jackrook
FRF Addict
Gorman is not like your typical Raptor off roading experience. Not the sandy washes of Ocotillo Wells. Not the whoops and high speed sections of Barstow. Not the vastness of Joshua Tree. Gorman is a recreation area that is shared by dirt bikes, quads, and misc off road vehicles, as well as street legal trucks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the trails on Gorman are rated based on a color system:
BLACK trails are the most difficult. they are for jeeps and other small vehicles. our Raptors are too long and too wide to take these trails. WE WILL NOT BE TAKING ANY BLACK TRAILS
BLUE trails are designed for jeeps and other smaller vehicles BUT MAY BE TRAVERSED by a Raptor. Full suspension articulation, short distance rock crawling, plants scraping your vehicle, and narrow, sharp turns are possible
GREEN trails are generally flat, wide, and with unobstructed views. these trails allow for the fastest(generally speaking) speed.
ALL TRAILS IN GORMAN ARE TWO WAY TRAILS. at any time in our riding, we may encounter oncoming traffic of any variety and we must work to share the road with them.
the trails are mostly hard pack. there are small sections of sand and small sections or rocky area. i drove almost exclusively in 2wd diff lock last time i was there. there was however a few times where i had to shift in to 4 high.
another fun thing to do in Gorman is to try out their obstacle course area. this consists of different types of hill climbs, frame twister, mud pit, suspension articulator, log rollers, boulder pits, and various other experiences.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
gas can be found immediately outside the park in the town of Gorman. expect to pay a price of $4+ for 87 octane. there is also several fast food joints, a liquor store, and mom and pop mechanic, and a motel.
it is recommened to gas up before you leave or get gas along the way. Castaic if you are coming from south of Gorman or Bakersfield if you are coming from north of gorman. since this is not a sponsored run, there is no requirement on what to bring. but i will tell you what im bringing and i RECOMMEND you bring similar items:
1) 5 gallon gas can
2) full size spare(i bring two)
3) floor jack
4) appropriate tools
i also have my truck equiped with a VHF radio and multiple off road lights. having a VHF radio makes the experience much more smooth. no need to get out of our vehicle to talk to each other. but i cannot force you to put one, just suggest that you do as they will be REQUIRED on bigger Raptor runs.
to enter the park, it cost $5 per truck for day use or $10 per truck if you have a dirtbike or quad in the bed. they do allow "ins and outs" so if you need to make a gas run, food run, parts run, cigarette run, etc, it is not an issue.
Gorman can get cold. last time i was there it dropped down to 36 degrees and was very windy. also, it is high in the mountains and snow is a good possibility. please dress warm. bring fluids and snacks.
there are many vault style bathrooms and picnic areas to eat and generally congregate. it is recommened you bring a camera as wildlife is abundant in this area. this is a family style ride. my girlfriend will be driving part of the trail. i would like to stay as a group on the trails. this is easier in Gorman as opposed to the desert areas because these trails are more "technical". thats not saying theyre difficult, but they require you to pay attention at all times. the trails have blind spots, sharp turns, hill climbs and descents, and turn outs for oncoming traffic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
well, if this sounds like something youd like to do, check out the official Gorman(Hungry Valley) page below: Hungry Valley SVRA also, browse YouTube to see the type of terrain and trails they have available to us. id like to have a headcount by friday January 31st so if youre interested, PM me, then post here, and ill put your name on the list. THANKS FELLAS AND HAPPY TRAILS!!!! ill leave you with a few pics from our last outing:
also, here is the link to our previous outing: http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f112/1-12-14-gorman-ca-30638/
HEADCOUNT SO FAR:
Confirmed:
JeepSRT8-Brandon
Archon-James
1ntheoc-Marshall
JustinBieber-Balu
Sonoma-Lane
MajorAR-Dale
RoushRaptor661-Ryan
Zack(non forum member F150)
AlpineM3-Miguel
Possible: Raptizzle
RMDesigns-Ryan
LFtrip
OK PEOPLE, HERE IS THE PLAN FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND. PLEASE PM ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
i would like us to all be in the parking lot of the "Visitors Center" by 7:30. i will pass out a handout and go over a few quick things and hopefully we can start at 8am sharp. the parking lot is located just inside the SVRA North Entrance. our starting point is the Stipa Trail which is located at the edge of the parking lot.
THIS RIDE WILL HAPPEN RAIN OR SHINE!!!!!
the weather is supposed to be in our favor. however, in the higher elevations, sometimes its unpredictable. one thing is for certain, it will be relatively COLD and may be windy. please dress appropriately.
We will be using Weatherman VHF
if we start at 8am we can expect to be finished between 11-12 and then proceed to the obstacle course. i have planned out a bathroom break and there will be amazing views so some of you may come across photo ops. also, deer is abundant in this park and some of you may wish to stop and take a picture. thats fine. please remember that due to the technicalities of these trails, its not really possible to go wide open throttle. about 1/3 of the trail can be done at a "relatively fast speed" and the other 2/3 of the trail are technical and must be handled appropriately. all of the trails we are going to be on are either green(easy) or blue(medium difficulty) and are rated for larger vehicles like ours. YOU WILL have brush marks on your truck. please try and gas up before you reach the town of Gorman as gas is priced at a premium there. im looking forward to seeing you all and i hope you enjoy the ride that myself, JustinBieber, and RoushRaptor661 have planned out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the trails on Gorman are rated based on a color system:
BLACK trails are the most difficult. they are for jeeps and other small vehicles. our Raptors are too long and too wide to take these trails. WE WILL NOT BE TAKING ANY BLACK TRAILS
BLUE trails are designed for jeeps and other smaller vehicles BUT MAY BE TRAVERSED by a Raptor. Full suspension articulation, short distance rock crawling, plants scraping your vehicle, and narrow, sharp turns are possible
GREEN trails are generally flat, wide, and with unobstructed views. these trails allow for the fastest(generally speaking) speed.
ALL TRAILS IN GORMAN ARE TWO WAY TRAILS. at any time in our riding, we may encounter oncoming traffic of any variety and we must work to share the road with them.
the trails are mostly hard pack. there are small sections of sand and small sections or rocky area. i drove almost exclusively in 2wd diff lock last time i was there. there was however a few times where i had to shift in to 4 high.
another fun thing to do in Gorman is to try out their obstacle course area. this consists of different types of hill climbs, frame twister, mud pit, suspension articulator, log rollers, boulder pits, and various other experiences.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
gas can be found immediately outside the park in the town of Gorman. expect to pay a price of $4+ for 87 octane. there is also several fast food joints, a liquor store, and mom and pop mechanic, and a motel.
it is recommened to gas up before you leave or get gas along the way. Castaic if you are coming from south of Gorman or Bakersfield if you are coming from north of gorman. since this is not a sponsored run, there is no requirement on what to bring. but i will tell you what im bringing and i RECOMMEND you bring similar items:
1) 5 gallon gas can
2) full size spare(i bring two)
3) floor jack
4) appropriate tools
i also have my truck equiped with a VHF radio and multiple off road lights. having a VHF radio makes the experience much more smooth. no need to get out of our vehicle to talk to each other. but i cannot force you to put one, just suggest that you do as they will be REQUIRED on bigger Raptor runs.
to enter the park, it cost $5 per truck for day use or $10 per truck if you have a dirtbike or quad in the bed. they do allow "ins and outs" so if you need to make a gas run, food run, parts run, cigarette run, etc, it is not an issue.
Gorman can get cold. last time i was there it dropped down to 36 degrees and was very windy. also, it is high in the mountains and snow is a good possibility. please dress warm. bring fluids and snacks.
there are many vault style bathrooms and picnic areas to eat and generally congregate. it is recommened you bring a camera as wildlife is abundant in this area. this is a family style ride. my girlfriend will be driving part of the trail. i would like to stay as a group on the trails. this is easier in Gorman as opposed to the desert areas because these trails are more "technical". thats not saying theyre difficult, but they require you to pay attention at all times. the trails have blind spots, sharp turns, hill climbs and descents, and turn outs for oncoming traffic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
well, if this sounds like something youd like to do, check out the official Gorman(Hungry Valley) page below: Hungry Valley SVRA also, browse YouTube to see the type of terrain and trails they have available to us. id like to have a headcount by friday January 31st so if youre interested, PM me, then post here, and ill put your name on the list. THANKS FELLAS AND HAPPY TRAILS!!!! ill leave you with a few pics from our last outing:
also, here is the link to our previous outing: http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f112/1-12-14-gorman-ca-30638/ HEADCOUNT SO FAR:
Confirmed:
JeepSRT8-Brandon
Archon-James
1ntheoc-Marshall
JustinBieber-Balu
Sonoma-Lane
MajorAR-Dale
RoushRaptor661-Ryan
Zack(non forum member F150)
AlpineM3-Miguel
Possible: Raptizzle
RMDesigns-Ryan
LFtrip
OK PEOPLE, HERE IS THE PLAN FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND. PLEASE PM ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
i would like us to all be in the parking lot of the "Visitors Center" by 7:30. i will pass out a handout and go over a few quick things and hopefully we can start at 8am sharp. the parking lot is located just inside the SVRA North Entrance. our starting point is the Stipa Trail which is located at the edge of the parking lot.
THIS RIDE WILL HAPPEN RAIN OR SHINE!!!!!
the weather is supposed to be in our favor. however, in the higher elevations, sometimes its unpredictable. one thing is for certain, it will be relatively COLD and may be windy. please dress appropriately.
We will be using Weatherman VHF
if we start at 8am we can expect to be finished between 11-12 and then proceed to the obstacle course. i have planned out a bathroom break and there will be amazing views so some of you may come across photo ops. also, deer is abundant in this park and some of you may wish to stop and take a picture. thats fine. please remember that due to the technicalities of these trails, its not really possible to go wide open throttle. about 1/3 of the trail can be done at a "relatively fast speed" and the other 2/3 of the trail are technical and must be handled appropriately. all of the trails we are going to be on are either green(easy) or blue(medium difficulty) and are rated for larger vehicles like ours. YOU WILL have brush marks on your truck. please try and gas up before you reach the town of Gorman as gas is priced at a premium there. im looking forward to seeing you all and i hope you enjoy the ride that myself, JustinBieber, and RoushRaptor661 have planned out.
Last edited:
