For teh Swamp group leaving Thursday afternoon.......

.....when is everyone leaving, and, are we going to caravan down?

We get off at 5, probably need a Grocery stop, but I was thinking we could all use one anyway. Maybe hit the store in Fresno for supplies, ice and dinner before heading up the hill?

BTW, I HOPE everyone running a D-35 is bringing spare axleshafts!

CRASH

[quote:b8253fa254="CRASH"]

BTW, I HOPE everyone running a D-35 is bringing spare axleshafts!

CRASH[/quote:b8253fa254]

Ya, that would be a good idea as they've been broken on Swamp before. I seem to remember one obsticle called "axle breaker" or something like that... :wink:


Jes

Not going to make Swamp this time around. I am in a wedding Saturday. I tried to convince the bride that I could just 'rally' back since the wedding isn't til 4pm but she knows better, she's been wheelin before.

Con trip was a success, albiet a long "hurry-up and wait" day Saturday. I was a little braver on this trip, took most of the harder lines and the new bumper did what it was supposed to do. Now for the passenger side sheetmetal, that's another story.

Have great trip and hope to catch ya on the next one.

my freinds and i were wanting to leave about 5:00 we don't really know the way so if we could go down w/ someone! that be sick!
kent

I don't want to be sick! What do you have? Is it contagious? Does it involve the dreaded "bleedy weenie"?

So where does the 5:00pm group want to meet? Somewhere on 99?

CRASH

Looks like we are in, earliest we could leave is 5, but we are in south Sac, We could meet at the Calvine exit Shell or Chevron station, on the west side of 99 there is also a smog and go and the new lowes on the same exit for refrence.

For groceries and all, there is a good place for you to stop in Prather, which is 1/2 way up to Shaver from Fresno. Its called Canyon Fork Market, there is also a Longs Drugs, pizza place, gas station, Foster Freeze and several other stores. From experience I would get my groceries here cause if you get them in Fresno or somewhere in the valley the chips, or anything else sealed will explode at the top of the 4 lane. For gas I would get it in Fresno and top off at the Cheveron in Shaver, it closes around 1000 or 1100, there is also a Texaco at the top of the 4 lane but it closes at 800. You can also eat in Shaver I would personally reccomend Trappers Bar and Grill or Hungry Bear (both are walking distance from Cheveron). I would definetly stay away from the Saw Mill unless money is not an object for the price of food and service. If you need better directions than have been posted let me know and I will give it my best shot if your not sure about where your going. And one more thing Cal Trans is paving the 4 lane about 1/2 way between Prather and Shaver, so if your going up in the late afternoon, I would think pretty hard about bringing some extra water, you should probably do it any way if your rig has heating problems, since it claims its fair number of over heated vehicles. Anything else you need to know let me know. Personally I will be chowing down at Trappers around 700 or 800, very good food at a good price and excelent drunk entertainment.

There's a Longs Drugs and Foster Freeze in Prather!?!
Where?
That's a one horse town.

Jes

Yep, there sure is. It depends on which way you come into town... If you come into town on Auberry Rd. its going to be on your right side about a 1/4 mile before you come to the stop sign at Tollhouse/Morgan Canyon Rd. If your coming up Morgan Canyon/Tollhouse Rd. its at the top of the steep grade before the intersection behind the gas station and post office. It cant be missed its on the north side of the shopping center, right next to the road, you're seeing the back side of both buildings, but there is still a sign out front on Auberry Rd.

I always gas up at the station in Prather, and have never had a problem running low on gas. I've also filled up in Clovis, run Swamp, and driven back to Clovis for another fill-up, so gas isn't a big problem. Since we're running Bald Mt also, I think Prather is your best bet, or the Texaco at the top of the hill IF you will be there before 8:00 pm. The grocery store in Prather is a big one, but doesn't have much of a deli or bakery, and there is the Foster Freeze.

Dinkey Creek isn't hard to find, especially if you have a map. Let me know if I need to post the directions again, or if you have any more questions. Most of us will be arriving in the dark, so make sure you're confident about where to go. Cell service is iffy up there, but we'll leave a CB on if you're close and have trouble finding us. If you print out the directions, you really shouldn't have any problems. Coming from the north, you can either get off of Hwy 99 at Herndon, and follow it all the way across town until you reach Hwy 168, OR you can continue down Hwy 99 and take the new freeway 168 and take it across town. Herndon would be shorter but the freeway may be faster. Can you local guys make a comment about this?

You are roughly an hour driving time to Shaver from midtown Fresno, and roughly 20 minutes to Dinkey Creek from Shaver. We'll keep the fire going so our camp will be easy to spot, and remember to bring a little firewood if you can.

Richard G

Richard,

Shall I bring the small chainsaw or firewood? I've got room for one or the other.

CRASH

It would be a lot faster for the NorCal boys to go out through Madera than to go into Fresno & back up the hill. The problem is that there really is no direct route so you would end up taking several different roads & it could get confusing. I'll try to explain the route so those that are looking for adventure could cut some drive time.

In the town of Madera take the Central Madera exit, which will be 4th street. This will pitch you out on the 99 frontage road running parallel to 99 on the west side. Turn left on this road (north) & you'll come to the 4th street stop light. Continue straight to the next light, which will be Yosemite Ave. Here you'll turn left & cross over 99 heading east. This will take you straight through the heart of down town Madera. Yosemite Ave. will change names to Hwy 145 after you get out of Madera. This road will take you all the way across Hwy 41. I'd say it's probably a good 15 to 20 miles from 99 through to 41 on Yosemite / 145. There is a stop light at Hwy 41. Here you continue straight across. You'll next come to a stop sign; you'll want to take a right. At this point you are basically on the backside of Millerton Lake. After the right hand turn you will be driving to the front side of the lake. This road will dead-end into Friant road. Here you take a left & head up the hill. Friant road will dead-end into Auberry road where you again take a left up the hill. This will take you straight into Prather & dead-ends into 168 where you can, again, take a left & continue up the hill & continue with Richard’s directions. It sounds more difficult than it really is. This would shave a good amount of time for the Northern guys.

By far the easiest alternative to find would be to continue north on 99 to the 180 east. Here you'll just follow the signs for 168 east & stay the course. I personally wouldn't take Herndon all the way through Fresno. The 180 / 168 route will add a few miles, but will be quicker than taking Herndon.

Matt

If you want to stop in Fresno B4 heading up.

837 W. Andrews 93705

It's a bit South down the freeway, but close to 99.

I plan on leaving between 7-8PM, unless there is a request to wait, or until my skid plates show up, Gary E. Nice Cobra!

Hey Gary do you have any extra axles for the D35 YOU SOLD ME? lol.

Email if interested.

[email protected]

Matt,

I've been that way before. It's fairly easy, and is probably the way we'll go.....

CRASH

hey andy can u call me at 223-5795 when u get a chance so we can see where we want to meet. this is kent. thanx

OK,

So lets all try to meet up at the Shell Station on Calvine road exit off of 99 at 5:30 on Thursday.

Gary: Is the Shell right off of the exit, or do we need to go back over the freeway?

CRASH

Andy, I'd bring a little firewood. There's wood to cut around there, but who wants to go track it down and then you'd want to haul back enough to make it worth cutting up. There isn't much around the trail, it stays picked over. If a number of us bring a little we'll have plenty.

I think Matt's directions are the way to go.....unless it's late, dark, and you want to take a no-brainer, don't get lost in the dark on a two lane road, freeway. Then continue down 99 and take the 180/168 freeway like Matt said.

Richard G

I'm going to bring a bunch of wood also. It's not like we have a shortage of almond wood around here. See you guys Thursday. What flavors of Franzia does your better half want me to deliver?

Matt

Crash,
The Shell is back over the freeway, Its a good exit though, plenty of lanes and good parking Shall we have people check in that are going to meet us there so we know if we should wait or leave at 5:30 regardless?

Sorry Charlie (no pun intended ) no extra axles those are extra super hardened factory shafts that only came in 86 cherokees with the super torquey 2.8 v6, be nice to them I don't want them breaking while I am around

Hey, Farmer!

We'll be bringing some ourselves, so no worries on that score. I appreciate the offer, however. Sorry to hear that your wife is unable to make it-I would have loved to meet her, heard lots of good things about her!

Lu