Norcal Wagons on the Rubicon

[alvarorb]

This weekend the Norcal Wagons held their annual trip to the Rubicon. Here are some Pictures.

The food was awesome as always. Fresh caught Alaskan wild samon. Homemade carnitas. Short ribs. A bit of wine and microbrews. What else can you ask for??


Enjoy

Alvaro

[Cube Dweller]

I'll chime in first and say thanks to all the Norcal 80's crew for taking a newbie like me thru with patience and guidance(and more than a few rocks stacked).

An especially big thanks to Brett/DieselBigot for hitching up his trailer, driving two hours to Tahoe, loading up my runner and driving me back to Roseville. All after just meeting him two days earlier.

Food and company was great, thanks again guys. Can't imagine a better group to hit the trails with.

tony

[Cruiserdrew]

I have to say Tony was totally good natured about taking his truck from a pristine 4Runner to "seasoned" trail rig in one trip. We counted the straight body panels on his truck on Cadillac hill and stopped at 2-the roof and the hood.

It was a great trip with the usual adventures, good food and company. I was worried when part of the group got lost on the slabs in the dark, but it all worked out OK.

Was it just me or did the trail seem tougher this time through? Particularly the lower 1/2 of Walker Hill was in very bad shape and we had 2 near rollovers in that section. I also thought Upper Big Sluice was pretty chewed up, as was the lower 2/3 of Cadillac Hill. There were some impressive stucks around Buck Island Lake, and in Big Sluice. The highlifts and rock stackers all got a work out. Amando had the "best" 100 series high center ever on the Rubicon but deserves all the credit for getting his 100 through the Rubicon for a 100 series first.

I can't wait until the Norcal Wagon Rubicon Run in 2006-look for it in August 2006.

[grenecruiser]

Great pictures and sweet wagons!!

[NorCalDoug]

A fantastic run guys

Some comments now...while I have a few minutes...more to follow...
Sactocruiser (Tony) -- gret job on getting the 4Runner through. The trail this year was the toughest I've encountered. If not for the mishap on Cadillac Hill your rig woud've come out pretty well, IMO. I hope you get your suspension issues resolved soon -- let me know if you need a hand with anything.

FirstToy (James) drove up from L.A. to join us (riding along with CruiserDrew) -- it was great having you there -- you kicked butt on Walker Hill in La Cabra (props to alvarorb for letting him take the wheel).

slo60 (Jeff) in his open diff'd 60 took on the trail with very few issues. There was an occasional tug and rock stack, but it was amazing to see him take the trail without lockers.

I4C4LO (Amando) in his 100 series spanked the rubicon trail from Gatekeeper to Buck Island Lake to Rubicon Springs, up Cadillac Hill and out. Great job dude! I wish you would've spent the night hanging with us at the Springs -- you were missed. Excellent driving on the trail.

and a few pics...
the first two are of me
the third is Mark in his virtually unstoppable SAS's mini. That truck simply rocked

[NorCalDoug]

more...
dclee in the aligator pits
I4C4LO in his 100 just past Walker Hill
slo60 on Walker Hill

[NorCalDoug]

again...
FirstToy driving alvarorb's La Cabra on Walker
Sactocruiser dropping into Big Sluice (2 pics)

[NorCalDoug]

the last for now...
slo60 navigating Big Sluice
group shot on observation point -- missing I4C4LO (Amando) and dieselbigot (Brett) -- they left the night before.

[Biff]

Doug, the lightforces look good.

[slo60]

This was a great run! Thanks to all who went! Good friends, good food, and good wheeling! It doesn't get much better.

[alvarorb]

Thanks to all those who helped me with my busted brake line

Regards

Alvaro

[Cube Dweller]

How 'bout dessert Friday night? CruiserDrew served up hot peach cobbler made from SCRATCH in camp, topped off with some of Dreyers finest vanilla ice cream thanks to DCLee and his ARB "freezer". I vote we rename his 80 the Ice Cream Wagon.....

Also gotta say thanks to Ernie Phillips who probably moved 2 tons of granite to help my undergeared(overgeared?) runner ramp up some of the steeper boulders.

NorCalDoug, expect a PM for the Carnitas recipe...

[NorCalDoug]

Originally Posted by Biff

Doug, the lightforces look good.

They worked great too! I'm really glad I had them.

Part of our group got separated, then ventured off the trail onto a dead-end section. We lost abouit an hour getting backtracking up a tricky section to make it back on the trail. By the time we hit the very off-camber bypass to Old Sluice on some granite slabs, it was around 8PM and EXTREMELY DARK.

The lightforces did a fantastic job flooding the trail with light. I'm amazed how much light these things put out.

I highly recommend them to anyone looking for lights for their rig.

[NorCalSam]

Very cool guys...I love the pics. Looks like loads of fun just to much work to do to finish my house.. couldn't get the time off. Next year I'm in.. Don't know about the wife looking at the pictures... she would need a bottle of wine or something.

[Brentbba]

Originally Posted by NorCalDoug

A fantastic run guys

Some comments now...while I have a few minutes...more to follow...
Sactocruiser (Tony) -- gret job on getting the 4Runner through. The trail this year was the toughest I've encountered. If not for the mishap on Cadillac Hill your rig woud've come out pretty well, IMO. I hope you get your suspension issues resolved soon -- let me know if you need a hand with anything.

FirstToy (James) drove up from L.A. to join us (riding along with CruiserDrew) -- it was great having you there -- you kicked butt on Walker Hill in La Cabra (props to alvarorb for letting him take the wheel).

slo60 (Jeff) in his open diff'd 60 took on the trail with very few issues. There was an occasional tug and rock stack, but it was amazing to see him take the trail without lockers.

I4C4LO (Amando) in his 100 series spanked the rubicon trail from Gatekeeper to Buck Island Lake to Rubicon Springs, up Cadillac Hill and out. Great job dude! I wish you would've spent the night hanging with us at the Springs -- you were missed. Excellent driving on the trail.

and a few pics...
the first two are of me
the third is Mark in his virtually unstoppable SAS's mini. That truck simply rocked

After pics 2 and 3 here - you'll never get me on that!

[NorCalDoug]

Originally Posted by Brentbba

After pics 2 and 3 here - you'll never get me on that!

that what they all say

those pics are from the first few hundred yards -- we were just warming up

[Brentbba]

Is it as difficult as it looks? Otherwise looks and sounds like a blast!

[NorCalDoug]

Originally Posted by Brentbba

Is it as difficult as it looks? Otherwise looks and sounds like a blast!

It's not an easy trail. The pics I posted were from some of the tougher spots -- it's not all like that, but it is relentless -- as soon as you stop paying attention to what you're doing...that's when you'll get hung up or break something.

Great time though.

[FirstToy]

Originally Posted by Brentbba

Is it as difficult as it looks? Otherwise looks and sounds like a blast!

The photos make it look easy! Those guys drove thru like champs. It's crazy-difficult.
It was all a blast tho!

[stuck in GA]

Ah it looks like fun. Difficult makes it fun. Now insane trails on the other hand aren't fun for me at least. That is how I almost don't have a driver side door. Those trails are what wheelin is all about.

[beno]

Josh...

Can we get your definition of "insane" both your dictionary definition, as well as, your working definition--i.e., in situ

You are, after all, going to college. Consider this a writing exercise.

Pics too of your 'insanity'.

To me, those trails that the NorCal guys go on are pretty 'insane.' I can guarantee you that though it might look easy to you, once you get in there, you will more than likely develop wet spots in the usual places. I think you are seeing extremely good driving and extremely well-aware folks taking their vehicles to some good limits...

Thanks again NorCal dudes...always epic pics.

Best.
-onur
Akron, OH

[stuck in GA]

Beno I am not discounting them. I am saying from my opinion that what they are doing looks like fun. It is hard but that is what makes it fun. Insane things where it is for trucks with at least 40 inch tires is not fun for me because of what I drive it is easy to break things. I know from experience. I might not know a lot about tech but I do wheel every weekend. And I will put some pics this week. I am not saying I am hardcore no matter what. I am saying what they do looks like fun. It is my opinion. This is not tech Beno. So you don't need to get on my case. Trails is my section. It is what really interests me and I am giving them props on the ride. I think it is great. It is what I do the most.

[beno]

Originally Posted by stuck in GA

Beno I am not discounting them. I am saying from my opinion that what they are doing looks like fun. It is hard but that is what makes it fun. Insane things where it is for trucks with at least 40 inch tires is not fun for me because of what I drive it is easy to break things. I know from experience. I might not know a lot about tech but I do wheel every weekend. And I will put some pics this week. I am not saying I am hardcore no matter what. I am saying what they do looks like fun. It is my opinion. This is not tech Beno. So you don't need to get on my case. Trails is my section. It is what really interests me and I am giving them props on the ride. I think it is great. It is what I do the most.

Josh...I'm not getting on your case. I'm just really interested in seeing and hearing your definition of insane. That's all dude...and we all know that tech is not your speciality...
Later
-o-

[stuck in GA]

Yeah its cool. I will get those pics up hopefully today.