Side Trails Update
Posted: August 1, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: snow Leave a commentOkay, when at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. So, I tried the same route that I didn’t make do to snow and this time I got through. Now, there was still a few snow drifts. And up the Ellis Lake Trail, there were many!
Still evidence of people driving off trail to get around snow drifts. I threw a few small trees down but a larger effort (and tree) will be needed. This was the Red Cabin Trail (16E79).
Trail on the left, illegal bypass on the right. It’s uglier where the bypass comes back in to the trail.
Still 16E79.
This time of year, really? How hard are mini snow drifts?
One tree was not quite across the trail but pushing people to the side. I got out my new DeWalt mini chainsaw and trimmed all the branches on the underside.
Way off on the Ellis Lake Trail (16E18), there was a HUGE tree trunk across the trail. It is rotten, probably doesn’t weight a whole lot, but I decided I didn’t want to fight it today.
In the same area as the tree trunk, there are some very large snow drifts.
My favorite find of the day, was on the Rubicon. Okay, maybe it was Forest Road 03-04. But right at that intersection, someone decided to camp and build a fire! Unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve come across a campfire in the middle of the trail.
Get out there and explore those side trails.
Fire restrictions are now fully in place.
Be safe.
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Rubicon Ronin
Rubicon Side Trails – report
Posted: July 16, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: snow, trees Leave a commentEvery winter is different, but every spring is the same. Regardless of the strength of winter, spring always shows all the trees that were dropped over the winter. This year, my spring tree clearing trip on the side trails of the Rubicon was delayed with the huge winter dump of snow. I actually went too early as I couldn’t make some of the trails.
I started in Blackwood Canyon, going up the Middle Fork Trail 15N38. The trail was unusually wet. A lot of the drains off the rolling dips need to be cleaned out. No trees down to speak of but I picked up a wheel/tire that probably bounced out of the back of a pick-up truck. Since I didn’t want to haul it around all day off road, I left it at the pit toilets at the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail for the Forest Service to deal with.
The Red Cabin Trail 16E79 was next. It did once have a red cabin, but it was gone well before I started Jeeping in 1985. It didn’t take long to find the first sizable tree across the trail. There was evidence that someone had driven around this tree.
It literally winched off the trail with no need for a chainsaw. But I used my new toy (chainsaw) to limb off the side once the log was moved.
There were many smaller trees on or encroaching the trail that were not worth taking pictures of. This one deserved a photo. The chainsaw came out and then it was winched to the side
After moving the log, I had to navigate the snow. I very much appreciate my locking differentials.
Much further down 16E79 I couldn’t follow the trail anymore. With too many tree wells trying to suck in my TJ, it was time to turn around.
Once back up to Forest Road 03, I took 03-04 around to the bottom of 16E79. There were a few small snow drifts on 03-04. Almost immediately the snow was hiding the trail enough that I didn’t bother heading up the trail.
Below 16E79 is Barker Meadow OHV Trail, the Hobbit Trail or 16E76. Too many names for one trail. It was wet but minimal snow. Mud in spots. The photo below doesn’t show well but there were a few similar spots with small trees and branches across the trail.
There were two snags hanging above the trail on 16E76. As they were not blocking the trail, I didn’t remove them. I’ll send the coordinates to the FS to deal with those.
Once on the Rubicon, I headed back towards the staging area. There were many places where it was obvious people had driven off the trail to get around now melted snow drifts. Please, “Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”. Snow isn’t that difficult.
The Ellis Peak Trail 03-04-12-05 had snow at the higher elevations. Before I ran in to a few Jeeps coming towards me and taking their time in the snow, I was able to get stuck. I turned around to avoid the snow in the trees and the four Jeeps coming towards me.
From the direction I was going, I didn’t see the undermined section of snow, but I should have assumed it. Tree strap, winch line, unstuck and moving.
I finished the day running up to Sourdough Hill on the Richardson Lake Trail 14N39. Beautiful views up there. On the way back down, I broke a local myth about rattle snakes. I had heard that there were no rattle snakes in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Too high an elevation and too cold in the winters. Well, this not so little guy was right along the trail at the old sheep herders cabin. It was a very healthy snake, probably over three feet long. I used the zoom feature to take the picture!
I mentioned a new toy, I mean tool. This DeWalt electric saw was worth the price. Perfect for the little branches sticking out along the trail that might rip a soft top or for limbing up a log along the side of the trail to prevent ripping a sidewall. I had extra batteries but never needed them.
Under the don’t do what I do category, I removed two safety features of this saw. One was a trigger lock that required one finger to unlock and then one finger to activate. The second was a plate at the tip of the saw to prevent kick back. Both would have slowed me down and caused many frustrations.
I’ll try and get back out as soon as possible to remove more trees so others won’t be tempted to drive off trail.
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Rubicon Ronin
I broke the rules
Posted: June 28, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow, spring, water Leave a commentI went out on the trail alone, single vehicle, single person.
Yesterday, I went out to check conditions on the Rubicon Trail and the side trails. Up Blackwood Canyon to the north, Forest Road 03 is closed at the second gate just over the river. But the Middle Fork Trail gate is open. I did not explore that trail but I assume you will encounter large snow drifts in the shade. There is a gate at the top but I don’t know if that gate has been opened.
Please note the amount of snow on the trail at lake level! That’s the Middle Fork gate shown open way in the back.
Off to the Rubicon.
There will be a tremendous amount of water on the trail for weeks. This is water bar number 7 (I think) doing a great job of getting the water off the trail.
Snow, snow and more snow still on the trail.
I only got in as far as the pond at the turn for the Ellis Peak Trail. There is a lot of debris on the trail. Small trees across the trail in places. Many encroaching on the trail but not blocking the trail.
The further in you go, the higher you get, the more snow you will encounter.
There are some long stretches of water, snow, ice. No real mud at this point. Some were hardened underneath. This is just past Miller Lake before the turn to Sourdough Hill.
Unfortunately, I found a few spots where people had driven off trail to get around snow drifts. This is not acceptable. “Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”, that’s the motto of this website and should be followed by all. Please don’t be that guy.
The next time I’m on the trail, I will make an effort to block off all of these bypasses as I find them.
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Rubicon Ronin
The Season Has Begun
Posted: June 3, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow, water Leave a commentWe met at the entrance in the residential area at 9am, because we didn’t know how much snow was going to be on the paved road into the staging area. Turns out not much. On our way out, there were tow rigs with trailers parked in the staging area.
By next weekend there will be zero snow on the paved road in to staging.
The staging area is virtually clear. I restocked the TP in the toilets.
Literally, the first snow pile out of the staging area caught two of our drivers off guard and they had to be strapped off of it.
The first 100 yards has some very off camber sections. There were more of those further up the trail.
In the areas that were typically shade we had snow…
Where there had been sun, a lot of the snow had melted…
Being very early in the season, there was debris on the trail. We moved two or three and cut two or three more and were able to drive around others, while still staying on the trail.
It was slippery, but we pressed on, always sliding to the right.
There was one climb that was just too steep. One strap around a tree and we each took turns using our own winches to get up it. All four rigs were locked front and rear. Most on 35s, one on 37s.
It was great to finally get out on the trail.
Of course, you want to know how far we got. We started on the snow around 9:30, and turned around about noon, stopped there for lunch and then headed out. Two and a half hours in and half an hour out. On our way out, we came across a bunch of rigs and quads struggling up the very first snow climb. Hint: start as early as possible before the snow starts to melt and gets really slippery.
Looking backwards, this is as far as we got. I estimate water bar number 22. It’s before the climb that takes you to Lilly Lake.
I walked a little further up the trail and saw a log across the trail and decided we were done for the day. I did have a chainsaw with me, but we weren’t out to work that hard. The further log is off the trail, you turn left just before that. The closer one would have given us trouble.
On the way out, two side-by-sides went in. They claimed they had been a mile past Miller earlier in the week. I don’t know how they will navigate that log, but they said they had a saw.
Two more Jeeps passed us, so maybe someone will clear it.
The quads were not prepared to be out on the trail but they had strength in numbers, about ten of them!
There will be water on the trail for months. The rolling dips seem to be working pretty well.
Always be prepared. Thunder storms are predicted for later in the week. Be ready to spend the night if something goes wrong.
Enjoy!
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Rubicon Ronin
Time to Snow Wheel
Posted: May 24, 2023 Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: snow Leave a commentYesterday, I stopped by the Rubicon trailhead in Tahoma. Although the snow has melted a lot, there is still a tremendous amount of snow on the trail.
Note that residential parking is now allowed if you bring your rig on a trailer.
The first snow bump is a little off camber but with the ruts in the snow, I didn’t slip to the side. The sign would have stopped me if I had.
Just a little further in, there is evidence of some unprepared wheelers who got stuck and needed to bring in pieces of wood to place under the tires to get unstuck. At some point they were successful as there were no rigs still on the trail.
I only went in a couple of hundred yards. I was alone, it was late afternoon, the snow was slippery from the sun. Just to get that far, I went back and forth a dozen times, slowly creeping forward. Even at this time of day, the snow in the shade provided more grip than the snow in the sun. And I didn’t want to get stuck in the snow, on the Rubicon, on the way to my 4wd club meeting…again. Yea, it happened two years ago and I self-rescued and made the meeting on time.
Although I didn’t get very far, I am assuming that there will be a great amount of water on and along the trail. Please Tread Lightly! if you venture out.
All the same things apply: be prepared, stay on the trail, use a tree saver when winching, don’t go alone.
This is Memorial Weekend coming up. The trail will be busy. There will be those that are not ready for this type of wheeling. Be polite, help them out, go on your way.
“Turn Around, Don’t Go Around”
Be safe.
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Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 