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.
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Rubicon Ronin
El Dorado County to vote on Rubicon Resolution
Posted: April 29, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: closure, El dorado, emergency, fire Leave a commentOn Tuesday, May 2nd, 9am, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution to determine who can close the Rubicon Trail and for what reasons.
This applies to El Dorado County only, not Placer County.
The Rubicon Trail Foundation and many, many other Rubicon Trail users and advocates worked with the county to get something written that actually makes sense. Below is the video put out by RTF to explain how we got to where we are. Ken Hower did a very good job of explaining situation. It’s worth seventeen minutes of your time.
Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making this happen.
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Rubicon Ronin
ENF pushes back opening date of ‘seasonal’ roads
Posted: April 13, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: closed, snow Leave a commentThe Eldorado National Forest has pushed back the opening for seasonal roads and trails by one month. For the Tahoe side of the Rubicon Trail, this means the Richardson Lake Trail (14N39). As we’re already halfway through the extended closure and the snow is still epically deep, I don’t think this will affect us much.
Expect other forests to do the same. Please check the website of whatever forest you plan on visiting before you head out.
Next week, I’ll post pictures from the trailhead. At this point, only the most well-built rigs should attempt to get on the trail. Memorial Weekend will still bring challenges on the Rubicon Trail.
Please Tread Lightly! if you head out on the trail. Stay on the trail, don’t spin your tires, use tree saver straps to winch, etc.
Groundhog Day on the Rubicon
Posted: March 11, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: melt, snow, spring Leave a commentAs I said in my last post, not much has changed. Looks like I had a weird filter on the phone when I took this but there was 7-8 feet of snow at the Tahoma entrance. The notch is almost gone. The snow is stupid wet. Maybe after a few dozen thaw freeze cycles we might be on the trail. But there are not a bunch of freezing cold days forecast.
The roads along the west shore were still unplowed. More snow on the way and it’s going to even wetter. Don’t travel unless you have to. This weather pattern is going to be with us for another four days.
For the record, I was at my cabin, on the roof, in the rain, shoveling…
After clearing a path on the deck to get the ladder in place, I started in on the roof. There will be a round two on Monday to remove more snow. We’re expecting more than a foot by Monday. The worry is the added weight from the rain we’re getting. The snow just soaks it up.
Be patient. The trail will always be there. Summer will happen. We will get on the trail.
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Rubicon Ronin
Two feet of fresh snow and it’s still snowing…
Posted: February 27, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: plowing, snow Leave a comment2-27-23 Narrow streets. The plow guys are working their asses off and can barely keep up. The roads were well plowed considering the amount of snow that the Basin has received this winter, specifically, this latest storm. the Rubicon trailhead is straight ahead. That’s a private plow operator, up on the right, clearing berms and driveways.
It doesn’t look like any vehicle has tried recently. Two more feet of snow expected over today & tomorrow. At least the notch is holding up so we know where to make access, once the snow allows.
It might be redundant, but I’ll post up after the storm passes.
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Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 