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Off Highway Vechile Trails In Southern California San Bernardino Mountains - Secret TrailsWheeling Lesser-Known Treasures From the May, 2009 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Kevin McNulty Photography by Kevin McNulty
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Believe it or not, there are still little-known four-wheel-drive trails scattered across this great country that are worthy of national attention, but kept as well-guarded secrets. The locals who frequent these trails won't give up their locations easily. But for those lucky few outsiders that get to wheel them, the experience of an extreme trail in its pristine state and remote wilderness adventure is all too cool. We had heard tales of a well-hidden and lightly-run trail in the Southern California high desert for almost a year, but we didn't have the opportunity to seek it out until recently. We were told that the trail was as tough as any of the Hammer Trails in Johnson Valley. That seriously peaked our interest. We were also told that the trail was still in its natural condition, without rock stacking, and the toughest obstacles still as extreme as the day the first rig cut the trail. Just when we got our act together and planned a clandestine trail run, a severe winter storm hit and the deserts received record amounts of snowfall. Some areas of the high desert hadn't seen snowfall in almost 10 years, but as much as 2 feet hit the ground in that storm. Much more snow fell in the arid eastern foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains--right on top of the new trail. There really isn't a name for the trail since it hasn't been wheeled with much frequency, and there aren't any GPS coordinates. It's just another amazing canyon located in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 25 miles east of Big Bear Lake. We'll call it Trail X. The trail is within the boundaries of a legal OHV area, but it's well hidden by Mother Nature. We have wheeled the main trail a number of times, yet passed by the entrance to X without even knowing it was there. We're guessing Trial X receives very little travel because of the heavy vegetation around its narrow opening. There are also a number of doglegs that branch off the main trail and lead nowhere. We think that by the time four-wheelers reach this point on the main trail, they give up exploring every nook and cranny carved in the high canyon walls. In the future, Trail X will not only make a convenient test trail for new suspensions, but we're positive it will become one of our favorite, less-crowded local trails, perfect for escaping the masses. We had a blast wheeling the trail in the snow, and we can't wait to run it in the spring.  The desert covered with snow...  The desert covered with snow is a unique travel experience and a beautiful place to four-wheel. Snow also ups the difficulty level of any trail, pitting driver skill against limited traction and ground clearance issues. The Mojave Desert is rich in history and full of old ranches, homesteads, cabins, and mines. It's extremely important that when visiting these areas we leave them just as we found them.  Varying snow conditions require...  Varying snow conditions require different driving tactics. The snow we encountered on the way to Trail X was just a couple of days old and still soft-packed powder. The consistently cold temperatures didn't allow the snow to melt and refreeze, which would have made it icy. Airing down the tires to about 10 psi was enough to float the tires across the snow with plenty of traction, no chains required.  A vehicle should be set up...  A vehicle should be set up with lockers, mud or snow tires, and a winch for snow wheeling. Always prepare for the worst; even though it may be sunny when hitting the trail early in the day, winter storms can appear suddenly. The clean Bronco was the perfect winter trailing rig. Not only was it fitted with the proper components for these types of winter conditions, but it carried a top-of-the-line portable BBQ for an incredible hot lunch.  The snowy conditions turned...  The snowy conditions turned the sandy wash of the main trail into a snow-bashing playground. It helps to know the trail when blasting through the snow like this, making sure that the vehicles are still on the trail and vegetation below isn't being destroyed.  This lightweight little solid-axle...  This lightweight little solid-axle Toyota 4Runner was the go-anywhere tractor of the trail run. It's amazing how some unassuming vehicles seem to go wherever they're pointed. Time and time again, we've seen sleeper Toyotas like this 4Runner outperform the most expensive rigs on a trail run.  These were some of the best...  These were some of the best snow-wheeling conditions we've seen in years. In most areas the snow was about 2 feet deep, light and fluffy, and didn't require massive amounts of horsepower to push through. If the temperatures had fluctuated, the snow would have become icy, making progress on the trail far more difficult.  As we progressed up the trail,...  As we progressed up the trail, the boulders grew in size and the snow made it difficult to find good approach angles. We made it a few hundred yards into Trail X, but the snow seriously hampered our progress. We've been told that the exit of the trail has a steep waterfall and requires winching out; so we can't wait for the snow to melt so we can complete the trail.  We seemed to be able to find...  We seemed to be able to find every hidden pit and boulder that could stop this bruiser of a truck in its tracks. The farther we traveled up the trail, the larger the boulders got. As we looked ahead we could see rocks at least 5 feet tall. One benefit of snow-wheeling is that the rocks are slippery; so with a good push from a few friends, the vehicle usually slides free.  This Samurai is a very cool...  This Samurai is a very cool trail vehicle in the making, but it lacked the essentials for safe winter wheeling. This little Sami was stuck in a small ravine about five miles back from the trailhead. We found them about an hour before sunset. If we hadn't been there to extract them, they may have been there throughout the night in below-freezing temperatures. Seriously, go prepared!
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