Long Lake Trail via Rubicon Springs through Lake Tahoe 2013

Pics and reports of other misc areas.
OldGreen
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Postby OldGreen » Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:12 am

iaccocca wrote:
Ain't 2nd guessing, just quoting Jimmy. I just wish I was there to pick the wrong line... no way in hell I could be, but still... Image


In hindsight, it was kinda funny that I said that at that moment. At the time, I said it because I knew what was about to go down. Actually, I was wrong. I thought it was going to be much worse.

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Postby Boyscout » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:02 pm

PACKING LIST:

Shovel...check
Bucket...check
Front/Rear recovery points...check
First aid kit...check
Mud terrain type tires...check
Depends...must get me some Depends

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Livin4Today
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Postby Livin4Today » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:02 pm

WAIT IT CAN't END LIKE THIS!!!! :scared:

I'M STILL HIGH!!!! :shock:

More input. MORE INPUT!!!
Lance

Building a capable off roader is easy, building a street legal one that you can wheel and then drive daily is the challenge...

2007 JKU, 7" RK lift, 40s, ARBs, 5.38s, Headers, Fox Coilovers, etc. http://www.Livin4Today.com

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Lurch
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Postby Lurch » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:21 pm

Road hazard warranty on the toyo. With prorate I'm getting a new one for $145 8)
You can follow me.... but it's gonna hurt ;)

79chevy39.5's
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Postby 79chevy39.5's » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:29 pm

that was a major factor when i got my Toyota tires, had them on the shelf and plus when i loose a bead and its full of dirt they clean them :D

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Livin4Today
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Postby Livin4Today » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:48 pm

Lurch wrote:Road hazard warranty on the toyo. With prorate I'm getting a new one for $145 8)


Good to know, I'm about to pull the plug on my 37" Toyos...
Lance

Building a capable off roader is easy, building a street legal one that you can wheel and then drive daily is the challenge...

2007 JKU, 7" RK lift, 40s, ARBs, 5.38s, Headers, Fox Coilovers, etc. http://www.Livin4Today.com

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Lurch
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Postby Lurch » Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:55 pm

Don't get me wrong, if had to buy new ones toyos would not be my first choice (or second or third or fourth, maybe fifth). I believe for the money there are better tires out there. But when you get a set of 5 for $350 it's hard to pass up :wink:
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OldGreen
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Postby OldGreen » Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:56 pm

JK Lance wrote:WAIT IT CAN't END LIKE THIS!!!! :scared:

I'M STILL HIGH!!!! :shock:

More input. MORE INPUT!!!


There is more to follow. Don't worry. There is a LOT more. Including one more near death experience of a completely different kind.

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Postby OldGreen » Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:11 pm

Back to the BOX for a minute. . .this video will be edited to be part of the Movie, but I could resist posting the raw footage. Make sure to watch all the way to the end.

For the big tire kids: Yep, my Jeep could be bigger with lower gears, but it wouldn't have been nearly as challenging.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q--RFv5j4Yg&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

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Yrjan
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Postby Yrjan » Wed Jul 03, 2013 5:05 pm

Look up jealousy in the dictionary and there will be a picture of every member of the club that was not present when this video was shot! Flipping amazing! More more more more more more more!

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Danny
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Postby Danny » Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:05 am

Awesome Jimmy....Don't know about Toby, Jimmy and Timmy but that made me wish that I was back there. That is as close to showing what we went through for two days than anything I've seen so far.

As a point of interest....my gps had our average speed through the trail as 3.1 mph.
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Postby RONMOSS » Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:00 am

Great write-up and pictures.javascript:emoticon(':D')

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Postby OldGreen » Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:55 am

Part 6. Continued. . .

Where were we? Oh, yeah, we just changed our shorts and pointed the rigs back up Cadillac Hill.

Now, this very famous obstacle is downplayed by the big tire crowd as being very easy. In reality, I don't think that many people actually run this part of the trail. It is mostly used by people entering/exiting via Lake Tahoe whereas most people come and go via Loon Lake and camp at Buck Island Lake. It is mostly expedition wheelers from afar like us that run the entire trail. We only saw a few of those.

At its most difficult, Cadillac is a shelf road with giant boulders and granite squeezes that do not relent until you are back in the trees. It isn't the most difficult thing we encountered, but it is certainly under appreciated in terms of Rubicon lore.

Unfortunately, while I think that there was at least one in-car cam rolling, there are no pictures of Cadillac Hill. I'm pretty sure that is because no one wanted to stop and take them. A good wheeler realized that keeping forward progress going on this thing was the best bet.

However, we were greeted with some fantastic views from Observation Point. Parker was seriously frightened by a Labradoodle named Fluffy. And we saw some cool rigs including a 6 passenger Scrambler.

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Now the trail started to ease up a bit but the scenery did NOT. Danny and Tim got hung up for a minute on a boulder that I turned over in the trail (at least that is the story that they are sticking with) so we took the opportunity to grab a sandwich. While we were munching, the LEOs came up and chatted with us about mapping and GPS and such. They were in a RZR. Good thing those are light weight because they get hung up all the time!

Jess took over at the helm of Orville at this point and we cruised through some more trail, rocks, and by some beautiful lakes (Miller Lake, Lily Lake, and McKinney Lake.

The "end" of the wheelin' portion of the trail:
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This was the highest point on the trail, right next to the lake at 7150':

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Now we started down hill towards the staging area. We started seeing a combo of ATV tours and stock rigs. . .just taking a peek inside to see what this Rubicon Trail was all about but not wanting to commit to the full experience.

Then. . .after 12 miles of trail and 16 hours of seat time, we officially conquered the Rubicon Trail. Honestly folks, I've done my best to describe this experience in words, but it is impossible to describe the feeling in my gut as I type these words. . .we did it. 3/4 of us did it in VERY stock rigs. Even the big Bronco with a good driver was challenged. And. . .well. . .2 of us still had to drive our station wagons many hundreds of miles. Crazy? You tell me:

Airing up:
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On to Tahoe for Slurpees and beer:
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Can a wheeler get a valet up in here??

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No, dear wheeler. . .the adventure was not over. We hung out in the room w/beer, Pizza, Ice Cream and Toby's laptop to preview the media from the event. The plan was to launch for the return trip at around 4AM so we were early to bed.

Toby, Jess, Parker and I stayed in the HoJo while Danny and Tim stayed across the street at the Day's Inn.

At about 2AM or so, I woke up to screaming in the parking lot. An obviously intoxicated man was yelling, "You are killing me!! I am killed. You aren't helping me!!" Over and over. I kind of figured that he was talking to his now-estranged girlfriend on the phone and begging her to take him back. . .until, a few seconds later, I hear HER voice yelling: 9 1 1, someone 911, we need help. He is bleeding.

So, of course, I jumped up and swung the curtains open at about the same time that a neighboring guest opened his door to assist. The aforementioned bleeding individual was trying to break into the front office of the hotel, presumably to use the phone. He quickly lost energy and slumped over on the bench by the front door.

Ambulances and police intervened and hauled him off to get stitched up/detoxed.

We quickly went back to sleep. . .

When we exited the hotel room a couple of hours later, we were greeted with puddles of blood equaling what had to be several quarts. I leashed Parker around to the rear of the building to see if he had to use the facilities. . .there I encountered "the scene of the crime". The young, drunk, bleeding man either jumped or was pushed out of a second story window. Broken glass, screen parts, and blood were everywhere. Parker and I quickly decided to find a new place to do the doggy business.

After a fuel stop and some coffee, we were off. Toby, Jessy, Parker and I kept straight on US50 while Danny and Tim headed back up Ice House Road to retrieve the big rig. I don't have any photos, but, Danny picked the wrong line climbing the trailer deck in his YJ so there was one last recovery.

We all met back up for breakfast and goodbyes at the Denny's in Placerville. Toby took Danny back to his motorhome and the lovely Mrs. Foley while Tim, Jessy, Parker and I along with Danny's YJ started the long journey home.

The day was hot (111 in Redding), but Orville's AC was blasting on Max so we were comfy for the extended road trip back to the 99352. One more time past Shasta and on through Bend, the Gorge, up over the Horse Heavens and head on pillow by 11:30 to get just enough sleep to survive the day at work on Monday.

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So, it can be done. . .on a long weekend, a group of stockish wheelers holding their mouths right can have an adventure that will live on in our minds to our last breath. . .and set the stage for other expeditions to come.

It was, I daresay, EPIC.
Last edited by OldGreen on Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

OldGreen
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Postby OldGreen » Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:09 am

Part 7: Conclusion and Next Steps

There will be, as alluded to, a feature length documentary produced on this adventure. It will take some time to build, but it will be worth the wait.

Things I would change: Zip. Every dent is like a badge of honor. Not knowing exactly what to expect was part of the challenge. The thumbs up our little rigs got at Buck Island Lake were priceless and the knowledge that you have to drive 700+ miles to get home and commute to work the very next morning in the same rig that just dragged itself through the 'Con certainly added to the challenge.

Will I do things a little differently next time? Sure. . .O (or his replacement) will have a tiny bit more lift and slightly lower gears. . .maybe a little armor. The camping gear selection, etc, will be the same though. We pretty much nailed it. Maybe I should apply sunscreen sooner? Whatever. Maybe a base camp? Again. . .either way.

While I love the quick trip and will certainly do it in 4 days again, staying at Rubicon springs for a couple of days just to enjoy that area does sound like fun. Dunno. . .either way.

I think I've decided that 285/75R16s are perfect for this style of trip. They did great on the trail and I got 19.4mpg on the trip home. Can't beat that. If you plan on coming along for Version 2.0, please either have AC or bring a trailer. Either way, you have to be streetable for 50 miles+ of mountain highway.

Danny needs lower gears too. . .but. . .CHECK.

Next steps: Planning for the next bucket list checkmark and producing the video. Next year. . .probably Moab and then back to the 'Con.

Life is far, far too short people. Let's do this thing. :wink:

RONMOSS
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Postby RONMOSS » Thu Jul 04, 2013 11:49 am

Can't wait for the movie. Again, great job. Should hook it up with an off road magazine. Sounds like Jess and Parker had a good time too.

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Postby 79chevy39.5's » Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:08 pm

Ac would be for the ride home correct m ot so much for the trail correct? The streetable deal is a non issue however even my base model tow rig does not have ac :lol:

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Postby OldGreen » Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:12 pm

AC was great on the trail, but not a requirement. 700 road miles at 100+ temps would have been brutal.

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Lurch
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Postby Lurch » Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:15 pm

No need for a/c on the trail rig. Although removing the doors and top for air flow is advised. Also a very solid cooling system in your trail rig. I have done just about all I can do with mine and it still got hot. I rarely have that kind of problem on the trails up here but was hot the whole time down there.

A/c in the tow pig to and from is a must. 800 miles each way in the 100 plus degree heat would not be healthy.
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Livin4Today
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Postby Livin4Today » Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:52 pm

JK Lance wrote:
Lurch wrote:Road hazard warranty on the toyo. With prorate I'm getting a new one for $145 8)


Good to know, I'm about to pull the plug on my 37" Toyos...



Scratch that they're on!

As far as better tires? Dunno, my research showed the Toyo dominated the traction arena on all surfaces but ice, and very few rated better on that. So while heavy I'm very satisfied with their ride and wear. I ran my last set for a little over a year and 15000+ miles and they are still at 14/32s starting at 19/32s I did we'll. now they're off to a new assignment under Brian's Colorado after it gets lifted...
Last edited by Livin4Today on Thu Jul 04, 2013 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Lance

Building a capable off roader is easy, building a street legal one that you can wheel and then drive daily is the challenge...

2007 JKU, 7" RK lift, 40s, ARBs, 5.38s, Headers, Fox Coilovers, etc. http://www.Livin4Today.com

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iaccocca
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Postby iaccocca » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:01 pm

I sure hope I get to put a Rubicon on the Rubicon.

You guys have made me want this more than I already did.

And Jimmy, run report par excellence.

I don't think I want to see the documentary that would be an awful lot of wheelin' porn. I know my wife does not want me to see it.

And the camping spot you described, I could sit there and eat Cane Asada and Mexican seafood for a couple of nights.

Thanks to you guys for the EPIC vicarious wheelin'.
Okay, we're a little crazy to have a Duramax for a daily driver. But if we go off our meds, we might wind up in a Prius.
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Grumpy
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Postby Grumpy » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:26 pm

Most enjoyable report! Yup, read every word and am working on Susan to do the same... :mrgreen:
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Originally Posted by Oregon80
-By driving a Scout, you my friend have recycled, which is more than those pansy Prius owners can say.
-I love driving a piece of history that was nearly lost.

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tobyw
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Postby tobyw » Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:59 pm

Well done Jimmy! It's seriously almost like I was actually there?! Wait... 8)
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...
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Lurch
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Postby Lurch » Thu Jul 04, 2013 2:01 pm

tobyw wrote:Well done Jimmy! It's seriously almost like I was actually there?! Wait... 8)



X2
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Danny
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Postby Danny » Thu Jul 04, 2013 5:03 pm

Lurch wrote:
tobyw wrote:Well done Jimmy! It's seriously almost like I was actually there?! Wait... 8)



X2


But wait...X3

And stand by for tomorrow!!

Nite all
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OldGreen
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Postby OldGreen » Thu Jul 04, 2013 5:26 pm

The adventure continues!!!!

Danny, you better post up a grip of photos!!!! 8)


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