Video about the Buck Lake Trail
Posted: July 4, 2021 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: buck Leave a commentThis video just came up on a Facebook page I follow. The first thing I liked was that he turned around when he came to a downed tree across on of the trails, he didn’t go around.
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Rubicon Ronin
Forest Road 03-04 Improvements
Posted: June 30, 2021 Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: 03-04, erosion, maintenance, TNF Leave a commentFor those of you that don’t know that road, it runs from the Rubicon over to Barker Pass. It was one of the recommended reroutes around the closed staging area last week.
It’s probably twice as far to get to Lake Tahoe than the Rubicon, but it’s twice as smooth. And it just got better.
While the staging area was getting paved, Forest Road 03-04 was getting groomed. The first mile off the Rubicon was always little rough and severely rutted. But the road got progressively better the closer you got to Barker Pass. The last few miles at Barker Pass you could drive a Honda Civic down, it’s that groomed.
Back in 2016, there was water running down the trail causing erosion, allowing sediment to get in to the water system.
Hard to see, but looking back down the trail towards the Rubicon, there is one on many new rolling dips along Forest Road 03-04, so many I lost count.
Just south of the intersection of 03-04-14, looking up the trail, 2016.
Just last week, looking down the same section of trail.
Forest Road 03-04 is classified as a ‘road’ not a ‘trail’, so it is maintained at a different level then say the Buick Lake Trail. The FS got serious with 03-04 this time around. The work done on this trail will allow emergency vehicles to access more of our forests. For the Rubicon, it means we can bring in material with very large trucks much closer to the actual trail.
There are a ton of places to camp along and just off Forest Road 03-04. The most popular is Bear Lake but it’s usually crowded. Some of the other side roads have great views and are always empty of campers. You should check them out.
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Rubicon Ronin
Fire restrictions now in place
Posted: June 28, 2021 Filed under: Travel | Tags: fire, permits Leave a commentFire restrictions start today in the El Dorado and Tahoe National Forests. The Lake Tahoe Basin has year-round fire restrictions in place.
This is the second year of very low snowfall and our forests are very dry. Please be responsible when using portable stoves. Welding is restricted as well.
As always, even for a propane stove, campfire permits are required.
Website for campfire permits: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/permits/campfire-permit/
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Rubicon Ronin
Blackwood Canyon parking options
Posted: June 7, 2021 Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: closure, paving, reroute, staging area Leave a commentWith the staging area closure June 21-25, access will be through Blackwood Canyon to the north about four miles.
The paved parking at Highway 89 is for the Kaspian Campground right there and day users. FYI, that is also a winter park area, permit required during the winter. Blackwood Canyon is a popular snow mobile area. There is OHV parking further up the canyon.
So, about two miles up the canyon, stay right onto the dirt road (15E38), before you go over Blackwood Creek:
At the Blackwood Canyon Campground, there is limited parking, pit toilets and maybe a dozen campsites that require reservations.
The drive up 15N38 is not difficult but you have to pay attention. At the top, there is more parking. This parking is accessible by driving the paved Forest Road 03 all the way to Barker Pass summit.
16E79 is marked with good signage. In this photo, you’re looking down Forest Road 03, the pit toilets for the Rim/PCT is off to the right at the white vehicle, 16E79 is off to the left. The Rim/PCT is visible to the lower left by the sign.
If you choose to take the really easy way to the Rubicon, stay straight on Forest Road 03. In two miles, look for the freshly downed tree on the left, that will be the sign for the left turn you need to take to get on to Forest Road 03-04. And that runs all the way to the Rubicon. 16E76 The Hobbit Trail, will be a right turn off 03-04 and is easy to miss.
There will be an effort to get sandwich sign boards out on the trails to mark the turns needed to do the reroute.
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Rubicon Ronin
Rubicon Trail CLOSED for PAVING!
Posted: June 3, 2021 Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: dust, parking, paving, staging Leave a commentOkay, I did that on purpose. They are only paving the Tahoma staging area and extending the access road.
June 21st through June 25th, the Rubicon Trail will be closed, at the Tahoe entrance. There will be reroutes available through Blackwood Canyon. See map below. Please plan accordingly.
Please do not try and sneak in the morning of the 21st or the evening of the 25th, wait until Saturday morning.
Coming out of the Rubicon, the easy reroute is Forest Road 03-04 over to Barker Pass and then down the paved Forest Road 03 to the lake. The more fun reroute is the Hobbit Trail (16E76) to Red Cabin (16E79) to Barker Pass and then down the Middle Fork Trail (15N38) to the lake.
This has been planned for many years now and is actually going to happen. The reasoning is to eliminate erosion and thus improve water quality (Keep Tahoe Blue) and to reduce dust in the basin. The reason for the solid closure is for the safety of the crew working and to speed up the process by not having to deal with outside vehicles.
Grant funding for this was obtained probably six years ago but by the time the actual plan to do it was in place the cost of paving was above the amount of the original grant and the project got put on hold.
It is my understanding that El Dorado County, namely Vickie Sanders, stepped in to help out with covering the extra cost through other grants. Thank you, Vickie. Here is a link to the El Dorado County press release:
https://edcgov.us/Government/Parks
The road in will be extended to the first rolling dip, about equal to furthest western edge of the staging area. That will eliminate that annoying dip right at the edge of the pavement. Hopefully, they will harden the first few feet of the dirt trail to prevent a similar development. That should be right about to the point I stood to take this picture. I do sometimes miss my old XJ, pictured.
The trees were removed last year and were available for firewood at the ATV rental parking area. I grabbed quite a few rounds. It will sort of be sad to burn them. There were still logs to be cut at the old ATV parking turn out. Bring a LONG saw as they are thick.
The new kiosk was built last year, the old one was removed and will be reused at another OHV trailhead. The paving should run right up to the concrete base of the kiosk.
There is a new 4’x8′ map posted on the kiosk. It’s a rough draft to check size and material. See below:
To start with, there will be no parking lines painted on the asphalt. The idea is to, one, save money by not painting, and two, allow the users to figure out how to property an efficiently park in the space allowed.
Some of the pot holes and the hard edges of the paved road in from the residential area will be also be addressed.
Here is a copy of the front page of the five page outline for the project. My chicken scratch notes as well.
Please be patient with this temporary closure. It will bring a much better staging area experience for both those going onto the trail and those coming off the trail.
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Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 