Three Dudes, One Truck - Rubicon or Bust
- Thread starter FJ60Cam
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Ya giving me RubiBlue balls, Cam
AWESOME story so far! I hope to make a trip like this one day w/ my son.
- Thread starter
- #105
So we get into the springs, which is actually private property. Since we are on a flat dusty road I assume the wheeling is over. I'm picturing gravel service roads and a grassy meadow upon which to pitch my tent.
Boy I'm wrong. The Rubicon trail takes a break for no one. We are still very much on the trail. I put my guard back up and turn on my front locker for some obstacle that has everyone in front of me doing some three-wheel motion that would make Ice Cube blush. Yee-Haw!
I make it through without incident and we make our way past the Rubicon Springs caretaker's cabin and the central gathering area, which is the only flat place around. We wheel over to the slabs and quickly claim our patches of rock. Just like the other camping spots, there are tents and trucks tucked away all over the place.
Boy I'm wrong. The Rubicon trail takes a break for no one. We are still very much on the trail. I put my guard back up and turn on my front locker for some obstacle that has everyone in front of me doing some three-wheel motion that would make Ice Cube blush. Yee-Haw!
I make it through without incident and we make our way past the Rubicon Springs caretaker's cabin and the central gathering area, which is the only flat place around. We wheel over to the slabs and quickly claim our patches of rock. Just like the other camping spots, there are tents and trucks tucked away all over the place.
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- Thread starter
- #106
More camp pics...
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- Thread starter
- #107
Once again, the kids take off. Their primal instincts take over, and all of them have picked up weapons - sticks are now swords and clubs. They climb around on the endless landscape of rocks, sticking to them like mountain goats, exploring and waging make believe battles.
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- Thread starter
- #108
We get camp set up, and since we now have plenty of spare time, we drink a beer between every step. After camp is set up, I head over to the registration area to check in. I don't know about the shortcut yet so I just take the trail. I see Woody and Todd Shirley at the Metaltech camp and hang out with them for a bit. Todd was the lucky winner of a free Rubithon entry courtesy of MT and got to pilot their orange FJC on the trail.
I bid them farewell and continue on the endless journey to check-in, where I get my meal and raffle tickets and check out the schedule of events.
I bid them farewell and continue on the endless journey to check-in, where I get my meal and raffle tickets and check out the schedule of events.
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- Thread starter
- #109
I ask about the shortcut back to the slabs and I get pointed towards some wilderness and am told to just follow the river.
The general layout of the place is there's a river on one side and a mountain on the other, so you can't really get lost.
Shortcut hiking "trail"...
The general layout of the place is there's a river on one side and a mountain on the other, so you can't really get lost.
Shortcut hiking "trail"...
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- Thread starter
- #110
As in the days before, I am just in awe of the scenery...
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- Thread starter
- #111
More...
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- Thread starter
- #112
We drink some more beer while we ponder what to make for dinner. We have plenty of spare time now to cook and clean up after without feeling rushed.
I make some of the best tasting chili I've ever made (could have just been the surroundings talking), complete with some Conecuh sausage (imported from Alabama) that I brought from home.
We pour the leftovers into a ziplock bag and of course start making WAG Bag jokes.
I make some of the best tasting chili I've ever made (could have just been the surroundings talking), complete with some Conecuh sausage (imported from Alabama) that I brought from home.
We pour the leftovers into a ziplock bag and of course start making WAG Bag jokes.
- Thread starter
- #113
Day Seven - Friday 6/21
Today we have all day to do... NOTHING. There are absolutely no responsibilities. Except keeping Andrew alive. This is actually harder than it sounds.
The sun out here is brutal. I underestimated it the day before and didn't put on any sunscreen, or wear a hat, or longsleeves. Today I am paying for it.
Andrew doesn't work in an office like I do, so he has a little more of a base tan and is faring much better. Still, he just wants to go play with his friends. So every few hours I have to find him and drag him back to put some food and water in him. It doesn't take much to get dehydrated out here.
Today we have all day to do... NOTHING. There are absolutely no responsibilities. Except keeping Andrew alive. This is actually harder than it sounds.
The sun out here is brutal. I underestimated it the day before and didn't put on any sunscreen, or wear a hat, or longsleeves. Today I am paying for it.
Andrew doesn't work in an office like I do, so he has a little more of a base tan and is faring much better. Still, he just wants to go play with his friends. So every few hours I have to find him and drag him back to put some food and water in him. It doesn't take much to get dehydrated out here.
- Thread starter
- #114
At some point in the day, Alvaro comes around trying to wrangle up another team for the Rock Chef Competition. He hears me joke about my WAG bag chili and starts trying to talk me in to participating. I explain that this is all I have to enter, and haven't planned to enter and couldn't make the other two food entries if I wanted.
He pairs me up with Chad, who is in the same boat. He has some crazy bloomin' onion recipe that he's gonna serve in an aluminum foil birfield (the food has to be Landcruiser related.) Awesome, but we still don't have a dessert.
We take inventory of our supplies and find a pouch of biscuit mix, some brown sugar, and a can of peaches. BAM. Peach Cobbler. DONE. We are gonna win this thing.
I get to thinking... I don't have enough chili to serve the five judges and Alvaro. I look around in my kitchen box and find a can of chili left over from our New Year's Ride. I left it in there to be used only in an emergency.
This classifies as an emergency.
Fast forward to the event...
I'm not sure what we were thinking.
Chad and I are both first timers to Alvaro's "Chef" competitions and had no idea what we are up against. The other teams have obviously been planning for months. They look like they are just took the weekend off from their full time chef jobs just to compete in some competition in the mountains. They even have uniforms. We're also competing against Ross Woody, who cooks the tri-tip (for 200 people) at the raffle dinner. Guess what he's cooking... tri-tip. This is not looking good.
We get to work. Chad gets his onion started, and I find some extra mystery meat to add to the chili. I pour in the canned chili and my leftovers while nobody is looking. Everything has to be made on the spot, so we aren't really sure if this is a legal move or not
Meanwhile the competition is serving up food to the judges. Stuff like asparagus spears with mashed potatoes and pork tenderloin, Hamburgers & onion rings, tri-tip, stuff like that.
(pics stolen from Fast Eddy)
Then Chad's onion creation is ready, and it BLOWS. THE. JUDGES. MINDS. The other teams fight back by bribing the judges with booze.
My chili is about ready, so we serve it up in an honest-to-goodness WAG bag! BAM! Presentation Points!
Desserts start coming out and some of them look they were flown in for the event.
In the end, we came in third place, only a few points behind second. At least we didn't come in last. Not bad for some canned goods and leftovers. And only a few hours of planning.
If only we had brought some booze...
He pairs me up with Chad, who is in the same boat. He has some crazy bloomin' onion recipe that he's gonna serve in an aluminum foil birfield (the food has to be Landcruiser related.) Awesome, but we still don't have a dessert.
We take inventory of our supplies and find a pouch of biscuit mix, some brown sugar, and a can of peaches. BAM. Peach Cobbler. DONE. We are gonna win this thing.
I get to thinking... I don't have enough chili to serve the five judges and Alvaro. I look around in my kitchen box and find a can of chili left over from our New Year's Ride. I left it in there to be used only in an emergency.
This classifies as an emergency.
Fast forward to the event...
I'm not sure what we were thinking.
Chad and I are both first timers to Alvaro's "Chef" competitions and had no idea what we are up against. The other teams have obviously been planning for months. They look like they are just took the weekend off from their full time chef jobs just to compete in some competition in the mountains. They even have uniforms. We're also competing against Ross Woody, who cooks the tri-tip (for 200 people) at the raffle dinner. Guess what he's cooking... tri-tip. This is not looking good.
We get to work. Chad gets his onion started, and I find some extra mystery meat to add to the chili. I pour in the canned chili and my leftovers while nobody is looking. Everything has to be made on the spot, so we aren't really sure if this is a legal move or not
Meanwhile the competition is serving up food to the judges. Stuff like asparagus spears with mashed potatoes and pork tenderloin, Hamburgers & onion rings, tri-tip, stuff like that.
(pics stolen from Fast Eddy)
Then Chad's onion creation is ready, and it BLOWS. THE. JUDGES. MINDS. The other teams fight back by bribing the judges with booze.
My chili is about ready, so we serve it up in an honest-to-goodness WAG bag! BAM! Presentation Points!
Desserts start coming out and some of them look they were flown in for the event.
In the end, we came in third place, only a few points behind second. At least we didn't come in last. Not bad for some canned goods and leftovers. And only a few hours of planning.
If only we had brought some booze...
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Bodean
Hot Damn
Awesome! We have got to make this trip!
- Thread starter
- #116
Yes Sir!
2015. Do it!
I've already told Stephanie we're going! Fingers crossed that it sticks!
Bodean
Hot Damn
What is the situation for parking big trailers?
- Thread starter
- #118
You could park on the Tahoe end and then drive the trail rig to Loon. That will take a while, but chump change compared to the drive out there.
A nice fella named Bruce volunteered some private property in Pollock Pines for parking. There's probably some more on the loon side.
Since its a point to point trail, there'll be driving either before or after. Unless we run it both ways
A nice fella named Bruce volunteered some private property in Pollock Pines for parking. There's probably some more on the loon side.
Since its a point to point trail, there'll be driving either before or after. Unless we run it both ways
- Thread starter
- #119
Of course it looked like running the trail in reverse would really up the challenge.
When I went we ran it both directions and everyone left their trailers at Loon Lake. There is tons of parking there on the day the event starts and it is very crowded on the day you return.
Lots of people do this. You can run Cadillac Hill during your camp time so you can say you ran the whole trail.
If I were ever to go back I would park on Tahoe side. Carry all my s*** to camp and then go run the trail empty both ways in one day.
Cam. Loving your story. Beautifully done.
I will say, I like my Pismo Jim picture better though
Lots of people do this. You can run Cadillac Hill during your camp time so you can say you ran the whole trail.
If I were ever to go back I would park on Tahoe side. Carry all my s*** to camp and then go run the trail empty both ways in one day.
Cam. Loving your story. Beautifully done.
I will say, I like my Pismo Jim picture better though