There is something to be said about 4x4 events that stand the test of time. Like a good business, to survive they must give us what we want. When it comes to wheelin', what we want are good trails, good friends, and good fun. The Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari, Jeepers Jamboree, and the Easter Jeep Safari are a few events that come to mind, all rolling into their 40th or 50th years. The 40th Annual Sierra Trek was a culmination of evolution, and The California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs pulled out all the stops for the best Trek ever.
Back in 1967, the inaugural event was a pretty simple affair: About 50 Jeeps, Broncos, and Scouts went on a day trek up the Fordyce Trail, ending with a barbecue along the alpine waters of Meadow Lake. During the area's mining heyday of the 1860s, the town of Summit City sprang up on the lake's edge, boasting several hotels, a dozen saloons, and its own newspaper. Local entrepreneurs also brought in a steam-powered paddleboat for Saturday evening cruises. It had been a few years since we've made the trip to Northern California for the Sierra Trek, but when we received the invite for the 40th Annual, flashbacks of Treks gone by were reason enough to crank up the rig and head to the High Sierras.
This year's Trek drew participants from across the west, and in addition to four days of great wheeling on various trails, also included a handful of carnival style activities to keep us adults and our crumb-cruncher youths busy the entire weekend. The Sierra Trek always draws a large number of vendors to display their wares, and participants cruised the vendor midway where manufactures like BFGoodrich tires, ARB, and Dynatrac had all the latest stuff for the rockcrawling junkie.
Sierra Trek is the largest all-volunteer event we are aware of. Staffed by a different club for each meal, the Trek kitchen operates 24/7 to keep almost 1,500 hungry people fed for four days. Running the Thursday or Friday trail allows participants time to relax in main camp, explore the local area, or paddle on Meadow Lake.
Check out these pages for some hard-rock wheeling and high-altitude fun. If you missed it, go to www.cal4wheel.com for details on next year's event.
Cory Kaiser pulled all the stops when it came to building his pure-white '93 Wrangler. The ARB-locked high-pinion front Dana 60 and 14-bolt rear axles, combined with an Atlas II transfer case, are arguable insurance against trail carnage, while a set of 39.5-inch Interco IROKs provides ample traction. | 
There are three river crossings of Fordyce Creek on the short-wheelbase run. With spring runoff stretching into summer, you can usually expect the water to submerge a 33- or 35-inch tire. | 
Winch Hill No. 1 will definitely get your attention. A 100-yard sluice box filled with 30-inch boulders leads you into a 40-degree incline wedged between two granite slabs. With several hundred rigs on the trail, there is no shortage of action when drivers pick the wrong line. Around noon, a crowd of spectators gathers to watch. |
Big tires, big traction, and a flexy suspension are what you learn in Rockcrawling 101. Loose bowling-ball-size rock nuggets line most of the Sierra Trek trail. The short-wheelbase trails are designed for Jeeps and the like, but certain bigger rigs can have fun at times. | 
At just 75 inches wide, the top of Winch Hill No. 3 is the Big Squeeze! Rigs with full-width axles have to take a wide line, and usually catch big air. The Pair-O-Dice 4WD Club manages winching duties here, and showed up sporting mohawks and Native American attire. The trend spread to main camp on Saturday night when the Pair-O-Dice crew offered free mohawks to any takers. | 
It's a wheelbase thing: While old-school thought was that anything longer than a 90-inch wheelbase was too long, today's drivers are choosing longer rigs like this Jeep pickup, which was easily navigating Winch Hill No. 5. |
Arguably as difficult as the infamous Rubicon, the Sierra Trek trail is relentless in its quest to cause bodily harm to your vehicle. Manned by a rock-rolling and winch crews, five separate winch hills challenge both man (or woman) and machine. Each driver gets three attempts at the hill. Fail the third time and you get the hook. Turn your headlights on and the spotters get out of your way. Screw up and you'll get a ribbing you won't forget. | 
Side-climbing through some of the narrow winch-hill slots can be exciting. Some participants run the trail at night, hence the name "Star Trek. | 
Boulders on the main trail range from tire-sized to simply uncrawlable. Low tire pressure and lockers are handy, while a winch can be mandatory. |