Rod
decided that we would attempt the upper portion of the Rubicon
Trail. He had pre-run the trail the previous week and was aware
of the snow levels. But, the high temperatures would melt the
snow fast, so we decided to attempt a run to Miller Lake. The
snow was melting, but not fast enough.
The photos below are what we saw.
The
path to the trail head took us past the south shore of beautiful Lake
Tahoe.
We
arrived at the staging area at the trail head and it was time to air
down. Above is Ron's 416 with Alaskan Camper.
Kevin's
1300L with new brush bar and XM-47 rubber.
Because
the Rubicon Trail is heavily used, there is a oil spill collection
facility at the trail head.
Rick's
416. This truck had some mechanical issues, so Rick put a ton of
time into getting it fully functional. It performed great.
Dale
and Shannon's Swiss 404.
Steve's
404. Steve's diff-lock failed the previous day so he had some
difficulty with the obstacles.
Chas'
1250 DOKA.
The
Rubicon Trail is a favorite among hard-core 'wheelers. When on
the trail, you are sure to see some high-end rigs. This fellow's
Jeep had a Corvette motor as well as all the trimmings.
After
we aired down, we hit dirt.
Since
the trail is popular, you are sure to encounter other wheelers.
Above, there were some standard SUVs having second thoughts about doing
the trail.
As
we encountered the first banks of snow, the scope of the issue
confronting us became apparent.
Rod,
trail leader, took point on breaking trail.
Rod
took many passes to actual get over the first snow bank.
Rick
had no problems with the snow bank due to correct air pressure.
Rod
attacks the second big snow bank.
At
25 psi, Kevin had too much air pressure.
Despite
the large footprint of the XM-47s, Kevin still got stuck due to the
high air pressure.
Chas
assists Kevin by removing some snow behind the wheels.
Kevin
decided to use the winch because the snow prevented lowering the air
pressure in-situ.
Dale
attacks the snow bank, but in the end he got stuck too.
The
group assists Dale.
Once
Kevin got his air pressure down to 15 psi, he had no issues with the
snow banks.
Dale
was fully stuck, so we set up for a tow.
Kevin's
1300 pulled Dale's 404 with ease.
Ron
had correct air pressure and had no problems with the bank.
Ron
uses his rig and his camper has taken some good hits from the brush.
Kevin's
new, roof nerf bar took some big hits from the brush.
Rick
had correct air pressure and walked right up the face of the snow bank.
Once
past the big banks, we continued up the trail. In the end, we hit
a bank that was not passable, so we stopped for lunch and turned
around. No problems were encountered on the way out.
The
mogs are a hillbilly magnet. Above, one of the trail urchins
inspects the back of Kevin's 1300 as Kevin is airing up.
As
the Pirates of the Rubicon say, "the trail makes the truck".
The
group in the pickup had a dog that loved to jump for sticks. The
dog was an excellent jumper.
Another
fine trail ride.
The
return path gave us great views of Lake Tahoe.
Cascade
Falls is visible above in the center of the photo.
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Photos
and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2011, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.