Rubicon Run 2016. August 26-28
Posted: July 6th, 2016, 3:22 pmThe Rubicon Trail is a mandatory pilgrimage that all "TRUE" Jeep and Toy owners must do at least once in their lifetime.
Infectious Off-road is doing our Rubicon trip on August 26-28. We will meet at the trailhead at Loon Lake on Friday August 26th at 8:00 AM, and hit the trail by 9:00. We will wheel back to the springs and camp there till Sunday. We will hit the trail at 9:00 sharp in order to stay on schedule and get a good campsite before the crowds head in. Sorry, no waiting for stragglers.
Of course, you can come up anytime you like and meet us at the springs. GPS coodinates for the entire trail are easily downloadable for free from numerous websites and the trail is well marked. Download GPS info here: http://rubicon-trail.com/Rubicon.Trail. ... oints.html
Becka and I plan to drive to Placerville on Thursday afternoon (whenever I can get out of work) and get a hotel room for the night, then head to the trailhead early on Friday morning. Some folks camp at the trailhead. I will post the name of the hotel we are staying at, just in case others want to stay there too.
Since it is a 6-7 hour drive, its best not to caravan as a big group from Bakersfield. With 30 people needing bathroom breaks and food stops at random times, it might take 10 hours to get there. People also drive at different speeds; some like to do 90mph and some want to do the speed limit (some rigs can barely do the speed limit, lol). Experience has proven that attempting a big caravan with a drive this long is an exercise in frustration.
We will be running back out the way we came from the springs, so Buggies and green sticker vehicles can wheel right back to their tow rigs. We usually park the tow rigs at the Loon spillway.
Please, make sure that your vehicle is 100% running good and capable of making the trip. Make sure you have an ample supply of spare parts and fluids. We ask that all rigs on this run have at least 35" tires, a locker, and upgraded or spare axle shafts. Dana 35s are highly discouraged and are the #1 cause of vehicles being abandoned on this trail. If you have a D35 rear, I recommend against going. You will be climbing over rocks 30" high and traversing through water that might be several feet deep. Full sized trucks/SUVs are also discouraged as the trail is narrow in spots. Spare gas is also a great idea.
AGAIN.....If your rig is not running 100% and your axle/driveline situation is not up to snuff, there is a good chance you WILL break and your rig will sit abandoned on the trail until it can be repaired and driven out. There are NO TOWS out of the Rubicon if you break down - you must hope that someone else has a spare seat for you to ride out the weekend. This is not an easy trail and it is very long and remote. Please be considerate to others and wait to do this run if your vehicle is not ready. Every 4x4 will eventually break on the trail, but please be prepared for it and don't set yourself up for failure.
The campground at the springs has pit toilets, but no other facilities. You must have a fire permit to have a fire or cook your food on a camp stove. The good camping spots for groups fill up very fast, so it is important that the folks running in with me on Friday morning keep a good pace. Bring your fishing rod and fishing licence if you want to fish. You can get a fire permit online for FREE here:
http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/
The Rubicon Trail is a county road that is monitored by several LE agencies (yes they have built 4x4s and will pull you over). Make sure you have current registration or greensticker, seatbelts, no open containers, and proper car seats for the kids - or you will get a ticket. I got pulled over by a deputy and issued a ticket for a cracked windshield on my Jeep.
The mosquitos are usually bad on the Rubicon because of all of the nearby water. They laugh at most repellent, and really only seem effected by 100% DEET. They really gets riled up when we cross through water.
When you pack your rig, try to keep the weight as low as possible. The trail gets very off-camber in many spots. I have seen numerous vehicles with loaded roof racks roll/flop on the trail. Try to keep your overall vehicle weight as light as you practically can.
Be mindful that it rains a great deal in the summer in this area. Half of my Rubicon trips had at least one day of rain. Be prepared for this. 6 years ago we had a member that was hospitalized due to extreme hypothermia on a rainy solo Rubicon trip when his sleeping gear/tent/cloths got soaked in his open Jeep. His tent had no rain fly, Jeep no top, no waterproof jacket, too wet to start a fire, and a waterlogged sleeping bag. He curled up under his Jeep with a bottle of Jack and a trash bag over him, and waited out the night before wheeling into Tahoe shivering uncontrollably.
On Saturday, some of the street legal rigs might run up Cadillac Hill, out of the end of the trail, and visit Lake Tahoe for a few hours, then run back to camp. But then again, we might not be motivated to do that, lol.
Infectious Off-road is doing our Rubicon trip on August 26-28. We will meet at the trailhead at Loon Lake on Friday August 26th at 8:00 AM, and hit the trail by 9:00. We will wheel back to the springs and camp there till Sunday. We will hit the trail at 9:00 sharp in order to stay on schedule and get a good campsite before the crowds head in. Sorry, no waiting for stragglers.
Of course, you can come up anytime you like and meet us at the springs. GPS coodinates for the entire trail are easily downloadable for free from numerous websites and the trail is well marked. Download GPS info here: http://rubicon-trail.com/Rubicon.Trail. ... oints.html
Becka and I plan to drive to Placerville on Thursday afternoon (whenever I can get out of work) and get a hotel room for the night, then head to the trailhead early on Friday morning. Some folks camp at the trailhead. I will post the name of the hotel we are staying at, just in case others want to stay there too.
Since it is a 6-7 hour drive, its best not to caravan as a big group from Bakersfield. With 30 people needing bathroom breaks and food stops at random times, it might take 10 hours to get there. People also drive at different speeds; some like to do 90mph and some want to do the speed limit (some rigs can barely do the speed limit, lol). Experience has proven that attempting a big caravan with a drive this long is an exercise in frustration.
We will be running back out the way we came from the springs, so Buggies and green sticker vehicles can wheel right back to their tow rigs. We usually park the tow rigs at the Loon spillway.
Please, make sure that your vehicle is 100% running good and capable of making the trip. Make sure you have an ample supply of spare parts and fluids. We ask that all rigs on this run have at least 35" tires, a locker, and upgraded or spare axle shafts. Dana 35s are highly discouraged and are the #1 cause of vehicles being abandoned on this trail. If you have a D35 rear, I recommend against going. You will be climbing over rocks 30" high and traversing through water that might be several feet deep. Full sized trucks/SUVs are also discouraged as the trail is narrow in spots. Spare gas is also a great idea.
AGAIN.....If your rig is not running 100% and your axle/driveline situation is not up to snuff, there is a good chance you WILL break and your rig will sit abandoned on the trail until it can be repaired and driven out. There are NO TOWS out of the Rubicon if you break down - you must hope that someone else has a spare seat for you to ride out the weekend. This is not an easy trail and it is very long and remote. Please be considerate to others and wait to do this run if your vehicle is not ready. Every 4x4 will eventually break on the trail, but please be prepared for it and don't set yourself up for failure.
The campground at the springs has pit toilets, but no other facilities. You must have a fire permit to have a fire or cook your food on a camp stove. The good camping spots for groups fill up very fast, so it is important that the folks running in with me on Friday morning keep a good pace. Bring your fishing rod and fishing licence if you want to fish. You can get a fire permit online for FREE here:
http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/
The Rubicon Trail is a county road that is monitored by several LE agencies (yes they have built 4x4s and will pull you over). Make sure you have current registration or greensticker, seatbelts, no open containers, and proper car seats for the kids - or you will get a ticket. I got pulled over by a deputy and issued a ticket for a cracked windshield on my Jeep.
The mosquitos are usually bad on the Rubicon because of all of the nearby water. They laugh at most repellent, and really only seem effected by 100% DEET. They really gets riled up when we cross through water.
When you pack your rig, try to keep the weight as low as possible. The trail gets very off-camber in many spots. I have seen numerous vehicles with loaded roof racks roll/flop on the trail. Try to keep your overall vehicle weight as light as you practically can.
Be mindful that it rains a great deal in the summer in this area. Half of my Rubicon trips had at least one day of rain. Be prepared for this. 6 years ago we had a member that was hospitalized due to extreme hypothermia on a rainy solo Rubicon trip when his sleeping gear/tent/cloths got soaked in his open Jeep. His tent had no rain fly, Jeep no top, no waterproof jacket, too wet to start a fire, and a waterlogged sleeping bag. He curled up under his Jeep with a bottle of Jack and a trash bag over him, and waited out the night before wheeling into Tahoe shivering uncontrollably.
On Saturday, some of the street legal rigs might run up Cadillac Hill, out of the end of the trail, and visit Lake Tahoe for a few hours, then run back to camp. But then again, we might not be motivated to do that, lol.