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Sphincter Clenching at Cleghorn Ridge Trail

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Cleghorn Ridge Trail Review - Southern California Off-Roading

I'm going down a steep and narrow trail. I'm at a 30-degree angle with the driver's side about 4 inches from the wall. I look to my left and fold my mirror in to give more room.  I look to my right which is actually looking up at my passenger. I grip my steering wheel and think to myself, "is it too late to back out?", "If I hit the wall, will glass break?", "How'd I end up here in the first place?" IMG_8697 To answer the last question, I spend at least 14 hours of my day in traffic and staring into some type of LED screen. The last thing I want to do is spend my free time staring at either of those two things. So whenever I get the chance I put my phone away from arms reach, hop in my 4x4 and get as far away as I can from technology and traffic. IMG_8695 The great thing about owning a 4x4 is that the adventure starts where the pavement ends. Fortunately, for those of us living in Southern California, there are several trails within a 2-hour drive from Downtown LA. IMG_8656 Being a long-time lowered car driver and first-time 4x4 owner, my wheeling experience is pretty minimal, limited to fire roads and moderately difficult trails. Looking for a new challenge, I decided to tag along with some friends for a day trip to Cleghorn Ridge Trail. stelprdb5381298_tn Cleghorn Ridge Trail (2N47) is a 14-mile trail though the San Bernardino National Forest. You can enter the trail from two openings off HWY 138 - one near Silverwood Lake and another off the Cajon Pass. Once on the trail, you can choose your own adventure; a scenic fire road or a sphincter-clenching 4x4 trail. IMG_8479 Our group ranged from a Wrangler on 37" Nitto Mud Grapplers and Nissan Frontier on 1-ton axles to lightly modified Toyota 4x4s and a Range Rover Evoque (1st time I had seen one outside of the mall). IMG_2896 The classic Volk Racing TE37 looks good on anything, especially on this 100-series Land Cruiser/LX470. IMG_8530 The fire road can be accessed by nearly any 2WD vehicle with enough ground clearance, whereas the 4x4 road is best left for those with low gears, locking differentials, and high ground clearance. IMG_8674 Both roads occasionally intersect. If you aren't up for a challenge, you can stay on the beaten path to keep up with your friends doing the 4x4 trail without any damage to your “mall crawler.” IMG_8706 Either road will take you above the clouds for a ridge top view of Mount Baldy. IMG_8627 Entering though the Cajon Pass entrance, the trail started as a fire road with a few obstacles along the sides. IMG_8484 I chose to stick to the harder trails since I didn't drive all the way out there to drive on flat dirt and try to keep my truck pretty. As we made our way through the trail it became progressively more difficult; going from “oh this is fun, lets do it again” to “what did I get myself into/is it too late to turn back/I should have taken a before picture.” I am far from an experienced off-roader, so for me in my stock Land Cruiser on 33's and sway bars still connected, the trail went from 0-to-100 real quick. IMG_8763 It's always good to have a spotter to help guide you though the trail. The wrong line and you’ll end up getting stuck or teetering off steep and technical off-camber ruts. More than one time I found myself teetering with the driver’s side front on the ground and the passenger side rear a few feet in the air. 1ton In a well-prepared rig, the trail is much easier as you can see in this comparison shot with a stock Wrangler vs Frontier on 1-ton axles taking on the same obstacle. IMG_8766 As we made our way towards the Silverwood Lake end of the trail, it seemed like one narrow and rocky trail lead to another steep and rocky uphill/descent - one after another. Going uphill always seemed easy but you get to the top only to realize the way down is even trickier and steeper. It didn't help watching the trucks ahead of me slide and bang their way down the trail. The only sounds I heard while I was driving were the: idling of my motor, things scraping along rocks, and my heart beating heavily as I was focused on keeping the truck right side up. IMG_8780 About a mile from the end, the 4x4 trail meets the fire road for the last time. I made it out with only some damage to my front bumper and running boards, along with some custom “pinstripes” on both sides of the truck. Chicks dig scars, right? IMG_2920 My damage was pretty minimal. Even with the most experienced driver the slightest misstep could ruin your day. The 4Runner above had a slight roll, although I can't vouch for their driving experience (no one in the truck was hurt.) IMG_2900 Cleghorn Ridge Trail is a great technical trail for a day trip. I did not expect it to be that difficult and definitely pushed the limits of my 4x4 and driving skills. I left the trail with a better idea of what my truck can do and experience I can take on future trails to help me keep things shiny side up.
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