This has been the first year in the last decade I haven't wheeled over the Rubicon.

I've gone over the Rubicon every year since 1999 at least once per year. However, the last time out left a bad taste in my mouth. The MAN closed down our right to camp lakeside with your vehicle at all the cool lakes like Spider and Loon. Now, Buck Island is the only camping you can drive to. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to park my expensive trail rig a couple hundred yards out of earshot. Then, my last trip was less than stellar. I got a little bummed at the constant helicopter ferries bringing supplies to the Springs for the Camp Jeep shindig. And around every turn we ran into "official" groups who tied up the trail and made us wait at every half-way hard rock section. Human feces and toilet paper were everywhere. And I mean everywhere - even at the water's edge at Buck Island. Then, to top it off, somebody dented the door of my tow rig with their trailer and siphoned about 10-gallons of diesel out of my tank while it was parked at the trail head at Loon Lake dam. Eh, I guess this year I just wasn't feeling the need to recreate my last trip. I hear cool things about the Dusy trail up in the Sierras. Maybe that'll be my new go-to fall outing. Regardless, here's a photo my son, Charlie took of me grabbing a pinecone to bring home to Mommy on the way out of the trail last year. Despite all the litter and waiting, it was a really special father-son trip for us. Here's hoping more folks log onto http://www.rubicontrailfoundation.org/ to see what they can do to help keep this historic trail clean, running smoothly, and most of all - open.