Sierra Trek

[71BRONCO71]

Is anyone from here planning on attending? I have wanted to do this trip for a while and its coming up soon.

http://www.cal4wheel.com/index.php?o...d=52&Itemid=69

[Broncrick]

Re: Sierra Trek

Beautiful trail

[PDXBronco]

Re: Sierra Trek

Looks like Fordyce trail? Who has been on it and can give an idea of what its like, looks like a good trail. Some I have talked to perfer it to the Rubicon due to how packed the Rubicon can get.

[jchevy4x4j]

Re: Sierra Trek

I have been going to Sierra Trek every year since 1999. I LOVE IT! Prefer Fordyce over the Rubicon any day of the week. Camping at Meadow Lake is a blast. I will actually be there early before the event. July 31st - August 8th since I cant make the event itself. If you are up there come get a

Winch Hill 1 and 4 to me are more difficult.

I can send you all kinds of pics if you are interested!

[Bronco Brian]

Re: Sierra Trek

I will be there Don't know when i will be going up yet.

http://www.norcalbroncos.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=6597

[PDXBronco]

Re: Sierra Trek

I might have to put it on the list or at the minimum put a NCB Fordyce run together for next year.

[gddyap]

Re: Sierra Trek

I've done Fordyce completely twice and the lower half once. At last year's Trek they split the trail up, lower and upper. I would put it on par with the Rubicon. Some say it can be more difficult. The lower half of the trail is WH1 and WH2. We ended up bypassing WH1 last year due to traffic and having our then 2yo with us. Someone was broken near the top and there were 5 or 6 waiting. The kid fell asleep a couple times including up WH2. There were a lot of times when we were on the trail by ourselves with no one around. Made my wife nervous but also made it quiet. Since Trek is a fully organized event, they won't leave you stranded. There are clubs at each WH and tail gunners on each trail run sweeping the trail. Plus at the halfway point is the "committee trail" which is a bailout in case you are badly broken. It's a dirt road that takes you back to Cisco Grove. I think the worst part, while understandable, is having to get up for a 6am start. I think they want to give people the most amount of time in case there are issues. If you do the whole trail, it can make for a long day. I think the first time I did it, we hit the trail at 630-7 and made it to Meadow Lake mid to late afternoon. There was enough time to set up camp and take a hot shower. Yes, one of the clubs had hot showers set up for a small donation. That year we had stayed with family in Sac and then got up at like 4am to drive up 80 to the trailhead. The next time we went to Meadow the night before and then had to drive around to the trailhead really early. There could be a significant amount of street driving depending on how you arrange it since basecamp is back at Meadow Lake. I didn't mind the Cisco Grove base camp as much as others did. I thought the facility was very nice and convenient.
I'd go this year again but we'll be in Chicago that weekend to visit my soon to be born niece.

[Daddy4zack]

Re: Sierra Trek

ohh I want to go.. Pics Please.... So the trail is 9.5 miles?? is this usually done in one or two days? How much is Sierra Treck?

[DirtDonk]

Re: Sierra Trek

Great event! They do a pretty good job (most years) of getting vendors and local 4WD shops to set up booths on the "midway" at the lake. Hope it's not too hard for the shops and manufacturers to justify the expense this year, with all the budget-cutting going on.
Good to see it's back up at the lake too, instead of down at the Cisco Grove campground, but it sure must've made it a treat to get started on the trail, without the long drive to the trail-head, those last couple of years!
I wonder if people complained, or they just got permission to use the lake again?
Anybody know about the change?

Anyway, whether you like crowds or not, I think the Sierra Trek is a must-do kind of event. At least once. It can be fun, lots of rigs to look at, plenty of decent (sometimes great!) food to be had, lots of good people, and just basically a fun time to be had.
Personally I prefer a more casual trip with a few friends, but the party atmosphere, and the food, and the fun (not to mention the raffle!) are worth experiencing at least once. And it supports a good group in the CA4WD Association.
And the trail can definitely be challenging in some spots, as was mentioned.

Just set up camp far away from the fire-pit!!!!
Unless you like to party all night that is...

Paul

[BigHarvey56]

Re: Sierra Trek

i have only ran part of the trail and from what i have seen of it i want to run the whole thing. if i make trek this year it will be to help the mendo club out with saturday night dinner, do to the new job. and my rig is down too.

[Stone Pony]

Re: Sierra Trek

Excellent trail (I've ran it about half a dozen times now) and fun event. Well worth the money. If I remember right it is about $140 per person for Thurs-Sun. Includes breakfast and dinner, entertainment and some trails. If your not interested in the organized trail runs, there are several areas to go play on the rocks. Mostly, it is a family event with the adult crowd enjoying some beverages and bench wheeling. Meadow Lake is beautiful, but the Cisco Grove area was more convenient for family. I may be going this year, depends on if the money comes through or not. I might only be able to bring my "street" bronco and if I do, it will be limited on the trail running (it's not set up for my heavy right foot).

[Franked]

Re: Sierra Trek

OK, Is this drive your Tow-rig, camp there, and wheel out each day?

Or is it wheeling to where you camp?

It would be much easier on me to not have to load all the gear on the Jeep, I wouldn't feel so tippy with all the crap in the bag on top, I could go Bikini top. Are there bathrooms if there is a camp? someone give me the scoop.

[Stone Pony]

Re: Sierra Trek

You can either wheel in and out from the trail head at the Eagle Lakes exit or from Cisco grove, or drive your tow rig into Meadow Lake and wheel in and out of there during the day.I'm not sure of the names of the exits and roads that head up to Meadow, but I'm sure its on the Cal 4 Wheel website. Personally, I'm going to trailer in and take wheeling excursions during the day. I tend to stay away from the organized runs...I don't like the crowds.

[Franked]

Re: Sierra Trek

I take it that means the organized runs will be out from Meadow lake? I've never been to any of these places(Just the 'con). I'll set up my rig differently If I can camp out of the tow rig(bikini, NOT Safari rack, etc.) lighter on top. May get Randy talked into going on this one.

[Franked]

Re: Sierra Trek

Marc D. you going on this?