This fun run was my first time wheeling, besides the September Safety Clinic which I
attended. I had a great time out on the trails and watching those who took on the harder
obstacles. Thanks to all who helped organize this!
I arrived at Hollister just before 8 am, to make sure I could get in and have enough time
to air down. I saw a couple ED4 members in line, including Daryl in the Samurai in front
of me and CJ in the line further back.
With the help of Gaia GPS, I found my way to the meeting point at the oak tree with
plenty of time to air down and introduce myself to the members present. Others slowly
trickled in over the next half hour.
I realized my truck (a double cab long bed) was pretty much the longest vehicle anyone
had brought for the trails (see comparison picture at Hector Heights below). This meant
I needed to do a few 3 and 4 point turns at some places on the trails.
Daryl volunteered to lead the newbies and those looking for a more relaxed experience through the park (thank you!). We first went up to Hector Heights, successfully beating the lunch crowd. On the way back down, there were quite a few rigs coming the opposite way, and it took some time and careful maneuvering on both sides to pass.
We next headed to the granite pit area. I did bottom out once, which reminded me I need real skid plates and some rock sliders. Seems I got away without breaking anything this time though, and I’ll plan to install some protection before future runs.
Next up was the ravine. I parked and watched some of the others skillfully navigate it. It was great inspiration for when I have more skills and a more capable rig.
We drove on some more trails after this, passing by the rock garden. I bypassed it, but watched some of the others driving through. My truck could have made it through, but I was wary due to already having scraped the underside and not having proper skid plates etc so I took the bypass. I also bypassed the tunnel.
I wanted to record a track of where we went, so I had Gaia GPS set to record, but I must have forgotten to grant it permission to get my location in the background, because nothing ended up being recorded. I’ll keep that in mind for next time. I also didn’t have my ham license at the time of the fun run, so I used an FRS radio I brought.
I had also brought recovery/safety gear like a snatch strap and soft shackles, a tire patch kit, fire extinguisher, first aid kit etc, but luckily did not end up needing it this time.
We eventually returned to the old obstacle course and went through the frame twister. We decided to call it a day shortly after this. I aired back up using a portable compressor I brought, and we left the park. It was a fun day, and I am looking forward to future runs with the club!
-Dishaan Ahuja (Prospective)
2019 Toyota Double-Cab/Long-Bed TRD