Great pictures! I bet many memories were made off-roading in the Wrangler
🏕️ Share your Jeep 392 Adventures: Travel,Trails,Camping, and More!
- Thread starter willy
- Start date
Very nice pictures! Looks like a great time!A few more pics from the Phil x2 trip. I’m also including a picture of my ripped jeans for the ladies.
Pic from the top of Holy Cross
View attachment 48344
Drone photo of the crew +the crazy guy that thought he could Solo this trail in a GladiatorView attachment 48348
And something for the ladies View attachment 48345
@Phil921
Great pics! How do you like the AEV rear bumper and tire carrier? Worth the price? I am about to pull the trigger on those, and I would enjoy the feedback. Thanks!
I had the AEV spare tire setup on JK and I really liked it also had the spare fuel tank and it worked great. Now I have a 23 20th anniversary with the Level II and the AEV spare tire carrier is great I also added the spare fuel tank. The only issue is that you will need to install a rear view camera mirror the rear tire and tank pretty much covers the rear window. The rear view camera mirror actually is better than stock original rear view mirror.
Just returned from a 4 day Dusy-Ershim trip...Epic! Have a full write up if interested, see below:
Dusy-Ershim Trail — 9/21–9/24/2026
Two JLs, Four Days, One Hell of a Trail
We had been planning the Dusy-Ershim trip for a while, and after running the Rubicon earlier this year, I figured we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting ourselves into.
I was wrong.
My buddy and I started out Monday, September 21st, at Courtright Reservoir with two JLs. Neither of us had ever run the Dusy before. We got a late start and made pretty good time initially, reaching Chicken Rock in about an hour.
Then the weather decided to join the trip.
Dark thunderclouds started rolling in and the rain began to fall. By the time we reached Thompson Hill, it was around 7:30 PM and getting dark fast. We were now looking at going up Thompson Hill in the dark, with intermittent rain and snow, and without spotters.
Just two guys, two JLs, neither having been on the trail before.
For a little perspective, this was only a few days after the Yukon Gear & Axle / Yukon Trek group, along with GenRight, had come through with a large group. They started their trip on September 17th; we started ours on the 21st.
So naturally, we decided that was the perfect time to tackle Thompson Hill.
We headed up in the dark, with the weather coming down and the trail becoming harder to read. It was one of those situations where you just keep moving, picking your lines as best you can and hoping you made the right decision.
We finally rolled into the Thompson Lake campsites around 11:30 PM.
Needless to say, we were pretty happy to shut the Jeeps down.
Day 2 — Thompson Lake to Ershim Lake
Tuesday morning brought a much-needed surprise.
We ran into a great group of rock-crawling deer hunters who were willing to part with some extra fuel. That little bit of generosity made a huge difference and took one more concern off our minds.
Then it was back on the trail toward Ershim Lake.
The next 11 miles took us most of the day. We averaged roughly ½ mile per hour.
That's when you really start to understand the Dusy.
This isn't a trail where you measure progress in miles. You measure it in obstacles.
We stopped for lunch at Summit Lake, which was absolutely beautiful. It was one of those spots where you have to stop for a minute and take in where you are.
Eventually, around 6:00 PM, we arrived at Ershim Lake.
The campground was fantastic, with huge logs that had been repurposed into picnic tables. After spending another hour pulling the rear bumper so I could get access to the back of the Jeep and my Dometic fridge, it was finally time for a well-earned meal.
Then it was lights out.
We knew Day 3 was going to be another long one.
Day 3 — Rocks, Trees and Lake Camp Lake
Day 3 started with a hellacious gatekeeper right outside camp.
Nothing like starting the morning with your heart pounding.
From there, it was more of what the Dusy does best — rocks, tight trees, technical lines and very little room for error.
By this point, our timing was completely off from where we had originally planned to be. Rather than rushing through another incredible section of the trail just to make up time, we decided to stop at Lake Camp Lake and enjoy the area.
And I'm glad we did.
The Dusy-Ershim is an incredible place. The trail runs between the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness, and there are some absolutely spectacular areas along the way.
It's easy to get focused on the next obstacle, the next rock, or the next tight tree and forget to look around.
Stopping at Lake Camp Lake gave us a chance to do exactly that.
Day 4 — The Final Miles
By Day 4, the goal was simple:
Finish the last 4+ miles.
Of course, the Dusy wasn't going to let us off that easily.
More trees.
More rocks.
More technical crawling.
And plenty of times where I found myself wishing I had already put the new 40s on the Jeep instead of the 38s.
Ironically, the new tires were being delivered to my house while we were out on the trail.
Perfect timing.
We eventually came across a Fresno Jeep club — probably 10 rigs or so — coming in the opposite direction. One of their guys was working his way through the gatekeeper, and it was actually great to finally see some other people on the trail.
We watched them work through it and, more importantly, got a chance to see exactly how we didn't want to do it.
After four days of being almost completely on our own, seeing another group was a welcome sight.
We finally reached the microwave towers around 2:00 PM.
From there, it was basically a two-minute sprint downhill to pavement.
Then came the best part:
AIR UP TIME.
Final Thoughts
My buddy and I were in complete agreement about one thing:
The Dusy-Ershim was significantly harder than the Rubicon.
The last time we ran the Rubicon together, we went from Loon Lake to Homewood in late August through snow, sleet and rain.
At the time, I thought that was a pretty serious trip.
Looking back now, it feels like Sunday driving Ms. Daisy compared to the Dusy.
The Dusy is different.
It's slower. Tighter. More technical. There are long stretches where you're constantly working the Jeep through rocks and trees, and the miles just don't disappear.
Running it with two Jeeps, no previous experience on the trail, and having to tackle Thompson Hill in the dark and bad weather definitely added another level to the adventure.
But that's also what made the trip memorable.
Four days.
Two JLs.
A lot of rocks.
A lot of trees.
Some questionable weather.
A few "what the hell are we doing?" moments.
And one hell of a trail.
Dusy-Ershim — absolutely brutal, absolutely beautiful, and absolutely worth doing.
Dusy-Ershim Trail — 9/21–9/24/2026
Two JLs, Four Days, One Hell of a Trail
We had been planning the Dusy-Ershim trip for a while, and after running the Rubicon earlier this year, I figured we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting ourselves into.
I was wrong.
My buddy and I started out Monday, September 21st, at Courtright Reservoir with two JLs. Neither of us had ever run the Dusy before. We got a late start and made pretty good time initially, reaching Chicken Rock in about an hour.
Then the weather decided to join the trip.
Dark thunderclouds started rolling in and the rain began to fall. By the time we reached Thompson Hill, it was around 7:30 PM and getting dark fast. We were now looking at going up Thompson Hill in the dark, with intermittent rain and snow, and without spotters.
Just two guys, two JLs, neither having been on the trail before.
For a little perspective, this was only a few days after the Yukon Gear & Axle / Yukon Trek group, along with GenRight, had come through with a large group. They started their trip on September 17th; we started ours on the 21st.
So naturally, we decided that was the perfect time to tackle Thompson Hill.
We headed up in the dark, with the weather coming down and the trail becoming harder to read. It was one of those situations where you just keep moving, picking your lines as best you can and hoping you made the right decision.
We finally rolled into the Thompson Lake campsites around 11:30 PM.
Needless to say, we were pretty happy to shut the Jeeps down.
Tuesday morning brought a much-needed surprise.
We ran into a great group of rock-crawling deer hunters who were willing to part with some extra fuel. That little bit of generosity made a huge difference and took one more concern off our minds.
Then it was back on the trail toward Ershim Lake.
The next 11 miles took us most of the day. We averaged roughly ½ mile per hour.
That's when you really start to understand the Dusy.
This isn't a trail where you measure progress in miles. You measure it in obstacles.
We stopped for lunch at Summit Lake, which was absolutely beautiful. It was one of those spots where you have to stop for a minute and take in where you are.
Eventually, around 6:00 PM, we arrived at Ershim Lake.
The campground was fantastic, with huge logs that had been repurposed into picnic tables. After spending another hour pulling the rear bumper so I could get access to the back of the Jeep and my Dometic fridge, it was finally time for a well-earned meal.
Then it was lights out.
We knew Day 3 was going to be another long one.
Day 3 started with a hellacious gatekeeper right outside camp.
Nothing like starting the morning with your heart pounding.
From there, it was more of what the Dusy does best — rocks, tight trees, technical lines and very little room for error.
By this point, our timing was completely off from where we had originally planned to be. Rather than rushing through another incredible section of the trail just to make up time, we decided to stop at Lake Camp Lake and enjoy the area.
And I'm glad we did.
The Dusy-Ershim is an incredible place. The trail runs between the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness, and there are some absolutely spectacular areas along the way.
It's easy to get focused on the next obstacle, the next rock, or the next tight tree and forget to look around.
Stopping at Lake Camp Lake gave us a chance to do exactly that.
By Day 4, the goal was simple:
Finish the last 4+ miles.
Of course, the Dusy wasn't going to let us off that easily.
More trees.
More rocks.
More technical crawling.
And plenty of times where I found myself wishing I had already put the new 40s on the Jeep instead of the 38s.
Ironically, the new tires were being delivered to my house while we were out on the trail.
Perfect timing.
We eventually came across a Fresno Jeep club — probably 10 rigs or so — coming in the opposite direction. One of their guys was working his way through the gatekeeper, and it was actually great to finally see some other people on the trail.
We watched them work through it and, more importantly, got a chance to see exactly how we didn't want to do it.
After four days of being almost completely on our own, seeing another group was a welcome sight.
We finally reached the microwave towers around 2:00 PM.
From there, it was basically a two-minute sprint downhill to pavement.
Then came the best part:
AIR UP TIME.
My buddy and I were in complete agreement about one thing:
The Dusy-Ershim was significantly harder than the Rubicon.
The last time we ran the Rubicon together, we went from Loon Lake to Homewood in late August through snow, sleet and rain.
At the time, I thought that was a pretty serious trip.
Looking back now, it feels like Sunday driving Ms. Daisy compared to the Dusy.
The Dusy is different.
It's slower. Tighter. More technical. There are long stretches where you're constantly working the Jeep through rocks and trees, and the miles just don't disappear.
Running it with two Jeeps, no previous experience on the trail, and having to tackle Thompson Hill in the dark and bad weather definitely added another level to the adventure.
But that's also what made the trip memorable.
Four days.
Two JLs.
A lot of rocks.
A lot of trees.
Some questionable weather.
A few "what the hell are we doing?" moments.
And one hell of a trail.
Dusy-Ershim — absolutely brutal, absolutely beautiful, and absolutely worth doing.
- Sep 20, 2021
- 2,248
- 2,484
- Current Rides
- 2021 Rubicon 392 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Which rear view camera setup did you install? I have one from the factory in my truck and really like it.
I installed this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BF4WCZ8Q?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title but there’s a newer model now. Works great 
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