82TOYLB
05-22-2002, 10:21 PM
Spent sunday night at the loon lake campground. Had a great time with friends. Five trucks were with us, 3 XJ's two well built, and 2 Toyotas both well built. Monday morning went in throught wentworth springs. There was about 4-6 inches of snow from the night before and after we past the cutoff to loon we thought about trying for the sluicebox but one of our group had to be back in auburn at 7 pm for a board meeting so we turned around. Good thing we did. about 1/2 mile down from the Rubicon trail plaque on the rock right in the stairsteps that was now a creek, I broke my passenger side steering arm off of the knuckle, all four studs flat at the surface. This was at 3:30 pm. Two trucks took the boardmember out. Two trucks stayed, and 1 truck went for parts down at a friends in Sacramento. By this time it was snowing hard. Parts finally arrived back at 12:30 AM and I finished at 2:30 AM. Got in my truck to drive it out and found that the left birfield had also been demolished by the tires both turning out. I have spares but was too tired to repair it even though my friend steve was worried about the water crossings on the way out getting too deep. Got up at 6:20 after a couple of fitful hours in the cab of a toyota and changed the birfield by 08:30 in a flowing creek. By this time there was at least a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground and the trail was great. It was a beautiful drive out. We put a tarp over each rigs grill and duct taped the hood to fender lines to push water and keep the engine bay within the wake the tarped grill made. In this way we crossed the water uneventfully although it was up to mid headlight level for significant sections. Got off the trail at 12:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Went to bed at 4:30 pm and didn't move until 7:00 am. Wonderful trip. Thanks to my friends steve who drove out and back in, and to scott who relieved his wheeler of its right sided knuckle on monday evening to send up at 9:30 pm to placerville where steve picked it up.