The Crew
This year we had a strong group of four rigs: Jessica and Guy, Marianne and Fred, Tom, and Aga and myself. I organized the trip, and despite everything the trail threw at us, we kept moving.
Day 1: Airport Flat to Buck Island Lake
The plan was simple: get from Airport Flat Campground to Buck Island Lake. Should take three, maybe four hours. Wrong.
First backup came at the gatekeeper. A group of Land Cruisers was having trouble on the first obstacle—remember them, they’ll come back later in this story. One turned around and called it for the year. Two more pressed on with a few supporting rigs.
Around the same spot we met a group from San Diego Jeep Club, probably six to eight rigs. They waved us through, so we started making slow progress. A few hundred yards later, just past the slabs, Tom ran into trouble going up a set of stairs. His 37-inch AT tires started sliding on the granite. Guy and a few bystanders helped him clear it safely.
We made it to Little Sluice without further issues. Guy and Fred thought about running it, but much bigger buggies had gotten stuck there earlier and shoved rocks into terrible positions. Nobody was getting through clean. We bypassed.
That’s also where Tom spotted a leak from Fred’s rear axle. Something odd with the seal—oil getting through where it shouldn’t. Fred topped it off and we kept moving.
Somewhere within sight of Buck Island Lake, we hit approaching traffic in the worst possible spot—middle of an obstacle, no bypass. A guy ahead lost his throttle. Fuel delivery issue. He cranked it, it’d fire and immediately die. After checking fuel lines and spilling a bit of fuel in the engine bay, it somehow came back to life. No explanation.
After about eight hours we finally reached the lake around 5 PM. We found a spot with a great overlook at the dam. Beautiful night, nearly full moon—though our neighbors threw a party that ran until about 1 AM. Earplugs for the win.
Day 2: Buck Island Lake to Rubicon Springs
After the late-night festivities next door, we got up and set out for Rubicon Soda Springs. Three miles. Should be there by noon. You know nothing, Jon Snow.
We started around 9 AM. Most people had stayed at Buck Island, so we expected a fast, pleasant run. That lasted until the top of Big Sluice, where a group of full-size rigs was working their way down. A Chevy Silverado’s size was a serious disadvantage on this stretch.
The sound and the dust cloud looked like something exploded. It was a lost bead on the front passenger tire. The location was terrible for tire work—a bottle jack was useless with all the suspension flex. I had my hi-lift, so we gave it a shot. About an hour later the tire was back on the rim.
This was also the spot where I got stuck and had to pull my winch. Huge rocks turtled me on one of them. That’s what 35-inch tires get you out here.
Everyone made it to the bottom of the hill. We were feeling good, expecting to reach Rubicon Springs by 1 PM. Then the Silverado’s curse struck again—same rig, front driver side this time. Lost beads again.
The location was the worst possible. Front axle hung up on a boulder I’d estimate at 2,000 pounds. Rear axle barely cleared another rock, maybe 4,000 pounds. The pickup bed was stuck in the air. The only traction the rig had was from the front passenger tire—the same one we’d just reseated an hour earlier.
By this point the backup reached something close to 50 rigs.
We tried the winch. Nothing. Snatch block to double the pull. Nothing. Hi-lift to lever the bed off the boulder. Nothing. Finally, a spectator brought a hi-lift extension. We hooked the broken tire, lifted it with the hi-lift, and after two hours, some flame, and a lot of trial and error, the tire was back on the rim.
We arrived at Rubicon Soda Springs around 3 PM. The prophecy of three hours actually took six.
We found our spot on the slabs and were immediately greeted by a thunderstorm. Most people went straight for the springs. After that kind of day, the cool water felt incredible. The rain lasted about an hour, then the evening turned pleasant.
One thing that cast a shadow over the trip: a volunteer who’d been helping prepare the trail for Jeepers Jamboree 2024 had gone missing. We could hear helicopters flying overhead at night, calling for the person. An experienced local who knew the area well. All we could do was hope.
Day 3: Rubicon Springs to Wentworth Springs
Sunday started beautifully. We were rolling by 8:40 AM. Last stretch—shouldn’t take more than three hours. Wrong again.
At the bottom of Cadillac Hill we learned a Jeep Gladiator had lost its fuel tank. Dead weight blocking the trail. Our “lunch break” came early, around 9-something, and then nothing moved for over an hour. I wouldn’t be surprised if the backup stretched all the way to Rubicon Springs. The only activity was SAR teams searching for the missing volunteer.
Close to two hours later, things finally started moving. Remember the Land Cruiser group from Day 1? They helped recover the dead Gladiator and cleared the hill so the rest of us could pass.
The remainder of the trail was smooth. Unfortunately, the usual group-photo spot at the top of Cadillac Hill was blocked off—SAR was using it as a helicopter landing zone.
Around noon we reached the last marker on the trail, snapped a commemorative photo, and headed down to the staging area.
Final Thoughts
It was a great trip. Every day ran double the expected time, every obstacle had a story behind it, and the trail didn’t give an inch for free.