We need to simplify -- this is focusing into a Rubicon primary trip, with possible support for others after. Here's the plan (maps and directions to follow)...

Thursday night, the Rubicon folks will meet up at Loon Lake, near the FOTR Kiosk. Friday, we will run into Ellis Creek, which is a short trip, and will meet with the folks who don't want to run Rubicon. This first piece of the trail is pretty mild, and with careful spotting, we can get anyone with 32" or so tires through, even if not locked (PM me if you have questions about your rig). We're not going far this day, and I'm willing to do the spotting/strapping/rock-stacking to get everyone through. From Ellis Creek, it is a short, rocky stretch to get to 14N05, which is 2WD enough that I have had my wife's Subaru on it multiple times.

EVERYONE who wants to can meet together Friday evening at Ellis Creek, on the Rubicon. This is a *very* short hike from a 2WD-accessible forest service dirt road, so even 2WD commuter cars can be used to get close enough for a walk. We can camp, knock back a few beers, and BS, but the next morning one group is taking off Eastbound on the trail, and the other group will be doing a local (or two) set of less-abusive trails. Less vehicle-abusive folks itinerary is still up in the air, please let me know if anyone wants to lead this and I will work directly with you to identify appropriate trails. Frankly, the Eldorado National Forest has so many cool places, it will be hard limiting the number of my suggestions as to scenic but not hard-core destinations and routes.

More vehicle-abusive folks will run the Rubicon Trail Saturday and Sunday; and how far we go will be determined by breakage and pace of vehicles -- we'll definitely get to Buck Island by Saturday night, but may choose to push on to Rubicon Springs. We can be back to civilization Sunday night late if necessary, but I am tempted to take a more relaxed approach, and drive out Monday morning from Rubicon Springs, which puts us in Tahoe or Reno early in the afternoon. Much of this depends on the other participants -- I can take some of that next week off and continue on to Barret of Fordyce (IMHO this is a harder trail than Rubicon), but my dayjob requires me to be in the office on Thursday 09/07, so I can't stretch it longer on the front side. It is possible that we could hook up the abusive and non-abusive groups again for Sunday night, but that has dependencies, and definitely complicates things.

What say? Please let me know who's in, what percent surety, and what vehicles are involved -- and whether you want a hard stop late Sunday night in civilization, can stretch it lazy until Monday, or want to continue on into Tuesday or Wednesday.

Randii