All in all, Christmas in the mountains without snow sucks. Can't be helped. They did blow some snow on the ski slopes, so at least the skiing part of our family got some entertainment. I was left with four-wheeling - not bad at all! It just had to happen that the crooks in one of a zillion crooked San Diego car shops screwed the rear crankshaft seal on my full-size jeep - to a degree that you can trace my garage from the closest highway by the oil drop track! It lost nearly a quart of oil in fifteen minutes. So, no jeeping for me, either. My only bet - my wife's '96 Land Rover Discovery. Sure I don't want to beat the guts out of this rather expensive piece of machinery on the rocks, neither to check how good the paint stands on these aluminum body panels against manzanita branches, but something's got to be had.

Here it is.

At the last minute, we've got some odd four-wheeling party. My brother took his '80 full size SJ Cherokee, with all the might of nearly seven liters of bored-over 401, 31" rubber, and maybe $1000 worth of bodywork. I took this nearly new Landie. Our friend joined us on one occasion with his '94 (or is it '96?) ZJ Grand Cherokee. Makes up to a nice chance to compare some quite different vehicles - even if not in all dough the real world can throw on a 4x4.
So, here's the breakdown on what we got - for my fellow full-size jeepers, occasional rover owners, and a whole world of ZJ owners.

Big Bear Lake area is very remarkable feature of overcrowded Southern California. Besides the town near the lake, with all the bustle of Chrismas vacation and flocks of skiers, and a few paved highways (two, to be exact) leading in and out the area, there are hundreds of miles of dirt roads, 4x4, OHV, bike, hike, and equestrian trails. Did you know that you can camp practically anywhere in the forest (ask the rangers about some minor restriction), away from the crowds anytime of the year? All you pay is $5 for the Forest Adventure Pass - which I will gladly pay as long as this place exists.

For a hard-core four-wheeler, there is not too much to brag about. One rocky creek bed, a few off-camber trails, and some steep and loose grades to hit. Most of these trails are graded (or not graded, or intentionally not maintained) dirt roads. Your family and kids will certainly appreciate the scenery, just anywhere you stop for a beer or two. Many of these roads feature some little neat attractions here and there - a rock with black tire marks suggesting 35"+ tires, or a deeply rutted steep grade that leads nowhere (so you'd have to turn around somehow, or flip into Reverse and step on gas), or an iced creek, or such.
This was all the fun we had on this trip. Oh yeah, forgot an important detail - if you hit the dirt during the heat of the ski season, you can easily let your kids drive your rig - no traffic whatsoever. Beware of an occasional idiot in a pickup or an SUV showing off to his girlfriend - they drive fast. You'd see the dust clouds first, just look around.

Now, directions to the place, starting from Redlands, California.

• Take I-10 to Hwy.30 (Redlands)
• Follow Hwy.30 to Nwy.330 (Redlands)
• Follow Hwy.330 to Arrowbear - junction with Hwy.18. Note - keep looking at your temp gauge!
• Take Hwy.18 to Big Bear Lake
• Turn Right (across the dam) towards Big Bear Lake City
• Follow Hwy.18 (later - Big Bear Blvd.) to Mill Creek Rd. (shortly after the Civic Center, watch for the picnic grounds sign)
• Turn Right onto the Mill Creek Rd, follow it until pavement changes to dirt
• At the fork, take left onto Rd.2N10

• Follow 2N10 to 2N17, then to 2N08. It'll lead back to 2N10, and you can either return or proceed to Moonridge.
• Follow 2N10 all the way to 2N08, turn to 2N08, then to 2N17, then back to 2N10 and go home.
• Or, you can make it all the way along 2N10 to Moonridge.

Now, read on to Full Size Jeep - Land Rover Discovery - Grand Cherokee comparison.