Trail(head) Conditions
Posted: February 26, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: snow Leave a commentOkay, you guys are probably tired of the same old conditions posts but until I make some friends and actually get ON the trail, this is all I can offer you.
Well, here it is, again. Post storms and rain, there’s maybe a three-foot berm.
The county is doing alright, trying to do a straight plow to minimize piling snow at the entrance.
Here’s the rub and I don’t know how to get the county to change. as they plow, snow gets blown to the left side of the trail only, creating an offset challenge. Let’s call it a “gatekeeper”. Maybe notch a grove on the left side to prevent you from sliding into the ditch on the right.
With all the rain from the last warm storm, a couple of good freezing nights should create a doable trail.
Anyone up for the challenge?
Please go prepared, don’t go alone, let someone know when you’re going and have a means of communications.
A future post will look at communication options.
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Rubicon Ronin
Trailhead Update
Posted: January 21, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: snow, trailhead Leave a commentUnfortunately, no new snow. And there’s nothing in the forecast.
Not much there. Lots of evidence that people are out playing.
Yes, that’s my new 2021 Colorado. ZR2. I was a single vehicle, so I didn’t venture out.
Just past the entrance, there are many holes. It looks like people without lockers are getting stuck and spinning tires and digging holes.
I love the couple of logs in the snow that people used to try and get unstuck. Obviously, something worked to get them unstuck.
50 feet in and you’re on a nice hardpack, icy road.
New truck means the old one is for sale…
Pray for snow!
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Rubicon Ronin
No Snow
Posted: December 11, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: icce, snow, winter Leave a commentOkay, there was a little bit of snow and some ice. Actually, lots of ice. I’ve been waiting for a good dump of snow to be able to go play in a foot of snow, but it hasn’t come. I haven’t waxed my skis and I have yet to get out the snowblower and prep it for the season.
On the road in, it’s back down to pavement. But beware, the bathrooms are locked. They should be open as long as users can easily drive in to the staging area.
The first climb out of the staging area was ice covered but a simple enough climb. I didn’t bother airing down because I was only doing a short trip in to Miller Lake.
Pooling water was frozen over in some places, not in others.
As I said, ice.
Here’s where it got interesting. Just before the end of the trail you see below, in the shade, the TJ slipped a few times. It actually got a little sideways. Locked the rear, locked the front, shifted to the side to get off the ice and on the rocks. No problem.
Here’s a picture coming back out. Lowest gear, very slowly.
I had my nephew with me from Oregon, so we played tourist, took 89 around Emerald Bay, 50 over to Carson City and drove up to Virginia City from the Dayton side. Call us tourists, parked in front of the Bucket of Blood Saloon.
If the snow ever comes, remember, there is ice underneath. Although there is no snow in the foreseeable future, it will come. If you go out, be prepared to spend the night in below freezing temperatures.
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Rubicon Ronin
Good News, Bad News
Posted: June 4, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: gates, opening day, snow Leave a commentThe good news is that the gate on Forest Road 03 has been opened. That’s the first gate off Highway 89 going up Blackwood Canyon. The gate was supposed to be opened on the 1st but was not. I’m not sure when it opened.
The bad news is that the gate on our OHV trail 15N38, the Middle Fork Trail, is still closed. This gate should have been opened for use of the trail on June 1st.
So, change of plans, I headed out to the Rubicon in search of another side trail. I headed up the Buck Lake Trail, 14N40. It’s not an overly difficult trail except for one short, but steep, section.
I wasn’t the first, but I was the first since a significant snow melt.
There was one tree across the Trail. Now you see it…
Now you don’t…
I did drop into the Buck Lake campground area. There are a few trees down blocking the campground. Sorry, but I didn’t take the time to clear them.
Here’s the difficult section. There is a winch post installed above this section because it is that difficult.
Have I mentioned the great views from this trail?
Here’s where my travels ended today. I tried it slow. I tried it fast. But I kept getting pushed off to the right. I could have winched through it but I figured someone was trying to tell me to turn around. I imagine there are more snow drifts along the Ellis trails.
With that snow drift shortening my day, I decided to drive home through South Lake Tahoe and stop at the Forest Service office and ask why the Middle Fork Trail is closed.
Maybe another day.
I did send an email on Monday asking about the gates still closed after their opening dates. I will send out another tonight.
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Rubicon Ronin
Side Trail Conditions…
Posted: June 2, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: access, snow Leave a commentI was asked about side trails: Buck Lake, Richardson Lake (Sourdough Hill), Ellis, etc. I have not personally been out on those yet.
The people I referred to in the last post about locals getting out in the side-by-sides and clearing trees said they had been on and had “cleared” all of the side trails. Sourdough will have one or two sections with nasty side hills. They said Buck does have a very side hill section before the rocky climb just above the lake. Ellis always has snow later in the season.
Some of the “clearing” they had done was before the last big snow melt. That melt exposed tress we cleared out yesterday. Who knows what’s out there. This time of year you should carry a saw , of some kind, and be prepared to winch trees out of the way.
“Turn Around, Don’t Go Around!”
They were in a well-built set of side-by-sides. I would expect that a street legal rig would have a much more difficult time traversing the snow, especially a side hill snow drift.
The snow will melt very fast. Two weeks will make a HUGE difference.
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Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 