Part Deux:
The squeeze rock in the True Big Sluice. A tight spot even for a Samari! The other route, and my favorite, is thru the True Big Sluice. This section of trail is relentless. One boulder after the other reaches out to smash your rocker panels. Do not take your eyes off of the trail and place your thumbs outside the steering wheel (or take a chance on breaking them.... I'm serious). Once again, the shorter your wheelbase, the easier this section is. Some have deemed this the Rock Garden and it is beautiful in full bloom. We ran it both ways and loved every metal mashing minute of it!
Heading into the Rock Garden on the True Big Sluice is always a good spot to getout and watch the "demolition derby".
Buck Island Lake offers better fishing than Spider, though it is too cold to swim in (unless you're a member of the Polar Bear Club). Stop before the dam and check out the manmade tunnel for Buck Island's outlet to Loon Lake. It is 2 miles long and you can sometimes see daylight from the other end. When you cross the dam.... take it a little bit to the right. I took it too far left and was stuck like an upsidedown turtle. Both wheels were in the air on either side as my frame was nestled firmly on the narrow concrete dam.
From Buck Island you head up the boulder strewn hill to the Big Sluice on the other side. This is the only sluice that cannot be bypassed. Full-sized rigs will struggle a bit here as a result. I enjoyed watching our trucks make a couple of 20-point turns on the way down. Enjoy the rock surfing and don't be afraid to call for a spot in a few places where the trail is narrow and tilts you toward the cliff. I would have to say the "pucker factor" was substantial for me along there.
Some of the best obstacles can be found adjacent to the main route. After leaving the sluice, cross the bridge and enter Rubicon Springs. One word.... DUST. This stuff is like moon dust. It is finer than imagineable and is inches deep on the trail. An easy footstep will yield a cloud of dust here. Move along a little further and check out the collection of broken axles, gears, and other 4x4 parts along side the trail from folks not as lucky as you. Your last obstacle? Cadillac Hill. So named for the old Cadillac found up toward the top of the Hill. All that remains after years of scavenging are the chassis and some drivetrain components. Cadillac is a long tough hill with some sections of loose rock and a few hairpin turns. Most of it is one vehicle wide, though some groups come in this way. Remember.... uphill has the right-of-way. We were held up for two hours as a Wrangler in the group in front of us underwent some repairs. Such is the way of the Rubicon. Don't get grumpy if you have to wait.... just be glad it wasn't you. At the top of Cadillac is an open table top bluff with a breathtaking view of the trail. This is a great place to line up the vehicles for group photos before your final stretch of (dusty) trail home. From this view point, you have about 45 more minutes before you hit Lake Tahoe.
The Rubicon can and does take its toll on vehicles.... especially those who decide not to bypass the challenging obstacles. Our Group, (3 Samurais, 1 Willys, 2 Ford P'up's, 1 Grand Wagoneer, 4 Scramblers, a CJ7 and a CJ5) was very well-built and equipped and came out relatively unscathed. The final damage tally came to 2 shredded tires, smashed truck beds, twisted bumpers, damaged pumpkins, various body smashes and bends, and a broken traction bar for the full sized boys. And a couple broken U-joints, a toasted starter, a rollover, an arced and dead Optima, a broken transfer case mount, broken engine mount, and some body bumps and bruises for the rest of us.
Some final words: If you plan on campfires... get a permit and bring your own firewood. Thousands of campers every year have stripped the ecosystem of deadwood, fallen branches, and dead standing trees. TREAD LIGHTLY!.... trail closures are happening everywhere and the Rubicon is definitely on the Sierra Club's hit list. Disassemble your road construction.... this trail should be as challenging for the last guy thru at the end of the year as it was for the first guy thru in the Spring. Be prepared.... breakage is common. Challenge yourself, but also know your limits and keep the rubber side down.