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How much snow is on the Rubicon Now?

2K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  mtnbronco 
#1 · (Edited)
Anyone have an update on the snowfall over the Rubicon. I am trying to plan one last trip next week but now I am questioning it.

Thanks for the Help!
 
#4 ·
Anyone been up recently or planning to go this weekend? I was thinking about heading up next weekend and would like to now how much snow I'm lookin at so far...

thanks
 
#6 ·
I just went up last night and went for a night ride on the quad. There is hardly anysnow, few inch here and there. Mostly clear. Glad I did not take the Jeep, right past the second outhouse when you climb up the rocks its was solid ice for about 15+ feet.
Out at wentworth the water is about 30" deep. It was to the seat on my quad and its sits pretty high.
 
#11 ·
Snowed pretty good Saturday night, There was about a foot when I left Sunday about noon, the ice in the puddles was about 3 inches thick driving in...
 
#12 ·
El Dorado County SAR launched a mission today for a couple of folks missing on the Con. Turns out they were pretty well equipped, but hadn't been there in the winter. They made it past observation and started to run into drifts. After winching for several hours to get over the drifts and not making a lot of headway, they decided to turn back (Sunday night). They winched themselves back down cadillac over the ice and made it back to Spider before the SAR group found them. They woulda made it out fine, seems like, but a a day late.

A word to the wise.
 
#13 ·
ya that was me and my two buddys in his jeep cherokee. just took a really long time because of all of the snow to get out. we winched A LOT of the way back from the springs this morning untill we met up with the SAR just after the box. we were fine but it was great to see people out there. we ran the rest of the way out of the trail with them and hit loon lake at about 8:15 tonight. it has been a loooong day so im going to bed!
 
#14 ·
A definite word to the wise. I was wondering if there was going to be a problem with you guys being in the springs with that much snow and 33's (I think?) good thing you guys were somewhat prepared and could make it although slowly. We left Spider early AM sunday and made it it out without too much trouble.
 
#15 ·
the jeep is on 35s and gets around great. when we left thursday afternoon the weather report was 20% for saterday. we figured we should be ready just in case. so bassically lot more snow fell then they had predicted mid week, and we were not able to make the pass so we had to winch down cadillac backwards at night in the ice, snow and rain, stay one more night at the springs and headed for loon yesterday. it was slow progress but by the time we hit spider and found SAR the trail was pretty clear the rest of the way. i guess the "word to the wise" would be make sure you are prepared for anything up there because the weather can turn on you very very quickly, and also make sure other people know where you are and when you will be back.
 
#17 ·
metalfabPAT said:
i guess the "word to the wise" would be make sure you are prepared for anything up there because the weather can turn on you very very quickly, and also make sure other people know where you are and when you will be back.
Glad you made it out -- but bummed that Search and Rescue had to mobilize. Good prep for running Rubicon in winter would be a HAM radio. You could have auto-patched out to a phone line, or had another HAM call home for you with an update.

This is armchair quarterbacking now, and like I said, I'm glad you made it out, but is something to think about for the next winter trip.

Randii
 
#18 ·
Man we are on the con more in the winter time than the summer! You don't need a ham. Most of us don't even have cb's. We passed those guys on our way up the big sluice. They were more prepared than most that go up there in the summer. One trip the caretaker @ ice house resort called in our plates to chp because our tow rigs got buried in his parking lot. The chp called my ex-wife and told her they were going to send search & rescue after us. She told them not to do that because we would end up rescuing them. You just have to be ready for mother nature!!!!!The problem is this board is too quick to send someone else out there to rescue somone else and most of the time those people aren't prepared themselves.
 
#19 ·
Don't worry about the SAR guys...they know what they are doing, and spend a ton of time on the con, summer and winter, and for every guy you see on the trail there are twice as many in contact with them ready to back them up. If part of your preparation is carrying and being licensed on a ham radio, so much the better, now you can talk direct to SAR folks if you get in a jackpot. While we're at it, don't confuse ham with CB. CB's are of little value past a few miles, while a handheld ham radio will get you an autopatch from the con to anywhere in the US and an echolink to the world.

The folks at Ice House have had family in that area back three generations and have no way of knowing how capable you are unless you let them know ahead of time. I understand your independent streak, got a little of that myself, but they've probably seen too many folks screwed in the snow in the sierra over the years to just "let it go" anymore.


No, I'm not a SAR guy, just been around in the county awhile.

Just some thoughts.
 
#20 ·
I'm not disrespecting anybody's abilities -- but there are certainly folks who go up unprepared. If that isn't you, then fine... and I hope you help 'that guy' that it does turn out to be...

I know Search and Rescue folks are happy to help, but we should try to minimize it, and call only when necessary. Minimize the SAR calls, not minimize the recreation! Heck, once the snow stacks up, winter 'wheeling is the lowest-impact form of 4x4 recreation available!

85 rocrnr said:
They were more prepared than most that go up there in the summer.
That's a nice turn of a phrase... well-put! you HAVE to be more prepared in the winter.

Randii
 
#21 ·
Agree with all of that, just making a point about overconfidence. Mistakes and accidents can happen to anyone, they just don't usually happen to those that are prepared.

I'm all for winter AND summer recreation and it is obvious that these folks knew what they were about. Whatever the case, they ended up a SAR mission mostly because they couldn't or didn't communicate with the folks at home, who were worried when they didn't return on time in a snowstorm in mid-winter. It seems clear that the EDSO can't really afford to ignore that and just hope they show up.

Obviously it isn't a good thing when SAR gets activated needlessly, I just don't want people to not activate them early, waiting a day or two for someone to get out. Early notification statistically improves a search victim's chance for survival.
 
#22 ·
I just wanted to add a bit to what resqme said. A lot of people think that you need to wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person. That is only true on TV. There is no time standard that a person has to meet to become "missing". In fact, waiting 24 hours may put them in a much worse position. Weather changes, medical conditions worsen, the tracks get washed out, etc.

Oh, and one more thing. The SAR guys I know look forward to these missions. They are all volunteers and love doing this stuff. So don't ever feel like you're being a burden on them (unless of course you become a regular client).
 
#23 ·
Winter is fun.. but from personal experience, knowing where you are and being prepared to spend a few cold wet nights with a broken rig helps too. Back in 90 I had to spend 3 days in a emergency shelter waiting for a storm to clear before I could get out from the back side of the rubicon.
 
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