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California Adventure 2023

BourbonRunner

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Hey all-

Parking this one for down the road.

Although I still have not yet pulled the trigger on a JTM, I have moved forward with our big trip in March. For my birthday we planned on doing an overlanding run in the desert from San Diego out through Joshua Tree, Mojave Trail, and then the plan was to be in Grand Canyon on my birthday (3/9). We've tweaked it a lot.

Flying out and renting built trucks made more sense than trying to buy one, build it, drive it cross country, and back to say the least. IT also gives me a good opportunity to get some serious saddle time in a JTM to assist in building out my own when the time comes. Previously I've extensively heavy and light truck camped both in primitive off road and equipped sites in a first gen Tacoma up and down the East Coast. I can go heavy with the full kit or high speed, low drag depending and rig for any type of weather, though beach camping remains my favorite.

So here's the plan now:

We're flying into Oakland on March 3, grabbing the trucks, and headed to Point Reyes (Samuel Taylor SP) for the evening.

We spend the night there, get some light hiking in and then are driving to Napa the evening of March 4. We're staying for a couple nights in a vineyard bungalow that the other couple was able to score through their connections.

At 7am on March 5 we are all running the Napa Half Marathon. I hate running but its a goal of mine to do a half. My better half and my friend's wife are runners so we're more or less along for the ride.

March 6 we decamp from the bungalow and spend the next night in Bothe-Napa State Park.

From there on the morning of March 7 we head either east or south.

The East path would take us up into the Sierras into Carson City, then down through Eldorado, Yosemite, Inyo, Sequoia, down into Death Valley. We'd wind up back in Oakland on March 13, stopping in the Santa Cruz mountains to hit Ridge Winery's Montebello (I've been knocking off Judgement of Paris wineries now every trip), fly out on a red eye and be back on the East Coast in the wee hours of the 14th. Concern from us and the outfitter is snow in the Sierras. They suggested a backup route.

The southerly route would take us from Napa Valley to Lake Isabella, then we'd hit DV and loop down into Mojave taking the eastern route and then back up the valley into the Santa Cruz mountains to Ridge and back.

I've been messing with Gaia but I'm not too impressed with the interface, unless I'm just an idiot.

The trucks come with InReach and from what I gather Gaia doesn't play nicely, so I'm open to suggestions on software for planning/routing underway, and points of interest along the way.

I'll post up more details when i have more time.
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Free2roam

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I got some spots along the Eastern Sierra's you need to check out. Hit me up. March yeah snow almost guaranteed. They don't call it miracle March for nothing out here. In Reno myself
 

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The East path would take us up into the Sierras into Carson City, then down through Eldorado, Yosemite, Inyo, Sequoia, down into Death Valley. We'd wind up back in Oakland on March 13, stopping in the Santa Cruz mountains to hit Ridge Winery's Montebello (I've been knocking off Judgement of Paris wineries now every trip), fly out on a red eye and be back on the East Coast in the wee hours of the 14th. Concern from us and the outfitter is snow in the Sierras. They suggested a backup route.

Have you ever been to California?
I’m not poo-pooing your idea, but most mountain passes are closed due too snowfall until averagely (is that a word?) April to May with Tioga sometimes July if snow. Is heavy. Plus if you head down the 395 from Carson City to Death Valley (lot more places to off-road in east of Sierra nevadas) then you could get part way into the back of Yosemite or Sequoia (which are beautiful in their own right) but you ain’t seeing any Sequoia trees just so you know. And Sequoia doesn’t have a through road anyway, only access to Mt. Whitney. Also a lot of roads in Death Valley are still closed due to flash floods so there’s that. Just giving a heads up if you are a neophyte.
 

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The southerly route would take us from Napa Valley to Lake Isabella, then we'd hit DV and loop down into Mojave taking the eastern route and then back up the valley into the Santa Cruz mountains to Ridge and back.

Might try going through Tehachapi vs Lake Isabella, unless you want to see the lake for some reason. it’s a quicker route..
 

Free2roam

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The southerly route would take us from Napa Valley to Lake Isabella, then we'd hit DV and loop down into Mojave taking the eastern route and then back up the valley into the Santa Cruz mountains to Ridge and back.

Might try going through Tehachapi vs Lake Isabella, unless you want to see the lake for some reason. it’s a quicker route..
Sherman pass might be open. That's a big MIGHT BE OPEN!
 

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piroman683

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Snow will definitely be a challenge. I agree shooting south on the 395 will be your best option. You can venture into the Inyo forest and ride along the mountain crest overlooking both Death Valley and the Sierras. There abounded mines you can explore, and Cerro Gordo ghost town which offers tours. (The guy who owns the ghost town is slowly restoring it!).

From there you can hit up Trona Pinnacles, then head into JTree. While in JTree aside from the park itself you can make a stop in Pioneertown, and hit a few trails around there.

I have a bunch of trails mapped out in Gaia for the Inyo forest I can send to you too.
 
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BourbonRunner

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I got some spots along the Eastern Sierra's you need to check out. Hit me up. March yeah snow almost guaranteed. They don't call it miracle March for nothing out here. In Reno myself
That's the big concern, and why the outfitter suggested having alternatives in play. Appreciate it. I'll reach out later this week.

Have you ever been to California?
I’m not poo-pooing your idea, but most mountain passes are closed due too snowfall until averagely (is that a word?) April to May with Tioga sometimes July if snow. Is heavy. Plus if you head down the 395 from Carson City to Death Valley (lot more places to off-road in east of Sierra nevadas) then you could get part way into the back of Yosemite or Sequoia (which are beautiful in their own right) but you ain’t seeing any Sequoia trees just so you know. And Sequoia doesn’t have a through road anyway, only access to Mt. Whitney. Also a lot of roads in Death Valley are still closed due to flash floods so there’s that. Just giving a heads up if you are a neophyte.
Yes, but only Bay Area north to Klamath a few times. Our friends have done Inyo, Sequoia, and Yosemite extensively though. Fair enough on the other points. At this time I'm in planning mode and not entirely sure what we'll be able to see/do given the weather. I know its going to be touch and go for running down in the Sierras and I won't be heart broken if we can't because of conditions.

Might try going through Tehachapi vs Lake Isabella, unless you want to see the lake for some reason. it’s a quicker route..
Appreciate that. Isabella was suggested by the outfitter as an alternative for a jump off point.

Sherman pass might be open. That's a big MIGHT BE OPEN!
That's the jist i get. ;)

Snow will definitely be a challenge. I agree shooting south on the 395 will be your best option. You can venture into the Inyo forest and ride along the mountain crest overlooking both Death Valley and the Sierras. There abounded mines you can explore, and Cerro Gordo ghost town which offers tours. (The guy who owns the ghost town is slowly restoring it!).

From there you can hit up Trona Pinnacles, then head into JTree. While in JTree aside from the park itself you can make a stop in Pioneertown, and hit a few trails around there.

I have a bunch of trails mapped out in Gaia for the Inyo forest I can send to you too.
Much appreciated. As I mentioned above, this is all area that I'm not as familiar with.

Main focus on the trip is hitting DV and if doable the Mojave so anything else is gravy. If we hit the mountains, cool. If not, I'm not losing sleep. Regardless its going to be a hell of a trip.
 

fourfa

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Also a lot of roads in Death Valley are still closed due to flash floods so there’s that.
Now I would never knowingly go drive on roads that are officially closed... but a friend of mine, who happens to have a very similar Gladiator to mine, ran a bunch of those closed roads over Thanksgiving. North Pass into Saline Valley (marked as open, totally fine), up Lippincott Mine Rd (a couple minor washout sections, no problem for any Jeep), Teakettle Junction, Ubehebe, North Death Valley Rd, Crankshaft Junction, west to Big Pine Rd, all marked as closed but no problem whatsoever for any reasonable 4WD high-clearance vehicle. People in Saline Valley reporting no more than usual difficulty navigating Steel Pass or the roads to it. The park service is being very, very conservative with their road status announcements, at least for these particular roads. Perhaps managing the SAR problem they have with people in sedans getting stuck in mild sand drifts.

(There are definitely other roads that are just gone, need to be completely rebuilt from scratch)

But it's worth mentioning, DV is unforgiving and the road closures means zero people will be along to help if you get stuck out there. Zero cell coverage, limited radio line of sight. Satellite comms and real survival gear always a must out there, but doubly so currently. Otherwise you're signalling passing airliners with a mirror and praying if you break down. People die out there most years.

My friend also saw something new this time, backcountry rangers in brand new JL Rubicons with a lot of kit, instead of their usual old Explorer Sport Tracs
 

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I recommend to goes east from Napa toward hwy 88 through Jackson. That will takes you to 395 than hit south. You can hits up some hot springs and lakes along the way.
 
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BourbonRunner

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TL:DR: 2000 miles in 12 days in a JTM and JLURD from the Bay Area to Napa to Joshua Tree and back. I like to eat and drink well so recommendations are embedded below. The crazy weather in California changed our plans entirely and we wound up playing almost entirely by ear and flying by the seat of our pants.

Full travel itinerary below. Links are at the bottom of the post.
**************

Originally we had planned on heading from Napa up into the Sierras and down the 395 to go to the northern part of Death Valley to hit Eureka Dunes and Saline Valley, then south to Isabella and eventually back up to the Bay Area to fly out.

We had an AirBnB in Mammoth Lakes to be a jump off point down to DV but... nope. There would be no Steele Pass or naked hippie hot tubbing for us on this trip. As of today the North Pass and South Passes into Saline are still impassible, Steele is closed, and the only way in and out is Lippincott and even that is questionable. Given what I'd read about Lippincott in good conditions I didn't think it was a prudent decision to risk the trail.

We all have extensive off roading, road tripping, backcountry hiking, and camping experience with a good amount of S&R training in our party but doing it in these trucks was a new experience. Ive been haunting the forums for some time thinking seriously about buying a JT but after this am convinced one is in my future. Our friends are now seriously considering a JLUR.

We don't mind State Parks, NP campgrounds, HipCamp spots, or a KOA along the way. Half the fun is figuring out where you'll land on these trips and to never underestimate the value of a hot shower.

We had 4 nights in beds and the other 7 were in the tent, 6 of them consecutive. We grabbed an AirBnB the last night to do laundry, sort our gear and the trucks out, and be within an hour of the drop-off point on Treasure Island the day we'd fly out. To be honest, after 6 days in the trucks, we were looking forward to a shower, a bed, and a hot tub. We secured all three.

Granted, our 3 nites in Napa were bougie as hell but that's how we roll. Bougie and backwoods all in the same trip.

*****

Flew into Oakland on 3/5 and Ubered to Treasure Island where we met Christian from Cypress Overland with the trucks.

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They were clean... once.

From there we drove up into Marin to Point Reyes via the Golden Gate and through Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Rec Area along CA1. We camped overnight in Samuel Taylor SP beneath redwoods and woke up to cold and cloudy skies. Dinner came from the Palace Market in Points Reyes Station and breakfast in Inverness at the Inverness Park Market. (GO TO BOTH. TRUST ME).

We explored the coast along CA1 from PR north getting lunch at Hog Island Oysters. The girls were running the Napa Half Marathon the next day so no hiking that day (we've all done PR many times) and besides, the weather sucked regardless. (this pic was right before the skies opened up)

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Samuel Taylor SP


You owe it to yourself to get the BBQ oysters at Hog Island. Trust me. I did not get this size eating salads. (raw ones were also outstanding)
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From the coast we headed inland to Napa Valley via Santa Rosa and Mark West Springs Road. We were staying on a vineyard south of Rutherford in a guest house owned by one we had connections to for the next few nights.

The girls ran the race and finished making it through shitty weather (rain, sleet, wind?? WTF!) Over the next 2 days, wine tastings were had at Markham, Chateau Montelena, Faust, and Stags Leap Vineyards. I'm a big fan of Montelena and SLV and am a member of their wine clubs. Doesn't hurt they're the two wineries that beat the pants off the French and delivered world class recognition to American wines but more on that later.

Dinner at RH in Yountville Sunday night was okay but pricey. Very pretty place though.

Dinner at Brasswood further up in St Helena the next evening was off the chain. You have to check it out.

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Chateau Montelena

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Chateau Montelena (Join and you too can be a cellar master. :P )

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Stag's Leap (duh)


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Tasting world class wine calls for a world class late lunch.

************

We had planned on camping in Napa-Bothe SP Monday night but very cold weather and driving rain forced us into the Calistoga Best Western.... which was quite nice and very cheap at $150/night last minute.

Not as swanky by far as the next-door Indian Springs Resort (also worth staying in and definitely worth getting any meal at the Sam's Social restaurant on premises) but definitely beat setting camp in wind driven sideways rain by a mile.

The laundromat in Calistoga is pretty rough looking but was perfectly fine to eat breakfast from the Calistoga Roastery in while checking email and washing our drawers the next morning.

Tuesday we headed south along the East Bay intending to head towards New Idria and the Salinas Valley but due to the torrential storms of the previous week and zero info/trail reports we chose to grab a KOA outside Santa Cruz for the night instead of winging it at New Idria. Along the way we stopped to get gas and a car full of tweakers backed into our truck. No damage done.

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At the KOA we wound up having the place almost to ourselves and was close enough to hear the ocean and a clear but cold as hell night. We hit the window between the storm systems perfectly.

We decided that night we'd get up early and head south to Joshua Tree and skip New Idria all together. (that same KOA got isolated in the levee breaks from what I heard after we rolled out). We woke up to driving rain... again. But we were hopeful it would be warmer and dryer further south.

A long drive from the Monterrey area through Pacheco Pass (and obligatory stop at Casa de Fruta) down I5 through the Central Valley finally gave us clear skies and oceans of almond tree blooms, enough bug splatter to ice a gallon of washer fluid, banging road side tacos, a Merle Haggard singalong through Bakersfield and one hell of a run up to Techachapi and through the Mojave to land in Blackwood Canyon Campground for the night in Joshua Tree. Chilly but a perfect night sky and view and a great way to end a long driving day.

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Approaching Tehachapi from Bakersfield



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Tehachapi

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Mojave in the Mojave


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Joshua Tree Blackrock Canyon Campground... site 50 if you're interested.

The next day was the 8th and the day before my birthday. As I wrote above: the original Death Valley plan was to spend the night of the 8th at Eureka Dunes then head to Saline Valley on the 9th and spend a couple days at the Springs.

I decided that if I couldn't be somewhere beautiful in the middle of nowhere in DV for my birthday, we'd be as close to it as possible in JTNP.

So... we hit some sights- the Barker Dam and other roadside attractions in the Queen Valley and down to Pinto Basin on our way to Old Dale Road and the BLM wilderness.

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Cholla garden and Pinto Basin wilderness behind

Old Dale starts out with about a 12 or so mile run across a loose sand and washboard road in the Pinto Basin to a series of switchbacks and ledge trails into the Pinto Mountains past multiple abandoned mines.

The 3+ mile climb is well within the capability of the trucks and drivers but it was rocky, loose, and rutted and required concentration and spotting in tighter areas. In the Mojave I had to lock the rear end to get it up and over. Longer wheel base made it... interesting.

Nothing I read in any guides indicated Old Dale was as technical or rocky as it is, so heads up. My best guess is the weather has done a number on that and nobody had reported it. Rangers in JTNP had zero info on the roads BTW.

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Old Dale Road
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Looking down from Sunrise Mill
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Our camp site was outside a mine with a killer fire ring made out of stone and concrete. Not sure but I thought it may have been a NPS sign at some point? Anyone that knows the area familiar? (DM me for the mine name).
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Steaks were cooked over the fire, a bottle of Stags Leap SLV was drank, and we slept under the most incredible sky without a single person near us for at least 10-15 miles in any direction. Hearing nothing and zero light pollution is surreal.

We got super lucky and had a full to waning moon during our time in JTNP. The sunrise and sunsets were sublime but the moonrises were spectacular. No need for headlamps at all.

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IYKYK the fire ring...
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That morning we headed north to 29 Palms Hwy via the Old Dale and Old Crown Roads and explored some abandoned mines along the way.
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Mojave in the Mojave, again.
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We checked out sight seeing spots in JT including climbing around the Hall of Horrors and other areas, managed to see Joshua trees still blooming.

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Joshua Tree bloom (the white/green thing at the top)

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That critter was checking us out and clearly up to no good.

That night we HipCamped outside the park north of the Oasis of Mara. A ferocious wind storm warning in San Bernardino County was in effect and we had concerns... thankfully the wind eventually died down in the evening to a blustery breeze. We heard dozens of coyotes howling as they moved through the creosote and it was unreal.

If you haven't added the HipCamp app to your road trip/overlanding, you should. Sometimes its just some weird ex-hippie's back yard and sometimes it is 100 acres of desert with a shipping container house, a horse trailer RV for a bathroom, an outdoor shower, and a hot tub under the stars owned by a gold record earning song writer from LA.

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The next day we moved south and did the full length of Berdoo Canyon intending to camp in BLM land south of the park above the Canyon.

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I I will state here I'm as pro-2A as they come but the "shooting range" at the bottom of the canyon was a shit show in four dimensions. Safety and range protocols? Nope. And then there's the massive amount of trash EVERYWHERE. I don't have an issue with broken glass because it will eventually go back to being sand again but come on people-pick up your trash. If anything it was a melting pot of survivalists, rednecks, gang bangers, and hooligans with a few normal people just trying to put a hole in the paper...

We cleared out of there to a safe spot off Dillon Road to air back up then jumped on eastbound I-10 in Coachella to camp at the BLM campground just south of Cottonwood outside the park.

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BLM campground, south of Cottonwood entrance to JTNP

The next morning we headed north through Cottonwood. We considered doing Pinkham Canyon but we had to start making our way north to eventually fly out on 3/14.
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Bumped around 29 Palms and JT for breakfast and touristy stuff, had a beer at a roadhouse and headed out via San Gongino Pass and the 10 to head up the coast. Destination: Lake Santa Margarita KOA intending to stop at The Hitching Post II in Buellton from the movie Sideways.. We cruised the 10 into LA and jumped on the Hollyweird Freeway and continued up the 101 until we got to Buellton.

A little over 6 hours after we left JT, we had satisfied our cravings for steak (seriously good steaks) and Pinot Noir and were ready to set camp for the night at the Lake Santa Margarita KOA and burn up the rest of our firewood. The KOA was showing the scars of serious downpours and runoff, and I hope they've made it through the next system unscathed. We got an incredibly clear (if not cold as hell) night and some good times.

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For the record, just like the book and movie's main character, I don't fucking do merlot either.


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Sky at the KOA in Lake Santa Margarita

We had breakfast at J's Country Kitchen in Santa Margarita and filled up our bellies on some killer Chile verde smothered eggs and pancakes.

Light rain in the morning turned into harder rain and chased us off and on all the way up to an AirBnB in Half Moon Bay via the Salinas Valley. Lots of CalTrans activity on the 101 clearing mud and standing water. Hope those folks are doing okay.

The trip up the 101 was incredibly scenic though, especially between Buellton and the Bay Area.

We stopped at Ridge Winery's Montebello Estate, a little over 2K feet above all of Cupertino and San Jose.

Ridge, if you're unfamiliar, is one of the wineries (like Montelena and SLV) that whooped the hell out of the French in the original Judgment of Paris in 1976. That put American wine on the map. The Ridge Montebello lost to the SLV in 1976. (Steve Spurrier, the Brit that put the tasting together in the first place expected Montebello to win)

But more importantly: the French lost across the board. They claimed its because American wine is meant to be drank young.

Fine. The challenge was made in 1976 to revisit the tasting in 30 years.

In 2006, Spurrier did the same double blind tasting with bottles from the 1976 tasting. The Montebello and SLV vintages from the early 70's STILL beat the French of the same era.. this time with the Ridge taking top honors. And in 2016, the more recent younger vintages of Montebello won again. The French have never forgiven nor forgotten this and continue to make excuses.

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Me: Why does the sign say "established 1066? Thought they started this in the early 1960's?"
Host: What happened in 1066?
Me: The battle of Hastings?
Host: And what occasion did that mark?
Me: The last time the French won a war?
Host: Exactly.

:D :D :D

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Evil Fruit Phone Company Supreme World Headquarters and House of Waffles from Montebello

That night we zonked out in Half Moon Bay and had an incredible dinner at an Italian restaurant called Fattoria e Mare. HIGHLY recommend. They served one of my favorite pasta dishes, Cacio e Pepe table side with a truffled parmesan. Simple, decadent and homemade bucatini? Score.

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Bucatini cacio e Pepe with black truffle

The next morning we sought out Pliny the Elder (New Leaf Market in Half Moon Bay, BTW) and made our way up CA1 around to the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. In the pouring rain and gale force winds.

We dropped the trucks off to Christian around 130pm yesterday and flew out later that afternoon. Got into Baltimore on the red eye at 6am and am still on West Coast time... and put in a half day's work today. The flights were rough and uncomfortable due to these goofy storm systems. Oh well.

Fully back to work tomorrow and now on to saving money for my own JTM.

The scenery in California does not disappoint, no matter what climate. As of this writing, I've driven every inch of the 101 from LA to Klamath on several trips, much of CA1 from Monterrey north to Fort Bragg, through the Redwoods, the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, and yes, even I5 through the Central Valley. If it wasn't for the stupidly expensive cost of living and self destructive tax rates and politics, I'd be living there right now. The desert is stunning in its desolation and the green north is just incomparable. Haven't done the Sierras yet (thanks Mother Nature) but I'm confident my next trip out there will involve it. California is possibly one of my favorite places to road trip.

Plus, you've got In-N-Out. Everywhere.



*******

Our truck was a 2021 Mojave.

It was equipped with an iKamper tent, large Engel fridge, full bed slide and the 45L Engel on its own slide (loved that thing) under an RSI Smart Cap and Falken M/Ts and otherwise relatively stock with OEM LEDs and 40K miles on the clock. A Yakima Road Shower, 10gal in jerry cans of H20 and a couple smaller rotopaks for spare fuel filled the bed along with 4 FrontRunner chairs, a folding table, a killer all in one kitchen box and 6lb propane bottle. We put in around 2K miles and averaged about 15MPG if we were lucky.

The 2022 JLURD had an AluCab and two level rack with cargo netting in the back to keep the gear organized with a similar kit but only one 5gal water jug and no road shower. Their 45L Engel was also on a slide. It came with a Front Runner grill on the spare tire but unfortunately that obscured the rear view cam. That's an issue FR should work on, there's little visibility out the back due to gear and that made it VERY hard to back up safely on trails and in parking lots. But the grill made cooking over the fire much more enjoyable.

Their fuel economy was outstanding, typically filling up once every 2-3 times that we did, and the diesel put enough torque down that for the most part aired down except for some especially gnarly spots, they were in 2wd until they had to lock axles and hook up.

Both trucks came with a Garmin InReach in case shit got frosty and we had to phone a friend.

Both trucks had Rhino racks for their tents with Rhino retractable awnings. Never used the awnings FWIW, too windy.

********

Overall we had an incredible trip.

There are definite wins and shortcomings of the trucks and the gear:

1. The trucks needed Seat Jackers and dead pedals. I'm 6'1 and our friend's wife is 5'10. It wasn't terribly pleasant after a while in the saddle as a result.

2. The Mojave, even with all that gear and weight can chew up highway mileage without effort. I had it up around 80-85 mph more than a few times and it felt stable and surefooted. The JLURD OTOH... bit stiffer. My experience test driving JTRs and JTMs back to back indicated this would be the case and I wasn't wrong. The JLUR wasn't awful but we were a much softer ride down the highway.

3. These trucks need more USB power points!! We had a phone for nav/music, GMRS radios, charging headlamps and camp lights, watches ate them up. Definitely would need an aftermarket upgrade but Jeep could refresh with more if they wanted. The ones behind the armrest were difficult to get to especially with gear on the back seat. A dual USB cigarette adapter was a game changer.

4. The outfitter did a great job of providing just about everything we'd need but I'd have probably laid out the gear in the Mojave differently using all the available hard points for the shovel, axe, etc instead of valuable bed space. The Mojave is technically set for 2 adults and up to 2 kids but just the two of us had it pretty full. If we had our dog with us there wouldn't have been a good spot for him. The JLUR was setup for 2 adults and worked okay for that. Again, using hard point mounting for certain gear would have freed up much needed space.

5. Gaia works VERY well through CarPlay. Can't do all the functions but it keeps the important stuff on the screen at all times.

6. Never underestimate the value of heated seats and steering wheels in cold weather. How did I live without this shit?

7. After this trip if given the option I Would not buy an iKamper. It was comfortable, huge inside, and warm but the take down was a pain in the ass. All bedding except the factory mattress had to be removed to take it down and the mattress had to sit just right to close. The front and back (sides of the tent) never would fold down inside the clamshell properly. I constantly had to adjust and stuff from inside the cab by removing a panel or standing on the tailgate and shoving it in. In the rain that's no bueno.

The AluCab OTOH is stupidly easy to setup and take down and the bedding could stay in it. The airflow of the iKamper was great, but the AluCab was just as good while warmer and darker. With all flaps closed its a cave. The iKamper does let ambient light in but it was not hateful. Due to the time of year and weather we used the rain flys on both for extra insulation and stayed warm and dry. With having to haul down bedding and store in the cab every day, if we had our dog with us we'd have been crammed in like sardines.

8. The Mojave with a diesel and peace of mind in a front locker would be a perfect overloading rig-- very compliant suspension for the long road hauls in between trails and totally able to handle anything we threw at it and more. The fuel economy was piss poor, even for a Jeep. The Pentastar however was plenty powerful to handle the steep passes on the highways and trails.

9. The Jeep safety functions are annoying. Why the hell must my door be closed to go into gear? I was looking out the door to spot a ledge!

10. The remote start didn't have a time out function (it should) for longer idle time. 10 minutes max. I'm not a fan of push button starters as it is and wish the manufacturers would go back to a hard key. Somehow with the key out of the truck it idled for about 20 minutes with me being unaware (I was inside a building with the key and it was locked but still).

11. If you're not ordering the LED lights you're missing out. Those things are BRIGHT!

12. The Mojave seats are more comfortable than the Rubicon. Better bolsters and lumbar support.

13. I wasn't able to figure out if I could do Off Road+ mode in 2WD. Mostly wanted to just turn off traction control... operator error?

14. I needed to take more wheeling pics. I was too busy driving and Annie was too busy hanging on.

15. The front trail cam on the Mojave was a life saver on tight trails. I could clearly catch my lines through pinch points. And in parking lots it was great given the length of the truck and the higher cowl to get into tight spots and campsites.

16. The Mojave can **easily** handle washboards at higher speeds. Talking 40mph in 2wd and 4wd.

17. Using the gauge cluster to determine the angles for camping was super easy. I do wish the outfitter had included some small RV leveling blocks though. Not everywhere we camped had stones I could use in place. The more level the truck, the better we slept.

Overall these were great trucks and easily tackled everything we wanted them to and left us both wanting ones of our own.

Thanks for reading all of this!

Links:

Cypress Overland Rentals:
https://www.cypressoverland.com/

Samuel Taylor SP:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469

The Palace Market, Point Reyes Station
https://palacemarket.com/

Inverness Park Market, Inverness
https://invernessparkmarket.com/

Hog Island Oysters, Marshall
https://hogislandoysters.com/

RH Yountville
https://rh.com/yountville/restaurant

Brasswood, St Helena
https://brasswood.com/brasswoodbarkitchen/

Chateau Montelena, Calistoga
https://montelena.com/

Faust, Saint Helena
https://faustwines.com/

Markham Vineyards, Saint Helena
https://markhamvineyards.com/

Stags Leap Vineyards
https://markhamvineyards.com/

Best Western Stevenson Manor, Calistoga
https://www.stevensonmanor.com/

Calistoga Roastery
https://calistogaroastery.com/

Indian Springs Resort, Calistoga
https://www.indianspringscalistoga.com/

Sam's Social Club, Calistoga
https://www.indianspringscalistoga.com/samssocialclub

KOA, Santa Cruz
https://koa.com/campgrounds/santa-cruz/

Blackrock Canyon Campground
https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/black-rock-campground.htm

HipCamp Joshua Tree Container Resort
https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/land/california-joshua-tree-container-resort-dw9h19z1

The Hitching Post II, Buellton
https://hitchingpost2.com/

KOA, Santa Margarita
https://koa.com/campgrounds/santa-margarita/

J's Country Kitchen, Santa Margaria
https://www.jscountrykitchen.com/

Ridge Winery
https://www.ridgewine.com/

Half Moon Bay Cottage
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/764780506267315504?source_impression_id=p3_1678950497_YWYGPFGWbOrBbS0N

Fattoria e Mare, Half Moon Bay
https://fattoriaemare.com/

New Leaf Market, Half Moon Bay
https://www.newleaf.com/our-stores/half-moon-bay/



Jeep Gladiator California Adventure 2023 IMG_1134


Jeep Gladiator California Adventure 2023 IMG_1256


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Camaroboi13

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Hell yeah brother, glad you were able to make the trip out. Surprised the Mojave was as smooth as you say considering how cupped and off balance the tires were. As a SoCal resident myself, we often take the scenery for granted. I’m glad you were able to enjoy the sights and sounds down here.
 

fourfa

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Great report, thanks for the write-up. I’m lucky to live near Ridge, often ride my bike up there, and get to attend an assemblage tasting every so often. Amazing stuff
 
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BourbonRunner

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Hell yeah brother, glad you were able to make the trip out. Surprised the Mojave was as smooth as you say considering how cupped and off balance the tires were. As a SoCal resident myself, we often take the scenery for granted. I’m glad you were able to enjoy the sights and sounds down here.
It was a bit dicey with the weather doing what it was. Not gonna lie, I kicked around cancelling the trucks and just doing Napa so the girls could do the race and flying back but too much was non-refundable.

Tires were concerning and a big part of why I skipped New Idria and didn't think of going anywhere with snow. They needed to be replaced but since we were going south...

It really is something. I think its the extreme contrasts. Mid Atlantic our mountains are lower and we're more gradual elevation increases. Y'all can be in the low altitude desert and stare at snowcaps. Plus the roads going up, around and through mountains with scenic vistas everywhere. Pretty wild stuff.

Sounds like an awesome trip ,thanks
Sure was! YW.

Great report, thanks for the write-up. I’m lucky to live near Ridge, often ride my bike up there, and get to attend an assemblage tasting every so often. Amazing stuff
Saw a couple bicyclists going up the road. That would be a heart attack for my fat ass. Even when I was riding 150 miles a week that elevation change would have been brutal! But lucky you're close enough to swing through when you get a hankering. Jealous!
 

Free2roam

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New idria is filled with asbestos dust. Never made up to Tahoe huh? We've got to much snow! Over 600" I believe 670"
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