Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead 9/8-9/11

[DBS311]

This will be my first time to this area and I am looking for some advice from those of you who have experience there. My wife and I will be camping and off roading this weekend (I plan on at least Deep Creek and Holcomb Creek) and I was wondering what pass is needed to recreate, and if anyone has a favorite camp site with decent facilities. Don't flame me!! I only ask because my wife is 7 months pregnant and doesn't want to squat next to a tree. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

If anyone else happens to be in the area and spots my red 62 (SOA and 37's) stop by and chat; maybe even wheel a couple trails with us.

 

[clownmidget]

Give Hannah Flats campground a try. You may not be able to get a spot camping there with short notice but then again, it all depends on what folks are doing. Anyway, it's a nice campground and right off Holcomb valley and in my experience used more by families and not single male drinking clowns. You should give Gold Mtn trail a run on the way (from east to west) towards John Bull. White Mtn from west to east was nice too with lots of ridgeline views and challenging enough but not too much for a preggers wife.

As far as I've been told by forest service folks, you only need to pay camping fees and the Adventure Pass has been killed. The trails don't require you to do anything.

Forgot to mention to be wary of the afternoon thunderstorms that might be hitting the higher elevations.

 

[snailwagon]

Forest Adventure passes are still kind of needed. They are not enforced often, but can be. Recently, camping rules for the area have changed. Instead of being stuck in campgrounds, you can pretty much camp whereever as long as your vehicle is parked on an open route. In cases like this and camping in yellow stake campsites are the only times you would need a pass.

Hannah Flats is probably the most civilized of all the campgrounds. Holcolmb Valley campground is ok, but not as nice. You can even get a cabin of sorts in Big Bear, Green Valley, or anywhere around there.

Tell your wife to hold on tight, we're running dishpan springs, then holcomb creek, then john bull. Running dishpan springs from the Arrowhead side and then hitting Holcolmb Creek is a nice afternoon drive. If you are worried about John Bull, it is easier going west to east. Have fun and enjoy the dry, silty dust, or torrential downpours, one or the other.

 

[jb welda]

>single male drinking clowns

HEY! i resemble that remark!

all except the "drinking" part but ive had my moments.

have fun!

one love
jah bill

 

[DBS311]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will definitely give Hannah Flats campground a try. Hopefully there will be an open site. In case it's full, does Crab Flats have a reputation towards family or party types?

 

[Brentbba]

Stayed at Crab Flats recently. Very clean facilities and the weekend we were there had no beer guzzling asshats. Your campground fee covers parking your trucks.

You'd better be highly lifted/modified. We took a look at Dishpan from the Crab Flats side and the entrance there was not pretty. We had a couple of stock trucks, so just turned around. Local that had just watched a group of highly modified/lifted heeps go thru and said there were a couple of sections on the reopened Dishpan that he would compare to the worse of Rubicon. His words. We didn't run it.

 

[Taz]

holcomb .....as bad as the rubicon?? That sounds like a good time...when are we going ?

 

[calstyl2]

Gonna be muddy up there, got hit by some big cells the last two days, anybody done Rattlesnake Canyon? one of the few I have never been on

 

[Shahram]

...the Adventure Pass has been killed...

Huh? Please do tell...you're getting me excited.

 

[DBS311]

I want to do Rattlesnake just to check out Pioneertown.

Snailwagon, when are you planning your Dishpan/Holcomb/John Bull marathon? Anyone else planning on being around Big Bear this weekend??? Haven't gotten stuck or broke anything in a while..........................

 

[calstyl2]

I was on the Sawtooth Fire in August, most of the area is moonscaped and the Yucca and Joshua trees are sadly gone, the area is a nice area, I am just curious about Rattlesnake, If my 97 was not my only driver right now while my 40 gets a new motor I would be up for a run, hopefully soon

 

[clownmidget]

Huh? Please do tell...you're getting me excited.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/welcome.shtml

I spoke with the rangers and they said that the Adventure Pass is only required where they have a "capital investment". He said that essentially means toilets, maintained campsites, etc. It did not include just your run of the mill road/trail maintenance. So for just going up for a day and running the typical trails no pass is needed - at least that is the information I was provided at the ranger station.

 

[DBS311]

I took the 37's off and put my 35's on for Big Bear this weekend. After running 37's for so long, the 35's look TINY. Main reason I did this was because I am still running the stock 4.11's and the 35's will be marginally better on the drive up from SD. Hopefully I won't get up there and need more tire. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. I'll post pics of the trip monday or tuesday.

 

[snailwagon]

You'd better be highly lifted/modified. We took a look at Dishpan from the Crab Flats side and the entrance there was not pretty. We had a couple of stock trucks, so just turned around. Local that had just watched a group of highly modified/lifted heeps go thru and said there were a couple of sections on the reopened Dishpan that he would compare to the worse of Rubicon. His words. We didn't run it.

you so crazy

The first section is way easier than it looks, it is very high traction on that granite. There are only two spots that are difficult, one especially so if you don't have a locker. But a stocker with the willingness to get a battle mark or three can make it no problem. The stock height 55 does it. Even a friends itsy bitsy piece o' crap wrangler on 31" tires rolls it.

 

[Taz]

Doesn't sound like it was the Rubicon I've seen.

 

[DaveWest5150]

NOTHING at Big Bear is even close to Rubicon.... I could drive my 1 ton chevy through out Big Bear and still be home for dinner.
Big Bear is nice and in some spots is intresting... but it's not the Rubicon.
I would say any stock 4x4 with a good driver could make all the trails... John Bull, Dishpan springs, Holcomb creek...etc.... just compare them to the Rubicon

 

[Ian Rogers]

holcomb .....as bad as the rubicon?? That sounds like a good time...when are we going ?

I have run both

holcomb on 30" arb locker rear, gears No big deal

rubicon on 34" arb F/R, gears, sliders broke- steering wheel, rockers/sliders rear shackles.


the two trails are like a fire road and a hard trail.

 

[alvarorb]

NOTHING at Big Bear is even close to Rubicon.... I could drive my 1 ton chevy through out Big Bear and still be home for dinner.

I was beginning to get exited about this trail...
We need to take Brent on the Rubicon.

Regards

Alvaro

 

[DaveWest5150]

Dont get me wrong, Big Bear is fun, it is beautiful up there and you dont have to drive 12 hours to get there. going up Dishpan springs/Deep creek would probably be the most difficult IMO, I have seen it done by a stock X-TERRA that might give you an idea how difficut it really is.

 

[clownmidget]

Alvaro, it's still more than worthy of coming down and running the trails. As on any trail it is also the line you decide to take. Yes, you can take a stock rig through most stuff but I'll gladly offer to have one play some "follow the leader" with me

No it's not the Rubicon but folks still manage to flop, break a bunch of their junk, and mangle plenty of sheetmetal so it has to have something going for it.