To wheel the Rubicon Trail was a dream of mine from the moment I discovered it. That was back in 2014, and I never in a million years thought I would have the skills to tackle this iconic trail.
Well, I finally made it. I was wheeling the Rubicon Trail with my kids. It is a mement I will cherish forever. In all the times I went wheeling, Michael wheeled with me once at Rausch Creek and Ben three times. So for them to be with me on the Rubicon Trail was a pretty big thing.
At the time, I was frustrated and irritated. The trip wasn't going as we had planned. Little did I realize the Sierra Nevada Mountains had a different plan for us. A plan necessary for my emotional healing. A plan to show me to look at the positives in life.
We started the morning off having to tow Bumblebee, our yellow CJ5 - the negative. That meant Michael moved to my Jeep for the rest of the trip - the positive.Rubicon Trail Day 3.1
Rubicon Trail Day 3.2
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I had the best time wheeling with my kids. They were amazing giving me support and words of encouragement on the trail. We shared many laughs and stories. I hope someday they will cherish the moment as much as I do.
About midday on the trail we came across a local off roader.
He shared with us the trail gets harder as you push on. He advised us to turn around as towing would be almost impossible. We toiled over what to do. So many of us wanted to finish the trail. We came from long distances to wheel the trail. As you know from previous blog posts I made a promise to Michael, my oldest son. My kids always and forever will come first for me.
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In the end after much debate and tears Neil made the decsion for us. He went against every fiber of his being and decided to leave the Jeep on the trail to rescue at a later day. It was extremely difficult for Neil and was dealing with a lot of inner emotions.
We discussed our options with the property owner and he gave us permission to leave the Jeep.
Leaving the Jeep was bittersweet. It was extremely hard but it alleviated some stress with our group. We also began to move a lot faster. The decision did put a strain on my relationship with Neil. We were barely speaking or interacting. It was very hard for me as this was the Rubicon Trail. Something we both should of been celebrating.
Neil rode shotgun with Tara in the other CJ. Most of the time though he walked the trail and guided us all through the difficult obstacles. Neil played a crucial role getting us all off the trail.
We finally made it to Buck Island Lake and found some really amazing campsites. It was a needed break for everyone.
The lake cooled off some.
Other enjoyed the fireside chats.
Ben even did a little exploring.
Even with the hardships on the trail I will always and forever remember the epic ride.
Our family did the Rubicon Trail last fall in mid Oct.I have an 80 CJ7. our son has a 19 Rubicon Wrangler, our daughter has a 06 Rubicon LJ. We spent 3 days doing the trail taking our time. the 3rd morning, just as we left Rubicon Springs campground, one of the spider gears in my rear differential broke. We took the cover off,cleaned out as much junk gears as we could find,then fixed the hole in the cover with, get this, Gorilla Tape, and replaced the cover and added some oil. Knowing that from there on out I would only have front wheel drive, we knew it was going to be tough getting out. When we got to tough spots my son in law would hook up the tow strap to help me along. Going up Cadillac, Hill was brutal, but we made it. Great experience. Coming back in 2022.
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