Trail Clearing, Lost Keys

Posted: May 18, 2026 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: drainages, FOTR, keys, trees | Leave a comment

Yesterday, FOTR worked the Rubicon Trail from the residential area to the new (yet to be constructed) intersection of 16E75 (The Rubicon) and 03-04.

There were maybe a dozen volunteers, from a few different clubs. Paul even cooked burgers for us at the end of the day! The hot burgers were awesome as the temperatures dropped and a few snowflakes started to fall.

Two of us retreated from the staging area to the beginning of the trail to clear some logs from the edge of the trail to make sure there is room for wide trailers.

Yes, it could use a good stiff broom but the cyclists can come in behind us and sweep.

Not pictured is the large and growing pothole just before the bridge over McKinney Creek. We’ll let the Basin know they need to address that one.

I didn’t get too many pictures on the trail but here we had just winched that large mass of downed tree to the side of the trail behind the Jeep. Others worked to clear the drains along the trail. This was just one of many drainages cleared.

This is as far in as we went. It’s just past where the new intersection of 16E75 and 03-04 will be. We got a report that there are many more trees down further up 03-04.

I will be back out on Wednesday with the TNF to clear 16E76, 16E79 and 03-04, given time. I’ll post up with a report as soon as I get home on Wednesday.

At the end of the day, a Jeep pulled into the staging area and left FOTR a set of keys that were found between “The Step” and “Hummer Bend”. Send me a comment if you know who they belong to and I’ll work to get them to the owner.

Great day on the trail. Positive attitudes. Capable rigs. Motivated people.

That’s how a volunteer day is supposed to work.

Rubicon Ronin

Stupidest Thing I’ve Ever Done (on a mountain bike)

Posted: May 11, 2026 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Last week, I sat down with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit’s new acting Forest Supervisor Dionne Uzes and their new trails guy Daniel Cressy. We talked about the opening of OHV gates within the Basin, specifically, those that affect Rubicon travel.

It ended with me volunteering to do a reconnaissance of the Middle Fork Trail, 15N38. Since the trail does not open to motorized travel until June 1st, I was on my mountain bike.

The plan was to ride up Forest Road 03 and then down the Middle Fork Trail. Simple!

I was not really looking forward to the climb up 03. It’s a couple of miles and I’m not as young as I once was, but I had an ace up my sleeve. My ride would be my new (bought a year ago) e-bike! And oh what a ride it was. It was literally cheating. The climb was nothing…until the snow.

There were trees and a few boulders on the road.

There was a little more snow at elevation than I expected. But I was here and I was going up. Walking. Pulling the bike up as I walked.

There was no riding up the snow. And an e-bike doesn’t help if you’re pushing it.

And I probably pushed for about a mile.

I finally make the summit. Here is the gate at the top, open for snowmobiles that have long given up on this road.

Trees down everywhere and oddly, the bathrooms for those hiking the Pacific Crest Trail are unlocked! (That’s a subtle dig at the Basin for not yet unlocking the bathrooms at the Tahoma OHV staging area.)

The upper Barker Meadow OHV Trail (16E79) looks clear. It has a better aspect for melting snow, but I’m sure there is still snow in the shade. Remember that you do not have a way out other than the Rubicon Trail. Exiting Blackwood Canyon is not allowed until June 1st.

It was an epic ride down.

The steeper sections were sort-of ridable.

And there are plenty of trees down on 15N38.

The good news is that the Basin already had a crew out working to clear the trail. As the snow melts, they will work their way up to the summit. I believe that the trail will be cleared and open by the official June 1st opening date.

I did what I could to be safe. I let someone know where I was going and checked in along the way. I knew the weather was good. I guess I could have grabbed my ham radio, but I did have plenty of food, drink, spare parts and tools.

13 miles, 1600 feet of elevation gain. Three hour trip, two hours of moving. Slow, I know.

Get out there and have fun!

Rubicon Ronin

Snow’s (almost) Gone (again)

Posted: April 27, 2026 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: snow, step, winch | Leave a comment

Out on the trail once again. Made it out to Observation Point. Beautiful Day. Chilly weather. No one on the trail.

So, the paved road to the staging area is once again clear of all snow. Once on the trail, it is very wet. There is still plenty of snow in the shaded and elevated areas. Please Tread Lightly!

Since the Eldorado Forest trails opened April 1st, I decided to try the Richardson Lake Trail. Around the corner there was water. Around the next corner there was a bit of snow. I tried the first drift.

I thought twice but went for it. No problem. (Note the large boulder on the right.)

The next few sets of drifts really made me think, and I turned around. Safety first. The trail is off to the right in the picture below.

Being safe and having already turned around, I had no choice but to take the trail out.

It didn’t work out too well for me.

The rollers did worry me on the way out. On the way back to the Rubicon, the right rear just sank. Yes, my rear locker was engaged. By the time I noticed I needed it, it was too late to lock in the front.

Luckily, there was a HUGE boulder in front of me. The dead tree was NOT a consideration as I’ve pulled over dead trees before.

One simple winch pull and I was on my way!

Snow at the pond at the Ellis Peak/Lake Trail.

The HUGE tree we cleared a few weeks ago was still clear of the trail.

Poser shot at the obstacle I call “The Step”. Others know it as “Birthday Cake” as you can see a mountain that literally looks like a birthday cake with candles.

The drop on the last leg out to Observation is not captured at all on a camera. It’s steep. It was a little wet and I needed the rear locker to get back up it later.

The last shot is looking up the Barker Meadow OHV Trail. I did not venture out as there are probably a ton of trees still down across the trail. I had a chain saw but didn’t want to work that hard. I’ll be back with the TNF to clear it before the ‘Early CJ5’ crowd comes through in June.

I had the smallest amount of snow fall on me, but it didn’t ruin the day, it made it better. So quiet.

The snow will still be in the shade and on the side trails, for another week, maybe, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Get out there.

Be safe.

Enjoy.

Rubicon Ronin

Stupidest Thing I’ve Ever Done, in a Jeep

Posted: April 13, 2026 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: snow, STORM, Travel, winter | Leave a comment

Spring was here, but winter wanted one more shot. And it happened over the weekend.

The latest winter storm dropped several feet of snow over the Sierra. I wanted to know how much the Tahoe Side received.

Unable to rally any of my fellow wheelers, I went in alone. Not only single vehicle, but single person. But I had all the gear: “Go Bag”, sleeping bag, food, water, recovery gear, parts, communications (ham), etc. What tipped me off that it was a bad idea was while I was loading the snow shoes.

Traffic in Truckee was at a stop because of chain controls over the summit.

Traffic lightened again as people turned into Squaw Valley. But at 9am, if you’re still on the road, you’re late for the fresh powder.

The Tahoma neighborhood was half plowed. Ed Dorado County had been there and cleared their streets. Placer County had not yet made it through the neighborhood.

I didn’t slow much as I entered the trail, I just reached down and put it in 4wd. And I didn’t bother to air down.

There had been two rigs in before me but that was yesterday. I was making fresh tracks on the snow that fell overnight.

The tracks I was following were not helping. The snow was so soft that you really had to work to stay in the grove.

I had confidence because I knew that there was asphalt under all that snow.

I finally made the staging area. There were tracks going further up the trail but this was a far as I was willing to go.

Even on 35″ tires, I was dragging my diff almost the whole way in.

I was a little nervous that I’d encounter a group coming in on my way out, so I didn’t linger and headed out after a few pictures.

I did score first tracks for about 100 feet on my way out.

The bridge over McKinney Creek.

Very cool being out there alone.

Very quiet…

Except for the Southern Rock playing on my stereo.

Okay, so I was stupid. But I was a prepared for stupid, if something stupid had happened. Next time I’ll give my friends more warning that I’m headed out.

Rubicon Ronin

Clearing Trees w/the FS

Posted: April 10, 2026 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: snow, trees | Leave a comment

After my last post, I reached out to the LTBMU, TNF, RTF and FOTR about trees and toilets. I was worried about some trees and not others.

Well, the Forest Service came through about the trees. Myles from the TNF, met us at the staging area this morning and off we went. There was some rain but not too hard. Conditions were wet. So much snow had melted but there were still plenty of snow drifts that were ice on the way in but slushy on the way out.

The two major goals were the down trees just west of the 03-04 intersection and the HUGE tree down further west. We skipped over almost all of the down trees on our way out. The plan was to clear them, given time, on the way back.

This is just past the intersection. It was worse than it looks. The early route was high left but one little slip and you would be in the trees. Coming out (east bound) was even worse. Very slippery trying to get up on that ridge.

Well, it’s all been cleared out. That was the ‘safety’ issue with trees.

Here is the tree actually blocking the trail. John winched the top piece, at least he tried. Myles got to cutting. I drove as far west as the intersection with Barker Pass Road to check for more trees. Although there were trees down, all were passable. So, I went back to help.