Mendocino BDT (Oct 11-13)

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

***You must have a ticket to attend this event***

MENDOCINO BDT


Dates: Oct 11-13
Trip duration: 3 days/2 nights (meetup Friday AM, head home Sunday AM)
Vehicle Requirements: 4x4, AWD (high clearance), and Sprinter 4x4s
GPX File: download link

Trip Lead: Rick Carlson

Meeting Location [date]
Upper Lake @ 9am.
775 CA-20, Upper Lake, CA 95485 (Chevron)

Please make sure you arrive with a full tank of fuel and all of the necessities required for the duration of the trip. Cheapest gas in the vicinity is at Coyote Valley Casino in Redwood Valley about 5 minutes north of Ukiah and the highway 20 exit.

Documents/Fees
n/a

Camping
We'll be camping at all dispersed locations. With that in mind, bring appropriate gear for packing out your trash, and a portable toilet.

Firearms
This is a family friendly event. We ask that you leave your firearm at home or keep it stowed away in your vehicle at all times. Please make sure you read up on National Forest regulations if you are carrying a firearm in your vehicle.

Pets
Please let me know how you guys feel about pets on this trip!

Gear & Fuel
Bring appropriate hiking/outdoor gear. [this should be updated with expected weather based on time of year ]. Please have a GMRS radio either handheld or mounted in your rig as this will be our form of communication on the trip.

Medical Info / Emergency Contact
Please print a copy of pertinent medical info and emergency contact info (at least two persons) on a card/piece of paper, and have this attached to your visor.

Comms: GMRS channel 15, freq 462.550
Firewood: please bring firewood if you can!


Itinerary


Day 1 | Upper Lake to Hull Mountain

Camp: Grizzly Flats or Skunk Rock
Mileage: 66 miles (mostly pavement with some dirt)
Day 1 starts with pavement, then the duration of of the trip is all dirt (except a few short miles around Lake Pillsbury)

• Lake Pillsbury
• Eel River
• Hull Mountain Lookout
• Drive to top of Bald Mountain
• Find camp!

Day 2 | Hull Mountain to Board Tree Campground
Camp: Board Tree Campground vicinity
Mileage: 80 miles (95% dirt)

• Stop at Black Butte River Ranch
• Visit the Eel River
• Visit Howard Lake (great lunch stop)
• Anthony Peak fire lookout
• Hike to top of Black Butte
• Visit Ocean Viewpoint
• Find camp!

Day 3 | Drive Home!
Take FH7 / Hwy 162 down to the mountain to I-5 near Willows.

 

[AsnKnight5]

Hey Rick, this is Allan. Alex and i will have to join you on a future trip. We have other people that want to join and since the space was limited we decided to do a Basecamp style trip instead since the other friends aren't as set up as we are.

 

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

No worries buddy, I'll catch you guys on the next one!

It's looking like this will be a great trip!

 

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

Who all is confirmed going to this now?

 

[Kenquillin]

Confirming me and my wife, one rig. Can’t wait to meet.

 

[Gigiortiz88]

Confirming I am attending with one rig and small dog. Excited to explore with the group.
Thanks,
Gigi

 

[Kenquillin]

Do we have a # as to how many people are going on this trip?

 

[OTG Ben]

Do we have a # as to how many people are going on this trip?

If everyone shows up, it will be 8 total rigs.

 

[Taisiya]

Who all is confirmed going to this now?

I am!

Hello all! Im Taisiya and im new here and to overland life overall. I have Winnebago Revel sprinter van , 2024. I'm so excited to do the Mendocino trip with you and explore new places, learn new skills, and find new friends.
My 1st question is about the GMRS radio. Amazon has gmrs radios at various prices. Which one should I buy? I'm not looking to buy the most expensive or the cheapest one. Your recommendation with a link is valuable to me.
I also have two recovery boards and a shovel in my van and planning to buy an aircompressor before the trip. Anything else is a must to have for this trip? Thank you.

 

[OTG Ben]

Hey @Taisiya

Welcome! I think you're going to have a lot of fun on the Mendocino BDT, as it has many beautiful sections and is quite different than the Sierra to the east. I've had good luck with Beofeng radios, which are relatively affordable.

5 watt Beofeng GMRS Radio $29.99

https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-BAOFENG-Handheld-Channels-Receiver/dp/B0CPFDKKZB/ref=sr_1_2_sspa

Rocky Talkies $180
I've also heard good things about the higher end Rocky Talkies, but IMO, they're quite expensive for a handheld unit.

5 Watt Radio

A GMRS radio with IP67 waterproofing, 5 days of battery life, and 5-watts of power for optimal range (35+ mile max range). Designed and tested in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the 5 Watt Radio is ideal for adventures that require maximum range or submergible waterproofing, like white-water...

rockytalkie.com

Midland Micro Mobile 15w $165
If you're willing to spend the coin on a Rocky Talky, I'd recommend looking at the Midland 15w micro GMRS unit, which is what I have in my rig, and if you plan to do many more of these trips, you may want to go this route sooner than later. I wish I had!

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-MicroMobile-Two-Way-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B07FN2FBML/ref=sr_1_2_sspa

 

[Taisiya]

Thank you very much, Ben!

 

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

Thank you very much, Ben!

I ended up ordering a cheap Baofeng and it's fine everything I've needed it to for about $20.

 

[acguitarte]

Hi this is Drew from San Ramon, CA; excited to be here! The whole family‘s coming - wife Rizza and 3 boys aged 9, 14, & 16. It will our first time to go “overlanding” since we never ventured north farther than Santa Rosa, CA. Our Stormtrooper Defender 110 will make sure we come home safely .

 

[Taisiya]

I ended up ordering a cheap Baofeng and it's fine everything I've needed it to for about $20.

Thank you! I might do the same to try.

 

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

Still being a little less than a month out, weather could change, but at the moment it looks like highs in the low 80s and lows in the high 40s. That's great weather for this time of the year! That's the weather report near lake Pillsbury, so expect cooler temps as we gain elevation.

Just a heads up that it's almost 200 miles from the start to the finish, so if you need extra fuel, please make sure to bring that! We will stop by Lake Pillsbury store on the first day for people to grab any last minute snacks and such. A heads up though, everything there is wildly overpriced.

Is anyone bringing a "nice" jack of some kind? I don't own one.
Same question about a chainsaw. I carry a handsaw, but that can only do so much. I don't expect a lot of tree fall at this time of the year, but it never hurts to carry one just in case.

It looks like we have both kids and dogs joining this trip (love that), so make sure to keep that in mind when planning if that is pertinent to you.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[acguitarte]

I ended up ordering a cheap Baofeng and it's fine everything I've needed it to for about $20.

I have Baofeng as well

 

[OTG Ben]

@NorcalOverlandJLU

Once Labor Day rolls arounds, the store shuts down most of their operations. They run a generator to power their fuel pump, and that's usually not running by late Sept. When we rolled through in mid-October a few years back, we were able to get a couple of gallons each from jugs they had on hand, but I would recommend against assuming you'll be able to fill up as it's not a guarantee, and it will certainly be wildly overpriced if the old man's willing to sell you some.

 

[vule23]

Hi, this is Vu from Castro Valley. I’ll be joining you guys in this trip. Just my self as the kids have other plans for the weekend.

 

[NorcalOverlandJLU]

@NorcalOverlandJLU

Once Labor Day rolls arounds, the store shuts down most of their operations. They run a generator to power their fuel pump, and that's usually not running by late Sept. When we rolled through in mid-October a few years back, we were able to get a couple of gallons each from jugs they had on hand, but I would recommend against assuming you'll be able to fill up as it's not a guarantee, and it will certainly be wildly overpriced if the old man's willing to sell you some.

I didn't even know they sold gas there! I thought it was just overpriced snacks and cat pee scented beer coozies lol.

 

[cryapallas]

Wish I could make this one. I’ve wanted to run this route for a while now but have a conflict. And yeah, the store is a special memory.