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  #1  
Old 02-05-2004, 08:35 AM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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Dusy trail

What Califonia county is Shaver Lake, CA located in?

Or.....I am looking for the names of the USGS topo 7.5' quad maps that cover the Dusy-Ershim trail.

Or the lat and long of a point on the trail would work too.

Any help towards finding the appropriate quad maps would be appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 02-05-2004, 08:50 AM
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This doesn't exactly answer your question, but here's information about Dusy trail from my club's website. Maybe there's something in here that will help.

http://motherloderockcrawlers.com/in...s/dusy_ershim/



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  #3  
Old 02-05-2004, 08:53 AM
Jerry Bransford Jerry Bransford is offline
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Can't help on the county Stu but man have I heard a few doozy horror-carnage stories about the Dusy trail. A local club did it last year and of the 8-10 vehicles on the run, I think 4-5 of them suffered some pretty serious damage. These pretty hard-core wheelers all had some very well set-up vehicles too. They did have fun but they also came back pretty shell-shocked too. Sounds like a challenging trip you're contemplating, good luck on it!
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  #4  
Old 02-05-2004, 09:02 AM
Chris L Chris L is offline
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DUSY OHV ROUTE

KINGS RIVER DISTRICT SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST

NOTICE:

John Muir and Dinkey Lakes Wilderness boundaries begin on each side of the Dusy OHV Route, which is 300 feet from the center line of the route in both directions, or 600 feet wide, as posted by signs on the ground.

CAMPSITES:
Voyager Rock 3 miles 1/2 hour

Thompson Lake 11 miles 6 hours

Summit Lake 14 miles 7 hours

East Lake 17 miles 10 hours

Ershim Lake 22 miles 13 hours

Lakecamp Lake 26 miles 16 hours

Kaiser Pass 30 miles 2 to 3 days

(Distance from Courtright Reservoir in miles)

DIFFICULTY RATING:
MOST DIFFICULT . Recommended for advanced drivers. A route requiring a high degree of skill and challenge to travel. Not recommended for fill-size pickups, long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone. Only short wheel base vehicles recommended beyond Voyager Rock Campground.

DIRECTIONS TO ROUTE:
Follow the McKinley Grove Road east from Dinkey Creek for 13 miles, turning left at the intersection onto Courtright Road. (You may want to go on to Wish Reservoir to fill your gas tank before continuing.) Follow this road north for eight miles to Courtright Reservoir. Take the road to the right across the dam to the start of the Dusy OHV Route (Follow McKinley Grove Road to Courtright Road, turn left to Courtright Reservoir. Cross the dam to the east side of the lake and stay on the road to the Dusy-Ershim OHV Route sign).

If you don't like the view down a 1,000 foot vertical drop-off into Helms Creek Canyon, keep your eyes on the road. The road will soon be on more favorable ground! As you turn away from Helms Canyon, take in the scenic view on your right - the headwaters of the North Fork Kings River, the majestic LeConte Divide, and the high country of the John Muir wilderness. The starting of the OHV trail is about 1/4 mile beyond this point. A trailhead facility with parking, toilets, hitching racks an a small commercial pack station has been constructed at this point.

THE OHV ROUTE:
The vehicle way parallels the east shore of Courtright Reservoir as it winds through the forest and crosses over a lot of open rock areas. The route is located here because granite is much more resistant to use than vegetate areas, an the steep slopes make the trail more challenging.

You are now at 8,200 foot elevation and the dominant tree type becomes lodgepole pine as the red fir gives up its hold. Even in the open rocky areas lodgepoles exist, often growing from cracks in the rocks. This first mile of trail is shared with foot and horse traffic so please be considerate of these other users and give them time to get out of your way (The route begins at 8,400 feet elevation, with many open rocky areas. Be aware that portions of the trail cross large granite slabs and are marked with rocks. Elevation raises to 10,000 feet at Thompson Lake, remaining at the 9,00 to 10,000 foot range for most of the rest of the route).

The vehicle way veers uphill and to the left, away from the creek and across a large granite slab where the trail is marked by rock "ducks" to Voyager Rock Campground. Vehicle travel along the creek to Maxson Meadow is not permitted.

Voyager Rock campground is situated close to the shore of Courtright Lake with easy access for fishing. Fire grates and tables are available. Dogtooth and other peaks are to the west. A foot trail starts at the northwest end of the campground and follows the lake shore around the north end to Dusy and Helms Meadows.

As you leave the campground, be sure to keep to the left. The road on the right, leading to Chamberlains' Camp, is a short road for official use only. Your road appears to dead- end at the base of a granite dome. What faces you is the infamous Chicken Rock. This rock has humbled many people, especially those with under powered vehicles. If your vehicle has adequate muscle, it `s no problem. The rock slope looks like it `s at a 50 degree angle - and it is. As you get closer to the top, panoramic views of Courtright Lake and surrounding preaks appear on your left. On your right is the huge monolith, called Maxson Dome.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains have been greatly altered by glaciation and erosion. Chicken Rock is what geologists call a "roches moutonnes" or a rounded rock left on a deserted glacial floor. As the glacier moved over the rock, it made the uphill side (the side you drove up) smooth and gradual, while the opposite side is more irregular and steep. You can actually see the marks left behind by these glaciers as debris they picked up gouged lines, or striations, into the granite.

Other nearby domes, like Maxson and Voyager Rock, were too large to be overridden by the glacial ice, but its passing did alter their shape, polishing and smoothing the massive rocks. After the ice receded, another process, called exfoliation, started working on them. This weathering "leafed away" layers of granite, similar to the way you peel onions.

As you drive along you will see large isolated boulders on a ridge or in a grassy field; these are called "erratic". These boulders are carried own the valley by the glacier and when the ice melted, they were deposited a great distance from their source.

From Chicken Rock you descend to and follow the lake shore to Dusy Meadows. Be careful on this stretch the many mud holes have been known to bury bikers and jeeps alike. The large creek you cross is Dusy Creek, one of three major tributaries that feed Courtright Reservoir. Here you'll find a few good campsites, but you'll probably want to wait until summer to camp as mosquitoes will carry you off if it is still marshy. Pleas do not drive in the meadows - they can be quickly destroyed by vehicles.

The road follows the meadows fringe for about three miles, crossing many small streams, before it drops into the woods heading toward Thompson Hill. Be forewarned that Thompson Hill is probably the nastiest stretch of road on any of the OHV routes in the Sierra National Forest. The ridge is at 10,000 foot elevation. Therefore the vehicle engines tend to "load up". It is a good idea to approach this section either in the early morning or late afternoon when it is cooler. Take your time, drive cautiously and you'll probably make it without any problems. "Old hands" figure 1- 1/2 miles per hour is top speed to negotiate this section safely (Thompson Hill is a very challenging stretch of road. Vehicles should have a body lift, run fairly cool and hit on all cylinders. Even tires with aggressive tire tread will benefit from reduced air pressure. Even with all of these precautions, several stops may be necessary to throw a few rocks in the right places for traction). Click here to see a picture taken on Thompson hill looking back at Courtright Resivoir.

When you reach the top of the ridge, you cross the dividing line separating the Pineridge and Kings River Ranger Districts. This point also separates the San Joaquin and Kings river watersheds. The remainder of the road is managed by the Pineridge District with headquarters at Shaver Lake. Thompson Lake, a short drive beyond the ridge top, offers several attractive campsites and a chance to test your fishing skills. For an example of what vehicles can do to meadows, look at the south end where visitors left their mark in 1980 (Vehicle access into Thompson Lake is close at the wilderness boundary. A camping site with room for a few vehicles an tents is available there. The walk to Thompson Lake from the campsite is short and easy. Another fishing spot, Lost Lake, is an easy 45 minute walk from Thompson Lake).

Continuing on the route, Summit Lake is about an hour from Thompson Lake. Summit Lake does not have a defined camping area, so please use care in choosing your campsite away from the meadow area.

The next campsite available is near East Lake. East Lake is not visible from the OHV route, making it easy to miss. From the campsite adjacent to the road, its only a short walk to the lake, fishing and an excellent photo spot with picturesque Dogtooth Peak in the background.

East of Black Peak the Dusy Trail connects with the Ershim OHV Trail, continuing on to Kaiser Pass. It stays around 9,000 to 10,000 foot elevation, passing several meadows and timber- lined lakes. A nice and very popular place to camp and fish is Ershim Lake, where local 4W clubs have built rustic facilities. Ershim Lake has lots of space for camping an parking. The route from the top of Thompson Hill to Ershim lake is fairly tame allowing the scenery to become more interesting than the challenge of the trail.

It takes about three hours to cover the four miles from Ershim Lake to Lakecamp Lake. Rainbow trout make Lakecamp Lake unique as the other lakes along this route have Brook trout. Another fishing spot, Mallard Lake, is an easy 20 minute walk from Lakecamp Lake.

The next four difficult miles to Whitebark Vista will test driving skills, but the panoramic views make it worth the effort. The route ends at Whitebark Vista. Many people prefer to use Whitebark Vista as a starting point. Huntington Lake is about 30 minutes away.

As you approach Kaiser Pass views are spectacular. White Bark Vista offers panoramic views of landscape around Edison and Huntington Lakes and of the crest of the Sierra Nevada Range.

CAMPING TIPS:
There is no camping within 100 feet of lakes, streams, trails an meadows. Campfire permits are free and available at your local forest service office. A campfire permit is require for: wood fires, charcoal fires or portable gas stoves.

WILDERNESS PERMIT:
A Wilderness Visitor Permit is require for overnight trips into the John Muir or Dinkey Lakes Wilderness areas. A separate permit is required for each trip. Permits are free of charge. A PERMIT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR DAY USE OF WILDERNESS AREAS.

The Dusy-Ershim OHV route forms the boundary between the Dinkey Lake wilderness and the John Muir Wilderness. It is a 600' wide OHV Route between two wildernesses. USE OF THE OHV ROUTE DOES NOT REQUIRE A WILDERNESS PERMIT. Day use of the wilderness does not require a permit. Overnight trips into a wilderness adjacent to the OHV route requires a permit.

For the John Muir Wilderness all trailheads require a reservation between July 1 and Labor day. Reservations may be made from March 1 thru August 15. Permits are require all year. For the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness permits are required all year, no reservations necessary. Contact:

Pinerige Ranger District P. O. Box 300 Shaver Lake, CA 93664 (209) 841-3311
Have a safe and pleasant stay in your National Forest !

FOR OHV ROUTE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kings River Ranger District
34849 Maxon Road
Sanger, CA 93657
(209) 855-8321

Dinkey Ranger Station
Dinkey Creek Road
June thru mid-September
(209) 841-3404
MAPS:
SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST MAP

Good map to use to find the Dusy- Ershim OHV route (shows surrounding area).

DINKEY LAKES WILDERNESS MAP

Good map to use while traveling the Dusy-Ershim OHV route (shows the entire route).

Copyright ? Off-Road.com, 1996 All Rights Reserved
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  #5  
Old 02-05-2004, 09:25 AM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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Thanks all. Chris L, I read that info on line the other day. Lots of good background info in it.

I got a trail guide booklet in the mail yesterday but it has not a single GPS coordinate in it. You would think a GPS was a virus the way folks seem to avoid referencing them. LOL
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Old 02-05-2004, 09:30 AM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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I think this did it.

You put in info about the area you are looking for and poof, you got coordinates!

http://www.waypoint.org/gpsf-name0.html
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  #7  
Old 02-05-2004, 09:43 AM
Jeff Weston Jeff Weston is offline
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Stu,

I'm almost certain that the Dusy is in Fresno County. I do have some topo maps somewhere and maybe even a GPS track as well.

I've run the Dusy twice and had a great time each trip. Before my first trip I read all the same stuff about how gnarly the trail is and the potential for being stranded miles from civilization. It's easy to get a bit psyched out based on what you read. The reality of it is that it is really no tougher than the Rubicon Trail, only it is much longer and at much higher elevations.

The edge I do give the Dusy over the Rubicon are:
  • half the distance from L.A.as the Rubicon
  • trail is very clean and uncrowded (have only seen about 15-20 other rigs in my two trips
  • lakes have plenty of fish (too bad I can't seem to catch them )
  • no loud music, shooting guns, etc.

The thing the Rubicon has over the Dusy are:
  • a little less dust
  • closer proximity to parts and repair
  • lower altitude

Basically, the Dusy is a fun, long trailride with a few steep climbs (Thompson Hill), nice camping and some medium rockcrawling. My brother didn't have many clearance problems with 31's and a belly-up skid. I saw an old Willy's go through there unlocked but holding everybody up by needing the strap all the way up Thompson Hill. Lastly, and most importantly, make certain to either have fuel injection or your carb really dialed in as the trail gets to over 10,000 ft. in elevation.

Have fun!
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Old 02-05-2004, 10:27 AM
Jeff Weston Jeff Weston is offline
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Stu,

I just went through the "magic cabinet" here at the office and found my dad's quad sheets with the trail highlighted.

The trail head is at the south end of Courtright Reservoir with approximate coordinates of N37*05' W118*58'.

The trail can be found on the Courtright Reservoir, Ward Mountain, Dogtooth Peak, Mt. Givens and Kaiser Peak quads.

Hope that helps.
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  #9  
Old 02-05-2004, 02:51 PM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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Jeff,

Thanks for the quad names! That was exactly what I was looking for as I will now download them and do some work with my mapping software.

I spent half a week at Moab a couple of years ago wheelin' with two guys that live near Fresno. They said they ran the Dusy about 4 or 5 times a year with others in their local club. They said I would feel right at home on the trail based on what we were running for Moab trails.

Only one thing bothers me....you said the Rubicon has a little less dust! OH MY! The one thing I remember so clearly about the Rubicon is that I could stand in the middle of the trail and fart....with the results being nearly "Pig-Pen" (in the Charlie Brown cartoon). I'll never forget just how fine that dust was.
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  #10  
Old 02-05-2004, 03:27 PM
bob91yj bob91yj is offline
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I ran the Dusy Aug/02. At the time I was on 33's with lockers. POS vacuum disco failed me for the first time ever, going up Thompson Hill. Three wheeled it up Thompson, had to pull wire twice.

The trail is an endurance test IMO. 33 mile long rock garden, you get beat to death. I couldn't imagine doing it 4-5 times a year. Scenery is simply spectacular.
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  #11  
Old 02-05-2004, 04:10 PM
Jeff Weston Jeff Weston is offline
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I guess I should qualify my statement on the dust. Both times I ran the Dusy were late in the season, probably mid to late September. That time of the year the Rubicon is also quite dusty. Like the Rubicon, I'd imagine the Dusy is a lot less dusty earlier in the season. That said, I'd try to hit the trail midseason to avoid cold weather. At that altitude it gets a bit nippy. Overall, it's definitely a fun, scenic trail. Highlights include Chicken Rock (wouldn't want to lose a driveshaft on that climb), Thompson Hill, Widow(maker?) rock. Warning: watch out for those nasty roots and branches that like to eat tires. This is definitely not a trail to leave the spare behind!
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Old 02-05-2004, 04:11 PM
igofshn igofshn is offline
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Re: Dusy trail

Quote:
Originally posted by Stu Olson
What Califonia county is Shaver Lake, CA located in?

Or.....I am looking for the names of the USGS topo 7.5' quad maps that cover the Dusy-Ershim trail.

Or the lat and long of a point on the trail would work too.

Any help towards finding the appropriate quad maps would be appreciated.
Stu,

It's in Fresno county.
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  #13  
Old 02-05-2004, 04:26 PM
Wind_Danzer Wind_Danzer is offline
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This sounds like a great place, anyone got pics???

EDIT: Ok so I clicked the one link, nice stuff.
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  #14  
Old 02-05-2004, 04:35 PM
bob91yj bob91yj is offline
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Here's some pics of our trip...
http://www.jeepaholics.com/trips/alb...ir=dusy0802/Al

I've got the YJ with the yellow cage.
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Old 02-05-2004, 04:45 PM
Wind_Danzer Wind_Danzer is offline
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J-E-A-L-O-U-S......

Ok, I really need to hit this place now.
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  #16  
Old 02-05-2004, 06:32 PM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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Jeff,

OK....I found a couple of DRG sites. One of them gives me a quick crossference from quad name to quad map name. The other lets me easily download the .TIF and .TFW files for my mapping application. It pumps the files out a 1 Mbit so I am not complaining.

Thanks again for the quad name....an easy way to get what I wanted.
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Old 02-05-2004, 06:56 PM
norcaljr norcaljr is offline
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Re: Re: Dusy trail

Quote:
Originally posted by igofshn
Stu,

It's in Fresno county.

I dont think so, If its near Coyote lake then it shoud be Madera or Kings county. Those are both east and north east of fresno county.
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  #18  
Old 02-05-2004, 07:46 PM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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While I do believe it is in Fresno County, it makes no difference at this point in time.

I have my GPS plot laid out for the entire trail, all 30 something miles of it.

Now I'll copy the maps onto my flash drive, plug it into the Toughbook that is mounted in the Jeep, and have all the data transfered in a minute or so. Oh yes, I love this techie stuff!
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Old 02-05-2004, 08:01 PM
igofshn igofshn is offline
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Re: Re: Re: Dusy trail

Quote:
Originally posted by norcaljr
I dont think so, If its near Coyote lake then it shoud be Madera or Kings county. Those are both east and north east of fresno county.
I live in kings county. Coyote is in Fresno County as well as the Dusy.
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Old 02-05-2004, 08:54 PM
TJP TJP is offline
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GREAT senic trail. In Sept. they should call it the Dusty. I had to take off my air cleaner and beat the dirt off of it after my engine quit running. We did this trail in a day and a half with a dozen well prepared Jeeps and no serious delays. Take plenty of spares, it's a long way to go for parts!
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Old 02-06-2004, 06:32 AM
bob91yj bob91yj is offline
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Whoa, that's way too fast for me, I like to stop and smell the roses, enjoy the views. Especially after the road trip just to get there.

Our schedule ended up getting screwed up, and we made it a 4 day trip, originally scheduled for 5 days. Our group does a 5 day trip to either the Dusy or the Rubicon annually. We go from M-F, with Tues, and Thursday always being off days. At the Rubicon we spend an off day at Spider and Rubicon Springs. On the Dusy, Thompson, and Ershim Lakes are the site of our siesta's.

Dusy carnage as I remember it...
YJ vacuum disco failed
YJ fuel pump failed (wired/plumbed in an external pump)
CJ front shackle hangar torn off (battery welded back together)
YJ D30 297X ujoint coming apart, cir-clip came off (change u-joint)

The fuel pump was a major concern when it failed. Stock YJ/TJ is in the tank. Fortunately one of the CJ guys had a spare external, high pressure fuel pump. We spliced it into the fuel line, and stock wiring harness. I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to pull fuel through the stock pump. It did, and still does today to the best of my knowledge. I now carry an external fuel pump in my spares box.

I can't stress enough how brutal this trail is. It's not technical at all, just beats you to death.
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Old 02-06-2004, 07:23 AM
igofshn igofshn is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by bob91yj


The fuel pump was a major concern when it failed. Stock YJ/TJ is in the tank. Fortunately one of the CJ guys had a spare external, high pressure fuel pump. We spliced it into the fuel line, and stock wiring harness. I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to pull fuel through the stock pump. It did, and still does today to the best of my knowledge. I now carry an external fuel pump in my spares box.

.

I always wondered if it would pull through the stock fuel pump/filter.
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Old 02-06-2004, 08:15 AM
JLemieux JLemieux is offline
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Love that place. Been through it 11 times and still want to go back. Take some time and don't hurry. The average guy with good equipment will take 3 days. If you start at Courtwright Res., the first day to Thompsom lake is the longest. Plan on spending 8 hrs a day on the trail for the first and second days (Thompson and then Ershim lake camps). Ershim lake - out is 9 miles and might take 4 hrs. Our last trip we had 4 Jeeps and three of them pulled trailers. Had a great time as always.
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Old 02-06-2004, 10:30 AM
Handlebars Handlebars is offline
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Thumbs up

Yes it is dusty. Be sure to check your vehicle over thouroghly before you leave. Mosquito repellent is also a good idea if you go early in the season like August. don't go the first weekend of hunting season in September either. I found that one out the hard way.






Chicken Rock


Thompson Hill, where you gain 1000 feet of elevation in one mile.


In this jungle, every girl needs a Jeep. More Thompson Hill.


Your reward: Dusy Meadow


Thompson Lake


Lakecamp Meadow.


It's a beautiful trail that gives a rare 4x4 wilderness experience but once a year is plenty for me.
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Old 02-07-2004, 07:56 AM
Stu Olson Stu Olson is offline
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The dust in the above pics sure reminds me of that on the Rubicon. I remember that every time I would start the engine, a cloud of it would roll out from under the Jeep.
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Old 02-07-2004, 07:12 PM
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nice pix
One of them days I should be able to vacation in CA and do some trails
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  #27  
Old 02-09-2004, 11:37 AM
Cement_guy Cement_guy is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Stu Olson
I think this did it.

You put in info about the area you are looking for and poof, you got coordinates!

http://www.waypoint.org/gpsf-name0.html
Hey Stu, this is a cool place for freebee topo maps. The free ones are pretty good, but of course the super fine ones require membership.............

http://www.topozone.com/
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  #28  
Old 02-09-2004, 11:56 AM
Robert J. Yates Robert J. Yates is offline
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Anybody have any advice for tow vehcile storage up there? What about last gas and proximity to the trail head. Thanx.
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  #29  
Old 02-09-2004, 12:42 PM
Handlebars Handlebars is offline
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Tow vehicle? You have a Cherokee, what would you need a tow vehicle for?

Last time I went one of the guys left his tow on one of the dirt roads at the White Bark overlook. Another possibility is to see if you can leave it at the boat docks at Shaver Lake.

There is a gas station at the end of the 4 lane highway (168?) that takes debit cards 24 hours. There is another one at Dinkey Creek but it is 8-5 I think. It wouldn't be a bad idea to carry one full gas can on the trail, I found out that one the hard way too.



If you have an extra day to spend after the trail I highly recommend driving all of the way to the end of the road to Edison Lake. It's a beautiful, if somewhat treacherous drive but the Vermillion Valley Resort at the lake has AWESOME grub and hospitality that I have never found comparison to. I spent quite a bit of time there on my road trip/through hike. You'll also pass by the Mono Hot Springs, can you say hot bath?

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  #30  
Old 02-09-2004, 12:56 PM
Robert J. Yates Robert J. Yates is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Handlebars
Tow vehicle? You have a Cherokee, what would you need a tow vehicle for?
Because I would be bringing the real Jeep

Seriously, thanx for the tips on gas and parking Alex. Did anyone in your group do any fishing on your trip?
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