Calico - January 18, 2025 Club Run

[Jbird Lexus]

The club is planning the usual run to Calico on January 18 and anyone is welcome to join us. This run can either be a scenic day trip or overnight trip depending on your time frame (and the weather!). The club run will be on the milder trails around Calico Ghost Town (not on Doran or Odessa). This run will be suitable for stock vehicles but keep in mind a couple of spots are challenging and may either be passable with spotting or through a bypass (I don't guarantee you will not get any scratches!). The plan for the day trip is to meet on Saturday (Jan. 18) at the intersection of Calico Road and Mule Canyon Road (click here for map) at 8:30 A.M. and head out on the trail at 9:00.

Attached is a Google Earth file with the approximate route of the trail we ran last year (trails marked in red and yellow). I am planning to follow the same route again this year since the trail has a few challenges and we can usually make reasonable time with a large group. Let me know if you have any other trail ideas to consider.

If you have any questions, post up or message me. Message me if you want my phone number. For our Ham operators, let's use channel 146.535.

If you are planning on attending please post here or message me so we do not leave anyone behind. Thanks!

See this link for photos from last year’s run: Calico 2024

I'm planning on being there.. We'll be camping out friday night.. Bring.
Ing the 1st gen 4runner

 

[Brentbba]

Unless there's an exit to the freeway no later than 3pm, I'm out. Need to be back home and showered by 6pm.

 

[Otis]

I can't guarantee an exit to the freeway before 3:00 unless you head out on your own... However, it is pretty easy to get out of there fairly quickly if you are on your own...

 

[Brentbba]

Ok, I think I'll pass.

 

[Toyboy251]

I’ll be there.

 

[Katsuo70]

I'm coming for the day run. Should be there at 8:30am.

 

[gryt4r]

Plan on meeting Andree (in another T4r who will be joining us on this run) at EddieWorld to top off gas and and get snacks at 8:15am Saturday. We will do the run with the club, but plan on shredding some frozen dirt Saturday Night and Sunday up in Big Bear so we'll be camping up there Saturday night (if anyone else is interested).

 

[Elsee100]

We will be there! Planning to camp out if weather permits…

 

[Otis]

Hey all - I'm looking forward to our Calico run! Based on who has gotten back to me, it looks like we'll expect to see the following:

Day Trip:

1. Chris (Otis) - 100 Series
2. Rich and Katelin (rpfzj80) - 2nd gen 4Runner
3. Dave M. (Big Wave Dave) - Lexus GX550
4. Marc (oc cruiser 97) - 80 Series
5. Larry and Kathy - Bronco (or possibly 80 Series)
6. Evan (grytfr) - 5th Gen 4Runner
7. Andree - 5th Gen 4Runner
8. Rob (Katsuo70) - 80 Series
9. Joel (Toyboy251) - Jeep that wants to be a LC
10. 1tuffcruiser - FJ Cruiser
11. Dave (Live to Ski) - 100 Series
12. Brendan (Elsee100) - 100 Series
13. Carlos (menancyandsam) - 100 Series

Camping Friday Night:

1. Jay (Jaybird Lexus) - 1st Gen 4Runner

Camping Saturday Night:

1. ???

See you out there!

 

[Live to Ski]

yo chris, you forgot me...the wanderer

for da day

 

[Elsee100]

See y’all there! We will be joining the day trip as well. Cheers

 

[menancyandsam]

I'll be there, forgot to reply.
Carlos

 

[DirtyRice Joe]

Hey all - I was really hoping to make this run, but I have family here with us from Pasadena. They were only about a mile south of the southern edge of the Eaton fire, so their air and water quality have been impacted. I'll enjoy some family time, and hope to see you all on the February Big Bear run. have fun!

 

[Toyboy251]

At Peggy Sue

 

[Live to Ski]

apologies in advance....missed the alarm/etd. One less cat to herd

 

[Ttoner80]

I’ve tried but can’t make it. Looks like lots of rigs joining the run. Have fun! And post pics, lots of pics!

 

[rockcod]

What a fun trip!! Thanks for leading the run Chris and not letting me take the “easy” way!! Look forward to the next run!

 

[Otis]

Wow! I think this was the most attended club run that I am aware of, 17 rigs... I expected about 14 rigs (which is a lot!) and assumed a few would not make it as usually happens. This time we had only one last minute drop out and at least four show up that I did not count on. Overall, considering the number of rigs and various drivers' experience I think the run went well. We had one 40 break down that put us back about a half hour (thanks Rich for getting it going and accompanying him back to the highway) and one stuck (a 100 series that turtled on a rock) that took about 15 minutes to get going again (thanks again Rich for getting him unstuck!). The group split up after the Bismark Mine with some electing to take the easier route out and others taking a harder route. I think most of the group made it to the highway by around 3:00 (sorry Brent!) and the rest of us made it out by about 4:30.

I think that if we have another run where we expect a group this large we should consider splitting up into two groups beforehand to make it a little more manageable. After we split the group towards the end of yesterday's run I started thinking that it would have been better to have had an "official" group leader to make sure everyone got out to the highway without any issues. In any case, I hope everyone that attended had a good time!

See this link for photos that I took (sorry that I did not get many from the back half of the group...): Calico 2025

 

[Live to Ski]

that's what I call a "herd"....or a posse...or a ......

Don't recall that step feature from our previous club run. New trail?

thanks chris for allowing us awol-ers to live vicariously thru your photos!

 

[Otis]

We took the same trail that we usually run. I think the "step" that you are referring to is on the optional harder route...

I added some photos from Evan and Andree to the photo album... Calico 2025