Bad Lines Rubicon 2024

[dwphoto]

We must have just missed each other. I saw the yellow ford at the bottom of the granite bowl going out as we where going in.

Our group was Cadillac hill Sunday 10-2ish I'd say. Not sure what @Mannysouza did I'm pretty sure they parked at the Loon side. So that would make sense. Bummer we missed ya... Next time!

 

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So we reluctantly left the lake.

I tossed @sdecurti the keys and said you are driving

We made it a little ways further with the whole squad but the time had come to split... @UCD BAJA and @Treeguy77 both had trailers parked at the loon side of the trail. They didn't want to continue to drive further away from truck and trailers. Then we had Hayden who drove all the way from Calgary Alberta, and @sdecurti and myself that were first timers . Nick was good either way as hes done the trail multiple times

So it was the 3 Toyota continuing the charge. The 2 Jeeps heading back toward Loon.
We didnt have to much further to Buck Island Lake. About to drop down the slabs we came across @ultra4Jones Post up broken... We stopped to chat for a bit he said he was waiting on parts and didn't need anything at the moment. There was a few trucks stacking up behind us so we decided to press on...

And the rain drops began to fall.

 

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Nick passing out some more Alloy Armor

Finally we made it down to Buck

There was a major traffic jam headed toward Rubicon Springs so we Sat tight for quite awhile I want to say about an hr.. Nick had the Grill cheese maker fired up and cranking. And the weather... it couldnt make up its mind

You can see @Mannysouza in the background

Scotts still driving by the way... having the time of his life

Finally we get moving again make our way over to Big Sluice...

 

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At the top of big sluice we caught up to a few stock new broncos. They were with a few toyota Guys that we were chatting with at Buck. Long story short we let them get about a 20 min head start down Big Sluice. Hayden was tired of listening to his Tcase flop around like a salmon under his truck so. He crawled under there and installed the ones he had brought with him... even offered Nick and I some like you would if you were offering someone some skittles... Any way got that buttoned up. And we drop in.

First turn we caught one of the bronco the rest of the group had lost him.

That Bronco was having issue making hard left turn and got a little hung up. His buddy was spotting him. Truck hit something underneath and we hear a strange hissing.... Driver starts wigging out about how he has Zero steering... and how were they going to get out of here and blah blah blah.. I reeled him back in. I was like "Hey! You are gunna be okay. The reason you cant steer is because you are trying to steer into this rock and your tire is getting wedged. Back up a foot while you are turning start to turn passenger." He did it and while is steering wasn't great he did have manual steering.. The Electric Power Steering left the chat..

He was able to get free and move up. Once he was good I politely yet assertively asked that he lets us pass him for the rest of the decent. Down Big Sluice.. We were trying to push for Rubicon Springs before dark. He said he'd let us by. We had to do a 17 point turn to make the corner but we got by and continued down the trail

Just after this Scott and I almost rolled the 4 runner into tree lol no photos or video but can confirm shit got serious for a few seconds... followed by backing up very slowly saving it and then hitting the Rev Limiter and yelling and laughing hahaha good times

 

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Hayden trying the right line one the shark tooth.

He end up backing up and taking the route to the left Nick took..

he ends up somehow with 3 tires off the ground, rotating on the rock like a pin wheel with his driveshaft pivoting him

I yell to him hey dude you are on your drive shaft. He hops out real quick to take a look.. " I think she'll go" haha Canadians are built different.


Hops back in and sends it and somehow came out unscathed..

now it was Scotty turn.

RIP that Corner light haha

 

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At last Rubicon Springs.

Spicy lines only

We finished up taking photos and continued into Rubicon Springs "Slabs"

We pretty much Shut the trucks down and headed for the Springs.

water temp was perfect... Felt so good to wash the grime of the day off. just before dark we walked back up to truck and fired up the Howl and the Camp stoves with a bunch of meat from our Resident Butcher @UCD BAJA

All of us went to bed went to bed pretty early probably 11-12ish

 

[dwphoto]

Sunday morning came early. Was woken up to a few Jeep that fired up trucks about 545am... I think i finally slithered out of the tent cot about 645 or so... and much to my surprise most of the camps had pretty well packed up and either had already jammed or were just about to.

The search chopper was back... Looking for the Missing Jeeper.

We were in no real rush so we made breakfast while pretty causally packing up camp.

After Breakfast we all headed back down to the water for one last little dip.

 

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BLGT Swimsuit shoot haha

The time had come to Hit the trail Up Cadillac and out. There had been quite a few rigs passing our camp on the way out up Cadillac but hadnt seen anyone go by in probably 20 mins or so.

This is the trail leaving camp... We still have some wheeling to do to get up and out to Tahoma.

 

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We made maybe a mile until our progress halted. Bumper to bumper stopped.

At least we had shade ?
Took a little inventory of rock rash

Bent the shit out of my flat tow tab haha

There was Search and rescue with dogs walking the trail

Was parked on this super steep slab for about 10 mins that was exciting

The Search efforts combo'd with trail traffic and a few breakages. It took us 4 hrs to make it up Cadillac Hill.
The views didn't so we just made the most of it.

We made it

Aired up and headed down the road To Lake Tahoe.

We still had about 1hr 30 min drive back to Garden Valley where the trailers were.
Grabbed a quick burger with the Remaining squad and reminisced the previous 72 hrs. What a Trip. Little bit of Carnage on the first day with Caleb's parking lot shenanigans and then Ezra's upper links but other than that we pretty much cruised through with out issue.
We said our goodbye's to Nick as we was headed back down 395 and Hayden and I set out for the final stretch off road. We made it there with out too much issue other than Hayden pulling off a few times to check is front DS and let his T cases and Co dog cool down...
We made it... Hayden and Ashton loaded up and hit the road pointed back to Alberta.

Scotty and I loaded up the 4runner and had an amazing steak dinner with his fam. Next morning hit the road back down south...

Was awesome to finally check this one off the list. Cant wait to do it again.

Over and Out

E

 

[sdecurti]

#goodtimes for sure. One of those trips ill remember till im too old to remember haah. Def going to have to do the trail once a year, a must!

@dwphoto thanks for all the photos and the trip report!

 

[UCD BAJA]

That was hell of a write up E, bummed the gang had to split up but good times were had by all for sure!!! Ez, Asher, Colton and I had an uneventful trip out which was nice, camped at the bottom of Walker Hill. Had dinner Ez and his son Asher went to bed pretty early and Colton and I finished off the whiskey and most the vodka while we sat around a tiny citronella candle discussing how we would solve the worlds problems until way too late pretty standard.

Sunday morning was a pretty short drive out, ran into a horde of UTV's.....like 60 or 70 in a big long caravan so we stopped hydrated and watched them all go by. That's when I spotted Charlie Brown. We got back to the trucks by 10:30 or so loaded up swam in Loon Lake for a bit before driving home.

 

[dwphoto]

That was hell of a write up E, bummed the gang had to split up but good times were had by all for sure!!! Ez, Asher, Colton and I had an uneventful trip out which was nice, camped at the bottom of Walker Hill. Had dinner Ez and his son Asher went to bed pretty early and Colton and I finished off the whiskey and most the vodka while we sat around a tiny citronella candle discussing how we would solve the worlds problems until way too late pretty standard.

Sunday morning was a pretty short drive out, ran into a horde of UTV's.....like 60 or 70 in a big long caravan so we stopped hydrated and watched them all go by. That's when I spotted Charlie Brown. We got back to the trucks by 10:30 or so loaded up swam in Loon Lake for a bit before driving home.

#goodtimes for sure. One of those trips ill remember till im too old to remember haah. Def going to have to do the trail once a year, a must!

@dwphoto thanks for all the photos and the trip report!

Thanks Boyz... where's the photos?
@sdecurti @UCD BAJA
@Lugnut @Treeguy77

Nick, Hayden, Ashton are too cool for forumz

 

[dirtyjed]

Awesome trip!!
We passed you guys Saturday morning on our way back to Loon. Thought I recognized the Loose n Lost 4runner than I saw the Grey Dodge with the HLGT sticker parked a couple rigs over from my tow rig and figured it was you guys.
Next time you come up ya gotta hit Fordyce

 

[sdecurti]

 

[SByota]

What an awesome adventure!! I kinda want to find a shitbox crawler to match my shitbox pre runner now….

 

[dwphoto]

Awesome trip!!
We passed you guys Saturday morning on our way back to Loon. Thought I recognized the Loose n Lost 4runner than I saw the Grey Dodge with the HLGT sticker parked a couple rigs over from my tow rig and figured it was you guys.
Next time you come up ya gotta hit Fordyce

Not shit!
We will be back for sure!
Would be cool do some kind of forum meet up out there next year and or hit Rubicon/Fordyce

 

[dwphoto]

What an awesome adventure!! I kinda want to find a shitbox crawler to match my shitbox pre runner now….

yep you need one for sure!

Need to start a Shitbox Finder Thread..

 

[dirtyjed]

Not shit!
We will be back for sure!
Would be cool do some kind of forum meet up out there next year and or hit Rubicon/Fordyce

I'm in.
We may have dragged a keg up to Fordyce/Meadow lake and wheeled/floated a few days away a few times.

 

[dwphoto]