Tag: Grille Guard

About an hour outside downtown Los Angeles, the 210 splits off of Highway 330. Hang a right onto Highway 18 for another 15 miles and you come to Snow Valley Mountain Resort: the annual rendezvous for the Inland Empire 4 Wheelrs’ Big Bear Forest Fest.

After signing in, Paramount met with old friends, sponsors, and fellow Southern California locals Team ReadyLIFT to break off from the main group and take a new trail (to Paramount anyway): route 2N13, also known as Holcomb Creek.

For those new to Forest Fest, there are two major days of trail runs. Friday’s trail runs tend to be more technical, with full rescue equipment (especially axel lockers) mandatory. Boasting triple the options of the previous day, Saturday offers more recreational runs for folks with Jeeps a little more comfortable on the streets.

But the event didn’t stop at trails. A trade show allowed Paramount to see old friends and sponsor Magnaflow, and a family-friendly camp-out party let everyone enjoy the rugged beauty of the area.

The start of 2N13 had Paramount wondering if they’d really get to put their new Stinger bumper with grille guard (51-0389) through its paces, aside from pitting the protective powdercoat against the wet.

They shouldn’t have worried. Twenty minutes in, the Paramount Jeep rounded a corner and came upon Hanna Rocks. From then on the trail was a nice mix of straightaways, boulders, and scenery. Things quickly got bumpy enough that Paramount’s 51-0323 Rock Sliders more than earned their place by handling multiple scrapes and even a few good teeth-rattling knocks sure to continue the office debate of “blame the driver or the spotter?”

The total run time was perfect for a day trip—about 4 hours not counting scenery and photo stops—and the trail let out in the town of Fawnskin, California. A paltry 5 minutes from downtown Big Bear, Fawnskin features plenty of eating options, from local favorites like Get The Burger to more exotic fair like Himalayan-themed cuisine.