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| Winter Fun Fest 2002 - Grass Valley California | Short Cuts | ||||
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Story and Photos by: Vance Anderson and Rick Esterly
Edited by Randy L. Wheeler
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| Rick Bernard leads us up the "singletrack" |
The whistling of numerous valve stems sent a chill up my spine as I too lowered my tire pressure for the Siberian Express snow run. Images of last years Winter Fun Fest came to mind as I anticipated this year's trail. The snow and weather conditions were nearly ideal with partly cloudy skies threatening light flurries and lots of hard-packed snow on our trail. The destination today was the Weaver and Bowman Lakes area in California's Northern Sierra Nevada.
Our group consisted of 30 capable rigs filled with drivers and passengers of all ages. My kids of 7 and 8 were along for the trip again this year. They always to a snow-wheelin' trip and the opportunity for a pick-up snowball fight with the other kids on the run. Rick Bernard, today's trail leader, assembled the group of drivers for the safety meeting and we were soon off onto the trail.
The first section was snow-covered hardpack with 2 tire ruts about eight inches deep. The ruts sucked you in and held you on track such that we had a natural autopilot. The group made it's way up towards the summit for a few miles with out any problems.
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| The author gets the first good stuck |
By this time, we were riding on 3-6 feet of snow. I started noticing that as we went up in elevation that the snow was changing. Some areas were showing a crust on top and loose granular snow underneath. With the tires aired down to 9 psi I wasn't having any problems staying on top of the crust layer. The group was mostly together with not too many problems yet.
I was second behind the trail leader as things started to get interesting. The center of the road had a crust that seemed to break up behind the trail leaders tires. Following in the tire tracks as I had been up and until now left my tires churning in the granular snow below the surface. I figured no problem… I had my tires 9 psi - I'll just back up and take another run at it with a little more momentum. I started backing up and the quicksand-like granular snow sucked me down before I could get out of my tracks.
Even though I was being gentle on the throttle I was soon buried to my diffs in the muck. Dang!! Oh well, someone had to get the first stuck and it may as well be me… A little work with a shovel and strap and I was out the soft stuff. This consistency of the snow below the crust layer reminded me of those poly beanbag chair balls from the 70's. Oops, now I'm dating myself…
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| Even Crazy 8's MT/Rs wouldn't float in this stuff !! | It took winches, straps and teamwork to get through this section. | Even this coil-over TJ managed to cool his D60 in the snow. |
We had quite a time getting everyone through that soft section. Most made it by driving on shoulder where the crust layer was still intact. Others used copious amounts of speed and momentum to blast through. Most relied on buddies straps or winches to clear the 100 yard section of unforgiving snow.
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| A break at the top of the ridge brought snow flurries. |
Teamwork and assistance from Rick's helpful trail crew soon had all on our way up to the summit near Bowman Lake. As we made our way higher the snow remained mostly solid and we made great progress.
The skies darkened and soon the clouds were dusting us with big fluffy snowflakes. The view from the top of the ridge overlooking Bowman Lake was incredible as the snow fell on us while the lake remained basked in sunshine!
The trip down the ridgeline towards lake level presented several washed out gullies where warm rains from a couple weeks before had washed strips of the snowpack away. This made for a nice variety of terrain as we dropped off 3-4 foot ledges of snow to the bare strips of ground. At the bottom, we stopped for lunch along the cliffs overlooking Bowman Lake. The sun was out now and the setting was truly spectacular.
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| Picturesque lunch stop along the shore of Bowman Lake |
After stretching our legs and having a bite to eat we made a 180 and headed back towards the trailhead the way we came. The group joined up again at the top of the summit and caravanned down the hill. As we made it back to the "quicksand" area we found 2 non-run rugs mired in the middle of the soft stuff. I made my way past them by using the ditch on the right so I could assist from the other side. The struggle to get through the soft area was not as bad on the way down but still gave many a challenge. The remainder of the trail was uneventful as all the participants made it down to firm ground to air their tires back up.
A special thanks to the trail crew and the folks at Cal4Wheel. It was another fabulous trip. The snow and weather cooperated and no breakages or mishaps. If you ever get a chance, don't hesitate to go on one of the Winter Fun Fest snow runs. It is also a great trip for spouses and children, as the trips tend to be safe and slow paced. Just remember to go prepared, as you never know what mother nature will throw at you.
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