Monday, September 13, 1999
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words;
Too wonderful for comprehension;
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words;
Too wonderful for comprehension;
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Before reaching the Little Sluice Box entrance or by-pass granite slab, the Rubicon takes us along some rocky and at times steep drops of trail.
The Little Sluice Box by-pass in off the left side up a hugh granite slab and in all directions! Our choice for the line was not easy. A rock face drop, some 20 feet into the bottom then immediately back up and over a ledge climbing some 20 feet on granite face. Nice by-pass and great for pictures.
By not doing the Little Sluice Box, our entire group had other challenges to face. A significant vertical drop down either granite and rocks or dirt and rocks was required. Either way, the drop was steep and from the approach angle somewhat difficult to make.
Just at the bottom of the rocky trail dropping a few feet, another more difficult section of trail opens up! A common practice on Rubicon appears to be individual vehicles are carried along in a larger group - such as ours. At the Little Sluice Box by-pass, we picked up another Joe. "M38 Joe". Him and the passenger were driving a nicely equipped military vehicle with paint and spec sheets to boot.
Joe Coppick blew out a side wall (BFG Mud Terrains) on this section of trail halfway down. We said "Hi" as the slower folks passed him on down the granite trail. He caught up with us at Buck Island Lake for lunch.
Lunch at the lake ended up being a nice stopping place. Many of us found a remote area of rock to cliff dive 10-15 feet into the lake. The cool water and warm sun quickly refreshed us. Everyone was now ready for the Big Sluice - true Sluice Box! The Big Sluice --- one mile of down hill with plenty of rocks - more ROCKS.
Following the entrance to Big Sluice the trail dishes out a serious rocky maneuver and drop down over big boulders. There are NO BY-PASSES around this stuff Rade and Keith! They really were looking worried about body damage to their "perfect" Bronco panels now. The Bronco "rocker panel guards" proved there value in this section as well.
Getting Berne fixed up with the blowen tire bead; Jamie, Rade, and Keith down through rocks without body damage had taken us a very long time - we were now pushing 5:45pm and not clear of Big Sluice yet. Oh... and a thunderstorm was rolling in upon us! The rain began to fall just as Keith was clearing the most difficult rocky section. Enought rain fell on the trail to keep dust down and the rocks slippery. Moving was slowed up a bit now. Toyota Joe leading the way to Rubicon Springs was determined to find just how far down was camp; We pushed on down while Joe found camp and radioed back we were within a 1/2 mile!
That .5 mile was not easy. What should we have expected - it's the Rubicon. Everyone was moving as quickly as possible to reach camp before dark but we were tired. The rocks were tiring for Eric and Rade/Keith in their "stock" Broncos w/33" tires and no lift were moving extra slow.
