Fed and FS Still Shut Down

Posted: November 1, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

With the federal government shut down, the US Forest Service is shut down. But our OHV trails are NOT shut down. Get out there and enjoy while the weather is awesome and the changing tree colors are beautiful.

Although the shutdown should end somewhat soon, the effects of the shutdown might linger. Three Rubicon Trail projects/issues come to mind.

I’m going to apologize up front. After rereading this post, it is full of rumor, opinion and things I have not been able to confirm. So, take it with a grain of salt.

The first project has been discussed for years and was scheduled to start in 2025. This would be the reroute around the Miller Creek shelf road section of the Rubicon Trail. Yes, the government shutdown has currently stopped the project, but I’m hearing that there are other factors stalling the project. I cannot confirm a lawsuit regarding the reroute, but the rumor is out there. There is also talk of repairs to the shelf road rather than the reroute, with one donor offering a lot of money to see the current route repaired rather than do the reroute. For the record, the UDFS has already made the decision not to do a repair but to go forward with a reroute. There is talk of forest service gates being put on the new reroute as it is not part of the county’s recognized ‘right-of-way’, although I have a document that promises not gates on the new section of 16E75, the Rubicon Trail. That will be a fight as decades ago gates were also threatened, fought against and we won. Again, with the FS shutdown, I cannot confirm this.

One of the lesser talked about aspects of the “reroute” project is the decommissioning of several user created routes along Cadillac Hill. I am very much opposed to closing any of these as they allow safe passage of rigs going up and coming down Cadillac Hill. Closure of these short, parallel trails will force users to drive off trail to get around each other.

The second project is the expansion of the Tahoma staging area parking lot. Along with the shutdown of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the LTBMU is very short on personnel due to transfers and retirements and cannot complete the work they agreed to do regarding planning and permitting. No idea when the LTBMU can hire and fill positions, bring those individuals up to speed and get their work on the expansion completed.

The third is my effort to talk about the opening of OHV gates. This didn’t even get off the ground as our first group meeting was cancelled due to the shutdown. The good news is we really have until May to get together and produce a plan to get the FS gates open on time. I’m confidant this will get done and our OHV trails will be accessible on time.

Get out there and use our OHV trails. Please remember that in the Sierra, this time of year, any weather is possible. Go prepared to spend the night. Be safe, Think smart.

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Rubicon Ronin

Side Trails and a Meeting with the LTBMU

Posted: July 2, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Great day today out on the Rubicon side trails.

I started up the Middle Fork Trail (15N38), then down the Red Cabin Trail or upper Barker Meadow OHV Trail (16E79), then across 03-04 to 03-04-12 and up to Ellis. I stopped at Ellis Lake and had lunch on Ellis Peak.

Starting down 16E79 there was a few trees encroaching on the trail. I winched one out of the way and it caught another and two were pulled back.

The TNF was able to cut a tree blocking 03-04 but they left it on the side of the trail. I took the time to pull it back and roll it off the trail.

The only snow I encountered was going into Ellis Lake. By the time you read this and then get out on the trail it will be gone.

There were a few other little logs around and they were easily pulled off the trail.

I took the time to check out Ellis lake and Ellis Peak. If you’ve never climbed Ellis Peak it is a must. Ellis Peak proper is another 100 yards to the north, I didn’t bother. Do not drive the last section of trail. It is NOT an OHV trail. It’s loose, rocky and has NO turn around area at the top.

While at the top, I had lunch.

On the way home, I had a 2:30 meeting with the LTBMU about OHV gates and getting them open in a timely manner. The meeting went very well. No real promises made other than to work together to make our trails safe and to try to open the OHV gates on time.

Emails will be exchanged, maybe a meeting after Labor Day and a tour before winter. Hopefully, by Spring, we’ll have a plan to clear trails before their opening date so the trails can open on time.

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Rubicon Ronin

LTBMU: the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, or they are not telling the public

Posted: June 17, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

15N38 is open, but it’s a long story…

If you read my previous post, on Saturday I discovered that the FS had failed to open the 15N38 gate by the weekend. Sunday, I was on the Rubicon and made it all the way down to the bridge. See the photo of the month. Monday, I golfed because I do have a life. I did play well, thanks for asking.

This morning, I left early and was at the Lake Tahoe Basin management Unit building at 8:15am.

The lady at the FS front desk, who has been with the FS since the FS was established, told me a story about the FS opening the gate last week, then someone got stuck in a mud hole, did some resource damage trying to get out, through or around that mud hole, that was being fed by a large snow drift on the trail, and the FS had to go in a drag him out. So, the FS closed the gate again and were waiting for the snow to melt and the mud hole to dry up.

(Again, I was told the gate had been closed and was currently closed, waiting for the trail to dry!)

The lady in charge of the gates was not available. I got the Forest Supervisor’s assistant and worked on getting a meeting with him as soon as possible. I left with what I thought was an accurate update about the trail and why it was closed, opened and then reclosed.

I had my new to me used electric mountain bike with me, because I planned on riding up the trail to see where the snow was that I was told about back on the 9th. Now I really wanted to see the snow and the mud hole and the resource damage.

As previously stated, I got to the gate and found it open. Who didn’t tell the lady at the desk? Did the lady at the desk not know, or did she purposely give me bad information? Does anyone at the FS talk to each other?

Going back to her story, the FS does not go out on OHV trails and get people unstuck. Was that whole story bad information or did she lie to me about that?

Let me say that the FS has done quite a bit of tree clearing along the Middle Fork Trail (15N38). It would have taken me forever to get all that work done. It could be cleared back a little more but the trail is easily travelable. I was in my 2012 Colorado. There were many examples along the trail of tree clearing.

I was not able to check the Upper and Lower Hobbit trails, but I was told on Sunday, someone had come through those on a quad. Second hand information, at best

The ONLY snow I found on, or even near the trail, is pictured below. No mud puddle nearby.

There were a few puddles on the trail. And I must point out that those water puddles were at rolling dips that needed their drainages cleared out and then there would be no puddles! Tracks in wet dirt is not a mud hole and not resource damage.

On a lighter note, it is a beautiful trail, if you take the time to look around.

This might have been the first time I put my Colorado in low range. I was a little worried about my sidewalls in one section of the trail but the truck did well.

I will meet with the Forest Supervisor and work out a plan to prevent this from happening in the future.

.

Rubicon Ronin

And the gates are still closed!

Posted: June 14, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Flag Day was spent with the girlfriend in her Corvette. Yes, she has the Corvette and drives fast; I have the Jeeps and drive slow. We had an early, expensive, lunch at Garwoods, with 40 other Corvettes from the Reno Corvette Club, and then drove her Corvette around the lake. Yes, we put on quite a sight when 40 Corvettes run around Lake Tahoe.

Of course, I had to drive up Forest Road 03 to see if the gate on 15N38 had been opened. No, I didn’t drive her Corvette to the gate, that road is a little pitted. It was a nice day for a short hike.

And the gate was closed. I’m not surprised. The FS said they would notify me when the gates were open and I never got a notice.

Surprisingly, the lower gate on Forest Road 03 was open. That road opens tomorrow, and the FS got all over opening that gate so the hikers and cyclists and back country skiers would have timely access. But the OHV gate remained closed. At least with 03 open, wheelers now have a way out to Highway 89.

People are out with their off-highway rigs. I’m not sure if these guys went around the gate or up Forest Road 03.

There was evidence of motorcycles going around the 15N38 gate. I did not see evidence of 4-wheeled rigs going off trail to get around the gate.

As soon as this gets posted, I will be emailing the FS, again.

Phone calls on Monday.

Tuesday morning might find me at the Forest Service office, again.

.

Rubicon Ronin

Traffic, Gates, Camping, Parking, Fires…

Posted: June 9, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

I left my house at 6:45 this morning. My laptop told me I had a one hour and eleven-minute drive to the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) offices in South Lake Tahoe. The plan was to walk in as they opened their doors at 8am.

I walked into the headquarters at 9:45. At one point, the entire road was red with traffic on my phone. Yes, I had to drive through that entire traffic jam.

There was more than a one and a half hour delay due to construction, once into the Tahoe basin.

The LTBMU is in disarray. People have left; retired or moved to other forests. Some positions have been filled but they do not have the experience, at the position or on the LTBMU. Misinformation is being communicated within the LTBMU. The phones have been out for five weeks. But, I finally found someone who could help.

Progress was made as the latest employee responsible for opening seasonal gates guaranteed me the gate on 15N38 would be open by the end of the week. She even said she would drive up the west side of the lake today and open the gate. Cautiously waiting on her email.

My plan is to be out tomorrow morning to make sure the Middle Fork Trail is safe and clear. It sounds like some clearing has been done already by one of the Fire Prevention people.

The camping at Kaspian at the lake on Forest Road 03 and the Blackwood campground are now being managed by Vista Recreation. Part of the agreement includes charging for parking for “day use” at the SnoPark lot during the summer. I’m hoping we can stop and use the restrooms without being charged.

There have been numerous lightning strikes over the last few days but the only fires in the basin was a single tree above the Kings Beach area.

We’re close. We’re very, very close to getting our OHV trails open. Please be patient, stay on the trails. “Turn Around, Don’t Turn Around”.

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Rubicon Ronin

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