I broke the rules
Posted: June 28, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow, spring, water Leave a commentI went out on the trail alone, single vehicle, single person.
Yesterday, I went out to check conditions on the Rubicon Trail and the side trails. Up Blackwood Canyon to the north, Forest Road 03 is closed at the second gate just over the river. But the Middle Fork Trail gate is open. I did not explore that trail but I assume you will encounter large snow drifts in the shade. There is a gate at the top but I don’t know if that gate has been opened.
Please note the amount of snow on the trail at lake level! That’s the Middle Fork gate shown open way in the back.
Off to the Rubicon.
There will be a tremendous amount of water on the trail for weeks. This is water bar number 7 (I think) doing a great job of getting the water off the trail.
Snow, snow and more snow still on the trail.
I only got in as far as the pond at the turn for the Ellis Peak Trail. There is a lot of debris on the trail. Small trees across the trail in places. Many encroaching on the trail but not blocking the trail.
The further in you go, the higher you get, the more snow you will encounter.
There are some long stretches of water, snow, ice. No real mud at this point. Some were hardened underneath. This is just past Miller Lake before the turn to Sourdough Hill.
Unfortunately, I found a few spots where people had driven off trail to get around snow drifts. This is not acceptable. “Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”, that’s the motto of this website and should be followed by all. Please don’t be that guy.
The next time I’m on the trail, I will make an effort to block off all of these bypasses as I find them.
.
Rubicon Ronin
The ROC is back
Posted: June 24, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance Leave a commentWell, sort of. And I’m not talking about Dwayne Johnson.
The Rubicon Oversight Committee (ROC) was and ad hoc El Dorado County set of monthly meetings designed to work with anyone that had an interest in the Rubicon Trail. The only problem was you had to be in the room that day to have a voice on whatever the subject was that day.
The Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) has picked up the torch, or at least the name of the ROC. The plan is to meet quarterly to discuss Rubicon Trail issues. Here is the flyer:
Hopefully this will improve communications between the users and the managing agencies. The fiasco of the trail illegally being close because bad weather was forecasted was the low point.
Where the original ROC was held at 9am (while most work), RTF is holding these meetings at the Cal4 building at 7pm on Tuesday the 27th. Zoom is available if you can’t be there in person.
Not sure if I’ll be able to Zoom in but I look forward to reading the minutes.
.
Rubicon Ronin
The Season Has Begun
Posted: June 3, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow, water Leave a commentWe met at the entrance in the residential area at 9am, because we didn’t know how much snow was going to be on the paved road into the staging area. Turns out not much. On our way out, there were tow rigs with trailers parked in the staging area.
By next weekend there will be zero snow on the paved road in to staging.
The staging area is virtually clear. I restocked the TP in the toilets.
Literally, the first snow pile out of the staging area caught two of our drivers off guard and they had to be strapped off of it.
The first 100 yards has some very off camber sections. There were more of those further up the trail.
In the areas that were typically shade we had snow…
Where there had been sun, a lot of the snow had melted…
Being very early in the season, there was debris on the trail. We moved two or three and cut two or three more and were able to drive around others, while still staying on the trail.
It was slippery, but we pressed on, always sliding to the right.
There was one climb that was just too steep. One strap around a tree and we each took turns using our own winches to get up it. All four rigs were locked front and rear. Most on 35s, one on 37s.
It was great to finally get out on the trail.
Of course, you want to know how far we got. We started on the snow around 9:30, and turned around about noon, stopped there for lunch and then headed out. Two and a half hours in and half an hour out. On our way out, we came across a bunch of rigs and quads struggling up the very first snow climb. Hint: start as early as possible before the snow starts to melt and gets really slippery.
Looking backwards, this is as far as we got. I estimate water bar number 22. It’s before the climb that takes you to Lilly Lake.
I walked a little further up the trail and saw a log across the trail and decided we were done for the day. I did have a chainsaw with me, but we weren’t out to work that hard. The further log is off the trail, you turn left just before that. The closer one would have given us trouble.
On the way out, two side-by-sides went in. They claimed they had been a mile past Miller earlier in the week. I don’t know how they will navigate that log, but they said they had a saw.
Two more Jeeps passed us, so maybe someone will clear it.
The quads were not prepared to be out on the trail but they had strength in numbers, about ten of them!
There will be water on the trail for months. The rolling dips seem to be working pretty well.
Always be prepared. Thunder storms are predicted for later in the week. Be ready to spend the night if something goes wrong.
Enjoy!
.
Rubicon Ronin
Time to Snow Wheel
Posted: May 24, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow Leave a commentYesterday, I stopped by the Rubicon trailhead in Tahoma. Although the snow has melted a lot, there is still a tremendous amount of snow on the trail.
Note that residential parking is now allowed if you bring your rig on a trailer.
The first snow bump is a little off camber but with the ruts in the snow, I didn’t slip to the side. The sign would have stopped me if I had.
Just a little further in, there is evidence of some unprepared wheelers who got stuck and needed to bring in pieces of wood to place under the tires to get unstuck. At some point they were successful as there were no rigs still on the trail.
I only went in a couple of hundred yards. I was alone, it was late afternoon, the snow was slippery from the sun. Just to get that far, I went back and forth a dozen times, slowly creeping forward. Even at this time of day, the snow in the shade provided more grip than the snow in the sun. And I didn’t want to get stuck in the snow, on the Rubicon, on the way to my 4wd club meeting…again. Yea, it happened two years ago and I self-rescued and made the meeting on time.
Although I didn’t get very far, I am assuming that there will be a great amount of water on and along the trail. Please Tread Lightly! if you venture out.
All the same things apply: be prepared, stay on the trail, use a tree saver when winching, don’t go alone.
This is Memorial Weekend coming up. The trail will be busy. There will be those that are not ready for this type of wheeling. Be polite, help them out, go on your way.
“Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”
Be safe.
.
Rubicon Ronin
Conditions update…
Posted: May 4, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: shovel', snow Leave a commentI came across this photo on Facebook, the “Rubicon Trail” page, posted by Ray Collins. I’m trying to give credit where credit is due.
That’s Ray standing in one of the first creek crossings about a week or two ago, so late April. I’ve heard from friends in South Lake Tahoe that the snow is melting about six inches a day, in the sun. Then the Tahoma area got 4-5 inches of snow at lake level, more at higher elevations.
If you go, be prepared for everything. And as this website’s catch phrase says: “Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”.
This very wet spring will be a test of our OHV community. We need to show that we can play by the rules and not do resource damage as we enjoy our sport. Peer pressure is needed. Don’t let your buddy take ‘that’ route off the trail or spin their tires endlessly in a water or mud hole.
Use the shovel, use a strap. Winch work will be required. Use tree savers. Turn around and come back next week.
I’ve communicated with FOTR to get a ‘Shovel Brigade’ out on the trail early to break down drifts to encourage people to stay on the trail and not drive around snow sections they can’t drive over. Stay tuned.
.
Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 