Infectious Off-Road.com

This will be the 16th annual Swamp Lake trip. We keep doing it because it's such a good trip. Swamp Lake Trail is near Shaver Lake, it's a 14 mile loop trail with a couple of great lakes about halfway through the trail. We camp at Dinkey Creek Thurs night, then start the trail Fri morning. We camp Fri and Sat at Grouse Lake which is at 9200' elevation, and we finish the trail on Sunday. This trip is a friends run, no particular club or group affiliation, we just go and whoever wants to go is welcome.

Here's a few pics of the trail.


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Here are some pics of where we camp at Grouse Lake.


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What are the trail requirements? (lockers? etc)

I'm extremely interested... my brother's parents have a cabin up there... this would be a great reason to go spend a week in Shaver.

[quote="RyanSBCA"]What are the trail requirements? (lockers? etc)

I'm extremely interested... my brother's parents have a cabin up there... this would be a great reason to go spend a week in Shaver.[/quote]

32's/33's and a locker or limited slip. Good idea to have some rocker protection, and some spare parts. It's a long way back to a parts house.

Wow I always thought that Swamp Lake was a fairly hardcore trail that you needed at least one locker on. This is still a ways out for me. I'd like to see how I'm doing financially when the date gets closer, but I am definitely interested.

Well, really, you should have 33's and a locker. But, if you're with a friend who doesn't mind giving you a tug now and then you can run the trail with 32's and a limited slip. If you have 35's and a limited slip you should be mostly OK, might need a tug in one spot. It's been run with 31's and a locker, but with friends that don't mind stopping to spot and doing some tugging. With a big group it can be nicer to mostly keep people moving, but this is a pretty chill trip, enjoy the trail and enjoy the camping. We've had axles break on this trip, so while it's not hardcore, you do have to be careful in some spots.

Just bringing this back to the top. Still a few months off. We hit the trail Fri morning.

Make me a maybe Richard. I'll give you a more definite answer when it gets closer.

I'm in! Assuming I have all the kinks worked out of the XJ's new axles and suspension.
Richard what time and where do you all meet. I'll be coming back from the beach on the 4th. and need get a plan together?

Most folks drive up sometime on Thurs, and we camp in the trees close to Dinkey Creek right next to Camp Fresno. I'll be driving up after work on Thurs. You drive to the town of Shaver Lake, turn right on Dinkey Creek Rd and then go about 12 miles. Turn right on McKinley Grove Rd and immediately cross the bridge over Dinkey Creek, then go about a 1/4 mile and turn left at road 10S36 and we camp in the trees immediately on the left. This is open camping, no fees, and there will be a fire going.

We'll leave Fri morning at 8:30, and normally get to the lake by mid afternoon. We'll camp at the lake both Fri and Sat night. We usually do a pot luck for dinner on Sat. We'll pack up very casually on Sun morning and finish the trail. Swamp Lake trail is about 14 miles long, and makes a loop, sort of like a mini Dusy which is 33 miles long. For reference, the Rubicon Trail is 9 miles long. The trail is not difficult, but there's plenty of wheeling, and you need bigger tires and a locker, and you can break parts.

Richard, I'm a pretty good maybe, Just depends on How the wifes knees are feeling . Its been bothering her to sit for long periods, If its better we'll go.

ill try to go depends if i get some spare axles by then

31's and my lunch box are out :( I don't want to be tugged. Looks like a blast thought maybe next year I will have graduated to the big boys

Im in Richard. Bigfoot may take his Jeep too. We will either run in late on Friday night, or very early on Sat morning depending on how stable things are at work.

Would love to go, but I only have 33's and no lockers...

Maybe next year! If I'm not built up by then, maybe I'll tag along by MTN BIKE!!!!

*EDIT:
I'll be in Havasu for my annual lake trip.

Here's a little vid of last years run:
[url]http://youtu.be/89YMEhIgnT4[/url]

I can hardly wait! Although the jeep needs a lot done before I go. I just ordered rod bearings . I also need to get a hub bearing for the passenger side, and change the outer bearings in the rear axle. I decided to save the money I was going to spend on the locker for now. It is too close to school to make such a drastic move on the jeep. Tomorrow I start this to-do list. It's larger than what I listed, but it will all come together before the 5th.

[quote="JeremyRowell"]Here's a little vid of last years run:
[url]http://youtu.be/89YMEhIgnT4[/url][/quote]

Cool video, I am tempted to go.

There is so much snow still up there it is doubtful that we'll be able to go on the 1st weekend in Aug as planned. I'm going to call the Forest Service again on Monday and see if there is any better news. This trip will likely get pushed back a week.

What's the good word Richard? Pushing it back a week?

Yes, definitely pushing it back a week. If it's not open by the next weekend we'll run Coyote Lake instead. Red Lake, Mirror Lake and Strawberry Lake just opened, and Coyote should be open by then. Same plan, just move it back a week. I wonder if Dusy will even open this year.

http://www.4wdcfresno.net/

4 Wheel Drive Fresno has a page where they have the trails that are open/closed... updated as of 25JUL2011

If all goes well this week, zayne and I will be going on this trip. 97% chance we will go, I will confirm for sure later in the week.

2 weeks ago word was thatt Dusy would open in 4 weeks. Swamp is always after Dusy because there is an area that has a lot of shade. if there is any snow, the trail will not open. We are hoping to see it for High Sierra over Labor Day Weekend. We played around Brewer and there was still snow in the shade.

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This was 2 weeks ago.