2009 Central California SMB Forum Meet and Greet. October 24th and 25th.

Part one:

Kaiser Wilderness, Sample Meadow Campground.

Members attending:

The “AndrewST??? group, Andrew and Jacques.

“Angel???, Angel.

The “DaveB???group, Dave and Don. Don is forum member “doubled??? who was the official spotter, action photographer, espresso maker, and bartender.

The “Bill Wilson??? group, Rob and Ning.

The “Calclimber??? group, Craig and Cindy.

“Charlie56???, Charlie.

“Ford 6L E350???, Mike.

The “Kmessinger??? group, Keith and Debbie.

The “Yakhir??? group, Henry and Kathy.

Vehicles:

Four Ford 4×4 EB penthouse equipped vans.

Two Ford 4×4 EB Cruiser hard top vans.

One Sprinter penthouse equipped van.

One Sprinter hard top van.

One classic monster RV.

(There were also several canine forum members who participated)

Map from scaruffi.com

This site offers some good information about hikes in the area:

Hiking Edison lake area

Local Area Campgrounds

Please click on smaller images to enlarge.

Most of the members of the Sportsmobile Forum group were aware of the proclamation by the site owner (Jage) to have a group meet and greet in October 2009 that was locally driven. I volunteered to put on the California area meet and was really looking forward to this trip. I must admit the meet did turned out well.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Dave Boyer

Above Fresno along the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, highway 41 leaves the lower foothills and winds its way into Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Park with its granite dome and sheer cliffs is definitely the gem of the Sierra’s but doesn’t offer any off roading opportunities. Yet once outside the Parks boundaries, the Forest Service allows backcountry vehicle travel. The areas east and northeast of the highway have several fire service roads to explore, some of which I have posted about on this site. Of all the trails in this region, I feel the route leading to Shuteye Peak fire lookout is one of the most scenic 4×4 trails in the Sierra Nevada Range.

Read the rest of this entry »

McConnell State Park, a San Joaquin valley SRA.

By Dave Boyer.

(Please click on any image to enlarge)

Located in California’s Central Valley between Modesto and Merced just off highway 99, McConnell State Recreation Area is well suited as a layover spot for those traveling through the center of the state.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Dave Boyer

In  early  2009, Sportsmobile  Forum  member  CellularSteve  E-Mailed  me asking if  I wanted to do a few runs with a couple other members from the group in and around Death Valley. The suggested date would be in late January or February. Although my buddy Don Dunbar (also a Forum member) and myself had never actually met any of these members in person, a group run sounded like something interesting. I’m usually a loner but traveling with a group of similarly equipped SMB’s was something I had planned for some time. Steve??? would set up the trip and both Don and I set aside time from the company that we both worked at as fellow employees. Although I didn’t know it, this would be something that would continue for several years to come.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Dave Boyer

Death Valley Christmas / New Year’s run.

Death Valley is a great park to visit with an off road vehicle. Unlike many of the National Parks located in the US, Death Valley is covered with vehicle trails that range from easy to expert class making it well suited for a large van such as a Sportsmobile. If you factor in the size of this place, you’ll find Death Valley is a wonderful place to explore with a 4×4.

Read the rest of this entry »