Major snow dump in the Sierras

We just got through a series of major storms. Honestly, the biggest of the season. The summits got more than six feet of snow. The Homewood Mountain Resort claims about five feet over the last the last week. That means the Rubicon is buried.

So, I drove past Monday (March 5th) and took a few pictures of the entrance. I was up there just before the storms and took some to compare:

Last Monday the 26th: really no berm to speak of…

Again, this was before the storm just 100 yards up the trail:

After the latest storms: now the neighborhood probably got two feet of snow but notice the snow is piled higher than my six foot tall truck.

Compare that to berms around the neighborhood, maybe three feet tall. I have already sent an email to Placer County letting them know this is unacceptable (dumping snow on a county right of way) and that although the County probably didn’t do it, they need to remove it as they would a load of rock dropped on any county road. Don’t hold your breath.

Looking over the berm, where no motor vehicle has driven, yet; it looks like a good place for a fun day of snow play.

The berm will need to be taken down. Right now you could get a quad or snowmobile through the slot but not much else.

Let me get on my safety soap box…

I can’t say it enough but travel prepared. Figure something will go wrong and you have to spend the night, or two. Have food, water, clothing and shelter for multiple people and many nights.

Believe it or not, some people still don’t get it.

(Photo stolen from a post on Pirate4x4 by “The Fixxer”.)

This rig has been stuck on the trail for a few weeks now. It’s just east of Miller Lake at the water hole. There was room to go around but not much. Now think about this with 4-5 feet of snow burying it.

You might be wheeling along just fine and not realize the rig is underneath you. Honestly, it’s probably still visible but there is a greater chance of sliding in to it if you try and go around.

Some fellow Hi-Lo’s are reaching out to the authorities and the owner to see if we can help get the rig out or at least off to the side for the safe passage of others.

I’ll keep you posted.

Rubicon Ronin