Hey guys,

I'm heading down to Hollister Hills tomorrow (Sat 7/22) with a few friends and, since it will be my first time, I figured I'd post up and see who else would want to join in the fun! So far we'll have my 06 Runner, an 07 FJ, an 04 Rubicon, and probably a few more people since my buddy posted on FJCruiserForums. We're planning on getting down there around 9, but I think we'll come back to the entrance around 10 to meet with some of the other FJ guys who are arriving around then. If you're interested, post up and maybe us NorCal members can meet up.

Oh yeah, for those of you who are familiar with the trails at Hollister, I'd love some advice on what to look for (and avoid). My truck's currently not lifted and has the factory step bars... two things I plan to change. But in the meantime, I'd like to keep damage to a minimum. Either way, I'm looking forward to it, so anyone looking to join in or simply chime in with some pointers, post up!

-Ron

Ive been to Holiister Hills many times when i was the President of the Nor Cal chapter or TTORA. Since yout truck is stock, stay to the trails and not the off road trails. It all depends on how it looks, the trails change each year and after it rains, but we havent had much rain in the past few months. But our trucks stock have horrile approach and depart angles, so climbing things are gonna go scrape. Id go with you, but the fiance and i have plans. Im out in Antioch so im only about 15 minutes from you.

Thanks for the advice Jay. I think I'll probably cruise around and check things out with my friends, then hop into the FJ or Jeep and ride the rougher stuff with them. I hope to get a lift, sliders, and tires in the future, so maybe I'll get adventurous next time. Anyway, I'll be keeping my eye out for NorCal members going on trips from now on. It looks to be a lot of fun.

I'd go with you guys if I didn't have my newborn son to take care of. Make sure you post up lots of pics!

No sweat. Clearing out the camera now so I can take a ton. Also bringing my AC adapter and charger in case the battery gets low along the way!

I'm hitting the road in about 30 min. Will post tonight if I have the time. Wish me luck!

Well, I survived my off-road excursion in Hollister Hills and am back home. It was a great day spent with a great group of people. I planned to go with a couple of friends, but the list of attendees grew exponentially! One of my friends brought his Jeep Rubicon (the only non-Toyota on the trail) and my other friend (TRDSteve on the FJC forum) brought his yellow FJ. Steve posted the trip on the FJ forum, so we were hoping a few guys would show up. Turns out we had 8 FJ Cruisers in attendance, some stock and some modified. And, of course, I decided to brave the trails in my 06 'Runner with 3500 miles on the ticker. Needless to say, things were looking good at the beginning of the day!

Here we are meeting up at the schoolhouse.

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Schoolhouse

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Hey, wait a minute... how'd that guy get in here?

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Getting underway...

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Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go...

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Heading to the obstacle course.

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8 FJs and a 4Runner.

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More pics at the obstacle course.

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One of the few shots I have of my own truck (I was driving all day and taking pics of everyone else).

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Just prior to the obstacle course, we went through a short technical section (no pics) and I got one of my back wheels off the ground. That was followed promptly with a reminder that I don't have a lift on my truck yet. The factory skids got some lovin' most of the day, but nothing broke. Even this minor obstacle caused me some scraping due to the long wheelbase and not enough clearance. The FJs, even in stock trim, handled it with a couple inches of clearance. That shorter wheelbase really helps!

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