Hello Wheelers,
    This is a trail report for the first Pre-Jamboree July Club Run, to The Rubicon Trail.

   We started our trip Thursday night, 7/15/99. The plan was to meet at my house, Leave at 4:30 PM Thurs. afternoon. Drive to Sacramento, & half the group head to Georgetown. Friday morning meet in Georgetown, have breakfast at local grill, and head out to Loon Lake trail head. Georgetown to Lake Tahoe Via the "Devil's Playground", known as the Rubicon Trail.

    Like I said, the plan WAS, and I admit we did pretty good, but we just plain fell behind schedule. Everyone showed up around 4:15 at my house, but we were short one rig. Then we hit our first delay, Brent & Kristie got hung up, that darn WORK thing, it always gets in the way of a good time! They were going to be a hour late. It just did not feel right to start off one rig down. Brent arrived and we left Atascadero, we split off before Sacramento with the plan of meeting at Georgetown Friday morning. Well, this seemed like a good plan, but we arrived in Sacramento late, I was in denial that I would have to hack my Jeep up to fit the new 33 BFG's. Guess what, they did not fit. Even with the extremely light load I usually carry, they were rubbing on the highway!!! For those of you who know me, you probably caught the sarcasm, and the little joke of extremely "light load". My Jeep looked like Jed and the Atascadero Hill Billies gone Wheeling. To put it bluntly, it was a toad with new BFG's. Yes, I do think there was a kitchen sink on board, yes we could have brought less, but we Didn't!!!!

   Well for those who are still reading, we were extremely late to Georgetown, the Toyota-Boys were very understanding. To make it shorter I will skip the Harbor Freight Shopping-Spree / Nightmare. Yes, it did involve blood, all of it mine !!!! Pressure and letting, I cut a big chunk of skin off my hand and bled all over the sales counter, And came out with nothing but lost time and less blood. Lets skip closer to the trail, we meet in Georgetown , had some food, we are a couple hours late. Then one of my favorites, Major intentional body damage. Inflicted with hand tools and a scissors jack, to my Jeep. The Jack and the Hammer seemed most effective to move fender sheet metal away from the new tires. All of this in the parking lot of the restaurant, in Georgetown. Breakfast Burrito in hand, whacking my Jeep with a B. A. H. that's short for Big AMC Hammer. And Jacking the fender against the tire with the scissors jack. I was getting strange looks from people walking by, the only thing missing was a "Dueling Banjos" CD and that I still have my front teeth!

    Where the heck am I at, this trail report stuff really sucks. I just took a break for a smoke. Now I am lost too. I think I am gonna go have another, then I will try to wrap this whole thing up. I bought these new fangled cigarettes with filters on the end. It works really good, now I smoke two instead of one. Hold on I will be right back.

   We aired down and finally were on the rock, it had to be around 11:30 AM, not to bad a few hours later than planned, but we were there. We pulled over the hill and hit the granite. This is where the fun begins and where a good trail boss really pays off.

   We proceeded down the granite and I knew the trail head was on the right just a little way over the hill. So I proceeded to drive right past it, down to another trail on the right. It was cool it had this big rock "V" thing and climbed up over then down over some pretty good sized rocks toward some trees. Ahh Yes, we have made it! We are on the trail! Wrong, we followed it through the trees across a creek. I got the feeling I missed the trail, no rock turn thing that I beat up my Jeep last year? Maybe it is just a little further? I don't remember this vertical climb last year? What the heck is this "Y" though the Mud !!!

    Dear, call those guys on the C.B. Tell them to hold up, I just sunk up to the frame in the mud, I am Stuck and there is no other way to go. Well After about an hour of winch and mud bog, I was free, my little jaunt through the mud and trees brought us to about 3:00 PM. Now we were heading back to the start of the trail. This was the turning point could we find the trail? Then it rang across the C.B. "Hey Ray", "What are those little Yellow/Orange Markers between the rocks?" "Do You Think those are trail markers"? You Mean the ones I drove right past on the right ? The ones that head up over the hill like I remember the trail should be? You mean those orange ribbons that maybe someone set up for the Jeepers Jamboree?

    Ahh yes that's what we need, trail markers, being I forgot the really cool maps I borrowed of the whole area on the kitchen table, markers good idea. Well we drove quite a way in, then I had a little engine B.S. and we made it to the Little Sluice Box. We watched and helped Brent drive the mighty Ford though. Life was good, we were wheeling, on to Buck Island. This proved to be a bad idea, with all the problems, wrong trail, stopping at the Little Sluice, it was starting to get late, and to make things a little more challenging, they stopped the little yellow orange markers!

    So to end Friday we pulled into Buck Island set up camp, it was around midnight. It had been a full day. I Crashed... everyone seemed a little on edge, we should have stopped by Spider Lake or somewhere before dark. But on the positive side, it was quite the adventure. Heading down the granite face, not quite sure if it was the right way, and then finding the trees and a familiar rock pile at the bottom. We sent out scouts with flash lights looking for clues on the granite to find the right trail, it was a long day. It might sound like it was not much fun,but it sure beat working, and the weather was beautiful it could not have been a nicer day.

    Well I guess I could have wrote we left, we returned, and we were the baddest on the trail and every thing was the greatest, and that would not be too far from the truth. But it was a great adventure. We headed in to Rubicon Springs Saturday, and found the trail exciting. And to my amazement the springs empty. We got a great site, relaxed all day Sunday, ate food, swam, got some fish, Great Campfire. Then it was time to go on Monday.

   I was sitting here trying to recap all the things that happened, the anticipation of the trip. the shortcomings, and to some it up, I had a great time. I would be lucky to have another trip that was as much fun. We had a good group, and I will never forget it, time just slips away so fast. It is August and Coyote Lake is next week. I do hope it goes a little smoother, but if not at least I gave it a try, and hell that's what it is all about, quest for life. To get back to the simple things.

    I start to remember when I was down in Orange County, Block walls, trash, Traffic, Smog, and then I really don't mind driving all day, no food lost in the middle of the Rubicon, but I guess I just have a small brain, I can't wait to go back! After all the work, planning, waiting, it was here and gone. I Just can't get the words out on this stupid computer, But it made me glad to be alive.

• President:Lynn S., There are a lot of "green" plans surfacing.

• Treasurer:Judy J., no money out, a little came in.

• Events Director:Todd P.
  • Hume: Will H. trailboss 6/11/99 to 6/13/99 53 people around the Sat. night campfire, Buckrock open, tour of the lookout tower at Buckrock, Scout breakage, Fubar award, good eating, fun games around the campfire, good wheeling, historical findings, Chicago Stump, 3-4 new members signed up as a result of the trip and more.

  • Coyote: Thur - Mon, Aug 12-Aug16, 1999 Mark B trailboss for Thursday group, Todd P. trailboss for Friday group, most left Sunday, some stayed till Monday... chilly nights, campfire conversation, dutch oven treats (cobbler and quiche), excellent fishing, hot showers, very cool ranger stopped by camp, minimal breakage on the trip, no mosquitoes.

  • Lopez: beware of the poison oak

  • Hwy 4:: off Hwy 49 weekend after labor day ( Sept. 11 - 13), fairly rocky, difficulty similar to Coyote. Not much dirt or dust, Saturday run will have lots of water. Expect mosquitoes, yellow jackets, high elevation, and cold nights. 300 mi. to get there. Leave: Thursday 9/9/99 8:30 AM K-mart shopping center, leave Angels Camp 2 PM, ETA 5 PM at gas at Deer Valley. possible night run on Slickrock.
    Talk to Al J. by e-mail or phone first.

  • Weekend After:
    Pine Mountain: James B. trailboss 8 AM at DK Doughnuts in Atas. On Sunday.

• Promotional Chairperson: Todd P. Sweatshirts, license plate covers,
  T-shirts all available, possibility for fund-raiser at Ted Miles Jeep selling food at Cruise Nights.

• Safety Chairperson: Brad J. Snakebite demonstration-see newsletter for write up

• CA4WDC Liason: See Jim Z. if you have record payment problems.

• Newsletter Editor: If you submit an article longer than one page, beware of Debbie at the next meeting.
  Submitted by: Joanna D. SLO County 4WD Club Secretary

       It is best to consider all snakebites to be from poisonous snakes. The patient or bystander may indicate weather or not the snake is believed to be poisonous. If you see the live snake stay away from it, don't become another victim.

Signs and symptoms of snakebite may include:
• A noticeable bit to the skin, this may appear as nothing more than a discoloration.

• Pain and swelling in the area of the bite , this may be slow to develop, taking 30 minutes to several hours.

• Rapid pulse and labored breathing.

• Vision problems.

• Nausea and vomiting.

The emergency care for a snakebite victim includes:

• Keep patient calm and lying down.

• Have someone call 911 or emergency services in the area.

• Take a base line set of vital signs (pulse, respirations, BP, skin temp and color and level of consciousness) and monitor them every five to ten minutes.

• Locate the fang marks and clean the site with soap and water or anti bacterial toilettes in the first aid kit.

• Remove any rings, bracelet's, watches or bands that may constrict circulation.

• Keep bitten extremity immobilized- the application of a splint will help. A rigid splint may cause problems if there is swelling at the site of injury.
  Try to keep the bite level with or below the heart.

• Provide care for shock, conserve body heat.