Reno Off-Road and Motorsports Expo: March 23rd-27th, 2022

Posted: January 26, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

It’s on again. For the last two years, the Reno Off-Road and Motorsports Expo has been cancelled due to covid concerns. All signs point to the show actually happening this year at the Reno Convention Center!

https://www.lockettshows.com/off-road-and-motorsports-expo

The show is actually five shows in one: Off-Road, RV, Boat, Home and Pet shows. One ticket, five shows.

I will again have a booth with the Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo’s at the show to talk about everything Rubicon Trail. Here’s a shot from 2019:

I think this is from 2018:

Here’s the twist for 2022. The plan is to hold a meeting, Saturday morning starting at 9am, to talk about the Rubicon Trail. Entry to the Rubicon meeting will be free. I believe that a ticket to get you in to all five shows is only $10.

I first planned this meeting for 2020. But then covid. Since then, I’ve become burnt out on sitting on boards and organizing meetings. Now it’s 2022. El Dorado Couty has stepped up to take the lead on making this meeting happen. All of the governing agencies have been invited. User groups have also been invited. Local clubs should be represented. There has been a list of questions and topics for discussion presented to El Dorado County. Hopefully, all of our questions will be answered.

My assumption of how things will go at the meeting…

-Introductions of presenters

-Explanation of how and by who the trail is managed

-Explanation on how trail maintenance is funded

-Maintenance: who, what, when, where and how

-Possible projects

-Current issues

-Questions and Answer session

Hopefully, we will get all of our questions answered.

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Rubicon Ronin

Holiday Travelers on Rubicon

Posted: January 17, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

After being stuck at home for more than a week, I finally ventured out to the Tahoma trailhead. Although I had no intension of driving out on to the trail, I brought the Jeep just because. The rig stuck on the trail with four guys in it were happy I did.

The neighborhood looks much better:

The berm is very doable and only a few feet tall:

But these guys needed help:

They had barely started up the first incline and got off of the compacted snow of the ruts and stopped.

A few gentle tugs backwards and they were free. I unhooked to get more distance between us and they almost drove out. They needed another tug or two to finally make the pavement.

The trail looks well-travelled but make sure you go prepared. As long as I was in the ruts, I felt very secure. When I got out of my rig, the snow off to the sides was obviously not firm enough to drive on.

The Sno-Park at Blackwood Canyon has been plowed out but remember, this is closed to wheeled vehicles until June 15th.

Be safe, be smart, don’t go alone, be prepared to spend the night.

Enjoy!

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Rubicon Ronin

Education time

Posted: January 7, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Okay, only the first half of this video is worth watching but I don’t have the skills to edit it. I wish someone could now add the articulation angle (pun intended) to this to really teach people how to build their rigs for the trail.

The order of improvements show in the video is not the order I would do them to my rig. And of course, there needs to be a balance.

I’m still driving a 2-door Wrangler. On Fordyce last year, I needed a line on my bumper to keep the front end down climbing one obstacle. The longer JL’s probably didn’t need that tug, don’t know if the 4-doors were getting high centered.

What I don’t want to give up is the mobility of the short wheelbase 2-door. I love that I can turn so tight on the trail, allowing me to take the line I want. My TJ turns so much better than my old CJ-7.

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Rubicon Ronin

Bing Maps Rubicon Closure

Posted: January 2, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Access | Tags: | Leave a comment

I often poke around the internet trying to find any new information on the Rubicon Trail. I specifically look for information on the Tahoe end of the trail. Surfing the internet is easier than an in person visit since I’m an hour and 20 minutes from the trailhead.

Here’s one of the latest things I found. I found it less than a week ago, so I waited until after the stated closure to post it. It has since been removed from Bing Maps:

“Closed road from Evergreen Way to Rubicon Trail. Start time: 11/3/2021 12:43am; Est. end time: 1/12022 12:00am.”

The red dashed line is the section of McKinney Rubicon Springs Road that is paved between the residential area and the staging area.

The map is from Bing Maps and the closure came up when I searched Bing Maps for ‘road conditions’. Someone had to input this information. I don’t think it’s worth reaching out to Bing Maps this time to ask who did this and why, but if it comes up again, I will definitely reach out to get it corrected.

Now in trying to figure this out, I thought it might have been done to prevent idiots from thinking they can drive to Sacramento on the Rubicon since Highway 80 and Highway 50 were both closed. But they were open when this closure was posted, 11/3/2021.

Recently, dozens of people have tried to drive through Dog Valley on Henness Pass Road to get over the pass even thought is does not get plowed. People in 2-wheel drive vehicles read their onboard GPS units and think they can use it. Local 4wd clubs have staged at the entrance to educate people about the road conditions there and to suggest that they turn around. Others have had to be rescued/recovered because they did drive down the snow covered road.

The Rubicon Trail is open year-round! Let’s all keep an eye on agencies or individuals trying to post that the trail is closed and speak up to get it corrected.

Happy New Year.

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Rubicon Ronin