For those of you familiar with southern California, you might know that Idyllwild--which is in the San Jacinto Mountains less than 2 hours away from LA--is a great area to go in the summer for camping, hiking, backpacking, and of course rockclimbing at the famous Taquitz and Suicide areas.
Since I finally got the Vanagon running well again about a week ago (thanks to the help of dedicated IAC members and my good friend Lanval), I decided it was time to take a trip up to Idyllwild, go camping, and also do some off-road testing of the van on dicey Forest Service roads. I was near the Lake Hemet/Thomas Mt. area, for those familiar with this area.
I've done a lot of back road driving with my Vanagon in the past, and although it is not as capable as the older buses, I have never ceased to be impressed by its capabilities. I always get a kick out of passing jacked-up Jeeps and other 4x4 trucks on these roads, because the expressions on drivers' faces can be priceless. One time about 4 years ago I was driving in a similar area on a pretty bad Forest Service road and I passed a huge SUV that was all decked out with "offroad capable" accessories and the guy driving it looked at my van, and then looked at me like he was personally offended that my little orange van with a peace sign on the front was doing just as well on these terrible roads as his $50,000 toy truck. It's like I completely destroyed his masculinity at that moment.
In any case, I didn't take too many pictures of the trip, but I thought I would upload a few photos for fun. I don't remember the exact location (it was a numbered Forest Service road about 8 miles off of the nearest paved road), but it was very beautiful and we didn't run into another person all day once we set up camp.
Me and the orangemobile parked in a field
My beautiful girlfriend Tadj
Beautiful day!
Stove at night
Until next time!
Idyllwild camping
- nathan@el
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: Guilford, Vermont
- Status: Offline
Idyllwild camping
Orange 1980 Vanagon L Westy
~190,000 miles on body
~20,000 on engine
~190,000 miles on body
~20,000 on engine
- Gypsie
- rusty aircooled mekanich
- Location: Treadin' Lightly under the Clear Blue!
- Status: Offline
Re: Idyllwild camping
Looks like a good time...
So it all started when I wanted to get better gas mileage....
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Idyllwild camping
Nice pics. Hey you guys kinda look related. Same teef.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Birdibus
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Inland SoCal
- Status: Offline
Re: Idyllwild camping
looks nice. I haven't been back there. Just what I like... peace and quiet.
I stayed home this weekend from a group camp with friends. Turns out the campground was overrun by roaring ATVs under control of impatient teens... not our people, but others. Glad I didn't drive the grueling freeways of LA, and the over crowded forest highway, to go camping there.
Your spot looks awesome.
I stayed home this weekend from a group camp with friends. Turns out the campground was overrun by roaring ATVs under control of impatient teens... not our people, but others. Glad I didn't drive the grueling freeways of LA, and the over crowded forest highway, to go camping there.
Your spot looks awesome.
71 bus, 74 westy
- nathan@el
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: Guilford, Vermont
- Status: Offline
Re: Idyllwild camping
Haha, oh god, I hope we're not related. That would be, ahhh, problematic on a genetic diversity level.Nice pics. Hey you guys kinda look related. Same teef.
It WAS nice being out in the middle of nowhere (well, if anywhere in SoCal can be considered the middle of nowhere), with no other people around. I'm glad we didn't try to get out the 4th of July weekend. I know there would have been people and traffic everywhere. I swear there are more cars than people down here--and there are A LOT of people.
Orange 1980 Vanagon L Westy
~190,000 miles on body
~20,000 on engine
~190,000 miles on body
~20,000 on engine