Rubicon Experience/advice

Been going to tahoe/Meeks bay for years, never with the jeep. Always wish we had it with us and may be able to arrange it this August.

I am thinking a family solo day run in and out from tahoma and back out. Question is for those who know the trail.....is the eastern part of the trail 1) moderate enough for a reasonably safe solo rig family day run 2)scenic and fun enough to warrant driving the XJ 8 hrs up I5 and back

We would be dragging the RV up and my 17 year old would follow in the jeep. The XJ is on 33's locked front and rear, no winch but sliders and recovery points.

If you ask me there is only one real obstruction on the way in from the Tahoe side before you get to the Observation Point. Now I have to say every one has a different view on what makes a trail hard, so some of the mid-size (2 to 3 foot) rocks I don't think of as much of a challenge, but they can grab you and make you pull cable to get off.

Here is a photo of the one spot, we were driving in from Tahoe and it is about a four foot ledge that could be an issue:

Remember photos NEVER show how it is in real life!

At the Observation Point the view is very nice, I am sure you have seen lots of photos from this spot, I have hundreds of photos from this spot. Almost everyone stops to have lunch or just enjoy the view:






Now If you have a winch and another rig or two, for a good day trip I would go down Cadillac hill and have lunch at the Rubicon Springs. Also there is a place to go that you can rent quads and a guide that will take a group to the springs for a day trip.

My best advice would be to post up when you want to go, maybe some of our local members will join you for the day and show you the eastern side of the Rubicon. Even the best drivers can get in a pinch and it is always nice to have help.

33s locked front and rear/ sliders/ and recovery points is more than enough to get to observation point from tahoe, the only real obstacle from tahoe into the springs is cadillac hill, which can get fun real fast only becuase youre snaking around some good sized boulders while going uphill/downhill.

i would say if you plan on going down cadillac for peice of mind bring some tools and spares in case you get bound up real bad and youre all alone.
otherwise youre rig is great for that.

if youre only going to observation point that first 8 miles or so(last 8 miles from loon) is pretty easy.

Thans for the replys so far....great info. Trust me I know mylimits and always err on the side of caution when not in a group. And I know how everybodys assessment can be different. Even if I only get a few miles of "SUV" trail, a couple of low gear obsticals and some solitude and scenery it will be all good.

I will definatley post up the dates when they get closer, it would be perfect to hook up with another rig or two.

88trailcrawler said:

Thans for the replys so far....great info. Trust me I know mylimits and always err on the side of caution when not in a group. And I know how everybodys assessment can be different. Even if I only get a few miles of "SUV" trail, a couple of low gear obsticals and some solitude and scenery it will be all good.

I will definatley post up the dates when they get closer, it would be perfect to hook up with another rig or two.

Click to expand...

Sierra Fest in August, we're hitting the Rubicon. In on Monday from the Loon Lake side, and out on Wednesday to the Tahoe side. Check it out.

I wouldn't recommend going down Cadillac alone, but as the others mentioned it is pretty easy going to Observation Point. There is some nice scenery along the way and some nice lakes, Lily and Richardson to name a couple. I've camped at Richardson Lake a few times which is a little off the beaten path and it is very nice. There are a couple old cabins around that area and one that is still useable (at least it was last time I was there) at Richardson Lake. I think it is maintained by the Sierra Club, and I will reserve my comments about that....

I'll be up there the week of the 22nd.

If anybody is interested in a half day in and out run from the tahoe side.

Are there any scheduled events that week that need to be avoided?

Bring mosquito repellant. We were eaten alive on that part of the trail last weekend.

OK my dates are coming up soon. I did some more research, got some maps and coordinates. Tahoma to Observation point is the plan. Will play Cadillac by ear, depending on timing and people on trail.

Any other 1/2 day moderate trails in the area worth looking into?

On the way out take the Barker Pass OHV route. Nice scenery there too.

Going down Cadillac solo might not be a problem, it's the return up the hill that will be dicey in your rig (33's and no winch). I went up Cadillac solo last week but I'm on 35's and have a winch. Even though I didn't use the winch, there's a ledge where I seriously thought about it. The trail is very narrow in areas with little shoulder before it drops off the side of the mountain. In my situation, I had a group following me by a few hours, so I knew if I got stuck I would just chill out until they showed up. If you do attempt it, walk ahead first on the decent and scope out an area to turn around in case there's an obstacle you want to back out on (literally).

we ran cadillac with 2 xjs on 33s locked front and rear with chromos and short arms and i was locked front and rear on 35s with stock shafts and long arms with no problems. we all made it up just fine, just a good amount of spotting on a few parts. there is a ledge closer to the top that is real fun, going straight up and sideways...

I'll check out barker pass. Probably skip Cadillac unless there are others on the trail. Definatley not interested in too much challenge on a solo run. Plus the XJ has to make the drive home at thesis of the week.