.

First take her to McIvers Cabin. It is is Red Rock Canyon, easy to get to, easy road.
Then take her over to other places to see in Red Rock Canyon, Burro Schmidt Tunnel and all the sites there are too see around the tunnel. You can go down the first half of Last Chance canyon but when it starts to get rocky, just turn around. Save that till she gets a little more confidence.
Next find Goler GULCH, not Goler Wash, that is out in Death Valley and not a trip for this time of yr. Do Goler Gulch, has a bit of rock obstacles, some off camber stuff but nothing gnarly. Lots of mines and some structures to check out too. If done right you will end up back at Burro Schmidts tunnel.
Next Piute Mtns. All fire roads, nothing to get beat up on.
Once she gets some confidence take her down Black Rock Canyon. Yep, in Red Rock Park. Little canyon not alot of people know about. Stop and check out the lava falls, awesome. Take Black Rock Cayon road over to Last chance canyon, by now you should have her confidence up to do the canyon. Take your time, don't push her limits and if she is totally uncomfortable with it, have her get out and take pictures.

Now, this is the best way to get her into wheelin... find another couple to wheel with. When other women are around, women feel more comfortable about being somewhere. Before I get flamed by the women, that is a general statement and does not apply to all women, so no flames please. Have a buddy at work whose wife has the complete wrong perception about wheelin, she thinks its all going full bore, blowing through rocks, then straight back to the house or wherever. My wife chatted her up and informed her that it is a more a lengthy male bonding evolution broken up by brief moments of driving over rocks, logs, ledges, and other stupid things men can think of to drive over.

Also, disconnect your sway bar and air down. These two things will make the drive for her nicer and will be less jarring and binding on your rig.

PM me your email and I will send you the .gpx files for all the places above. If your wife starts seeing what is around here, and the sites to see while jeeping, ya might not ever get her out of it. Come late september we will be wheeling more around this area. Right now it is just to dang hot.

There is a guy out there with a Black Ops Jeep, stop him and chat, he knows these trails too.

[DaK]

Forgot, little bit of a hump for ya but there is Gorman. Has an off road park with plenty of obstacles to practice on and get used to being at odd angles while in a vehicle. If ya like to camp, you can do that there too. Miller trail is out there too. Easy trail BUT, the road for the first half is cut into the side of the moutain and ummm, looking down can be intimidating.

Then there is Rowher off of Bouquet canyon road. DO NOT TAKE HER UP THAT STEEP HILL, you will scare the bejeezus out of her. There is a fire road that zig zags up the moutain that is much tamer than the direct route. Then just follow the Jeep Trail down to Sierra Hwy. Long way to go for a short run but part of the "grooming" process.

[Russ Chung]

Cal,

Since you are living in California City, I believe that Lake Isabella and the Upper Kern River Valley are closer to you than Big Bear, Gorman or the Rowher OHV areas. Stop by the ranger station in Lake Isabella or in Kernville and get a Motor Vehicle Use Map and also ask for any 4x4 trail information guides that they have available. Kennedy Meadows and Monache Meadows are accessible to a stock Jeep. A stock Jeep can also do the Sherman Pass Jeep Trail, but because of its remoteness, I would not go alone. Search this forum for trip reports to Sherman Pass, Monache Meadows and Kennedy Meadows.

Russ

[FJSparkyofSoCal]

Try starting at Jawbone Canyon and heading over to Bodfish/Isabella area.You can do it with simple fire roads shown on most maps.I have been in your shoes getting someone up to speed offroading.If you take the time and keep it simple they will come around.My wife now can't get enough of the thrill now that she knows what the rig will do.

[TipsE-Z]

I'd have to echo the idea of running up to Gorman one day. My lady (while adverturous) doesn't always care for the long days of crawling; and was initially unsure of alot of the things we put the Jeep through (she does still get out for the gnarly stuff). I took her up to Gorman and had her spot me through the Sluice Box and had her do some driving around the other obstacles. It gave her a lot more confidence in how the Jeep feels and what it is capable of; plus once she got involved with the spotting it helped make it more of an "us" trip. Now she's game for anytime I want to head out and run. I tend to push her a bit hard to drive, but it is (in my mind) that she be just as good of a driver as I (think I) am, that way if something happens she can drive the Jeep out of where ever I got us in to.

[Mike]

Just a thought... after you hit a few easy things, let her drive. If she does and likes it, it changes everything. My wife has driven almost every black diamond trail in Big Bear.

[6spdYJ]

If you head up to 3N16, take 3N14 from the east side of Hesperia on Bowen Ranch Road to get there. It's a nice, graded road with some beautiful scenery. I've seen it driven by a guy in a 1990ish T-Bird - but it does have a few little water crossings, mud puddles and a rock or two to make you feel offroady.