Another Beautiful Snow Run

Posted: May 17, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

May 17, 2025. 43 degrees. Overcast. 9am start. Seven rigs. Awesome day!

The climb out of staging is clear.

There is still a ton of water on the trail. If you go, please Tread Lightly! and stay on the trail.

As you climb, you will find lots of snow. It will be around for probably two or three weeks. Memorial weekend will probably be chaos with too many people trying to get out. We were out at 9am and half the group turned around at 1pm. The first rig we saw was at 1:30 on our way out.

The snow drifts and the way they melt shifted us to the side of the trail a number of times. Many off camber sections.

We did cut a few trees from the trail. We drove over a few that we didn’t have time to deal with.

I failed to take a picture of the largest tree we cut and winched off the trail. Carry a saw as there will be more trees to deal with as the snow melts and there was at least one widow maker that could come down at any time.

We got to the Arizona (concrete) crossing just west of the Ellis Peak Trail at the pond. The group split here and three rig continued on for another hour of so; the other four of us turned back.

Here is as far as most of the group got. If you’re wondering, that’s “Space Junk”. It’s got a front wheel drive engine mounted sideways, no transfer case, no low range and works really well. He did make it up the ledge, as did many of us, but most turned around as we were done.

Here is the pond on the way out. Really slushy snow driving out in the afternoon.

No real issues on the trip. Yes, a few people needed a strap. At the end of the day, I realized I had forgotten to reload my air hoses. Oops. Thankfully, I was with friends who shared theirs with me.

And the bathrooms at staging had been opened, cleaned and stocked.

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Rubicon Ronin

I broke the rules

Posted: June 28, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

I 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 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

We 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

Rubicon Trail Conditions – May 20, 2022

Posted: May 20, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

In short, the trail is still very wet. Lots of snow along the Tahoe National Forest from Miller Lake out to what I call Potato Patch.

Six rigs went in from the Tahoe side Friday morning at 10:30. It was a late start but we are all retired so who cares about time. At the bottom of Cadillac Hill we turned on to the Long Lake Trail to check conditions. We didn’t get back to the staging area until 7pm.

The usual tourist shot before we went down Cadillac.

Once on the Long Lake Trail, we found minimal trees down along the trail. But we did clear off most of them.

I would suggest staying off the trail until the big snow melt slows down. If you do go, please tread lightly on the wet trail.

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Rubicon Ronin

The Rubicon is WET!

Posted: May 18, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

A small group of Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo’s and a few others, ventured out on to the Rubicon last weekend (5/15-16) and it was still very wet. Our objective was make sure the Long Lake Trail, at the base of Cadillac Hill, was clear of dead fall and was safe to travel. It’s now clear. Please remember the trail ends at the 0.91 mile mark from the Rubicon and that camp ground is NOT a drive through loop.

So, yes, we are at the height of the snow melt. But with the amount of water on the trail, we need to Tread Lightly!

The word from those who are supposed to be maintaining the trail is that no work will be done on the Tahoe National Forest this year (2021) to prevent future water holes on the trial. The 2021 focus will be paving the staging area and rebuilding the rolling dips within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

On the way out, we documented the current trail conditions.

There were a few spots that we had to drive over snow. One spot was a large berm in a pool of water. A couple of people with a few shovels and it could be knocked down rather quickly.

Again, please Tread Lightly!

Stay on the trail.

Drive slowly through all water.

Be safe.

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Rubicon Ronin