2010 Winter Fun Festival - soft Snow - Photo 30513652

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Floatation is the name of the game when traversing soft snow. While 10 to 12 psi is usually the minimum air pressure for un-beadlocked tires in the rocks, running 5 to 6 psi in the snow allows for a much wider footprint. And a wider footprint means better floatation.

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Our group on the Avalanche Express trail broke into two groups. Ours headed to the top of Yuba Gap and caught fresh, trackless snow almost immediately. The sun was out and it looked like it was going to be a great day.

Standard equipment on any rig heading to a snow-packed trail should be a reliable air compressor. A variety of quality aftermarket compressors, such as a converted York compressor or an ARB unit, are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and worth their weight in gold when you need them.

Floatation is the name of the game when traversing soft snow. While 10 to 12 psi is usually the minimum air pressure for un-beadlocked tires in the rocks, running 5 to 6 psi in the snow allows for a much wider footprint. And a wider footprint means better floatation.

The Winter Fun Festival, which is sponsored by the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, offers a dozen different trail rides ranging from extreme snow to mild SUV runs. The northern Sierra Nevada Mountains received 3 feet of the white powdery stuff in the days prior to WFF, which provided for plenty of powdery drifts to blaze through.

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The bummer about shooting off-road events is that you are always on foot and not driving. We headed back up the trail on Sunday to break in a set of Goodyear's Kevlar MT/Rs, Considering our 33s are an E-rated tire, they worked great at 5 psi. Despite our expectations of peeling a tire from the rim, we were thankfully surprised.

No matter what tires you run or choice of vehicle, gravity is often the common denominator that brings people together.

Winter Fun Fest is all about the fun! Seemingly impervious to cold climes and frosty hands, the kids had more fun than anyone, slipping and sliding down a fresh coating of the frosty white stuff.

Now these are the kind of signs we like.

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The Winter Fun trail crew cut us loose for some serious snow play.

Eight horses, mules, ox team: $6. Footman: two bits. Back in the day, access across the many rivers in Northern California came with a price. Dozens of toll bridges provided the only east-west winter access for miners, trappers, and horsemen of the Gold Rush.

Rubicon Express, a long-time supporter of WFF, showed up with a fleet of RC cars for its annual kids RC race.

The Highlanders 4x4 club has been volunteering at WFF for decades. Their regular gig is setting up the Winter Fun Saloon.

Back at HQ, the Winter Fun Raffle dished out loads of cool off-road gear from BFGoodrich, Warn, Tuffy Security, Power Tank, and Advanced Adapters.

Rick Russell, owner of Sidekick Maps and Videos, was on hand with daughter Erica to join in WFF activities.

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is one of the last remaining covered wooden bridges in the state. During a heavy winter storm, floodwaters washed the bridge down the river. When the townsfolk dragged it back into place, the north end was swapped with the south.