A winter storm was clearing and snow conditions were awesome as we headed for Northern California and the Winter Fun Festival, sponsored by the California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC). A year ago we asked you to tell us about extreme snow wheelin' in your area, and you flooded our office with e-mails, letters, and calls. Tom Grancey was one of the people we heard from. He is event chairman and member of the Grass Valley Four Wheelers, a group well versed in extreme snow wheeling. The group's Winter Fun Festival offered 10 trail rides ranging from moderate mud to a historic SUV run. But we wanted snow and lots of it. The only place to find it was in the high country, and the Avalanche Express took us there.
The high country had recently received rain, which froze and was then dusted with a few inches of fresh stuff. This created some of the best snow-wheelin' conditions we've seen. Like driving on a frosty sand dune, you just point, put the skinny pedal to the metal, and over hill, wind drift, mogul, and dale you go.
Our ascent took us over an old pioneer wagon route to the summit of Yuba Gap, where our Garmin-12 GPS registered 7,000-plus feet. At that point, our trail guide, Ken, informed us that the National Forest winter travel rules state that a four-wheel-drive may travel cross-country as long as you have 12 inches of snow. We were free to roam, and roam we did. As the snow loosened up in the afternoon, rigs became buried and winch lines and straps came out.
The Winter Fun Festival attracts over 200 vehicles and 600 people each year. For information on next year's event, contact CA4WDC at 800/4X4-FUNN or www.cal4wheel.com.