OHV Gates, working on it
Posted: August 8, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: access, closed, gates Leave a commentFor the last three straight years, many of the OHV gates within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) did not open on time. This is not a new phenomenon. Sadly, it is a regular occurrence. This has always been the gate in question: The Middle Fork Trail 15N38.
It was so bad in 2025, that I decided to push hard to see that it did not happen again. (I had worked with the Basin previous years without success.) I contacted the LTBMU and had a meeting scheduled to talk about OHV gates in October of 2025. That’s seven months before the OHV gates were to be opened! Well, that was the time the federal government shut down due to lack of funding for about 40 days. No meeting.
Come January, the government is back open. The previous ‘acting’ Forest Supervisor retired. So, I started over with the new ‘acting’ Supervisor. We did meet. I thought we were on the right track. A few meetings, many emails.
But 15N38 was not open on June 1st. I emailed the Basin and I got this in response…
Tough to read but it says they had a crew scheduled to inspect the trail “today”. (6-2-2026). The day AFTER the trail was to open. My response was professional but very heated. A trail should not be scheduled for an inspection, the day after it’s to open.
Another new ‘acting’ Supervisor. More emails. More meetings.
My argument is that people out playing on the Rubicon read the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), read that the Middle Fork Trail opens June 1st. So, they plan to exit the Rubicon Trail using Barker Meadow OHV Trail (16E76), then Red Cabin Trail (16E79) and head down the Middle Fork Trail (15N38) to Tahoe. But they find 15N38 closed because the Basin has failed to do their job.
The FS is down employees, due to transfers out of the Basin and retirements. They claim to be down on funding and cannot replace people fast enough. So, I’m stepping up and removing some of their excuses regarding why OHV gates do not open on time.
The first step is developing a list of OHV gates. The MVUM lists all the trails, but some don’t have gates and some have two gates. I decided to hit the road/trail and figure it out.
It has been more than one trip to the lake to find and document all the OHV gates and their access and condition. I hadn’t been to Twin Peaks for years but I documented it. For the record, according to the signs, this is still a “day use” area and not one I need to worry about opening seasonally.
Some trails were campgrounds, not OHV areas. Some were FS cabin track roads, not OHV trails. Some were WAY overgrown and had not opened in years, but still on the MVUM. Those will take more research. But there is now a user created OHV list for the Basin.
We are scheduled to meet again later this month. I will share this list, and we’ll compare it to the FS list. I have created a check list / spread sheet to use when the FS is checking / opening gates. I’m in the middle of drafting a procedure for opening OHV gates within the Basin so everyone is on the same page and gate open due to a procedure not when someone has the time to drive out there.
There is still plenty of time to get this worked out. The Basin is open to working with the users. Finger crossed, we’ll get this figured out by next season.
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Rubicon Ronin
J.E.E.P. actually means…
Posted: July 26, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: jeep, mainrtenance, repairs Leave a commentJust Expect Every Problem
Here’s a story of some of my recent Jeep maintenance/repairs over the last few months.
It started with me finally getting tired of the steering wheel being 15 degrees off. I knew I needed an alignment, but I also knew I had a few loose components that needed to be replaced before I could get an alignment.
I felt very good when I actually found an extremely loose left lower ball joint. I felt very bad after pressing in the joint without power tools. I pulled a few muscles in my back. The plan was to replace the upper while I had the Jeep apart, but I bailed on that when I hurt my back. (remember this for later) I didn’t play golf for almost a month! A very unprofessional, DIY alignment later and I was on the road. Once on the road it didn’t feel much better.
The Jeep specific ball joint kit off Amazon really helped!
An oil change at Nate’s (did I tell the new engine story?) brought on the discovery of a bad wheel bearing. He wouldn’t let the Jeep leave the shop without it being fixed, it was so bad. And I had just got back from an Eldorado Canyon run; Dayton and back!
Soon there after, I discovered worn track bar bushings. Replacing the bushings, and again doing a home alignment, I was back on the trail. Multiple trips to the Rubicon, no issues. I had found all my issues. Black – worn out, blue – wrong bushing, red – same weak type from JKS, metal – press in bushing will be the go-to from now on.
New JKS adjustable track bar I will need to shorten by 3/4″. I’ll tell that story when I install the new track bar. Winter project.
Sadly, death wobble appeared on the road home on trip number four. It was time for a professional. I went to Ayre’s for an alignment.
At Ayre’s, they found that the NEW track bar bushings were again toasted. Probably beat up during the death wobble. If that weren’t bad enough, the metal openings on the stock track bar for those bushings had been worn open so the solid bushings would not seat properly. I had them tack weld the solid bushings in place and I ordered a new JKS adjustable track bar.
But wait, there’s more. Remember the upper ball joint I declined to replace? It was bad and needed to be replaced. I don’t like paying someone for something I can do myself, but it was literally on the lift at the shop. Professional alignment done, steering wheel (almost) straight. I’ll have to wait on the new adjustable track bar until winter. If I do it now, I’ll need another realignment.
As I planned a maintenance trip to the Rubicon Trail, (Paving the Rubicon! | The ‘Other’ Rubicon) I hooked up my trailer and checked the trailer lights. I happened to notice the TJ’s left brake light was out. What a rabbit hole. It was not a bad bulb.
I thought I found an intermittent short with the exposed wire. I covered it up, put it all back together and still had no brake light! Then I took it all apart, again.
Because my TJ is set up for flat towing. That means the previous owner had tapped into the wiring and complicated everything. I fought trying to get the brake light to work while it was hanging by its wires. I had provided a ground. In the process, I broke a diode from the towing wires. I miss Radio Shack. It was a chore to find a diode. With a hint from a friend, I ran a tap through the three mounting holes in the Jeep and wire brushed the bolts before reinstallation. Bottom line, bad ground, lights work!
A few trips later, I decided to address yet another purely Jeep issue. The slow fill gas issue. It’s well known that the anti-spill feature has three nubs that get hung up and do not allow for a quick fill. It’s a free fix but you have to drop the tank, get inside, take apart the check valve and then put it all back together.
Remember: Just Expect Every Problem?
Dropping the tank is not really difficult. But don’t drop it, while you’re dropping it. I had my tank slip off the jack stand. The fuel line was still attached and when it went taunt, it broke off the plastic pipe of the fuel pump, holding the fuel line. That was a $200 mistake!
Broken $200 fuel pump.
Anti-spill float device. Note double “nub”. There are three of those pairs of nubs that need to be removed. I’m told there are a few different versions of this float but all have the same issue with the centering nubs getting caught up.
“Nubs” ground flat. No more binding!
Replacing the tank required a better system than a floor jack. The dual ratchet strp system along with the floor jack worked very well.
But it wasn’t only the fuel line I had issues with. When I went to disconnect the electrical connector, I slide over the red tab and then pressed down to unlock the connector. It broke. I went straight to the screwdriver and ‘manually’ freed the connector. I then ordered a new one online.
Old and new. The colors of the wires didn’t match but I didn’t care.
I soldered the wires to the existing wires rather than put the old wires into the new connector. One, I didn’t want to mess with the connector and two, this gives the wire loom more length to easier lower the tank next time. I hope I never have to lower this tank again. The shrink tubing is longer than it needs to be but I went longer for better protection.
The Jeep is now all put back together. For now. The tank is full and it filled without having to hold the lever at half speed.
I’m now ready to escape the 100 degree temperatures in Reno next week for the cooler high 80’s of the greater Tahoe area.
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Rubicon Ronin
Tahoma Parking Issues
Posted: June 30, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: access, illegal, parking, ticket Leave a commentRubithon was held last weekend. I happened to visit the staging area that Friday for another OHV project I’m working on, and I witnessed some very improper parking. Let’s call it what it was, ILLEGAL!
Parking off pavement may or may not be legal, depending on how it is done. I believe you can pull over enough to get off the pavement as long as you are not on any vegetation. We’re talking pulling off the trail one vehicle width; only enough to get off the trail. Don’t quote me on this as I’m not a law enforcement officer.
The parking in these pictures (and I could have taken more pictures) are all illegal. It is either a straightforward illegal parking ticket or a much more expensive resource damage ticket. Again, not a LEO.
We as OHV users need to do better. Images like this will be used by the anti-OHV crowd to put us in a bad light and get our trails and staging areas shut down. Yes, they might pull these images off and use them against us. For the record, I am not giving anyone permission to use these images, for any reason.
There was/is an effort underway to enlarge the parking at the Tahoma Rubicon staging area. That project is on hold as the Lake Taheo Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has had people retire and others move to other forests. There is a lack of personnel and thus some projects have slowed to a stop.
A small parking lot is no reason to park illegally. If you can’t find room at the staging area, drive back out to the residential area and park along the street.
There has been a trend over the last 20+ years to trailer rigs to the trail. Back in the day, everyone drove to the trail. And then drove home! I get not wanting to drive a trail rig a couple of hundred miles, but those living closer should drive. There has been a trend of bringing non-street legal rigs to the trail. And I’m not talking just side-by-sides, but they are growing in number as well.
Everyone comes to the Rubicon Trail for a challenge. Why not take on the challenge of building a rig that can be driven 100+ miles, do the trail without breaking, and then be driven home? Where’s the challenge of building a buggy with an LS, one-ton axles and 42″ tires?
The parking area was paved a number of years ago. At the time, the FS agreed not to stripe the parking area and to allow the users to park as they wished. For the most part, it has worked. Occasionally, someone parks weird and messes up the flow for everyone else.
I believe that the outer ring of the staging area should be a no parking zone. It should be left open as a guaranteed through route for those looking to park and for emergency vehicles. The area directly in front of the kiosk could be a staging area for rigs coming off or entering the trail. Drivers must remain with their vehicles, if parked there.
We can do better. We must do better. Don’t be that guy. Don’t let your buddy be that guy.
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Rubicon Ronin
Fire Restrictions on ENF and TNF
Posted: June 29, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: fire, permit Leave a commentAs of June 29th, 2026, fire restrictions are in place on the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) and the Tahoe National Forest (TNF).
For the record, fire restrictions in place year-round on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
Here is a link to the page on the ENF website:
Eldorado National Forest | Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide | Forest Servicehttps://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/eldorado/alerts/fire-restrictions-are-effect-forest-wide
Here is the ENF Forest Order:
Here is the link to the page on the TNF website:
Here is the TNF Forest Order:
Please be careful out there.
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Rubicon Ronin
Ham Repeater Update
Posted: June 20, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: communications, ham Leave a commentAs most of you know, there is quite the repeater system along the Rubicon Trail. For years the repeater on the Rubicon was seasonal. Dennis Mayer, of the Rubicon Trail Foundation, headed the drive to make that repeater year-round.
The Rubicon repeater is privately owned, but the owner works very closely with RTF to upgrade and maintain the building and system. The RTF website has the best explanation of the systems now serving the Rubicon Trail.
www.RubiconTrailFoundation.com
In 2022, a GMRS repeater was added to the Rubicon repeater site.
Keeping this to the Tahoe side conversation, we have the 805 repeater, which I believe is above the Heavenly Valley ski area. That repeater is tied to the Eldorado 805 and if you’re using the ‘linked’ frequency and PL tone, you get the Rubicon repeater at Spider.
Please remember, this is not a dedicated Rubicon Trail only repeater. You’re hear people talking about everything. This particular repeater covers more than just the Lake Tahoe basin but can be used from the Nevada side of Heavenly as well. Think Minden and Gardnerville.
Three years ago, the equipment above Heavenly was rebuilt to Forest Service specifications. Unfortunately, not all of the upgrades were installed at that time. Life happens. Right now, those involved are headed up there to install a new receiver for the Tahoe 805 system.
I hear there had been a few dead spots where you could not consistently hit the Heavenly repeater.
Be assured that those involved are continuing to keep communications working for the Rubicon Trail.
Whether you prefer ham or GMRS, get out there and get a license, get a radio and stay in touch.
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Rubicon Ronin
The 'Other' Rubicon 