Rubicon Trail Run May 6-11th

[Mb30sdl]

To be completely honest, I am glad you and my bro didn't make it. It would have been extremely hard to get both of you down that trail with winching, pulling, etc.

 

[rsc]

Sorry to hear about the breakdown, but glad that folks jumped in to help you out. Sounds like you were making good progress there until then. At least you got a chance to test your rig for weak points and make it better.

I saw the Renegade videos too. To be honest, I think doing that cheapens the Rubicon badging and "Trail Rating" if you cheat by taking only the easy parts of the Rubicon and all the bypasses or just get to Loon Lake and then call it a day so you can congratulate each other and sip imported beers while wearing penny-loafers and chinos. I have mixed feelings about stacking rocks to make it through the trail, but being a realist I know it may occasionally be a necessity. There is no way the Renegade or new Cherokee would have been able to really run the Rubicon from the Gatekeeper to Little and Big Sluice without bypassing everything. Show me a picture of them at the private property at Rubicon Springs and I'll be a believer.

 

[rascole]

Great to see the help from members when it is needed.

 

[bebe]

Sorry to hear about the breakdown, but glad that folks jumped in to help you out. Sounds like you were making good progress there until then. At least you got a chance to test your rig for weak points and make it better.

I saw the Renegade videos too. To be honest, I think doing that cheapens the Rubicon badging and "Trail Rating" if you cheat by taking only the easy parts of the Rubicon and all the bypasses or just get to Loon Lake and then call it a day so you can congratulate each other and sip imported beers while wearing penny-loafers and chinos. I have mixed feelings about stacking rocks to make it through the trail, but being a realist I know it may occasionally be a necessity. There is no way the Renegade or new Cherokee would have been able to really run the Rubicon from the Gatekeeper to Little and Big Sluice without bypassing everything. Show me a picture of them at the private property at Rubicon Springs and I'll be a believer.

Just to clear a couple of things up

For the Jambo's the stock jeeps leave from Loon at 6AM and with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers hired by JJUSA and Jeepers Jamboree, they make it to the springs by chow time. They party hard for a couple of days and head out Sunday AM out Cadillac Hill, again with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers - everyone is out by noon.

The Rubicon is getting harder after it had been paved with rip-rap by the County from 2010 - 2013. The only part of the trail that has not been touched is from Big Sluice to the Springs.

We work on Cadillac Hill every year trying to keep it from falling off the cliff. It's a big job and it gets concreted , rebared and gabioned every other year or so.

For the 2.5 years I was Trail Boss of Friends of the Rubicon, we held 5 work parties a year with about 70-100 wheelers all pitching in to keep the trail safe.

The trail is hard the first couple times you wheel it. There are very few bypasses anymore because we blocked most of them and rehabbed them. Once you have done it a few times, you know where the tough spots are and learn the lines, things go a lot smoother. We now go in for day trips to Spider Lake and back. The trail isn't hard once you learn it, but it is always one of the most beautiful places in the world and I'm addicted to it.

Again, I'll say the best advice is to go with someone who knows the trail the first few times, we can point out the beauty, the cool spots to hang out, so you appreciate it and all the hard work by volunteers that goes into it.

It's been one of my dreams to lead a Hummer run on Fordyce and Rubicon once a year for you guys. Just let me know and we can start a regular deal like we have in Moab.

 

[Panzer07]

I'd be more than interested on your year hummer run however in not going to commit until a week before it or days before since lately it seems that every time I commit to do a big run lol "Moab, rubicon with serge" panzer decides to get sick. But never the less I'll be interested


Torres

 

[rsc]

Just to clear a couple of things up

For the Jambo's the stock jeeps leave from Loon at 6AM and with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers hired by JJUSA and Jeepers Jamboree, they make it to the springs by chow time. They party hard for a couple of days and head out Sunday AM out Cadillac Hill, again with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers - everyone is out by noon.

The Rubicon is getting harder after it had been paved with rip-rap by the County from 2010 - 2013. The only part of the trail that has not been touched is from Big Sluice to the Springs.

We work on Cadillac Hill every year trying to keep it from falling off the cliff. It's a big job and it gets concreted , rebared and gabioned every other year or so.

For the 2.5 years I was Trail Boss of Friends of the Rubicon, we held 5 work parties a year with about 70-100 wheelers all pitching in to keep the trail safe.

The trail is hard the first couple times you wheel it. There are very few bypasses anymore because we blocked most of them and rehabbed them. Once you have done it a few times, you know where the tough spots are and learn the lines, things go a lot smoother. We now go in for day trips to Spider Lake and back. The trail isn't hard once you learn it, but it is always one of the most beautiful places in the world and I'm addicted to it.

Again, I'll say the best advice is to go with someone who knows the trail the first few times, we can point out the beauty, the cool spots to hang out, so you appreciate it and all the hard work by volunteers that goes into it.

It's been one of my dreams to lead a Hummer run on Fordyce and Rubicon once a year for you guys. Just let me know and we can start a regular deal like we have in Moab.

Thanks for all the hard work with the trail and land use in general, the efforts have effect outside of California too as other wheelers try to open or keep open local trails.

I really need to take a trip over the Rubicon, it seems that trip reports and videos are getting outdated quickly. I'm sure that not being familiar with it can definitely make or break your trip. I can only imagine how quickly one good rain or runoff can change the whole trail. I don't know when I'll be able to get time off for it, but I'm in favor of a group event like you suggested.

 

[bebe]

I understand, and it does make a difference in the experience.

Most precip here falls as snow,and for the most part the melt happens slowly. Every year is different. This time 2 years ago we couldn't even get to the trail. It usually sleeps until Memorial Day and beyond.

We are expecting rain sometime during the recovery Wednesday afternoon. I've booked a couple more helper vehicles just in case. Cadillac Hill is no fun when it's slick.

The weekend before their trip there was 2 feet of snow.

 

[speedy]

Trail repair successful:cheers: They should be at staging area anytime.

Details to follow:corn:

 

[3Hummers]

Great news and great job guys and gals.

 

[rascole]

:woot:

 

[Zach]

Glad to hear and great job to everyone involved. This forum is awesome for coming together to help someone out [emoji106]

 

[Zach]

Been a few frantic hours of some conversations and not hearing from you Serge and the group leading you off. Glad you finally made it.

 

[Mb30sdl]

Made it out to stagung area at midnight. 4 breakdowns, 3 ontrail repairs. Build Dodge ("whiteknuckle") kept breaking down. Snaped front driveshaft in half with in .5m heading back, made it to campsite in 2wd. We welded it back. It broke front u-joint on top of cadilak hill. Removed it and in 2wd we made it just past observation point, his upper link frame braket came off and rotated front axle forward. Rewelded bracket, another ~1mi down road pulling dodge up the turn with a step passenger tire pressed agains step and poped the bead. Aired it up with a strap and were at staging are at midnight. So all anad all very exiting day.

 

[3Hummers]

Sounds like an adventure you won't soon forget.

 

[bebe]

Been a few frantic hours of some conversations and not hearing from you Serge and the group leading you off. Glad you finally made it.

Right?

I feel so bad for Carl (whiteknuckle), but glad you all finally made it out and stuck together.

For reference, from Big Sluice to the Bridge is THE toughest part of the trail after the melt. The holes in between the rocks are huge, the ground is soft, and everything moves.

 

[bebe]

New motivational mantra:

"At least I'm not wheeling Cadillac, uphill, at night, in the rain"

 

[rascole]

Sounds like an adventure for sure.

 

[poncho1965]

Hey I know that truck! Glad you made it off the trail[emoji106]

 

[3Hummers]

Hopefully we will see pictures soon.

 

[Zach]

Hopefully we will see pictures soon.

You know how that goes. Think we are still waiting for video from a year ago. Been so long I forgot what trail

 

[bebe]

Here are some photos I took.

First one is where we found the truck in Big Sluice. Second is my friend Tim grinding off the welds from the steering arm. Third i is my friend Brian , working on installing the new knuckle and steering arm, with Serg and Igor looking on.

 

[bebe]

LOL Carl (whiteknuckle) not pictured here wanted me to note that all of the breakage occurred on flat ground All the tough spots on the trail were accomplished while the truck was intact. And it was the slip-yoke that failed...

 

[LagunaH1]

Just to clear a couple of things up

For the Jambo's the stock jeeps leave from Loon at 6AM and with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers hired by JJUSA and Jeepers Jamboree, they make it to the springs by chow time. They party hard for a couple of days and head out Sunday AM out Cadillac Hill, again with the assistance of spotters and rock rollers - everyone is out by noon.

The Rubicon is getting harder after it had been paved with rip-rap by the County from 2010 - 2013. The only part of the trail that has not been touched is from Big Sluice to the Springs.

We work on Cadillac Hill every year trying to keep it from falling off the cliff. It's a big job and it gets concreted , rebared and gabioned every other year or so.

For the 2.5 years I was Trail Boss of Friends of the Rubicon, we held 5 work parties a year with about 70-100 wheelers all pitching in to keep the trail safe.

The trail is hard the first couple times you wheel it. There are very few bypasses anymore because we blocked most of them and rehabbed them. Once you have done it a few times, you know where the tough spots are and learn the lines, things go a lot smoother. We now go in for day trips to Spider Lake and back. The trail isn't hard once you learn it, but it is always one of the most beautiful places in the world and I'm addicted to it.

Again, I'll say the best advice is to go with someone who knows the trail the first few times, we can point out the beauty, the cool spots to hang out, so you appreciate it and all the hard work by volunteers that goes into it.

It's been one of my dreams to lead a Hummer run on Fordyce and Rubicon once a year for you guys. Just let me know and we can start a regular deal like we have in Moab.

So, given how well you know the trail, what are your thoughts on H1's doing it?

 

[bebe]

H1's do great. It's slow going, but they cruise right along. H2's do fine too. H3's need to be skid-plated and on 35's All rigs need Rock Sliders and Winches.

About the Rubicon, like Serg mentioned. It's non stop action from the time you leave the Kiosk. There are no breaks in the action unless you stop for lunch.

I think everyone (Hummers) should start with the Loon to Spider to Wentworth Springs loop. It is not necessary to tackle Big Sluice and Cadillac Hill your first time out. Come in Loon Lake, overnight at Spider Lake, head out Wentworth Springs.

OR, if you want to do the whole trail plan on 3 camping nights. One night at Spider Lake, one night at Buck Island Lake and one night in the Springs.

The point is to Take Your Time. Don't over-pack (weight will kill a rig on this trail). Relax, enjoy it. If you can't enjoy it, it will beat you up.

It is the most amazingly beautiful place.

 

[bebe]

If you want to go fast on the trail - get a rzr