It Snowed, a LOT!
Posted: March 5, 2024 Filed under: Access | Tags: berm, plowing, snow, winter Leave a commentThe drive from Tahoe City to Tahoma on Highway 89 was a little sketchy but at least there was two-way traffic. Once on the side streets of Tahoma, it was a one lane road.
The trailhead didn’t disappoint. With 89 inches of snow falling during the last storm, there was quite a berm at the entrance. The rotary plow had not come through the neighborhood at all. Not only was the berm taller than my truck, once it gets plowed, it will be MUCH taller than my truck.
This shows the width of the berm and that Placer County is still plowing the entrance straight across the entrance.
The locals are up and over the berm, on foot, and skis. It will be some time before a wheeled vehicle makes access.
This is the road off 89 on my way out. That’s 89 in the distance. At least this road was down to the pavement.
I’m not sure when the next storm is coming in but there will be another one.
If you go out, be prepared to spend the night: shelter, food, water, warm clothing, means for keeping warm. Ham radios work all year ’round. Don’t travel alone. Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
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Rubicon Ronin
Same old snow
Posted: February 20, 2024 Filed under: Access | Tags: plowing, snow Leave a commentReports say we’re at 89% of our normal snow fall. The berm at the Rubicon trailhead shows that, but the Homewood ski area was a little light on snow. No one had accessed the trail since the latest plowing that probably happened yesterday.
There appears to be quite the usage going on due to the ruts…
Further up the trail wheeled OHV use is very apparent, along with hikers and cross country skiers.
Placer County may have got the message about not plowing a dip. The current plow is straight down the road so there is no excessive berm at the trailhead.
Although I was in the trail Jeep, I wasn’t about to venture up the trail.
There will be many more storms over the Rubicon. If you go, be prepared for any type of weather. Be prepared to spend the night. Don’t go alone.
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Rubicon Ronin
Are we going to have a winter?
Posted: December 28, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: news, plowing, snow, snow wall, snow-plow, weather, winter Leave a commentAre we going to have a snow wall at the Rubicon?
Last season gave us an incredible amount of snow fall. Some would argue too much. All that snow made for great spring runoff and the filling of our reservoirs.
Strangely, all season long, there was only the typical or expected snow wall at the entrance to the Rubicon. With record snowfall, there was no record tall wall. Individual efforts were made to maintain access to the trail:
Even group efforts were made:
And although these efforts were successful:
Winter continued:
As the above pictures shows, the efforts to maintain access were snowed on but clearly left a designation of where OHV enthusiasts should enter the trail.
My personal belief is that the reason we did not have a HUGE wall was due to the fact that Placer County plowed straight across the entrance to Rubicon Trail. When Placer County plows any kind of “dip” or “wide spot” at the entrance, that extra snow moved adds to the height of the wall at the entrance.
In the picture below from a previous winter, the “STOP” line is clearly visible in the plowed area of Evergreen Way. That stop line is several feet back from the edge of Evergreen Way. That shows that Placer County plowed an extra fifteen feet of snow on top of the wall, further attempting to deter OHV users.
Let’s hope Placer County continues to plow the entrance to the Rubicon Trail without a dip or wide spot.
Although really tall, the height is uniform across the entire stretch of the wall. No extra height from plowing a dip or wide spot.
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Rubicon Ronin
Almost made it…
Posted: October 30, 2023 Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: FOTR, maintenance, snow Leave a commentThis morning, I met up with a few fellow FOTR volunteers at the entrance to Blackwood Canyon. The goal was to meet the dump truck full of twelve yards of rock for the upcoming FOTR maintenance effort on November 5th.
Well, we met up with the truck, but we failed to get the truck to the dump spot. The drive was tight.
The very last grade was a LONG north aspect that actually had the big rig slipping towards the edge and drop off. He correctly backed down and we decided the correct line of action was to turn around.
This was as far as the rig made it.
On a side note, even if you have a mobile ham radio mounted in your rig, always bring your handheld as a back-up. This antenna set-up does not work without the whip installed.
This is how I store the antenna when not in use, as it fits better in the garage.
But at some point, over the last few days, I lost the whip. About to call the Ham Radio Outlet to order a replacement. Maybe Amazon can next day deliver? If not, I’ll have my handheld.
Shannon is trying to work out the details to get rock delivered to keep the FOTR work party on the 5th on track. Stay tuned.
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Rubicon Ronin
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
The 'Other' Rubicon 