Topic: Gold Mountain/John Bull - May 13-14 2017

[Celt]

I'm planning a trip for Gold Mountain/John Bull sometime in May. I'm planning on heading up early and hitting both those trails in the morning and yellow posting it somewhere. Campfire and some laughs that evening before heading out the next day. Anyone who has some interest let me know and I'll add you to the list and we can get this off the ground. These are black diamond runs so a rear locker, full skids, sliders are advised. Trail damage possible. Good attitude mandatory.





EDIT:  title updated with dates. 

[Toro]

Maybe.....
   Dates? Im pretty sure I can swindle a few Toyotas to show up.

[Celt]

Maybe.....
   Dates? Im pretty sure I can swindle a few Toyotas to show up.

  I'm thinkin about May 13th/14th, nothing set in stone yet.

[valentin36]

So pretty much a 4wd run?

[Ghost65]

So pretty much a 4wd run?

Very.

A 4wd with no locker would be questionable...and make for a long day of recovery for the other capable rigs.


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[valentin36]

Guess it's not a run for me, well you guys enjoy and have fun

[Celt]

Very.

A 4wd with no locker would be questionable...and make for a long day of recovery for the other capable rigs.


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 Thanks for adding the info Ghost. I should have annotated that info and my apologies for assuming most folks know about these two trails. They are a heck of a lot of fun but without at minimum a rear locker it would be a heck of a lot of work for everyone involved. There are several spots where you get pretty off camber so you have to be comfortable with that too. Some of the views are spectacular though looking down into Johnson Valley and I've talked to San Diego off the 2m repeater on Palomar from Gold Mountain, super cool if you ask me. I wouldn't mind someone setting up a simultaneous run to accommodate the other guys that want to get out. Maybe at the end of the day everyone can meet up at a Yellow Post for a fire and great conversation?

[Ghost65]

Guess it's not a run for me, well you guys enjoy and have fun

Quite the contrary...

Posting here to see if you can potentially ride with someone is always an option...

My first time over John Bull was as a co-pilot in a Jeep TJ on 35's with dual lockers...as a very focused "observer".

I parked my open diff 4wd Xterra at the trail head and had a great day. Then bought a round of beers for the guy who drove me and the trail leader once we hit town (hint hint).

Good times were had by all!!

The Ghost on the Gold Mountain talus slope circa 2010:

Gold Mountain/John Bull - May 13-14 2017

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[occupantX]

I wouldn't mind someone setting up a simultaneous run to accommodate the other guys that want to get out. Maybe at the end of the day everyone can meet up at a Yellow Post for a fire and great conversation?

I'd be up for some Big Bear camping...maybe Jacoby Canyon, or even Rattlesnake and 2N02 inspection run

[Celt]

Well said Ghost!! OccupantX, if you want to run some of those trails would be a lot of fun. Some things to keep in mind is the Gold Mtn/John Bull group will dump out in a completely different part of the area and make a 2N02 rendezvous pretty difficult unless it was run in reverse starting from Pioneer Town into Big Bear. What I was kinda of hoping is someone might want to lead another trail that other folks are more comfortable running paralleling my route that we can all Yellow Post it for an evening meet up. This is super loosely organized and nothing more than friends and friends not yet met can get out wheeling and meet up at a common camp site away from the masses and enjoy some laughs around a fire at night.

 For reference here are some John Bull pics at the gate keeper:

Gold Mountain/John Bull - May 13-14 2017

Gold Mountain/John Bull - May 13-14 2017

[xxSVxx]

The Ghost on the Gold Mountain talus slope circa 2010:

Gold Mountain/John Bull - May 13-14 2017

I will never forget my first adventure on Gold Mountain...that talus slope is pucker material everywhere, and the trail leader led the entire group all the way across, then we turned around and went back down and departed in a different direction; there was a 2wd tacoma that got stuck, and then a 2wd fronty got stuck after him.  Not for the faint of heart, or less than prepared rigs for sure!!

[Ghost65]

I will never forget my first adventure on Gold Mountain...that talus slope is pucker material everywhere, and the trail leader led the entire group all the way across, then we turned around and went back down and departed in a different direction; there was a 2wd tacoma that got stuck, and then a 2wd fronty got stuck after him.  Not for the faint of heart, or less than prepared rigs for sure!!

The sounds of the moving rocks beneath your tires needs to be experienced...surreal.

[Celt]

I loves me some rock gardens, I surely does............

[Toro]

33"s and a pair of lockers = still had to winch out.

[Celt]

The first time I did the John Bull I was on 33's. I made it but had to winch twice. Second time was on 35's and it went so much better....


 You gonna bring the X with horns on this run?? It would be really great to see you guys again. I forgot to mention that the forums youngest member is the one who is really running this trip. I'm just going to sit back and spot when necessary. Date is set for May 13th/14th. I think the meet up should be the beginning of Gold Mountain trail head. I think 0900 would be best but that can get modified if need be.