A few months back we started planning a small run to run through the historic Rubicon Trail in the eldorado national forest found in northern California.
The plan was to drive up to lake Tahoe to drop off any tow rigs, then continue on to loon lake where we would camp for the night and get an early start on the trail the following morning.
The first day on the trail was planned to take us into buck island lake where we would make camp for 2 nights. This would give us a day to hang out on the lake, go fishing, hiking, take a nap etc..
this down day also would serve as a backup day in case we didn't make it to buck island lake on the first trail day giving us a chance to catch up. the 3rd day we would wheel out ending in lake Tahoe,
where we would sleep in a hotel then drive home the following day.
This seemed like a solid plan, and besides a strange gut feeling about the trip, we were all packed up and ready to go.
But then there was a wrench that got thrown into it. The King fire. I recieved a call from a friend the day before heading north to tell me about a fire that had started up just the night before.
I looked into it and it had grown by 6000 acres just overnight then totaling 18000 acres and areas near the rubicon trail were being evacuated. After getting further updates from other friends in the area
the decision was made to not attempt to run the trail. The Fire is still burning as I write this and has grown to nearly 90,000 acres. Yes, it's visible from space.
So with multiple people taking multiple days off of work, arrangements made to watch kids, loaded gear and a big itch to go wheeling.... what was next?
Back to the drawing board and in a few hours a new plan was created to go wheeling in the Sierras outside of fresno. This is an area that I haven't done much wheeling in but it would put us on new trails and
would allow us to explore without a strict agenda. We more or less stuck to our original schedule of driving days and wheeling days. We made camp just outside of shaver lake and wheeled into some amazing parts of
the forest. there were lots of obstacles that were challenging enough to make you think but nothing too over the top. Along the way we visited Red Lake and Strawberry lake where there were few other people.
They are some very quite and relaxing places of the forest. Places we'll definitely have to revisit.
Check out full gallery here:
http://gallery.ruggedrocksoffroad.com/v/sierra-national-forest-4x4-trails/?g2_page=6
