1/20 Day Trip - Lower Coyote Canyon Trail - Anza Borrego

I'm trying to look at a few more options also, a little closer would be ideal but I'm not totally oppose riding out to SD Just yet. It's about a 2 hour drive for me and for that distance if I drive 2 hours north I'm in Vegas Are you bringing the fam with you?

 

I really want to.join but trying to figure out of the wife works that weekend. If she does then i have dad duties to take care of my boys . If she doesnt work sje was wonderinf if you guys are bringinf the family out or just the men? Ill keep i guys posted also keep me updated on the spot. Im willing to drive a littler but not 2.5 hours lol

 

Also I have little to no experience off roading so i hope you guys dont mind.

 

No worries. My wife likes to go wheeling with me. Last time I went, my buddy had his kids and they had a blast

 

It would be good for me to do, IF y'all are good with it. Get them on board with my new obsession. If your wife wants to come, that'll be great! Or, not?!

I read that @eccracer104 met his g.f. through Tacomas.com, so if she joins in, seems it could be a good open first event. Whatever you guys want though, I'll fall in.

And, to be clear, I'm not trying to pressure you guys into planning my adventuring. I'll probably check out something closer to my home between now and our meet. But I'm very much looking forward to a meet-up Tundras play date with you homies!

 

All good, it's all about having fun.

 

If everyone here planning to go goes... I guarantee you it won’t be just men.

 

No worries, we'll sort it out. Its for your bday lol

 

It sounds like we could make at least this first run family-friendly. I'm good with that any time, or tagging along with "just the men". So there's no confusion, I'm a gal, not a guy. So lots of great reasons for all of us to bring our families along the first time, let everyone meet each other and get comfortable. And I am TOTALLY into bringing my son along-- and he's a big Tundra guy!!

No problem! I grew up in crazy snow, ice, mud, and poor backroads conditions, and learned to do almost everything in 2WD. (I drove everywhere in reverse-- the lowest gear, and put the "driving" tires at the "front" (haha! True.)

Sometime, reading this forum, I really regret that I didn't get a 4x4. But @eccracer104 drives a 2WD Tacoma (yeah, yeah, it has a locker....) and a lot of the guys who've checked in on this and the SoCal Shenanigans thread have 2WD or have never done off-reading.

The reason this is taking so long to plan is that we're trying to find a suitable first outing to accommodate the most number of interested members in the region (distance from home), plus be fun and pretty but also accessible to New off-roaders/ 2WD.

 

Hahaha! I just "came out" to my neighbors.

 

It's all good if you got 2wd. It's SoCal, we aren't exactly driving in crazy weather conditions. Although, it is a blistering 60 degrees right now.

 

Every trip should be family friendly! Much more enjoyable having a passenger too haha. And as for anyone whose first time it is, we've all been there. No way to learn other than getting out there and doing it. I'm sure this bunch would help out! No one gets left behind

Yep, we met at a Stone Brewery meet in Escondido! She'd be joining us as well and 2wd.


Oh also if you don't have one a HAM radio is an excellent (and inexpensive) way to communicate truck to truck. No one is required to have one by any means, but her and I will have ours. We use this radio -

$18 BAOFENG UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio (Black), 144-148MHz & 420-450MHz

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B007H4VT7A

 

I’m not even going... why am I the only one who voted?

 

Haha! 'Cause you know we want to be like you!! I'm tempted to vote now, just to see which you voted for.

 

I'm in for this, if I can get the day off.

 

@BestGen what do u think about joining?

 

Awesome!!

 

I'm thinking about it... it's a 3.5 hour drive to the trailhead... usually if I'm driving that far I like to camp... if I do go I would probably spend the night at my sister's place off Friars Rd. in SD... decisions decisions

 

I've never been to Anza, so I don't know any trails personally. We can take a look through this list and see if we can string together a few trails to really make a day out of it -
https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/anza-borrego-desert-state-park/off-road-driving

 

Wow, good find! So many "easy", we'll have to pare them down. I'll start checking thorough this list.

Hey, @Marty McFly, whatcha think-- are you more or less likely to drive this distance if:
a) we line up several hours worth of off-road play time;
b) we do a short time of off-road followed up with food, drink, and socializing in Temecula; or
c) none of the above; that's still just too damned far?

 

Never been either but definitely want to explore the desert. I've been doing nothing but hardcore black diamonds for so long I don't know how I'll handle bumpin along a dirt road for hours. I know my ol lady will like it. She hates the crazy stuff. I'm organizing a 'trifecta' run this year up in Big Bear where we run the 3 hardest trails there in a day! Should be insane!

 

Daaaamn you fancy! I have to admit, I'm pretty jealous, that sounds like a good time! What trails are you guys doing? I assume John Bull, but that's really the only difficult trail I know up there.

About as difficult as I've managed to take my truck through would be Burns canyon / heartbreak ridge. Didn't get any cool pictures of my truck, but managed to get this of my gf coming down - (pictures don't do justice to just how steep this really is)

 

Yes it'll be starting out in Arrowhead, up Dishpan Springs to Crab Flats, then over to Holcomb Creek, then finish with John Bull.
Dishpan Springs 3N34Holcomb Creek 3N93John Bull 3N10

 

Damn! That's going to be a long day! Take lots of pictures

 

I'll try to remember. I'm horrible about taking pics. I'm usually too in the moment to remember. Almost all the photos I have were sent to me. Idk about fancy, more likely masochistic.

 

Takes a special kind of person to enjoy beating their self up for an entire day.

I get that. I usually leave my phone in the truck, only take pictures when I remember to grab it lol. It's tough getting pictures on the trail when everyone is moving.

 

Cool, you two did that w/ 2WD?!! Use your lockers much, or just skilled driving?

This looks super challenging, and a good time. Do you, or someone with you, film these runs?

Edit: I see you both gave this answer while I was posting.

 

Mostly just driving and a good spotter. We spotted each other and then the other 11 people we had on that run. Took about 4 hours to get down this section haha. I ran up and down that damn hill so many times.
Locker is really only needed uphill or when it's slick. Had to use it once or twice when sliding to the side would have put you off the correct line, but that's all. Line choice and having a trustworthy spotter is the way to do it. Your spotter will tell you exactly what to do, you follow their instruction and can make it down just fine

I do have this picture of Madison (my gf) guiding me down -

 

Madison is BAD ASS!