Rubicon Trail - May 2012

[JR74CJ5]

Went up to the Rubicon Trail few weeks back, and had some fun!

Still didn't go all the way into Tahoe yet though, But did go quite a ways in, even seen the remnants of the big Juniper tree being hauled off by helicopter.

Here's a few pics, the videos have occasional curses so figure I'll let you all go see them on photo bucket and keep the "profanity" off our site.

Crossing Loon Lake Dam:


Start getting into Mild rocks and such:



Uncle's 72 CJ5 :





Navigating:









Our one and only Tire Blow out on the trail (my Uncle's Shoe):





My little Cousin decides to clime a small rock...

 

[JR74CJ5]

Here's where you can check out all the pics and videos. There's over 100 on photo bucket.

Rubicon May 2012 pictures by JR74CJ5 - Photobucket

 

[JR74CJ5]

We got snowed on a little:



And lost (she passed away) a good dog while up there for a week. Brandy. She was a good Girl!

Truck battery flew out of the spot it was supposed to stay, and alt fan chewed a hole in the side letting the main fan spread acid all over the engine compartment...

Chewed the distributor drive gear off my cam.

Uncle lost balance spotting a particularly hard line around the little sluice and hurt his knee...

All in all, was an eventful trip...

But a good wheeling trip none the less.



~ JR

 

[CJ]

We got snowed on a little:



And lost (she passed away) a good dog while up there for a week. Brandy. She was a good Girl!

Truck battery flew out of the spot it was supposed to stay, and alt fan chewed a hole in the side letting the main fan spread acid all over the engine compartment...

Chewed the distributor drive gear off my cam.

Uncle lost balance spotting a particularly hard line around the little sluice and hurt his knee...

All in all, was an eventful trip...

But a good wheeling trip none the less.



~ JR

Snow!!!

Sorry to hear about Brandy, sounds like she passed having a good time though...

 

[JR74CJ5]

Snow!!!

Sorry to hear about Brandy, sounds like she passed having a good time though...

The snow wasn't too bad... (at least for us guys... ) I kept a good fire going all day, and we built a nice "shelter" of tarps and ez ups to keep us dry. Snow only stuck where we were for an hour or so a few times, otherwise was a light snowing. I love the snow, and it was a awesome sight!

When the (my) jeep died, we were driving in the snow up towards Rubicon's loon lake entrance... to play around a little. It died on the way. I thought was carb or timing (due to way it was back firing and because of the dirt and sludge i could see through glass fuel filter) so ended up "re-building" my carb basically on side of the road in the snow. One benefit of having it apart and back a few times...

Only after towing it back to the camp site and looking into it further did I confirm the real problem.

Yes She was a awesome girl.

The most loving and loyal dog we could have asked for. In our family, Dogs are as good as family. Her Kids, (my little cousins "3") and mom and dad (aunt and uncle) took it pretty hard, as did I since I grew up with her, but as you said, she died in a happy place for her. She loved camping and was getting better with the jeeping...

 

[Torxhead]

Calling it "An eventful trip" was an understatement, thanks for posting it. Here is a pic of when I opened my tent at Buck Island Lake, another great campspot on that trail, a few years back.
Sorry about your loss.

 

[Old Dog]

Sorry about Brandy.
As they say, a bad day wheel'n is better than a good day at work.

 

[coldair]

Thanks for the trip pictures. Sorry to hear about Bandy :-( what bread is she? Looks like a boxer.

 

[Petescj]

Thanks for sharing the trip. Sorry for your loss. My Pup is getting up there in age as well.

 

[Sasquach]

Thanks JR and yes it's tough losing a good dog, especially for the kids.

 

[BajaEdition]

I wish I had time to do that with you
Maybe the DUsy next year
I am so busy with work
finally got a job and need to make up for a few years off time
I know from our time in Calico that you are a great person to wheel with and I am jealous of thos pictures:drool:

 

[BC CJ]

Awesome pictures sir! There is nothing quite like a couple CJ's hitting the trail together. A couple nice desktop wallpaper shots in there!

 

[PaRenegade]

Great pics, thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about the dog. That would have spoiled the trip for me. Do you know the cause?

 

[JR74CJ5]

Calling it "An eventful trip" was an understatement, thanks for posting it. Here is a pic of when I opened my tent at Buck Island Lake, another great campspot on that trail, a few years back.
Sorry about your loss.

That's an awesome pic! I love getting out in the mornings to a great view!

Thanks for the trip pictures. Sorry to hear about Bandy :-( what bread is she? Looks like a boxer.

She was full Pit (Pit Bull Terrier) that was a pic from her older days.

I wish I had time to do that with you
Maybe the DUsy next year
I am so busy with work
finally got a job and need to make up for a few years off time
I know from our time in Calico that you are a great person to wheel with and I am jealous of thos pictures:drool:

It was a blast! We'd love to wheel with you anytime Baja (Jim)! We've been busy too, planning a wedding and Caribbean cruise for honey moon about a year away.

Awesome pictures sir! There is nothing quite like a couple CJ's hitting the trail together. A couple nice desktop wallpaper shots in there!

Yeah I put them all in a folder and set me screen saver to play slide show.

I also love when he and I hop on a trail (like the Rubicon) and guys in yotas, broncos and crawlers with 40+ tires pass us or talk with us and say " Oh man, you should turn back, you guys aren't going to make it much further, it gets real rough... just took me 3 hours and I had to winch 3 times to get down from ___" Or " Wow you guys just came from back there??? Thats some pretty rough stuff!" as they look over the old girls pretty much stock with 33" tires. Him and I just smile, say thanks, and keep going. lol These old jeeps just keep going! I love em!

Great pics, thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about the dog. That would have spoiled the trip for me. Do you know the cause?

It was a "puss pocket" in her uterus. Can't remember the technical name, but basically it is one of the reasons to have (especially larger breeds) females fixed health wise, as that would have avoided this.

We had antibiotics and pain pills for her, and she was doing better but after a few days we couldn't get her to keep them down... It was very sad, and definitely tough to keep from ruining the whole trip. For us adults a little easier, as we had to stay strong for the youngsters...

Thanks all for the condolences and for checking out the pics. Anyone check out the videos? We're obviously not the best / professional wheelers or video guys lol.


~ JR

 

[BC CJ]

Yeah I put them all in a folder and set me screen saver to play slide show.

I also love when he and I hop on a trail (like the Rubicon) and guys in yotas, broncos and crawlers with 40+ tires pass us or talk with us and say " Oh man, you should turn back, you guys aren't going to make it much further, it gets real rough... just took me 3 hours and I had to winch 3 times to get down from ___" Or " Wow you guys just came from back there??? Thats some pretty rough stuff!" as they look over the old girls pretty much stock with 33" tires. Him and I just smile, say thanks, and keep going. lol These old jeeps just keep going! I love em!


~ JR

Hah, that is so typical these days. Some people seem to think you need 35s and lockers just to get off the pavement. Like if you cant idle over every obstacle the trail is too tough for your vehicle. I call it 'magazine syndrome.'

I get that all the time in my daily/4x4: a suzuki on 29s. "You'll never make it up in that thing." Or, if I'm already up: "I cant believe you made it up here in that thing." Either way its always "that thing" I just smile and continue on my way too.

Anyways, getting out 4wheeling lots and doing multiple day trips is the end game for my CJ and seeing your pics was inspiring.

 

[tarry99]

JR,

RIP Brandy...........Can't think of a better place to lay her down.

Funny thing about the Rubicon and dogs is both times we were through there years back we found lost dogs. Both were Black labs one was lost from Truckee and the other from Tahoe City how they got there is anyone's guess? Both had tangled with a porcupine........both had tags, both were starved and lost for over 2 weeks.
We took the North Shore hound out as we exited that way to the owner the other Lab was from a family that lived in the Bay Area just a few miles from where I live?
Go Figure!
I think Brandy will have some Company.

 

[jasonmark1993]

Glad to see you could make it with full length headers.

Great pics.

Sorry about the dog.

 

[my73cj5]

Nice Pics and Video's, RIP little girl, her last ride was a good one, lets all hope we can do the same.