Picking Lines Clinic
Ruts and Ridges
To register for the next
Rocks, Ruts,and Ridges
Clinic click here
This clinic is designed to gain practical experience driving on steep hills
and over moderate rocks.
The class is entirely behind the wheel. It is intended for drivers with some experience off road
but who have not done rocks over 10 to 12 inches high. The trail is rated
by the Forest Service as "Most Difficult"
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We will be able to experiment with tire pressure. We will
review safety requirements, driving techniques and vehicle recovery. There is
always the possibility that we will need to recover some other vehicle.
You will gain new confidence with the capabilities of your vehicle and your
skill in dealing with rocks and hills.
For this class you need a street legal, insured 4WD with a low range transfer case.
You must have at least one tow hook (or tow point) on the front and one on the rear.
You need a CB radio (hand held will work) and no side steps.
Recommended items include a tow strap (no metal hooks on the ends), a first aid kit,
a fire extinguisher, and a HI-lift jack. The class is limited to 10 vehicles.
Full size vehicle are ok on this trail. All vehicles can expect some "pin striping"
from the trail side bushes.
Satisfaction Guarantee
If you are not satisfied and do not feel you received good value for your money and time,
send us an email explaining why and the full price of the class will be refunded, no questions asked.
You may keep all handouts as our apology.
I wanted to make everyone that has not yet had the pleasure of experiencing the “Rocks, Ruts and Ridges” outing aware of how valuable and enjoyable
this class is.
Not 300 yards into it, the 1st obstacle appeared. A tight track, with deep ruts and rocks to be negotiated and interesting lean angles to be enjoyed..
For this one Tom is actively spotting on foot for most of the obstacle sections. Also, one of the best things about this trip was that I had the opportunity
to be out of the vehicle with him prior to the sections where he would have me plan my own line as I saw it and he then would make suggestions/corrections.
Then he would do the section himself and use the CB to apprise me of any surprises and afford me the opportunity to watch him run the line that
we had planned. That allowed me to gain confidence in my ability to select lines thru challenging areas and identify troublesome spots without actually
having to prewalk the hill. This trail is rated as a “6” but like most others it has easy sections interspersed with challenges. It’s just that the
challenging sections on this one are definitely ramped up from what the Gorman area has to offer. Tom always provides individual attention no matter
what class you are attending but on this one due to the increase in difficulty the individual instruction is considerably more one on one and is the most
comprehensive I’ve experienced to date. As each vehicle completes a section you park and watch the others behind you providing a different vantage point
to observe fellow treckers take the line.
This run is also about some fantastic views, when ever you have time to look. We stopped for lunch at the top of the highest ridge at “pilot rock”
which provided a spectacular view of the entire Mojave river basin.
I highly recommend this experience to everyone. It is truly an experience and the most interesting class I’ve taken (so far) in Tom’s large bag of tricks.
Next for me is Mojave road.
Bruce
Hybrid H2
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