OHV trail markers

Posted: December 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

One of my goals for the 2015 summer OHV season was to start marking every side trail along the Rubicon Trail and Forest Road 03-04 within the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). The US Forest Service (USFS) uses carsonite markers for most of these types of markers. These are the brown, three four foot long and four inch wide, fiberglass stakes.

Below is the marker for the Long Lake Trail that I didn’t get around to installing:

16E12 marker

Having a USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) in hand while drive through our forests is great, it doesn’t help much if the intersections are not marked as to which trail is which. On the east end of the Rubicon Trail, you need three MVUMs to navigate the area: Tahoe National Forest (TNF), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF).

My flier combines the essential trails near the Rubicon Trail.  See flier here

Working closely with Susanne Jensen of the TNF, we were able to put up thirteen markers along the Rubicon and Forest Road 03-04.

DSCN0256

DSCN0260

Next summer, we plan on completing the installation of trail markers on the TNF. I hope to work with the LTBMU and the ENF to ensure all trails in the area are properly marked.

 

 

Adopt-A-Campsite Update

Posted: December 15, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Adopt-A-Campsite Update

This past OHV season marked the beginning of a new Adopt-A-Campsite program on the Truckee District of the Tahoe National Forest.

For the first year of the program, it went well. We had six different campsites adopted by five individuals or groups.

Here is the list of current volunteers:

While working with the Forest Service (FS) to get the paperwork straight for each particular site, we discovered that the FS had miss marked the three ‘new’ sites near Miller Lake. So, one of the adopted sites is not yet an official site, as is another that has yet to be adopted.

Hopefully, the FS will get these sites added to the MVUM very soon. My understanding is that the FS is not asking for these sites to be blocked off to motor vehicle access at this time.

For those of you interested in adopting a site, click the link on the right side of my website and look around for a site you’d like to maintain. There is a well shaded site along Miller Lake available as is Observation Point itself. Please email me (TheOtherRubicon@charter.net) if you’d like to adopt on of these two or any of the sites listed.

Duties are much less than adopting a trail. You need to complete the appropriate paperwork to adopt the site and then ensure that paperwork is done for each individual helping you maintain your site. An email letting me know, and I will let the FS know, what you have planned in the way of maintenance and a report at the end of the year is the rest of the paperwork required.

Basic on the ground duties include visiting/maintaining the site at least twice a year to pick up trash, clean out the fire pit (if there is one) and ensure that the site is not growing using logs and boulders to define the borders.

 

 

Fire restrictions in place on LTBMU & TNF

Posted: June 25, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Access | Tags: , | Leave a comment

As of July 1, 2015, fire restrictions are in place on the TNF & LTBMU!

I   just came across the postings on their websites. The Eldorado won’t be far behind.

Be fire safe even without a fire. Carry water and a shovel at all times.

 

Adopt-A-Campsite

Posted: April 26, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Over the winter, I often wondered how to get more people, clubs, groups, businesses or individuals involved in OHV maintenance efforts.

With the release of the latest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) from the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), three new campsites were officially recognized along with Observation Point (for the first time) and Bear Camp just east of Observation.

I figured, if a trail can be ‘adopted’, why not a campsite? So, starting with these five (actually six) I started looking for volunteers.

Adopting a campsite is no where near as complicated as adopting a trail. Okay, maybe the paperwork is the same but the work load for actually doing the maintenance is much less. We’re talking about checking the site two or three times a year and ensuring that the trash is picked up, the fit pit (if it has one) is free of burnable items for five feet in all directions, the ashes are clean out and disposed of properly and that the size of the ‘campsite’ does not grow.

A few months later, I had three ‘groups’ lined up to adopt a campsite along with myself. That was four down, two to go.

I met with Susanne Jensen of the Tahoe National Forest as soon as she started her six month seasonal duties as the OHV Recreational Specialist on the Truckee District. Susanne was happy to welcome more volunteers to the TNF. She then pointed out there were  a few more campsites along the Forest Road 003-004.

Four down, more like eight to ten to go!

So, this May, I will head out to GPS every campsite in the area of the Rubicon. I will update my map that combines three MVUMs from the TNF, ENF and the LTBMU to include all the campsites available for wheelers exploring the area.

That means the TNF will need a lot more groups to step up and adopt campsites. The sites along Forest Service Road 003-004 are a mile or so from the Rubicon but most have great views and much less traffic driving past them. Many are more hunting camps than wheeling camps but provide a great place to spend the night in the TNF.

So, if you would like to adopt a campsite, along the Rubicon or along Forest Road 003-004 (what I call Barker Pass Road), let me know. I’m currently the liaison between any group adopting a campsite on the TNF near the Rubicon and the TNF.

So far, we have the following groups adopting the listed campsite:

  • Jon & Jan Briggs – the elevated camp west of Miller Lake FS#-3010-026
  • (The camp with the fallen snag is available to be adopted – FS#-3010-024)
  • Tahoe Donner 4wd Club  – the turn out area at Miller Lake FS#-3010-022
  • Doug Barr / http://www.TheOtherRubicon.com – no FS# (the camp on the far west end of Miller Lake)
  • Sierra Stompers – Bear Camp FS#-16E77
  • (Observation Point is still available – FS#-16E78)
  • There are many along Forest Service Road 0003-004 available for adoption

Long Lake Trail opens Saturday

Posted: April 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

The Tahoe National Forest (TNF) Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) has the Long Lake Trail opening on Saturday the 24th. Last weekend, the Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo’s got permission to run the trail early to make sure it was open and safe for the general public.

We drove down Saturday morning without a major issue. One guy heard a rattle and after borrowing a 1/2″ coarse thread nut from a fellow traveler, we were on our way.The run in was a very casual pace. It was nice not to be rushing to get somewhere for a specific time.

The Long Lake Trail only had one tree down but it was rather large:

Long Lake 2015 Before

The nice part was that it was rotten and cut very easily. It actually broke apart as we tried to winch it out of the trail.

Long Lake 2015 After

We made camp at the campsite along the trail. Other than the two geese that woke everyone up at 6:30am, it was an uneventful stay at the camp. Rain clouds threatened over night. but it never rained.

The drive out was slow and steady. No break downs but some challenging spots going up Cadillac Hill. It seems the rocks continue to “grow” out of the mountain. Future maintenance will be needed to prevent further erosion along Cadillac Hill.

So, the Long Lake Trail is open for business. Please stay on the trail and remember that it ends 0.91 miles in. Also, the campsite is one way in and one way out. Please do not attempt to make it a drive through. Any off trail driving/riding could get the trail closed.

If you come across any issues with the trail or have any questions about the Long Lake Trail, please email me or the Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo’s at LakeTahoeHiLos@Gmail.com.

Enjoy

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