Rowher

[JayDLT]

I'm trying to get some people to go early Saturday Morning. Someone who has done the trail before would be great.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397078

[JEEPCRAZY]

There are several ways you can do rowher. you can start on bouquet and do the lower part of rowher which can be kinda tricky or you can bypass the lower part and and start at the top and run that into either lookout or rowher into the staging area. i would love to go with you i have done rowher several times but i have to work sat.

steve aka cwolf

[nwoods]

Rowher Flats (aka "Area 51" ) is a good place to go. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/recr...v-rowher.shtml

It's east of Magic Mountain. Head up to Bouquet Reservoir via Bouquet Canyon road (if you stop and listen, you can hear the banjio's playing along the way, and it's hard not to think about the movie Deliverance....)

The trail starts right near the Reservoir (there is a large dirt turnout on your right, within site of the water) with a trail leading east and down into a little gully, and then up a very knarly little hill.

This hill, though small, is intimidating and has been known to eat more than a few axles, differentials, etc... With your new JK and traction control you can make it no problem. For others...if you have lockers (at least in the rear) you should have no problems. This short little hill is probably a 7 or 7.5 on a scale to 10. A stock Land Rover LR3 can do this hill easily, but it's much harder with unlocked trucks because traction control makes a HUGE difference on this particular hill.

Note: If it looks like you can't get up there, go back down to the road and then head north another mile or so and take the well graded dirt fire road up to where the trail crosses it and continue on up the trail from there.

Once you get up this first little challenge, there is a nice long deeply rutted grade that does the axle articulation thing to the max. It's cool, very easy, but fun to do. Then you cross the fire road (see note above) and keep heading up.

I think the hill climb is several thousand feet high, probably hitting over 5,000 in altitude at the top. There is a fantastic lookout point at the top. Can see way down into Mojave desert to the east. Be sure to check out the little picnic area under the giant oak trees on top of the hill. Don't trip on the concrete piers from the old firewatch tower (ask me how I know). Go ahead and try the rock pile. My LR3 did not make it, but it was fun to try.

From there, continue EAST on the trail (NOT the south trail), and follow the ridge all the long long long way down to Rowher flats staging area. You will see lots of trucks with motorbike trailers there. Leave through the main entrance (which is quite a ways from the staging area) and it dumps you onto Sand Canyon. Go right (south) all the way to the 14 freeway and then back into LA.

It takes about 2.5/3 hours to run the trail, and it's fun. There is a good hill climb area about halfway through the ridge trail with 4 or so different accents. Stock LR3 can do 'em all.

Photos:

[JEEPCRAZY]

Dont forget to mention on that first part of lower rowher to stay to the left. it looks easier to go up on the right but you will roll your vehicle

[FishPOET]

Stock LR3 can do 'em all.

This is a pic from last weekend and a stock LR3 that thought he could do them all

[nwoods]

This is a pic from last weekend and a stock LR3 that thought he could do them all

Wow! where did that happen? It looks a bit like Gorman. Do you know anything more about it?
EDIT: Never mind, I backtracked the URL to the photobucket account and scoped the photos. That's 3/4 of the way through Rohwer Trail where there three or four little hillclimbs are. I can't belive someone rolled there! I've been up that a few times, it's loose and bumpy, but that person must have gotten really off line to roll it!

That was at a Land Rover dealer "Wheeler Event". My club was not involved, but we heard that they left all the glass and stuff there on the trail, so we are going to go up there and clean it up. Can you imagine taking your new rig on a dealer sponsored event and trashing it? wow.

[maddmike]

That was at a Land Rover dealer "Wheeler Event".

assumption: concrete jungle superstar thought they could do it with their LR3 and they were shielded from the gods of off-roading misfortune because they were at a "Dealer Event". looks like an inexperienced driver error, not a vehicle capability issue.

OK I will comment no more and allow the thread to continue on as originally scheduled...

[FishPOET]

Do you know anything more about it?

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64206

[JayDLT]

I saw that LR roll on the tacoma forum from some jeeps that were up there. I don't want to be that guy!! Well it seems you all know a lot more than me, anybody in for Saturday morning?

[JayDLT]

If anyone is interested, I will be meeting another jeep at the intersection of Bouquet cyn rd and vasquez canyon rd at 7 am.

[bigV]

what part of Rowher is that? That's not at the reservoir, is that by the stagging area from the Sierra Hwy side? I can only think of 2 spots that are tricky and that doesn't look like either.

[nwoods]

what part of Rowher is that? That's not at the reservoir, is that by the stagging area from the Sierra Hwy side? I can only think of 2 spots that are tricky and that doesn't look like either.

It's in between, closer to the staging area. I'd say if you start at the reservoir, it's about 3/4 of the way through.

[guardian7]

I'm not sure stock tires would have provided enough traction for the Land Rover. My Jeep has attempted these climbs and they some of the worst I have ever done. After climbing the right two then I tried the left climb and nearly at the top on shear rock I came to a stand still with all four tires just spinning real slow making a low deep chirping noise. Backing down was the real scary part but keeping my cool made it down without issue. These are 3 very dangerous climbs with difficulty ranging from right to left, right being the easiest.

[JayDLT]

Thanks to Sandy and Nick for all of there help on the trail. Due to breakage on Nicks Cherokee, we left a little early.

Nick coming up the first hill where Sandy had to give me a little tug, before I discoed my sway bar.



Sandy in his Rubicon ahead of me on the trail.


Nick playing on the rocks about 10 seconds before he broke a u-joint.


Nick removing his axle due to broken u-joint. (we did help, not just watch)


The three of us at the first plateau.


Thanks guys for all your help and patience with a noob!!!

[nwoods]

Cool photos.

Here's something to keep in mind for the future: I reccommend putting that tire under your axle or diff housing while tugging on the axel. That little bottle jack could easily slip.