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Gate Keeper. 11/26/05

7K views 62 replies 45 participants last post by  randii 
#1 ·
Drove up with a friend yesterday to take a first hand look at the blasting. After talking this over for a few hours with friends and sitting here trying to decide what to post about the situation I can honestly say I am at a loss for words:confused: . After standing there looking at the area's in question I do not understand why this was done. Gatekeeper was admittedly becoming an erosion problem and people were taking the far right line to avoid rocks. This I understand and can see the thinking here but if this was the sole reason then why blow up "pinch rock"? To keep the traffic flowing? Why the hell would the county care if I'm stuck in traffic in the middle of nowhere in the forest? Anyway like I said I am at a loss in understanding the powers that be so I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. Thanks again to all that work for the betterment of the trail but I honestly feel that the wheels of change are in motion and no matter how much user input we have things on the Rubicon trail are going to be very, very different. Very, very soon.:rolleyes:

Gate Keeper



Pinch Rock


 
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#4 ·
Great, now every fu--ing yahoo with a stock Land Rover, Jeep Liberty and all the other yuppie grocery getters are now going to get further in the trail before they break there sh@t. Not to mention the stock full size rigs that will be doing the same thing. Now I dont think the trail should be to tough for these types of rigs to enjoy the great outdoors too, but now there will be more of them.:mad3:
 
#6 ·
The Jerk said:
yes, my 85 montereo is now my new wheeler. super gayness
:flipoff2: Yeah, thats what I was saying:flipoff2:
 
#9 ·
Bummer

Now the sissys can get in. I got some great pics on that rock this summer. Was really looking forward to trying my jeep on it next summer.:( Next it'll be the roadgrader and cement. I hate people who think they have to protect me from myself.
 
#16 ·
smokd said:
Great, now every fu--ing yahoo with a stock Land Rover, Jeep Liberty and all the other yuppie grocery getters are now going to get further in the trail before they break there sh@t. Not to mention the stock full size rigs that will be doing the same thing. Now I dont think the trail should be to tough for these types of rigs to enjoy the great outdoors too, but now there will be more of them.:mad3:
I think that's cool. If they can make it down the trail, then so can the tow trucks. It is good for the economy, and they will only do it once when they have to pay the bill!
 
#17 ·
peesalot said:
looks to me like some well placed drainage ditches comin off hillside would etch some keep back into GK come spring.
That would be a real intelligent thing to do...NOT!!!!! S**T like that is what got us into the current mess in the first place. If folks would drive the actual trail and not mess with it (as in dragging rocks and stuff into it to increase their testosterone levels) we wouldn't be dealing with most of the government stuff that we are now facing. Things get changed on the trail....many are too young to remember the big V-rock in the big sluice....the big rocks just down from the upper left hand turn...you used to be able to drive the V and were high enough up in the air that folks could almost stand under your rig...it got blown about 20 years ago. Same with Cadilac hill, it used to be a serious V that got widened (can't say as I miss that one as it was just scary). The Rubicon has never been too tough for anything wel set up and running 33's or bigger tires. In recent years tire sizes have gone up and suspensions have improved to where some folks have aided nature in "modifying" the trail...this seems to be what has brought the gov. wrath upon us all. Those who yell about "saving the Rubicon", which trail are you speaking of...the current state of the con, or how it was 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years ago???? It's all a matter of perspective.
 
#19 ·
Waterman said:
That would be a real intelligent thing to do...NOT!!!!! S**T like that is what got us into the current mess in the first place. If folks would drive the actual trail and not mess with it (as in dragging rocks and stuff into it to increase their testosterone levels) we wouldn't be dealing with most of the government stuff that we are now facing. Things get changed on the trail....many are too young to remember the big V-rock in the big sluice....the big rocks just down from the upper left hand turn...you used to be able to drive the V and were high enough up in the air that folks could almost stand under your rig...it got blown about 20 years ago. Same with Cadilac hill, it used to be a serious V that got widened (can't say as I miss that one as it was just scary). The Rubicon has never been too tough for anything wel set up and running 33's or bigger tires. In recent years tire sizes have gone up and suspensions have improved to where some folks have aided nature in "modifying" the trail...this seems to be what has brought the gov. wrath upon us all. Those who yell about "saving the Rubicon", which trail are you speaking of...the current state of the con, or how it was 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years ago???? It's all a matter of perspective.
Well said. I have to agree with you- That part of Cadillac hill used to be a puckerer. (especially with a hangover, hehe)
 
#21 ·
welndmn said:
Can I get a parking ticket if I park my tow rig and trailer on the slabs?
Parking ticket? How much is a parking pass for the slabs?
 
#23 ·
Waterman said:
That would be a real intelligent thing to do...NOT!!!!! S**T like that is what got us into the current mess in the first place. If folks would drive the actual trail and not mess with it (as in dragging rocks and stuff into it to increase their testosterone levels) we wouldn't be dealing with most of the government stuff that we are now facing. Things get changed on the trail....many are too young to remember the big V-rock in the big sluice....the big rocks just down from the upper left hand turn...you used to be able to drive the V and were high enough up in the air that folks could almost stand under your rig...it got blown about 20 years ago. Same with Cadilac hill, it used to be a serious V that got widened (can't say as I miss that one as it was just scary). The Rubicon has never been too tough for anything wel set up and running 33's or bigger tires. In recent years tire sizes have gone up and suspensions have improved to where some folks have aided nature in "modifying" the trail...this seems to be what has brought the gov. wrath upon us all. Those who yell about "saving the Rubicon", which trail are you speaking of...the current state of the con, or how it was 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years ago???? It's all a matter of perspective.
I understand not wanting people to aid mother nature by pulling rocks into the trail to make it tougher. What I don't understand is, how it is "OK" to aid mother nature by taking explosives and blowing up mother natures work(ie boulders)!
 
#24 ·
20+ years ago, when I picked up my first 4x4 rag and saw pictures of the Rubicon Trail, I wanted to build a truck and run the trail. At the time, it was little more than a dream as I was only 16 and lived in the Mid-West. Over the years, I got busy with things like school, buying a house, building a career, etc. etc. etc. Thoughout all that time I still held that dream of running the Rubicon. Finally, I was comfortable enough in my career to afford the time and $$$ to build a trail rig and the work began. It took me 4 years to build my rig, but it finally got done. There were periods when I wouldn't work on it for 4-6 months, but all the reading I've done on this and other sites about closures and such really got the fire buring toward the end. I could feel the winds of change beginning to blow and decided that I needed to get the rig built and run the Rubicon while I still could.

Late summer '05, I put the finishing touches on the rig just in time to load it onto the trailer and haul it 1800 miles from my home in KC to the Rubicon where I hooked up with some guys I "met" through the PBB forums. I hadn't been wheelin' in 4 years (since I started the build up) and my rig had ZERO trail time on it. I had high confidence my rig, though, since I was carefull to plan things out and make sure things were done "right". As it turned out, not only was I going to get to fulfill my childhood dream, running the 'Con was also going to be the shakedown run my trail rig and my baptism as my first serious trail (not just bombing around the woods back home).

The rig did fine, I broke one axle shaft but I had a spare. I also exploded a d-shaft u-joint, but one of the guys I was with loaned me a spare. I picked up a little rock rash here and there and managed to cave in the passenger side fender and quarterpanel when I flopped on my side climbing the slabs on the way back from Buck Lake. I couldn't have asked for a better experience as a realization of my childhood dream. I simply cannot express how lucky I feel that I got the chance to experience the trail and Gatekeeper before blasting took place. I remember as I rolled up Gatekeeper only minutes into the trail and thinking to myself... "what in the hell have I gotten myself into?" and the exileration of looking back in my mirror as I drove away from it on the other side.

It truely saddens me that others who have dreamt of running the Rubicon, but have not yet hade the chance will not have the opportunity experience the Gatekeeper. It was by no means the most difficult obsticle, but it was unique and fun obsticle to conquer. After seeing the pictures posted after the blasting, the name Gatekeeper just doesn't fit anymore. Perhaps a better name now would be Welcome Mat.

<<rant over>>
 
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