Lower Hobbit (16E76) Blocked

Posted: June 23, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Hey everyone, I tried to clear the Hobbit Trails today, 16E76 & 16E79, but the last tree across 16E76 was too much for me. Also known as the Barker Meadow OHV Trail.

It started off quite productive. Obviously, someone had come through before me with a sizable chainsaw. The trail probably had snow at the time or they only cleared enough to get their rigs through.

A few before and afters…

I tried to clear it for all rigs. There were two spots where rigs had driven off trail to go around downed trees. The first one I cleared, the second on I could not clear alone.

These are pictures of maybe half the trees I moved:

It was fun trying to figure out where to cut and how to winch. This was just before the first creek crossing.

But, the trail is still blocked on the very east end, almost to Forest Road 03-04. I did not drive up 16E79, upper Hobbit, still Barker Meadow OHV Trail. Bring a saw and winching equipment if you go.

I have alerted the Tahoe National Forest about the trees I couldn’t deal with. Hopefully, they’ll get out this week to clear those trees.

.

Rubicon Ronin

Hazard Trees at Tahoma Staging

Posted: June 18, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | Leave a comment

I just got a cryptic voice mail from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at 5:55pm on Wednesday the 18th.

They said there are several hazard trees around the Tahoma staging area parking lot that need to be taken down.

Notices are being put on cars currently parked there but if you see flagging blocking part of the parking lot, please respect it.

Tomorrow is a federal holiday so no one will be around dropping trees, but maybe Friday? Hopefully before the weekend.

I’ll post more as I learn more.

.

Rubicon Ronin

There’s Still Snow!

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

The plan was to go in through Blackwood Canyon and up the Middle Fork Trail (15N38) and clear trees to the summit. If we had time, we were going to head down the Red Cabin Trail (upper hobbit/Barker Meadow OHV Trail, 16E79) and then down the actual Hobbit Trail (16E76).

Well, the gate at the bottom of Forest Service Road 03 was still locked. Long story for later. So, we headed over to the Rubicon to go around the back way.

When we got to the intersection of the Rubicon and Forest Road 03-04, we took 03-04 toward Barker Pass. It wasn’t too long before we found trees that needed attention. This is actually the third tree we removed. The first was on the Rubicon and people had stacked rocks to get over it!

Some were so rotten, we just pulled them to the side. So many times I forgot to get out the camera.

This one took some rigging for the winch to be able to pull it to the side.

As we got around the north side of Ellis Peak, the snow became deeper. The snow wheeling was actually pretty fun. The snow kept traction as long as you were going stupid slow.

We made it past Bear Lake but the northern aspect protected the snow and it was becoming quite a side hill.

Here is the guy in front of me dropping down the last hill we went down.

We finally came to a downhill section we decided we didn’t want to crawl back up. We turned around and headed home. The side hill was pretty steep right here but it doesn’t show.

We never made it over to any of the three trails we were trying to get to. I will be looking into the situation with the locked gates.

On the way out, We stopped at the Rubicon intersection and met two side-by-sides going out 03-04. They were locals who had been clearing trees on a bunch of side trails for the last three weeks! Awesome.

I need to thank Stan and John for hanging out today. Always safer with others. Maybe we’ll get out next week and clear more trails.

.

Rubicon Ronin

Clearing Trees, Finding Snow

Posted: June 16, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Today was supposed to be my annual spring tree clearing trip for the side trails along the Rubicon Trail.

When I got to the bottom of the Middle Fork Trail, I found the gate still locked. It was supposed to be unlocked on June 1st. The gate on the paved road to the top of Barker Pass was also locked. It was supposed to be unlocked on June 15th.

I’ve already sent an email to the Forest Service complaining.

So, not able to clear 15N38, 16E79 and 16E76, I headed for the Rubicon. I went up the Sourdough Trail and cleared eight trees from the trail. I was the first 4-wheeled vehicle to the top this year. But it looked like a pair of motorcycles had already made the journey.

Work smarter, not harder. Fewer chainsaw cuts and more winching.

My reward for clearing that first tree was three down in the same area, right around the corner.

With time on my hands, I tried my luck up the Ellis Lake/Peak Trail. It is quite narrow these days. I was able to get to the area with the open meadow.

This one/group was on the Ellis Peak/Lake Trail. I left it as it was quite large and the go around was not crazy off trail.

Further up the Ellis Trail the snow became more than I was willing to take on. I had already busted through a few drifts and winched over one.

The trail is under all that snow as it goes into the trees! Think side hill on slippery snow, sliding into the trees. No thanks.

I also popped up the Buck Lake Trail but only to the lake, not above. Maybe next week I’n try again, but the FS needs to open a few gates.

.

Rubicon Ronin

Rubicon Side Trails – report

Posted: July 16, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Every 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.

.

Rubicon Ronin

← Older Entries