5:02 am
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline
I didn't know exactly where to put this. It's not a trail run or gathering, so hopefully it fits here.
School me because I'm a newbie when it comes to anything on the dreaded 80 side. 
I was up there with the wife on Saturday hiking around the area in an attempt to find the first crossing for the dog to play in. The signage around the area is nice, but hard to understand and from the bullet holes barely legible.
We took the eagle lakes exit, parked in the staging area, found the bathroom and began hiking. Just out of the staging area is what I have heard is the hard way to signal peak. Questions: Is it harder than the other way? Hard compared to Fordyce? Where does it go after the peak? Maps show it heads into Fordyce, does it cross a stream? Is the stream as hard as Fordyce crossings?
Then we began hiking in on the what we thought was the Fordyce trail. We came across another fork/staging area. Sign said Pierce OHV straight. So we figured Fordyce is to the left. We began to forge on. Then we came across a YJ heading out and asked us if this was the Fordyce trail? Then we began second guessing the way we had gone. We turned around and headed back to the fork and headed right on now what was the Fordyce trail. Questions: Where does the Pierce OHV trail go? Is it mild or wild wheeling? Anything worth checking out down there? Is it more camping/staging for the Fordyce trail?
We hiked on the Fordyce trail for approximately 40 Minutes. We made it to what I think is driveline hill. Some camping spots at the bottom and a pretty gnarly hill climb with a go around on the left. At the top of the hill there is a little trail that heads to the left. Questions: Where does that trail go? Is that to Eagle Lakes? If so how far is it to the lakes? Can you drive all the way to the lakes?
We continued on the main trail for a little while before my wife was done and we turned around. Not sure how much father we went, Maybe 15 Minutes of hiking past Driveline Hill. Questions: How far were we from the first crossing? A map I found online shows that Driveline Hill is about a 1/4 mile from the first crossing.
Anyway, thanks for all the info. Again I am a total newbie to this trail. Looks like a lot of fun. I know we barely made it far on the trail, but it looks like a fun area to go and clown around/take some newer folks wheeling.
Um...what?
5:29 am
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline You probably only made it about 1/3 of the way to the first river crossing. The trail gets harder the further in you go. Not for new wheelers.
I used to wheel a lot. . .
6:06 am
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline What about Signal Peak and the Pierce OHV area?
Um...what?
12:40 pm
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline I haven't been to the Pierce OHV area. Signal Peak is very cool, the way out of the Eagle Lakes staging area is more difficult than going around the back way, but it's still not that hard (just steep in places).
I used to wheel a lot. . .
5:50 pm
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline Is Sunshine Hill and Driveline Hill the same thing?
Um...what?
7:29 pm
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline Driveline Hill you walked by at the beginning of the trail. SunRISE Hill is just before the first water crossing.
I used to wheel a lot. . .
3:20 am
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline Nobody really wants to talk about Fordyce do they? 🙄
Um...what?
3:29 am
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline Rob knows the most of anyone about Fordyce so I was deferring to him.
I only know the basics about the trail but am ready to take a day off and run it when water levels are better. I'll run my JKU to see how easy the winch hills are with the longer wheel base.
I know what driveline hill is. I've never heard of sunshine hill. I haven't run any of those other trails over there. I figure that if I'm going to drive all the way over there, why not run the real thing. If I showed up in my Tacoma, I'd try the other stuff. I know there are three water crossings and one hole is deep enough to go over my TJ's hood with 37's and 6" of lift. Choose wisely...
3:37 am
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline Haha!! Thanks, the real trail scares me bit. I'd like to go through it with someone that has knowledge of the trail. Them winch hills look rough.
Um...what?
3:44 am
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline "finder_87" wrote: Haha!! Thanks, the real trail scares me bit. I'd like to go through it with someone that has knowledge of the trail. Them winch hills look rough.
Rob's spotting the last time made things easy for me. Then I got cocky, started talking trash to John and he rushed up a line and then sat there watching me hose my guess line. I ended up against a tree at a pretty nasty angle and had to winch out. Serves me right but it was a lot of fun with two trail buddies. Hopefully, they'll let me run it again in my other jeep. I think I'll hang up more on the trail, but make easy work of all the winch hills. I've only been up and down WH 5 with my black jeep.
4:20 am
Club Member
January 20, 2009
Offline "BKGM Jeepers" wrote: I only know the basics about the trail but am ready to take a day off and run it when water levels are better.
When do you think you'd want to go? I've never run the entire trail and would like to someday. I've either gone to the first river crossing and back, or went out at Committee.
"BKGM Jeepers" wrote: I know there are three water crossings and one hole is deep enough to go over my TJ's hood with 37's and 6" of lift. Choose wisely...
Reminds me of last year going across Committee Crossing with a broken front axle. Rob said all he saw in his rear view mirror was my hood under water. 😯
(I will neither confirm nor deny that I was screaming like a little girl. )
6:27 am
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline "kevheb" wrote:
Reminds me of last year going across Committee Crossing with a broken front axle. Rob said all he saw in his rear view mirror was my hood under water. 😯
(I will neither confirm nor deny that I was screaming like a little girl.
Do jeeps dry out quickly?
I'd love to go before the summer is over. I'm no rally racer though, can the trail be done in a day crawling?
Um...what?
12:57 pm
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline It can be done in a long day at a crawling pace. Probably best to get to the comittee trail cut-off and make a determination about time at that point.
I need to get out there and run it too. But my schedule is so tight this year, it's rediculous. Usually by this time of year I'd already ran it a bunch of times.
I used to wheel a lot. . .
1:16 pm
July 15, 2005
Offline If you guys set up a run, I will go with you. Start early enough and you should be able to make the entire trail. A week day would be best to avoid traffic. After Trek is over this weekend would be best for first time on the trail or smaller tires. All the winch hills will be stacked for easy passage.
Despite what people have heard, Fordyce can be done with no body or mechanical damage. Listen to your spotter and know when to take a strap, oh and did I mention LISTEN TO YOUR SPOTTER!!
__________________
'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."- Ronald Reagan
3:30 pm
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline I can do a week day run as well. I just need a little notice so I can get the day off. Rob/Kevin/John, will a Tuesday or Thursday work for you? I've been watching the flows at work here and getting past the first crossing by 830-9AM makes a difference. They are holding a lot of water back currently because of the mild temps.
3:52 pm
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline I will probably be stuck with Sundays only for the rest of the season.
I used to wheel a lot. . .
3:54 pm
January 12, 2007
Offline "JohnDF" wrote: I will probably be stuck with Sundays only for the rest of the season.
Sunday's work for me if I'm in town.
4:23 pm
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline The one thing I hated about weekend runs on Fordyce was the losers who wouldn't allow faster groups by, so it took FOREVER! I remember it taking me over an hour to get past a group where their broke down rig was off the trail and the group still wasn't letting others by. Why do people do that?
4:44 pm
I would also really like to run this trail this year... dont know if sunday would work for me though... would be great to do a saturday in sunday out trip if anyone is interested????
4:51 pm
Club Member
January 20, 2009
Offline I can make any day right now as long as I have a couple of days notice and not Labor Day weekend.
5:37 pm
Club Member
July 10, 2003
Offline Well don't worry about me when scheduling a trip. I'd really like to go, but my schedule is uber tight and I've already run Fordyce about a Kagillion times.
I used to wheel a lot. . .
10:41 pm
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline I can get a week day off. Just need the notice. I'f hate to slow you guys down with my crawling like a toyota skill in my jeep.
Um...what?
12:25 am
July 15, 2005
Offline If you guys set up a trip,I will take the time off work if I can(usually not a problem) I can do week days or weekends, overnight or day trips..I will be on Fordyce this weekend, and have another trip planned for Fordyce next Tuesday and Weds. After that, I can do just about any date.
__________________
'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."- Ronald Reagan
3:05 am
July 15, 2005
Offline If you want to do a Saturday in and Sunday out, let me know when you can do it. I would be up for it. I would prefer making it an overnight anyway.
"LJ3" wrote: I would also really like to run this trail this year... dont know if sunday would work for me though... would be great to do a saturday in sunday out trip if anyone is interested????
__________________
'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."- Ronald Reagan
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