Mojave Road or Azusa canyon shake down

spearwarrior

Observer
Finally got my van back and would like to take it for a test run. I'm a newb to 4 wheeling and looking for advice on which would be better. I'm giving some serious thought to camping in the van overnight also. If I do I'll take my 8yr old son along for the ride.
 

ujoint

Supporting Sponsor
Those are very different venues! I would go to Azusa for a shakedown. Plenty of people there to help if you have an issue or get stuck. Just stay out of the mud! You'll be cleaning it forever.....
 

spearwarrior

Observer
Those are very different venues! I would go to Azusa for a shakedown. Plenty of people there to help if you have an issue or get stuck. Just stay out of the mud! You'll be cleaning it forever.....

I took my porsche cayenne turbo to Azusa once and there is still mud in places I can't get too!!
 

ducktapeguy

Adventurer
I took my porsche cayenne turbo to Azusa once and there is still mud in places I can't get too!!

How long ago was this? Maybe about 6-7 years ago? I might have a picture of you. I doubt there are many Cayenne owners willing to take their SUV's up there. I know everyone that was up there stopped what they were doing and was watching it to see if it'd get stuck.
 

spearwarrior

Observer
How long ago was this? Maybe about 6-7 years ago? I might have a picture of you. I doubt there are many Cayenne owners willing to take their SUV's up there. I know everyone that was up there stopped what they were doing and was watching it to see if it'd get stuck.

yep. Blue cayenne turbo. I'd love to see that pic! Most people that spoke to me thought i was out of my mind.
 

ducktapeguy

Adventurer
yep. Blue cayenne turbo. I'd love to see that pic! Most people that spoke to me thought i was out of my mind.

I kinda thought you were out of your mind too, but you were running through those big mud pits with everyone else. Did you have street tires on it at the time? I'll see if I still have any pictures, that was quite a long time ago. Now I'm thinking it must have been almost 8 or 9 years ago, right after I got my FJ40 I took it up there to play around. I haven't been up there since because it's not my type of crowd.

If you want to do a short, easy run, there was the Rincon Shortcut about a mile past the entrance to Azusa off-road park, not sure if it's still accessible. You can get the combination to the lock from the ranger station at the off-road area. It's 20+ miles of gated forest service road, so not too many people on it, and I think there's a campground halfway. It goes from Azusa canyon and drops you off at Angeles Crest highway, where there are a lot of developed campsites. I haven't been on it since before the Station fire, so it could be a really easy graded dirt road or it could be closed from all the washouts.

Depending where you are in Socal here's also Cleghorn trail off the 15. Don't know if there's camping allowed along the trail, but it's not as far as Mojave Road.
 

ducktapeguy

Adventurer
Is this you in the background?

104_3641.JPG
 
Last edited:

philos

Explorer
+1 for the Rincon shortcut. It's easy, quick, and quite pleasant.
Cleghorn is fun too.
Agreed you'll want another vehicle and a lot more time for Mojave road.
There are some fire roads at Rowher flats (Texas Cyn) as well as the Rowher Trail but that one is best for a shorter wheel base in my book.
 

crismateski

American Adventurist
I pretty much always recommend cleghorn for new people or shakedown runs. You can pick and choose how hard you want it to be, and there are normally people around if you get in trouble
 
Another nod for Cleghorn. Too be honest Azusa doesn't have much to offer other than sitting around with a group of friends and people watch. Cleghorn I think is a good real world test.
 

crismateski

American Adventurist
and depending on when you go, it is usually pretty easy to get a group together for cleghorn on a weekend
 

spearwarrior

Observer
What a difference

IMG_20140508_080436.jpg


pic on the trail:

IMG_20140510_125550.jpg


IMG_20140510_125602.jpg


IMG_20140510_140238.jpg


IMG_20140510_140238.jpg


IMG_20140510_144657.jpg


I took the easy trails as it was my first time. I got lost and turned arround to ask directions only to find out I was going the right way so turned back around. Something started to rattle under the front after I took a bump too fast and got some air under my tires. My front ubolts were loose and about to fall off and the bottom bolt that holds the brake caliper was missing. I drove really slow to the campsite to wait for my friend. Sunday morning got up went fishing then went to my house to get tools and jack, air pump. went to junk yard to get missing bolt and headed back to the van. Replaced the bolt and put air in the drivers side rear tire that was completely flat to avoid having to change it. About 7 miles from home the following happens.

IMG_20140511_141314.jpg


I end up having to change the tire alone on the side of the freeway. All in all It was a good trip. Looking forward to next off road/camping trip.
 

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