FOTR Tahoe Side Workday

I will start by apologizing for not getting ANY pictures of the work actually done. There were two work sites. One was further in than I drove, so I couldn’t get pictures, but I completely failed to do before and after pictures at the site I worked. Sorry.

The day began very cool leaving really early from Reno. Truckee did not get any warmer! The heater in my Jeep works fine but becomes very inefficient when the doors and back glass are still removed for summer wheeling. The great news is that Highway 89 has been repaved from 80 south past the turn to Squaw Valley.

Once at the staging area, the group gathered for the morning briefing. The Tahoe National Forest brought their Rubicon Jeep.

As I said before, no pictures of the actual work done.

The first project was to remove some very large boulders from the trail that were previously placed by the Tahoe National Forest. The boulders, between Observation and the Upper Hairpin, did not hold in place and had been moved around by the 1000’s of Jeeps that drove up Cadillac Hill. They had become more of an environmental issue because they caused drivers to spin tires in the dirt, causing the famous “poof” dust that will find its way into the water system.

Many boulders were removed to the side of the trail. Some were relocated around well anchored boulders to create a hardened path for the users. We were told that the Spider excavator that did the original work will be back to rebuild the rock section, in 4-5 years.

The second project was to drop a tree across an illegal bypass that users found through an area that the Tahoe National Forest had worked. Somehow, the users saw the worked area as a place to cut a corner. FOTR went in and stopped that behavior.

Post work party, Paul cooked up a wonderful chili for the crew. There were all the regular toppings and corn bread with or without Jalapeños. Drinks and small dessert snacks were also provided. The Rubicon Trail Foundation funded all of the food and drinks.

I did not do a head count, but Shannon got all the names, as signatures, for matching funds for the grants that pay for most of the trail work. Maybe 20 people, including the cook crew and management. It was the right size for the work that day.

The work crew was hungry after a long day working the trail.

Some of the best news of the day, the handles on the bathrooms were replaced with ones that actually work! We had been asking for repairs for YEARS but it never happened. Before this project, FOTR asked for replacements or parts or whatever was need, so FOTR could do the work and fix the issue. The Forest Service never got back to anyone, but when we showed up, the handles had been replaced. Thanks you Forest Service.

There is more to do on the Tahoe side but I don’t know if anything will be planned before the snow flies.

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Rubicon Ronin