... sorry no pics or trip report yet. Still gotta unload, take a shower, prep for Monday and sleep first... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

An excellent trip, thank you for organizing Ray! The group from the north headed down through Pozo OHV and then visited Soda Lake and Painted Rock. The group from the south hit up Azusa. Both groups converged Saturday night at Hungry Valley SVRA and welcomed additions Sunday morning for a great day of offroading in beautiful weather.

Click Here for Original Planning Thread

Attendees:
Ray/off-roader -- Mitsubishi Montero
Michael/Grasscat -- Mitsubishi Montero
Joanna/BlossomCA -- Toyota 4Runner
Carlos/cap510 with Joseph -- Mitsubishi Montero
Nick/NickR with B and Matthew -- Dodge Raider
Steve -- Jeep Wrangler
Tyson/tyty with Yoda -- Mitsubishi Montero
Naomi with Kaylee -- Nissan Pathfinder

Info on Hungry Valley SVRA:
This off road area is CaliforniaÆs second largest off-road vehicular recreation area, has hills and valleys, grassland, coastal sage scrub and oak woodland. The park is a motorcycle, four-wheel drive, and all-terrain vehicle use area. There are about 130 miles of marked trails for all levels of off-highway vehicle (OHV) operators and hikers, from flat and level trails to steep and narrow. Also, over 150 miles of National Forest off-road routes available.


I should be able to download my photos tonight...

This lady was lost, so I followed her



and she led me to this person. Don't ask, I have no idea what he's doing. Maybe resting on our many mile walking hike to see a painted rock.



So we team up only to find these folks, who were out for a Sunday drive



and we came upon this. Just one small scenic site out of many.

Michael, you should have been a story teller profesionally. Your use of images and words absolutley wonderful. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Nice write up Michael. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I'll start with a nice photo of Ray's rig...


Playing in the "4x4 Practice Area" of Hungry Valley SVRA <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Love that shot!

Uhh, Ray, that's not a lot of articulation. Is Michael trying to find a few more radii?

Look at that 37" stuffed on Carlos' rig? So cool!

Ray, me and Michael with Soda Lake just barely visible in the background


The trek to Painted Rock


More pics from the "4x4 Practice Area" -- Carlos




Steve


Gotta love a big hill that requires an immediate left turn at the top <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />
At least there's a sign.
I still don't think there's a turn warning at the top of Five Fingers Hill at Hollister!?


Ray


Naomi


Hmmmm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
[img]http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u296/Blossom2468/20100101HungryValley4x4Wire/3c2fbbee.jpg[/img]

LOL, no it's not but I haven't disconnected the anti sway bars yet nor have I put on the 2" spacers to allow for more stuffage in back... but it sure was tippy at that point. I along with everyone else who saw thought it was going over. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Anyhow, here are some pics so far...

California Coastline on the way to the first wheeling spot just south of Carmel / Monterey.


Unfortunately we found out too late that some were very uncomfortable with the pucker factor of this trail which was 8-12' wide with out guard rails and a long drop to the canyon floor if you mucked up. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/zombie.gif" alt="" />

So we elected to forego day one's trails and instead head further south to begin day 2's trail (Pozo OHV area) ahead of schedule. I was quite fine with this decision since day 2 was expected to be a very LONG driving day going over 200 miles mostly over tight, slow dirt road switchbacks going through a mountain range.

That would have meant a VERY, VERY long day 2.

Instead by getting to Pozo OHV a day ahead we were cutting almost a third off of day 2's driving.

After making camp and having dinner we sat around, BS'd and awaited a blue moon (3rd full moon within a month). Here's a
20 second night shot. Looks like daylight (if it doesn't your monitor's getting old and dim... sorry) but in fact it was dark with only moonlight to guide us if we didn't have flashlights.


You can see a 'ghost' image of Joanna taking pictures. Due to the darkness and long exposure it gives us this ghostly view of her as she's setting up her camera for a shot at the moon. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

The following morning we awoke at a reasonable hour, leisurely prepared and ate a nice breakfast, packed up camp and began our drive to the next destination, Soda Lake / Painted Rock.

Along the way we drove past several homes within the National Park lands.


Just love that round sign. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

We even passed a pretty neat but aging/decaying house built using odd sized field stones/rocks.


After a bit of driving we finally reached our next destination. Soda Lake. Soda Lake is an Alkali lake where not much lives fish wise other than brine shrimp.



While at the lake a guy drove up in an uber clean white Porsche 928. I commented to Joanna and Mike how I loved this cars classic shape & lines.

The driver and his gf/wife stepped out and he said 'feel free to steal my car but you have to leave one of your rigs behind' in exchange <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Apparently he liked our 4x4's more than his Porsche.

After a bit more driving we reached our 2nd destination of the day, Painted Rock.




Unfortunately Painted Rock was 1-2 miles away from the parking lot via a walking trail strategically designed to wind through the country side and tire out old folks or invalids like Mike and I <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Along the way we encounted some fauna
[img]http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/29103/2683404200104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

And evidence of coyotes (or maybe it was just someone's poodle) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
[img]http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/42743/2707176970104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

We were all so afraid we nearly pee'd our pants... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
[img]http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/44841/2709286530104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

We also saw some flora... (sort of)
[img]http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/6264/2530142580104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

Eventually we got to the painted rock. Here's Joanna in awe of the sight... (or maybe just tired from the long walk getting there <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> ) Don't laugh... we were all talking about how long a hike it was to this damned rock!
[img]http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/41392/2107006950104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
The rock is called painted rock because it contains paintings from both ancient and modern man
[img]http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/16204/2090479830104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
[img]http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/15276/2852976340104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
[img]http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/41029/2513767900104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
[img]http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/23946/2129874110104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
[img]http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/8508/2545196470104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

Was the hike worth a view at some pre-modern and post-modern expressionist are paintings? Only you can make that decision. So check it out.

After painted rock, we hiked back the 1-2 miles to our rigs and beat feet to our next destination... Hungry Valley SVRA in Gorman CA. I would be remiss however if I did not mention the miles and miles of dirt roads we traveled at speeds in excess of 60mph to get there.

Both Joanna and Mike agreed it was worth the walk to Painted Rock to take those dirt roads... except next time we'll skip the hike to painted rock and just get on those dirt roads and high speeds.

We arrived at Hungry Valley SVRA just as the sun was setting. We quickly set up camp and began cooking dinner while we waited for Carlos (cap510), Nick (NickR) and Steve (Nick's buddy) to arrive.
[img]http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/18168/2439938860104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]
[img]http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/12506/2437650850104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

While waiting for them to arrive we practiced taking pictures of the Blue Moon which was quite large in our clear skies that evening.
[img]http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/41921/2962226630104986527S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

(tbc. tomorrow after I finish going through the rest of the pictures)

The blue moon is the 2nd full moon within a month....

You will be waiting a REAL long time for the 3rd full moon in a month...

I guess I would be <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the clarification. This weekend was the first time I heard the origin of that phrase. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cyclops.gif" alt="" />