New page on The ‘Other’ Rubicon
Posted: October 20, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentI just changed one of the ‘pages’ of this site.
Gone is the “Articles” page. It’s been replaced with “GPSed“. This page will be a list of “Points of Interest” along the McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road. I’ll try to get the articles placed somewhere else on this site.
At some time in the future, each ‘point’ will be a link to a new page with a detailed description and multiple photographs and possible other links about that site.
This will take some time to compile, so for now, go out and check them out for yourself.
Wind drops trees
Posted: October 16, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThis week brought the beginning of fall. The trees are changing colors, the temperatures are dropping and the bikini Jeep tops are being swapped out for a full soft top or hard top. Also, a huge wind storm blew across California and in to the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
I was headed to the Rubicon trail and knew it would be windy, so I made sure I had my chainsaw, saw bag and that it was running well before I left the house. I am sure glad I did.
Around 11am, the wind hit. I was out the Long Lake Trail. The great thing the wind brings is a bug free afternoon. Going up Cadillac was a breeze (sorry, easy pun).
I was well on my way home when I came across a down tree west of Miller Lake. It wasn’t blocking the whole trail but I felt large or at least tall rigs might have an issue with it, so I broke out the saw. It didn’t take much but cleared the snag from over the trail and the debris from the trail itself.
Please remember to always wear proper protection when running a saw: hearing, glasses, gloves, long pants, sturdy closed toe shoes. To take it all the way, you should also wear a helmet and chaps.
Feeling like I’d done something positive for the community, I went on my way. It was getting late and it had been a long day. I left the staging area just before 9am and it was now after three in the afternoon. I had a meeting in Reno at 6pm and it was going to be close.
Then I came across another down tree truly blocking the entire trail.
This one was between water bar 14 and 13. It was much larger than the first one, and blocking a wider section of the trail. Out came the saw again. And I cut it in to many manageable size pieces.
The nice thing about a tree that has fallen across an OHV trail is that the tree is usually rotten or extremely dry making it very easy to cut. I pushed the section of tree to the sides of the trail. It may be necessary to further remove the sections from the trail but there is a sizable path between the sections now.
Always go prepared. If you come across an issue like this and you can’t clear the trail, turn around, don’t go around.
.
Jeepers Jamboree works Cadillac Hill
Posted: October 16, 2014 Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: maintenance, Placer, Rubicon Leave a commentLast weekend, Jeepers Jamboree folks organized, staffed and completed a maintenance effort at the Hairpin Turn on Cadillac Hill. Just after the apex of the turn, there is a climb that has a granite slab that slopes down from left to right but on the right side there is a rock that sticks up.
Over the years, the approach to this obstacle has eroded away deepening the channel down the middle of the trail and more so on the right side. The last time I was on the trail, prior to the fix, the right side was under-cut to the point my 35″ tire wouldn’t climb it. I had to back off and throw a few rocks in the hole in order to make it up that section.
Well all has changed. I don’t know how many bags of concrete were used but the channel and the hole were filled in with concrete and rock. Over this winter and after a few dozen rigs, it will get dirty and most travelers won’t even know it’s there. Points to Placer County and the OHV grant for supplying the concrete.
This is one of many spots on Cadillac Hill that is being held together with concrete. There is concrete at V-Rock, the Notch, Morris Rock and many point in between. It is needed to maintain the trail and to keep the trail safe for travelers.
Thank you Jeepers jamboree for a job well done!
LTBMU, ENF & TNF lift fire restrictions
Posted: October 4, 2014 Filed under: Access | Tags: ENF, fire, LTBMU, TNF Leave a comment
The last of the trio of Rubicon forests has lifted fire restrictions. The ENF lifted restrictions as of 10-8-14.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3819658
Starting 9-30-14, the Tahoe National Forest has lifted fire restrictions for the season.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tahoe/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3818599
Starting 10-3-14, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has lifted fire restrictions for the season.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3818996
Although I feel this is too early, fires are now allowed with the proper fire permit. Please take the time to make sure the fire is completely out. This means OUT, not just no flames. The fire pit should be cold enough to run your hands through the coals. I usually pour two five gallon buckets of water on the coals and stir as I go.
Several unattended fires have been reported over the past summer along the Rubicon. Luckily, none of them turn in to major wild fires. The only major fire was arson. We did have a few lighting started fires. The one instance I heard of where a camp fire became a wild fire was in Desolation Wilderness, and you know that wasn’t the fault of a wheeler.
Please be safe and help protect our forests.
King Fire Closures
Posted: September 25, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentUPDATE: As of 9-30-14, the Edorado National Forest has reopened the Rubicon Trail.
10-3-14, Both Placer County and the LTBMU have removed closure notices from their websites.
Due to the King Fire burning that started outside Pollock Pines, the Rubicon Trail is currently closed on both the Eldorado National Forest and within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management unit:
It’s hard to find within the Eldorado Forest closure order but the Rubicon is not only closed but there is a mandatory evacuation of the Rubicon Trail within the Eldorado National Forest.
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/5/
This site will give you links to fire all over the state of California including the King Fire.
The 'Other' Rubicon 