Pre Planning: The Rubicon Trail (JLWF Edition)

[ChuckQue]

I’m going to address the elephant in the room:

The Rubicon Trail.

Some of y’all may have run it, most of us haven’t, and I think the majority of us have it, or have had it, on our bucket list. I swear, every time I get on Trails Off-road I end up looking at that trail. I’ve watched countless videos on it. It taunts me in my sleep. It’s my white whale. I must conquer it.

So, this is my post to begin preliminary planning for the trip. I want to gauge interest in who wants to run it, then we can begin narrowing down when it works for the group. That will be tough and may result in pushing it way out but I’m ok with that.

Who wants to go?

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[AcesandEights]

No offense, but why don't you just go? What about this weekend? What's all the talk about pushing it out, it's not a baby, you don't have to wait nine months to push it out. If you have an envelope with $20 bills or an ATM card, you can buy gas, right? So, what are you waiting for? Swing by AM/PM, fill up on gas and a grab a chicken sandwich and run the trail. Busket lists are for procrastinating whiners. Don't put future experiences in a busket, put them in your rearview.

 

[ChuckQue]

No offense, but why don't you just go? What about this weekend? What's all the talk about pushing it out, it's not a baby, you don't have to wait nine months to push it out. If you have an envelope with $20 bills or an ATM card, you can buy gas, right? So, what are you waiting for? Swing by AM/PM, fill up on gas and a grab a chicken sandwich and run the trail. Busket lists are for procrastinating whiners. Don't put future experiences in a busket, put them in your rearview.

I get it, and I’m with you as far as, “seize the moment”, etc. You don’t know me or my wife so you don’t understand our family dynamics or what we’ve been through, but I assure you we definitely understand the need to do things now while you still have a chance. My wife’s prior husband was a LEO who was murdered in the line of duty. We are both cops. We understand how quickly life can end and to enjoy it while we can.

Anywho, logistically it’s not easy for us to just “go” on a longer trip. We have two big dogs, one of which cannot be boarded so we are reliant on dog sitters. Then there’s consideration of time off of work, which in our job is hard to obtain.

Top it off with we would like to go with a group, and I’d like that group to be comprised of forum members. Something like this trip has the potential to build some good friendships.

 

[3TV]

How many do you want in your group? How many days do you plan on spending on the trail? I have done the Rubicon twice (once in a TJ and once in a XJ), but that was years ago and I would like to do it again.

 

[SadRobot]

I'm interested depending on group size and when. Looks like the internet says the best time to run it is June-September.

I'm going to be up in the NorCal area Aug 11-13th. Would be an easy drive out to Lake Tahoe from there. Just throwing that potential week (11/14-TBD) out there.

?

 

[spenat]

I'm interested for sure.

I did one of the jeep academy's there. partial day and you do a couple miles of the trail.

My JlU is basically stock but going to build it up more soon

Figure I would add a lift, some 35's and skids before I go back and try the whole thing.

I was planning on doing the jeep jamboree but you need 37's which I don't want to have on my daily. (maybe someone should start a rental business for tires for a weekend?)

 

[Maverick909]

I am interested it’s bucket list for sure. I need to go through and order spare parts though. Recommend having front axle shafts and one rear for spares. Full skid plates, front and rear lockers. Etc. I’ve been slowly building my list of wheeling parts to make sure I can fix anything and everything I can.

 

[bjm00se]

I was planning on doing the jeep jamboree but you need 37's which I don't want to have on my daily. (maybe someone should start a rental business for tires for a weekend?)

There are two "Jamborees" organized by different groups out of Georgetown.

Jeepers Jamboree runs on two separate weekends, and doesn't have the tire size requirement.
https://www.jeepersjamboree.com/

Jeep Jamboree USA is the one that requires the 37" tires.
https://jeepjamboreeusa.com/trip/26th-rubicon-trail-2023/

 

[ChuckQue]

Well, just to further throw a monkey wrench in any hopes I have of running it this year…

I had a meeting with my spine surgeon today. I have to have another cervical spine surgery, and it looks like it’s going to happen within the next couple of months. No wheeling for a good while after that. ?

 

[19 JLUR Bright Whit3]

I heard that there is a lot of snow on the Rubicon now. ?‍
There are about 5 of us making plans for August 2024. I try to make it out West once a year. If not the Rubicon, it'll be Moab again in July for us. Maybe add a couple of days in Sand Hollow.

 

[ChuckQue]

I heard that there is a lot of snow on the Rubicon now. ?‍
There are about 5 of us making plans for August 2024. I try to make it out West once a year. If the not the Rubicon, it'll be Moab again in July for us. Maybe add a couple of days in Sand Hollow.

There is, I suggest joining the Rubicon Trail group page on Facebook if you haven’t already. Lots of great info there and yeah, there’s still sections of it impassible. You could run a good portion of it though, which would still be fun!

 

[Maverick909]

I would say late July the snow should be basically gone from the trail. But it’s going to be a mad house of people once it does open !

 

[spenat]

There are two "Jamborees" organized by different groups out of Georgetown.

Jeepers Jamboree runs on two separate weekends, and doesn't have the tire size requirement.
https://www.jeepersjamboree.com/

Jeep Jamboree USA is the one that requires the 37" tires.
https://jeepjamboreeusa.com/trip/26th-rubicon-trail-2023/

very true about the two different jamnorees, the jeep academy crew also runs the jeep jamboree and I thought they did a great job, so ideally would like to go through them, just not sure I want 37's

 

[C.Sco]

I plan on running it this summer, but I have no idea when. My schedule is too unpredictable to get involved with any scheduled group activities.

That said... I've run it before, just not in a JL, or in any other vehicle I own for that matter. Went with a group of guys from work, used their rigs (CJ's & ZJ's).

It's a freaking challenging trail, to put it mildly. And relentless! As soon as you leave Loon Lake, it's just non-stop obstacles for the next 10 miles. Sure there are only a handful of "named" obstacles, but don't let that fool you - there is hardly a single point on the trail where it's just "smooth sailing" for more than about 100 feet. You'll be climbing over boulders and wedging between trees pretty much the whole way (other than the last 4 miles or so leading into Tahoe).

I don't know what your Jeep has, but here's what I would recommend at a minimum:

• Front & rear lockers (I know you're covered there with your Rubicon)
• 37" tires (35" might work, but you'll have a rough time)
• 3.5" lift
• Steel bumpers, real rock sliders (not the stock Rubi ones) that poke out from the body a bit, undercarriage skids.
• Recovery gear + winch
• A complete tool and supply kit for trail repairs

I'd also highly recommend differential skids - you will 100% be hitting your diffs on rocks, there's no avoiding it.

Don't drink and drive. You'll probably see other people drinking "trail sodas" out there, but don't follow suit - it's not just a terrible idea for safety reasons, but it's also a public county road, patrolled by El Dorado county sheriffs (in a badass sheriff's department Wrangler), and you can get cited and/or arrested for DUI out there.

Also the trail changes A LOT throughout the season. I've been there 3 times, and the trail has totally different every time. Right after the Jamborees is probably the easiest time, because the trail has been "manicured" a bit by all the crews and drivers out there, stacking rocks and whatnot. In the very early or very late season it can be pretty tore up and difficult.

 

[GMONEY]

I need at least a year before I'm ready for that. Not to mention my lift and new tires.

A Moab trip seems to be needed before I head to the Rubicon.

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