A lot of people who live in Southern California travel into the mountains in the summer to escape the heat. We tagged along with the 'On the Rocks Four Wheelers' on a four-day trip in the Fresno Area. Almost the entire trail is at an elevation of about 9000 feet. During the day temperatures were comfortable but at night they dropped to around 32 degrees.
Our group of nine Jeeps met at 8am on Thursday at the entrance of Camp Edison in Shaver Lake. Trail boss Scott had obtained a fire permit the day before (these free permits are available at the Forest Service).
With full tanks, extra gas, spare parts and plenty of food and water to survive a multi-day trip into the remoteness of the mountains, we started the trail from the Kaiser Pass side.

The terrain is much like the Rubicon: boulders everywhere and loose sand which lifts from the ground like powder sugar and sticks to everything. Our trucks made their way over obstacles to 10,100 feet where we enjoyed lunch, marveled upon the surroundings and looked for Mount Whitney. While driving, it was hard to cherish the scenery - the trail required our full attention. During the ascent we had to fix a loose power steering hose and a leaking heater hose. This day we reached our destination Lakecamp Lake at 2:30pm. After pitching our tents and gathering fire wood, some of us tried their luck fishing while others were fighting mosquitos. The next day we got another early start. The trail snaked through the forest and opened up to meadows featuring creeks and lakes. Some sections were tight which was no surprise given the origins of the trail: In 1958 some four wheelers driving CJs and Flatfenders cut this trail through the wilderness. They tried to fell as few trees as possible to conserve the beauty of this area. Most rigs in our group were Wranglers but we also had three Cherokees which found it hard to fit through some narrow spots. On one of the countless boulders a rig popped a bead but the tire stayed on so we just had to re-inflate it. Our next lunch spot was Ershim Lake - very inviting for a swim but we had to move on. In the afternoon we crawled over the famous Divorce Rock, a tilted granite slab that offered a short, steep ascent and a narrow ridge. After reaching the camp at East Lake some of us used the opportunity to wash off the dust in the pleasant water. After dinner another campfire kept us warm as temperatures dropped with the sinking sun. The third day greeted us with more four wheeling challenges; during the lunch stop at Thompson Lake, minor repairs were undertaken. We continued further and encountered the first traffic on the trail. Traveling during the week has its advantages. After squeezing between trees and rocks we reached Thompson Hill, a steep descent with big boulders and more loose sand. Following a lively discussion, we chose a good line and stacked rocks for a save climb downhill. All rigs made it through this fun obstacle unharmed. Our next and last camp was Dusy Meadow Creek, an incredibly scenic spot with a view of two huge granite domes. This ended up being the longest day with a driving time of eight hours. We were all pretty tired but satisfied with an adventure-packed day.
On the last morning Scott treated us to pancakes and bacon - a feast of a breakfast in camping environments! Finally, we hit the road at 9:30. There were more challenges and offcamber sections on our way to the pavement. The last big obstacle was Chicken Rock, a gigantic granite slab with a serious descent. This is like Moab in white: steep with a lot of traction. The tricky part was to find the trail at the buttom and squeeze through the boulders into the forest. One rig kept having problems with its fuel pump but made it through to the pavement.
Everybody tackled the trail without major breakdowns. A few trucks left with minor body damage but that just adds character…
Via the Courtright Reservoir dam we returned on sealed roads to Shaver Lake.

The outing with this Southern California club was a great experience. The company and the wheeling was very enjoyable and new friends were made. Cameradery - that's what it's all about, right?