Escondido Draw Recreation Area. April 8-10

Exodus 4x4

New member
Texas Escondido Draw Recreation Area Run! Date change: April 8-10

Alright Texas Wayalifers lets get out and wheel it up again! I'm starting this thread in hopes that enough people will show interest and we can gather up around 10 rigs. From what I understand, EDRA is a sister park to Barnwell but it hasn't really gotten off the ground. I don't know anything for sure yet but it seems to me this place just needs attention from some people that are willing to go out and get their hands a little dirty. I could be completely wrong but I hope not. If possible I'll make a run out there before this run takes place to see if it's even worth messing with, but first I want to see if theres enough interest from y'all to make my recon worth it.

As of now the plan is to run out there and group up on the morning of the 8th. From there we will split into 3 groups and work on the trails doing whatever it is they (managers) say needs attention. On the 9th we run the trails. The 10th we all head home. This is all tentative as I'm still waiting on one of the board members to email me back to tell me what he thinks. He could email me back and say the trails are in great shape and all we need to do is show up and pay any entry fee. As soon as he replies to me I'll update this. If someone thats been there happens to run across this and has some info, please feel free to fill us in.

One person did email back in August and said winches are almost a necessity, but that was only one persons opinion. When asked to compare it to Hidden Falls he said: "Bigger rocks, longer hill climbs, and less silt". He also said there are few trails but they comparable in length to TRO and North Pole. I kind of like the way it sounds. For those of you wondering what kind of rocks I can tell you its all limestone as well, so it will still be a little forgiving.

I have also had confirmation from the management that we are a go for this trip pretty much whenever we want. They believe that by the time we get out there they will be set up for us to camp with electricity, water, and restrooms. I'll monitor the progress of this as we get closer. If it looks like they aren't going to be able to accommodate camping then I'll try and negotiate a group rate at one of the local motels in Ozona.

Requirements:

1) CB radio

2) Sliders

3) A great attitude and be prepared to work (if they want us to).

4) Current Texas OHV decal. For more info pleas visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/texas-off-highway-program/where-to-buy-a-texas-ohv-decal

Please don't show up to this and complain the whole time. Expect to help out as much as everyone else there. We want to set a great example of the Wayalife family while we're there. From what I experienced with everyone at Hidden Falls this shouldn't be a problem. Just want to throw it out there.

I'm going to set the number at 15 rigs with a wait list. If it grows into something big enough and we can start another group, we will.

If interested in joining, please reply to this thread with a picture of your rig and ALSO pm me saying you want to go. If you lose interest or can't make it please let me know ASAP so I can update the list. Also, please subscribe to the thread so you can stay up to date with any changes that are made. Thanks again and I Look forward to wheeling it up again with everyone!

1) Granite_head

2)

3)

4) BobbyGTX

5)

6) Kumar

7) Texas Nick

8) daverawr

9)

10)

Tentative/waiting:

1) Jackal01

2) Jegar
 
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Here's a pic of my rig! Will get CB soon. So other than that I'm ready. I have a 8K winch think that if there's not enough people with winches we should split the groups accordingly to those are equipped with winches at the time just keep things safe etc. ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1444096379.390883.jpg
 
Sounds interesting. Put me as tentative -- I think I may be able to rearrange my schedule and take a mini trip within a trip to Easter Jeep Safari.
 
Sounds interesting. Put me as tentative -- I think I may be able to rearrange my schedule and take a mini trip within a trip to Easter Jeep Safari.

Will do. More than likely the dates going to get shuffled to accommodate those going to EJS. This could end up being in April when it's all said and done.
 
yahoo! glad to see this coming around! not to mention a GREAT opportunity to get in the on the ground floor at a new OHV park! :thumb:

EDIT: ARE Texas OHV stickers required here?
 
"EDIT: ARE Texas OHV stickers required here?"

Glad you said that as it reminds me to get my new one for 2015-2016.
 
yahoo! glad to see this coming around! not to mention a GREAT opportunity to get in the on the ground floor at a new OHV park! :thumb:

EDIT: ARE Texas OHV stickers required here?

I think so but I've waiting to post whether or not they actually are. To be safe I'm gonna say yes because my luck a game warden would roll up and get us for not having them.
 
I think so but I've waiting to post whether or not they actually are. To be safe I'm gonna say yes because my luck a game warden would roll up and get us for not having them.

I just checked out their website and it says that OHV stickers are required.
 
Just updated the date to April 8-10 and included a link to the OHV decal. I included it in the required "gear". Hopefully this date adds a little more flexibility and more people can attend.
 
Ok everyone, made a run out to EDRA yesterday and I have to say I'm pretty excited about this place. I met with one of the custodians Friday night and he gave me the run down on the current state of the park and what trails I could probably run the next morning. He anticipates that the campground facilities will be operational by the spring and judging by what I saw today I would agree that it should be ready. Now for the important stuff....

As it stands now there is a ton of potential for this place and with a little work I think we can be big part of bringing it to life. I was able to run some of the existing trails with just a spotter and no other rig, which may have not been the best idea considering who remote this place is and that we were the only ones out there. None of the trails are marked very well or ranked for that matter, but I was still able to find most of them and feel them out as we went along. I'll list some pros and con's later on. Although there are nowhere near the amount of trails as say Hidden Falls or maybe some other parks, I believe if I can get enough people interested then the amount of trails will increase. Now for the pros and cons.

Pros:
-No crowds. I was the only rig there today which meant I had all 3,400 acres to myself.
-All levels of trails present. I ran a creek bed with some good introductory level stuff and stared at some level 5's wishing I was more equipped and not alone.
-Virgin trails. This is both good and bad but i think the good weighs heavier. The extra loose rock and thin layer of topsoil only elevates the challenge!

Cons:
-Trail maintenance! Yes our help is greatly needed. Fortunately cedar cuts easy and chainsaws are not necessary and we were able to get by with basic saws worked well.
-Location. Its quite the drive even for me, so for those of you that travel from Houston I would carefully weigh whether this is something you want to commit to. It was 45 minutes from Ozona to the actual park.
-No air on site. I have OBA so this wasn't a problem but for those that don't you should probably look into a way to air back up. We can always help each other out but even then redundancy is nice.
-No bypasses. You commit to the trail until you get to a point where you can at least turn around.

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I run a 4" lift with 35's and had to lock both axles at least once on almost every trail today, but mostly because they were uphill and the trails are still loose from lack of traffic. I'll definitely be adding armor underneath and a winch soon! I only mention that because if you do decide to go then you should also be aware of what to expect. Even with the added ground clearance I still managed beat up my underside more than I would have liked. I'm not gonna push anyone to do anything they're not comfortable with. Just throwing that info out there for you to think about.

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Well I hope everyone is still considering going on this run, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'll try and make a few more runs out there to do some more maintenance and recon some possible newer trails that can be built before April. As I do I'll post more pics and keep y'all updated. I'm also going to limit this to 10 rigs just because of the condition of the trails.
 
This place looks awesome! I'm still down. Will they have restroom facility available by our trip? Woman wants to know... haha
 
This place looks awesome! I'm still down. Will they have restroom facility available by our trip? Woman wants to know... haha

Yeah they should have restrooms with showers. Right now all the water and electrical lines are trenched and being installed, and I'll be going out there 2-3 more times before the "official" run to keep up with the progress and to help get the 4x4 trails cleaned up/marked better. I want to minimize the amount of time we spend scratching our heads figuring out where to turn next.

It's literally been years since some of the trails had seen a rig so believe me it was fun! One of the custodians told me a winch would be necessary but I originally dismissed it. Turns out he was right, and I left a few untouched because of my lack of winch. This is my top priority purchase between now and the next trip, along with the EVO protek system. I don't think everyone needs one but a few of us should have for safety purposes.
 
This looks so fun! I would love to make a run out there before the trip. I honestly cant wait for this trip. I have the winch but a compressor set up/ some way to air back up will be one of my next big purchases, with the protrek system as well for my trans and oil pan. Ill wait and do the rest later since the jeep comes with the rest although they're not that thick. This place looks amazing though.

Please keep us updated on your next trip as well and how the terrain looks and what tools etc for clearing people can bring. Ill have the basics no matter, shovel, hatchet, and the winch for clearing the big logs.
 
This looks so fun! I would love to make a run out there before the trip. I honestly cant wait for this trip. I have the winch but a compressor set up/ some way to air back up will be one of my next big purchases, with the protrek system as well for my trans and oil pan. Ill wait and do the rest later since the jeep comes with the rest although they're not that thick. This place looks amazing though.

Please keep us updated on your next trip as well and how the terrain looks and what tools etc for clearing people can bring. Ill have the basics no matter, shovel, hatchet, and the winch for clearing the big logs.

Sure thing Dave. I'm gonna try to go again but it might not be until February. I'll post something on here when I do.

As far as tools go I'd get a good set of loppers and good hand saw. Cedar cuts pretty easy so chainsaws aren't really needed. I might take one but really wouldn't need more than that. And gloves.
 
One of the custodians told me a winch would be necessary but I originally dismissed it. Turns out he was right, and I left a few untouched because of my lack of winch. This is my top priority purchase between now and the next trip, along with the EVO protek system. I don't think everyone needs one but a few of us should have for safety purposes.

Oh, so I NEED to upgrade my steel cable to synthetic line before hand in order to make this trip? ...you know, for safety purposes... Oh darn... :naw: :cheesy: (Insert Sarcasm)
 
Oh, so I NEED to upgrade my steel cable to synthetic line before hand in order to make this trip? ...you know, for safety purposes... Oh darn... :naw: :cheesy: (Insert Sarcasm)

Lol yeah I use this same logic quite often when telling the wife I'm ordering something!
 
Lol yeah I use this same logic quite often when telling the wife I'm ordering something!

Its getting old to her though i'm sure... Tires, Lift, Long Arms, Gears, Tire Carrier, Rock Sliders, and now a winch line and of course a safety thimble... :doh: lmao
 
Yeah i have a list of things to buy before the winter run and another couple things to get for this run.
 
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