DrtRunner

This is to everyone...........

I am driving across the country at the end of May and early July.
I am starting from Fairfax, VA and going to Los Angeles, CA.
I am starting a new job out there.
So here is the question.........

Does anyone want to meet up and hit some trails in your home town????

Im going through West Virginia, Kenucky,Missouri, Kansas, COLORADO !!!, MOAB UTAH !!,
then either Nevada to Nor Cal. or Arizonia to SO.Cal.

Not sure yet and I am open to anyones suggestions !!!!

I will be camping and hopefully doin alot of wheelin'
I will have another Toyota Pick-up drivin caravan with me and we are lookin to have some FUN!!!!!!!!!!

If anyone wants to meet in Moab, or Colorado, or anywere actually please let me know.
If you'all are in camping.... even cooler!!
We will be living out of our vehicles expedition style !!
I need help with camping sites also, I need to find some good ones!!
Mountain biking is also on the list of must do.
Thanks everyone for your help.
If I can generate enogh interest Id like to make this into a documentary on Toyota Trucks and the Coast-toCoast adventure.
Coming to a town near you!!!!!!!!!!

PhxTRDRunner

Haha, sounds good man, let me know if you come down into AZ and we can hit the trails

AznSky

yeah I'll be back in az during that time too, maybe I can tag along with you guys!

Robinhood150

Sounds like fun. For the norcal to socal leg you have 2 options.

1. Take 395 south through the sierras
2. Take hwy 1 down the coast.

First hit tahoe for some mountain biking, fishing, and gambling. Also close by is the Rubicon, slick rock, strawberry creek trail, deer valley and more. From tahoe you have the choice of heading toward the coast or heading down to the sierras.

1. Hwy 395 through the sierras: from tahoe head down 395 toward mammoth lakes. Stop by the walker river for some river fishing, then get a Soft Serve ice cream cone at the hamburger place in Bridgeport. You can camp there for a while and do some hiking and lake fishing at bridgeport reservoir or Twin Lakes. Visit the ghost town of Bodie, a couple miles south of bridgeport.

Continue on to Mammoth Lakes or June lakes and camp there for about a week. Do some more hiking, fishing and mountain biking around the June lake area. Explore the logging roads in that area and find the Obsidian Dome and the Chalk mines. Mammoth is famous for mountain bike and is home to the kamikazee downhilling event. They also have a pretty good mountain bike park. Equally as famous is the fly fishing so don't forget your float tubes or rent some. There are dozens and dozens of lakes in the mammoth and june lakes area. Lots are truck accessible and even more are available to hiking. Be sure to find Laural lakes for some light off roading and fishing. This is the only lake in the area where you can catch golden trout without hiking.

Oh, also relatively near by is yosemite. Be prepared for tourist up the wazoo, but probably worth it if you've never been there.

From mammoth head south to bishop and stop by the beef jerky place and especially Schat's bakery. They have the best bread, sandwiches and pies anywhere.

South of Bishop is Death Valley, but at that time of the year be prepared for some real heat. Lots of mild off roading and some otherwise cool sights to see. South of there ( I think it's south of DV) is Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp during WW2.

From there it's just a straight shot to LA, not much else to see.

2. South on HWY 1 on the coast: from Tahoe head to the San Francisco bay area. Do the tourist thing and walk around SF, hit fisherman's warf, go to the metreon, monteray, santa cruz board walk, etc. From here, you can also head to yosemite which is about 4-5 hours east. While you're in SF you can also hit Hollister hills off road park, home of the tough truck challenge.

Also hit the wine country in Napa and sonoma valleys. The birthplace of mountain biking, Marin, is also nearby but I don't know much about where to go.

From SF, head south on hwy1 which hugs the coast, a very scenic drive. Stop by Big Sur for some hiking and camping. I think there's mountain biking there, but not sure. Southward on hwy1, is Hearst Castle. Pretty much a tourist trap, but probably worth it. An hour or two south is San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach. SLO has a nice downtown to walk around in, but is a college town, lots of college girls. There is mild rockcrawling in the hills, but when you come for our pismo trip, you'll find out all about it. For mountain biking head to Montana de Oro state park. Really scenic single track because it is right on the coast. Also head up to TV antenna hill for a fire road to one of the tallest mountains in the area.

From SLO/Pismo head south on 101 to Santa Barbara. A nice place to visit, but I don't know too much about the area. It's also a college town. From SB head down to LA on the 101, also really scenic and lots of places to stop and go surfing.

Continue on to LA.

When you see a heavy, grey cloud hanging in the air, and you can't go more than 5mph on the freeway even though the speed limit is 65 and it's midnight, then you'll know you're made it to LA. Welcome home.

Steve

DSP

Nice Bro...
I just drove x-country last week to Boston, and am flying back to Colorado Tuesday. 39 Hrs.

I live 2 hours from Moab...in Telluride, CO.

This time of year, it seems I'm down there every weekend climbing & camping..

I don't know if our times will coincide...but, I certainly can give you some of the best trails that i know of to hit...not to mention some of the best scenery you have ever laid eyes on. A LOT of the colorado trails my way will be totally snowcovered but....there are tons once you shoot out to Utah. I can see Moab (The La Sals) from my house...crazy huh...its like 100 miles.

Anyway, good luck with your trip and avoid the 5.0
Dave

FattyCBR

Have you already definitely decided on a middle route through the US (in other words West Virginia, Kenucky,Missouri, Kansas)? I've driven from PA to Idaho taking a northern route through the midwest up to Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, then Idaho and I've also gone from PA to New Mexico taking a southern route through Arkansas and Texas to NM. I would definitely say the northern route has more potential for awesome sights if you like mountains and such.

If you change your mind and take a northern route I would recommend hitting Devils Lake in WI, Devils Tower in SD, The Badlands in SD, Black Hills and that National Monument with the 3 presidents on the mountain (sorry brainfart can't remember the name), Big Horn Mts. in WY, Jackson Hole, Red Hills, and Tetons in WY (Go to Jackson Hole Brewery and get some awesome beer), Yellowstone in WY/MT, and then into Idaho where there is a butt load of awesome mountains.

Anyway just another option, I think the weather and camping/ hiking would be a lot better to taking a middle route but that's just my 2 cents. Whichever route you take just have a great time and be safe.

Los Gatos?

Too bad you're leaving so soon, I plan to drive my '85 pickup to Oregon this summer (from Pennsylvania) camping and biking and backpacking as well!!! I am also considering hauling along a "one man camera crew" to document the trip. I also want to hit Mexico so we may be going up through california as well!!!! I can't wait to start planning it, I already have some rough ideas.....

Meejay

DrtRunner,

I'm driving from Kansas City to L.A. around the exact same time as you. I am also starting a new job out there. Who will you be working for? That would be crazy if we were working for the same corporation!

Meejay

I

Flygtenstein

Any ideas on ball park times of where and when?

I will be cruising west, but not headed as far.

Fatty, have you been to Devil's Lake? If so, was it recently?

FattyCBR

Fly-

I was there in June of 98 for one night of camping. It was awesome we drove along the lake and there were these giant boulders coming down to the road. It rained overnight and when we woke up there was fog everywhere.

The next night we camped in Blue Mounds and mistakenly bought some near beer (3.2% alcohol) thinking it was normal beer. We were all wondering why we couldn't get a buzz on. The next day all the TAs were laughing at us because they knew the whole time.

That trip was the best I've ever taken in the US.

Ric

hey im there, im kinda new to wheeling, not sure of to many places around kansas city to legally wheel, but if you stop, id be more than happy to do some wheeling with ya, ive heard of a few place around here, but never been yet.
Ric

Albuquerque Jim

If you are taking I-40 west you will go right through Albuquerque, NM. It would be cool to hook up. There are a lot of cool places to go here.

MNBOY

I did a trip last fall from Maine to Tucson and back, and spent a bunch of time in the Moab, Southern Utah area. If you want some pointers on good places to go and free places to camp, let me know the route you think you'll take and I can put some stuff together. I used to work as a guide out there and know the area pretty well. Have fun on the trip.

DrtRunner

Once again guys I am impressed with the amount of quality replies I get on this forum. Thanks.

Robinhood150- you brought up some great ideas. Im now reconsidering my NO.Cal to So.Cal route.

Has anyone done the Rubicon? This is a trail I have wanted to hit for a long time and always heard you need at least 33s and lockers front and rear? Is this true? Ive got 32s and a rear locker and the other truck in the caravan has 31s and no locker.

As I hear more relpies I will be finalizing ny trip route as it stands now we are goin to Moab and then after we are not sure.

Colorado trails are a big interest for me, Id really like to hear about them to- we will be in Boulder and Denver for a couple days then goin to Moad via highway 70.

Anywone driven from Moab to Yellowstone?

Thanks again

rimpainter.com

Yeah, lets get an AZ run going. How about Crown King?

You guys have to be nice because I dont have rock sliderz...yet.

Flygtenstein

Where did you camp CBR? I know the lake like the back of my hand, grew up in Baraboo and have spent many hours there. What a small world after all.

If you come south on 25 in Colorado, you will be cruising past a lot of cool truck shops if you need anything. If you come in on 76 from Nebraska, there is not much but grass until Denver.

Shout when you are going through that part of town, it would be cool to wheel and/or have a beer or something.

FattyCBR

I really don't remember, I just took a look at my notes again and they aren't any more descriptive than to say Baraboo/Devil's Lake. I know we were pretty close to the lake inside the two mountains.

TDiddy

I second everything that Robinhood150 said. How will we know when you're local?

prolax13

Drive south through North Carolina and then west through Tenessee. Great 4-wheeling and camping around here.

DrtRunner

This is great you guys are really helpin with the trips plans here-
I will be posting dates of were I will be over the next week.

Thanks- Im startin to get excited !!!!!!!!!!!