Loon Lake. (Not) Crossing the Rubicon.
Saturday, 2 June 2018, 1:30pm.
After we finished hiking Robb's Peak (previous entry) in the Crystal Basin of Eldorado National Forest we drove over to Loon Lake. We were immediately taken aback by how big it is, how blue it is, and how quiet it is. Gazing across from the foot of the lake we counted only two cars passing by over the course of about 10 minutes.
Loon Lake is miles across, a surprising size for a high-mountain lake
We drove a few miles around to the far side of the lake. We parked the truck near the flood-diversion outlet (which was only a few feet above the current water level) and traced a route on foot over the slickrock and boulders at this end of the lake.
The narrow end of Loon Lake with mountains of the Crystal Range in the background
We noted just down the hill from us a colorful sign for the Rubicon Trail.
The famous (in 4x4 culture) California Rubicon Trail begins below Loon Lake
The Rubicon Trail is well known in 4x4 culture in the Western US. The challenging 14 mile primitive route from Loon Lake to Lake Tahoe is a right of passage for serious offroad enthusiasts- and the modified vehicles they build to traverse it.
Years ago when I was part of a few 4x4 groups online my acquaintances were always talking about it. A lot of people talk about, not all go. It is tough. Even modified vehicles with suspension lifts, locking axles, bigger tires, etc., get stuck and have to be winched out of some obstacles. Vehicle damage is to be expected... and not just scratches on side panels, but serious breaks like snapped axles. Some people carry welding tools- and use them!
A run across the Rubicon might be in store for me... sometime in the future. But not today. Even though our Nissan Xterra is well equipped from the factory for offroad driving it's not up the highly specialized standards required by this trail.
After we finished hiking Robb's Peak (previous entry) in the Crystal Basin of Eldorado National Forest we drove over to Loon Lake. We were immediately taken aback by how big it is, how blue it is, and how quiet it is. Gazing across from the foot of the lake we counted only two cars passing by over the course of about 10 minutes.
Loon Lake is miles across, a surprising size for a high-mountain lake
We drove a few miles around to the far side of the lake. We parked the truck near the flood-diversion outlet (which was only a few feet above the current water level) and traced a route on foot over the slickrock and boulders at this end of the lake.
The narrow end of Loon Lake with mountains of the Crystal Range in the background
We noted just down the hill from us a colorful sign for the Rubicon Trail.
The famous (in 4x4 culture) California Rubicon Trail begins below Loon Lake
The Rubicon Trail is well known in 4x4 culture in the Western US. The challenging 14 mile primitive route from Loon Lake to Lake Tahoe is a right of passage for serious offroad enthusiasts- and the modified vehicles they build to traverse it.
Years ago when I was part of a few 4x4 groups online my acquaintances were always talking about it. A lot of people talk about, not all go. It is tough. Even modified vehicles with suspension lifts, locking axles, bigger tires, etc., get stuck and have to be winched out of some obstacles. Vehicle damage is to be expected... and not just scratches on side panels, but serious breaks like snapped axles. Some people carry welding tools- and use them!
A run across the Rubicon might be in store for me... sometime in the future. But not today. Even though our Nissan Xterra is well equipped from the factory for offroad driving it's not up the highly specialized standards required by this trail.