MOU is approved!

Posted: November 24, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Leave a comment

THIS POST IS INCORRECT. THE MOU ALLOWS FOR ONE AGENCY TO WRITE A GRANT FOR THE ENTIRE TRAIL BUT MAINTENANCE IS STILL DIVIDED BETWEEN EL DORADO COUNTY ON THE WEST AND THE TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST ON THE EAST. (11-27-19) MORE TO COME.

It’s now official. The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted on Friday to approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that puts the management and maintenance of the entire length of the Rubicon Trail solely in the hands of El Dorado County.

This is a very good thing.

Back in the day, Placer got onboard with the users and was doing trail maintenance. Placer slowly backed off leaving maintenance to FOTR and RTF. Enthusiasm slowly dwindled with no grant money coming in and no one officially leading maintenance efforts.

For years, El Dorado County has been working with the Eldorado National Forest and CA State Parks in obtaining grant funds and maintaining the Rubicon Trail. Basically, they’ve saved the trail from closure.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is between El Dorado County, Placer County, CA Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Road Division, Eldorado National Forest, Tahoe National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

The Placer County side of the trail will now get getting funding along with the El Dorado County side. The trail will be managed as ONE!

Link to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

El Dorado County has been reaching out to users and volunteers by holding ‘Rubicon Oversight Committee’ (ROC) meetings on the road. There are plans to hold a Rubicon meeting this March in the Reno area to explain what’s going on and to answer any and all questions you may have. Stay tuned.

Rubicon Ronin

Roundabouts in Tahoe City

Posted: November 18, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access | Tags: roundabouts, Tahoe City | Leave a comment

So, this isn’t really Rubicon specific but you should know what’s happening on your routes to and from the Rubicon.

Two of the three roundabouts, and the bridge between them, are finally finished and open for use in Tahoe City. The reason for the two new roundabouts and the new bridge over the Truckee River is to reduce traffic congestion in the area.

Above, the roundabout approaching Tahoe City from 89 south.

Above, 89 north approaching Tahoe City. The bridge on the right goes out to 89 bypassing Tahoe City.

By bypassing Tahoe City summer congestion, your drive time and your stress will be reduced!

There is still one more roundabout planned for where the traffic signal is in downtown Tahoe City. They should be able to knock that one out next summer.

Let’s hope they do actually reduce traffic delays.

Control of the Placer Side

Posted: October 11, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: El Dorado County, FOTR, maintenance, Placer, RTF, transparency | Leave a comment

Control of the management and maintenance of the Placer County side of the Rubicon Trail is being decided right now. Literally, right now.

Until recently, Placer County has denied any authority over the Rubicon Trail. Lately, they have decided they want or have a hand in it but don’t want the day to day responsibility of applying for grants and to manage the maintenance of the Rubicon Trail.

Placer County and El Dorado County are currently working on an MOU (memorandum of understanding) that will allow El Dorado County the full legal authority to manage the Placer County side of the Rubicon Trail. To be clear, this will give El Dorado County authority over the entire length of the Rubicon Trail. My understanding is that they are very close to making this a done deal.

On the surface, this is a good thing. Placer has failed to apply for and receive steady grant funding and really has been hands off for years. Read as no maintenance has been done on the Placer side for years. El Dorado County has been extremely successful in getting grant money for the Rubicon Trail.

The down side is the lack of transparency. El Dorado County is currently working with Placer County, the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and who knows who else, in order to decide what maintenance gets done and when.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) had been the representative for the users for 15 years. Lately, El Dorado County cuts ties (probably not the best term) with RTF. I’m not sure, but I’m betting that RTF is not in the room when these negotiations are being made. I do not know of any user representative that is in the room.

Worse, projects that had been on the books to take place this summer season have been cancelled. The LTBMU cancelled the installation of a new kiosk at the Tahoma staging area along with cancelling the paving of the staging area. They literally waited until the last moment to inform some of the users. Note, the funding for these two projects ahs been in the LTBMU’s control for years. The RTF had scheduled to bring in a contractor to rebuild the 28 rolling dips within the LTBMU this fall. Again, at the last moment, the project was cancelled. They didn’t tell anyone until I went asking about it.

Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) who normally had worked closely with El Dorado County on trail maintenance projects has been dropped as a close partner and relegated to just another volunteer, ignoring their 20 year history of maintaining the Rubicon Trail.

I have been asking for information on what’s going on, where we’re going and who’s involved in making these decisions. I was told to call Vickie Sanders of El Dorado County. I replied that I didn’t want information for me but for all users. I asked that any and all information be posted for the public to view 24/7. El Dorado County and RTF have pushed back and said if you want information, call us.

El Dorado County is about to control our trail. All I’m asking for is for them to explain how that process is going to work, how they will keep the users and volunteers informed and how they will allow the users in to the decision-making process.

I don’t think I’m asking too much.

Rubicon Ronin

A move to the dark side…

Posted: August 19, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access | Tags: vehicle | Leave a comment

It happened. I have stepped in the direction of the dark side, I bought a TJ.

So here’s the current fleet: the TJ, the 1984 CJ-7 and the 1985 project CJ-7.

The TJ is a 2006 Rubicon, 5″ lift (Nth Degree), 35″ tires, aftermarket bumpers, Warn winch (I had to swap over to synthetic line), rear tire carrier.

Not too much to do. I removed some of the towing equipment as it was towed behind a motorhome all of it’s life.

Better rock guards are in it’s future as are ham radio, upgraded stereo, re-painting the bumpers and tightening up the tire carrier. I hate rattles.

So now I have a year-round wheeler. The top will come off next summer. But let me tell you, cruise control and AC are really nice on a long drive to the trailhead.

Rubicon Ronin

Still snow, and it will be there for some time…

Posted: June 26, 2019 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow, trees | Leave a comment

Third day in a row on the Rubicon. This time as a passenger.

So, picking up where I left off yesterday, here is the off-camber section just past the turn to Ellis Peak.

Dean went ahead a drove this as it was. For the other three rigs, I dug a trench for the high side tires. It lessens the side hill and provides a track to prevent sliding off the snow in to the mud.