High Sierra Poker Run
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September 1-4, 2023
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Base Camp
Near Shaver Lake, CA
37°07'29.8"N 119°10'30.0"W -
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Swamp Lake Trail
Near Shaver Lake, CA
The High Sierra Committee is pleased to announce the addition of our SXS (side by side) trail runs!
Now we have six trail rig runs and two SXS runs spanning two days that will keep you entertained.
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Saturday Runs
- SXS Bald Mountain (side-by-side/UTV)
- Mirror Lake Run
- Bald Mountain "Extreme" Run
- Brewer Lake Run
The SXS run will have participants leave Base Camp via the creek trail to the Bald Mountain tower. From there they will take Bow Tie OHV to 9S09 and travel to 26E360 (Tri Tip) up to the top. From the top they will travel 9S10 around and down to cow creek bridge and around to 9S491. This will take them back to 9S09 and then to Base camp. The SXS runs must be separated from the trail rigs. To meet this insurance requirement, the SXS run will leave first in order to clear the way for the rigs coming up behind them. The SXS trail boss will need to clear the start for the trail rigs to proceed with Saturday's Bald Mountain run.
Saturday’s trail rig lineup consists of semi-easygoing Brewer Lake trail or the more intense Bald Extreme run and introduced in 2020 a run up to Mirror Lake.
Brewer offers an easier environment that gets challenging right at the lake. Nice thing is you can elect to run all the way down to the lake, or stop just short of the lake to avoid the larger obstacles. It is up to you!
Mirror Lake with its steep, rocky, and off-camber trail offers a short but difficult hardcore rock crawling experience. There are two locations where winch posts have been drilled and set in rocks. Mirror Lake offers swimming, fishing, camping and lake side relaxation. Run requires locking differentials in the front and the rear of your vehicle!
Our Bald extreme run mirrors the Moonlight Madness run but is held during the day. With the Bald Extreme run there is plenty of opportunity to test your rig out, but with options to go around the hard spots if you choose to do so, making it enjoyable for everyone. Please note that the Bald Extreme run requires at least one locking differential in the vehicle.
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Sunday Runs
- SXS Bald Mountain Run - TBD based on interest (side-by-side/UTV)
- Swamp Lake Run
- Bald Mountain Run
- Coyote Lake Run
Sunday's SXS run will commence if there is interest from the participants. The SXS runs must be separated from the trail rigs. To meet this insurance requirement, the SXS run will leave first in order to clear the way for the rigs coming up behind them. The SXS trail boss will need to clear the start for the trail rigs to proceed with Sunday's Bald Mountain run.
Sunday’s lineup consists of the Swamp Lake Trail, Bald Mountain Trail and introduced in 2019 the Coyote Lake Trail.
Swamp Lake: The High Sierra Committee has been taking people across the Swamp Lake trail for over 30 years now. It is the heart of the High Sierra event and is one of the most scenic trails in the state. This trail will take most of the day and then some, but it is well worth the time. Please note that the Swamp Lake run now requires locking differentials in the front and the rear of your vehicle!
The Sunday Bald Mountain run is like Saturday’s run, but with less (hard) extreme spots. It is still a challenging run and one of the crowd favorites, but like the Saturday run there are a lot of bypasses that let you go around some of the tighter spots if you choose to.
The Coyote Lake trail is a high mountain lake hidden at the end of the Red Lake 4x4 Trail. Coyote Lake Trail is a challenging, rock crawling 4x4 trail that runs from Red Lake to Coyote Lake. Rock crawling, swimming, fishing, camping and lake side relaxation in the high mountains of the Sierra National Forest make for one of the most rewarding trails you can run. Rock obstacles, dense forest, and two lakes make Coyote Lake Trail a prime destination for the seasoned wheeler looking to get off the grid. Please note that the Coyote Lake Run requires at least one locking differential in the vehicle.
Six trail rig options and two SXS runs over two days with a raffle and fun games on Saturday — making this one of the premier events in the Central District.
Camping Information
Campfire restrictions
We expect there to be a wood burning campfire restriction at the time of this event, it is suggested that we follow last year's guidance as follows: persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use a portable campfire ring/pit, stove, or lantern in an area at least five feet from any flammable materials provided that the portable campfire ring/pit, stove, or lantern only burns gas, kerosene, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel, with a shut-off valve.
Additional Information
- Under special permit granted by the US Forest Service High Sierra Ranger District.
- Oversized vehicles are not recommended on Swamp Lake, Mirror Lake or Coyote Lake Trails.
- Traction aiding differentials in either front or rear will be required for Bald Extreme and Coyote Lake Trails.
- Traction aiding differentials in front and rear will be required for Swamp Lake Trail and Mirror Lake Trail.
- We will be following COVID constraints that may be in place at time of the event.
Event Schedule
Friday
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1-8 PMREGISTRATION
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1-8 PMTECH
SATURDAY
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8 AM - 12 PMREGISTRATION
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8AM - 10:30 AMTECH
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9:30 AMMirror Lake RunDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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9:30 AMSXS Bald Mountain RunDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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10 AMBald Mountain ExtremeDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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10:30 AMBrewer Lake Run (includes lunch at lake)Driver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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2-4 PMRegistration
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2-4 PMTECH
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6-7 PMDinner
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7:30 PMRAFFLE
Sunday
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7-8 AMTECH
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7:30 AMSwamp Lake Trail RunDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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8 AMCoyote Lake RunDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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9:30 AMSXS run - TBDDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
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10 AMBald Mountain RunDriver's meeting 30 minutes prior to run departure in registration area
Monday
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Travel home