[elusive]

I had never heard of this trail before moving out west, but I don]'t know why. It is by far the most beatifull trail I have ever seen. even better than the rubicon. It's not for the faint of heart at 33 miles long and entirely over 9000 feet, but it's worth it. We had a great group of very experienced wheelers and got through in 3 long days of wheeling. The air was so thin in places that you couldn't walk uphill more than a few steps without being winded. We caught trout for breakfast in Ershim Lake and saw giant sequoia trees on the way in.
It was probably my best wheeling trip ever. I took my dad and we had a great time.
The trail just opened aug 1 and won't be open long this year I think... which is good. we only saw 3 other rigs out there the whole week, and they were from the same town as me!
it it looks like this:

 

[Guest]

Yep....one of the best kept secrets....
My wife and I did it about 6 years ago with some fellow JJ trail leaders....
Best trail riding we ever had.....we won't mention that I spun an axle, destroyed my rear shock mounts, resized my gas tank from 20 gal to 10, and punched a hole in the sidewall of a new BFG AT tire. But that is ok...that xmas she gave me axles, lockers and gears....

How did you like that big white 'rock' on the entrance?

 

[RRich]

Perfect timing! I was going to do some research on it tonite - I was invited to join a group doing it next month, I'd never heard of it till then.

Just did the Rubicon 2 weeks ago - it was awesome! Not really all that severe, but constantly a challenge. There's almost no let up like most other trails where it's rough, but then lets up for a ways.

Thanks!!!!

Anybody else with pics or comments?

 

[elusive]

there are really only a couple spots you'll even need the rear locker..
going up chicken rock on the first day.. I don't think you need a locker, but it's nice. Then going up Thompson hill near the end of the first day I used both lockers, but some folks didn't have one in the front and made it OK. thats really about it.. nothing out there is thaqt hard, but the trail really beats on you.. you never shift out of 2nd in low range..for the entire 30+ miles. I have nice PRP suspension seats, so Dad and I felt great, but by the 2nd day the others were complaining about back pain. I used everything I brought except 5 gallons of tap water. I froze water bottles and used them in the cooler.. they are still more than half frozen. It's 90 miles from shaver lake, through the trail and back to shaver lake with no gas between, so even a TJ should bring some. I parked the tow rig at Shaver lake and I think it's the best way..it really climbs from there.
If you want the trail o be harder, go in from the other side. It looks pretty nasty that way. We decided that if we go back, we would go in from the back and drive to Ershim Lake, then turn around. The 13 miles from thompson to ershim is just 10 feet of dirt road with 2 feet of boulders in it..the entire way. Sure is pretty though.
There were some mosquitos up there, but not as bad as other folks have been saying. I guess my Wisconsin roots makes me think mosquitos aren't "bad" till they block the sun..

 

[RRich]

Sounds perfect!
Doing a little I-net searching shows 1 locker is useful, but 33's make it fine -- with lots of armor underneath. I guess mine is "overqualified."

My only concern now is me -- my weak heart doesn't like the altitude. The higher part of the Rubicon trail really had me gasping for air at times. I had trouble spotting for friends sometimes too - too hard to walk and climb around when you can't breathe.

This trail is 1000-2000 feet higher.
And my wife won't be with me - she's gotta work - so she can't drive it home if I don't make it.

Don't get old!!!!!!!!

Still considering it though.

Thanks, Rich

 

[kerryp]

Sounds like a great trail, wish I could run it. You know Rich, you could always stop by the local medical supply joint and pick up and 02 tank, then you would be covered...heck at those altitudes, it might be a good idea anyways in case anyone developed altitude sickness /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[elusive]

I didn't need any spotting.. in fact, I didn't get out of the jeep much at all. The only time I really got winded was when I needed to take a ..er... "walk" with my shovel...
Take a friend with you.. everyone had a co-pilot on our trip and it made for good camp fires.
I tore off the entire track bar and upper control arm mount on my rear axle going up thompson hill, but I'm sure that it had been stressed quite a bit before.
we had a guy drag an m-416 type trailer through...but he really wished he hadn't.
Ershim Lake is at 9000 feet, but this pic must be close to 11000... it's above the tree line and near the end of the trail.

 

[GoldToyBox]

I Envious you,I was supposed to have gone last week with a buddy (if you can call someone with a land cruiser a buddy) but I had shoulder surgery and had to cancel.
This past weekend the local jeep club took a large group of handy capped kids & adults to the Voyager camp (North east side of Courtright) for a wilderness experience. Never seen so many wheel chairs in Jeeps.
I live between Courtright & Wishon and see all you fella coming and going. This past year we had a lot of snow which caused the late opening of the trail. Lots of other trails here too but not as demanding as some portions of the Dusy-Ershim. Spanish, Swamp Lake, etc. Hunting season opened this weekend so there is more activity on the trails.
A locker, lift or SOA and 33's seems to the general concencus for the Dusy-Ershim.
I don't know about leaving trailers at Shaver Lake. It's 36 miles to the trail head at Courtright and no fuel. The elevation at Courtright is 8400 ft. Not sure how far it is from Shaver the other end of the trail but it's about the same.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yourock.gif

 

[RRich]

Ya know, I've thought about carrying a little oxygen. Maybe a small welding bottle. Welding oxygen is purer than breathing oxygen, it's just not hydrated - it dries ya out faster. Still effective in an emergency - without the prescriptions and red tape.

He He - the spotting was mostly for the other guys - and my wife - she took it through the sluice and other places. The walking - lots of pictures! Between the 2 of us we took over 1000.
Caution - one small problem - I tossed one of the digital disks in the glove box - I had one of those little tire gauges in there - with the magnet on it. Lost 400 pics!
Don't!

I guess we'll have to do it all over again. (Think I'll get a couple more magnets if that excuse works.)

 

[Dirt Dog]

Awesome Chris. I bet you two had a great time. Having met your dad and you too I can't imagine the fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/40BEER.gif

I wish I could have done something like that with mine.

You both rock. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/gituar.gif
(and don't let him live down the "tent nookie" thing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[peteyg]

I was on this trip, and I have to agree that this was one of the best trips I've ever been on. Here's one of my favorite pics from the trip:

You can see the rest of the pics here:

http://www.broncoholics.com/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1860

and here:

http://www.broncoholics.com/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1858

I can't wait to do it again!

 

[mbalbritton]

Pepin, are you using a ZEBCO!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Man, what gorgeuos land!!! and to think there are people out there trying to keep us away from seeing all of that!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/AR15firing.gif

 

[Aaron871]

Nice write ups
The pic's are amazing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/40BEER.gif

 

[elusive]

[ QUOTE ]
Pepin, are you using a ZEBCO!

[/ QUOTE ]
I was wondering what was up with that pic.. I was useing a nice open face reel the whole trip, and I have the crank on the left....
I caught trout on spoons, spinners, worms, just about anything I threw.

 

[mbalbritton]

[ QUOTE ]
I caught trout on spoons, spinners, worms, just about anything I threw.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm guessing not a lot of fishing pressure way up there. I bet it was gorgeuos!

 

[knifeboy2]

Just a random sidenote, but those pines in the background that are the lighter colors were common where I was in Colorado and the kids at camp loved them because they smell like vanilla. Sorry, bit random.