US West Pardoes Trai, El Dorado NF

[WTSMatt]

I keep getting conflicting info on Pardoes. I have a 2023 Gladiator Rubicon with 2.5" Clayton lift on 37's. Some say no way can you do it in a longer wheelbase rig and others say its no problem. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tjZ06]

I keep getting conflicting info on Pardoes. I have a 2023 Gladiator Rubicon with 2.5" Clayton lift on 37's. Some say no way can you do it in a longer wheelbase rig and others say its no problem. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

It's been years since I did Pardoe, but I think you'll be fine. There are a couple squeezes between tress where you'll just need to be careful and have a spotter watching the top of your cab. Wheelbase might make a few things a bit trickier, but that's the case for any/every trail with a Gladiator. I'd prob search YouTube for any 2023-2024 videos showing (more) current conditions given the various fires (and related fire-fighting efforts), storms, etc. over the years since I've been there.

-TJ

 

[Kent R]

I keep getting conflicting info on Pardoes. I have a 2023 Gladiator Rubicon with 2.5" Clayton lift on 37's. Some say no way can you do it in a longer wheelbase rig and others say its no problem. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Last year you could have but once again we are getting heavy snow so all the trails will look different in the late spring early summer when they open up after the closure. I will ask our meet up for any further info and make sure you keep checking the NF page for up to date info.

https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/conversations/absolutely-incredible.135397/#convMessage-256494

 

[WTSMatt]

Awesome! Thanks for the info folks. Looks like the Sierra are about to get hammered with a major storm as well.

 

[Kent R]

Awesome! Thanks for the info folks. Looks like the Sierra are about to get hammered with a major storm as well.

Yep we are under a winter storm advisory in the El Dorado

 

[slomatt]

The Pardoe Trail (aka Squaw Ridge or Hungaleti Ridge) can be broken up into a couple of different sections.

If you head in from the west from Lower Bear River Resevoir there are some very tight sections between trees that will require careful spotting in a longer truck. Here's an example of one.

Eventually you'll reach the sign for the Plasse Trading post (38.61468, -120.09014), which is somewhat "in the middle" of the trail.

Optionally you can enter off of 88 near Tragedy Springs and head towards the Plasse Trading post sign. I recommend checking out Mud Lake and Plasse Peak on the way. This route should be no problem for your truck to fit. Once you get to the site of the trading post you can head east along the ridge, but again that gets narrow in places.

Or, from the Plasse Trading post sign you can head east towards Kirkwood. This is the more difficult section of the trail, but we took a friends DCSB Tacoma through in 2020 so I don't think you'll have any issues fitting.

CA - Finding the eastern end of the Hungaleti Ridge Trail

To start, I should mention that this system of trails has multiple names. Depending on the source it may be called the Pardoe Trail, Carson Emigrant Trail, Squaw Ridge Trail, or Hungaleti Ridge Trail and may be marked as 17E24 or 16E26. A couple of the trails were closed for several years as...

www.overlandbound.com

The eastern side of the trail trail dead ends near the bottom of Mellisa Coray peak, so it's an "out and back" drive.

I recommend going with at least one other vehicle because this trail is fairly remote and has large enough rocks that there is a risk of breaking something or getting stuck. There are multiple good campsites along the trail, I think I listed some in the OB link above.

 

[WTSMatt]

Awesome info bro! I really appreciate it.