Get your ham license

Posted: April 5, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Travel | Tags: ham, safety | Leave a comment

Ham radio use has come a long way on the Rubicon over the last decade.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation, driven by Dennis Mayer, has made sure there is a year-round repeater system in the Rubicon valley. This allows any Rubicon Trail user to use a ham radio to reach out to Sacramento and the Tahoe area with a handheld radio.

This system has literally saved lives since it’s installation.

Do you have your ham license? Do you want to get it?

July 19-21, at the Boomtown Casino in Nevada, the Nevada State Amateur Radio Convention will be held. Website: NVCON.org

On Saturday, July 20th, you can do a one day ham cram. The class is from 8am-3:30pm with the test immediately following. This is the quickest way to get your license.

Also at the convention are vendors, forums and a ham swap meet.

If you have the time, check it out.

Paving the Rubicon -the staging area anyway

Posted: April 2, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: Forest service, maintenance, paving | Leave a comment

Okay, that probably got your attention.

Well there will be paving, but only the staging area. This is being done to prevent erosion.

The plan is not finalized but it looks like we might lose one or more of the trees in the center of the staging area. The strip between the Rubicon and the staging area will be thinned, hopefully giving us another parking spot or two.

Here’s an overview of the staging area. The three structures in the lower left of the staging area are the two pit toilet and the oil spill depository. The depository will probably move and the NEW kiosk will be placed in that area.

The area below the structures is a seasonal pond. And in case you’re wondering, it would be very difficult and expensive to expand the parking area.

There was talk of putting down stripes in order to bring some order to the way people park in the staging area. But by putting down stripes, the number of parking spots would probably be reduced. I think the final agreement was to not put down stripes this year and see how it goes.

There will be a handicap area painted in front of the pit toilets. And there will be a few no parking areas in front of the NEW kiosk and in other places to maintain flow through the area.

Speaking of flow, there is talk and some agreement about making the first entrance to the staging area (coming from 89) a one-way exit only, again to improve flow through the area and to encourage better parking.

Here’s a set of photos to remind you of the area. Yes, they are old photos but the area hasn’t changed much.