Probably stupid questions from a Sierra Fest virgin

I'm getting so excited about Sierra Fest that I've already started a packing list. But since I haven't wheeled the Rubicon before or camped at Hidden Valley, I have some questions. I don't want to overpack, but I also don't want to get there and the say, "dang, I should have brought a . . . " whatever. So I'm going to risk scorn and ridicule and just ask. Maybe other first timers will have questions that I haven't thought of and, if so, I hope they'll post their questions here too and maybe we'll all benefit from getting some answers.

Do I need to bring wag bags? A shovel? Both? Neither? (If I'm going to ask embarrassing questions, I might as well get that one out of the way right off the bat.) Are there vault toilets or the like at Buck Island? (I assume there are facilities at Rubicon Springs.)

Any fishing along the way? Packing fishing gear is easy, but I don't want to buy a fishing license if I'm not going to have a chance to use it. Any swimming spots? Would packing swim fins, a mask, and snorkel be a waste of cargo space?

Approximately what time can we expect to roll into South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday? This has nothing to do with packing, but I've got a work-related Zoom meeting at 4 o'clock Wednesday and I'm wondering about my chances of being checked into a motel in time to participate in that.

Can someone please post coordinates for the Hidden Valley campground? Or a link? I'm having trouble finding it on line.

These are all the questions I have at the moment. Thanks for any answers you guys can provide.

Always bring wag bags. Plenty of swimming. Fishing yes. Last year we got into slt between 12-1. Hidden valley? Or hermit valley?

Ha! No wonder I can’t find it! I had the wrong name!

Thanks!

No ridicule im sure id be concerned too with those issues .

Expect to get to south lake between 11:30 - 3pm .

I wouldnt bring the swim gear you mentioned if it was me just because im not sure when and whered you go swimming with that sort of gear versus just bringing your swim trunks. I mean we all bring swim trunks. If you got the room bring it.

Hermit Valley Campground
Arnold, CA 95223
(209) 795-1381
https://goo.gl/maps/jWrJUGN4g95QueuS9

Definitely bring swim trunks. There's good swim spots at Spider lake near the top of little sluice and at Rubicon Springs. On the second half of the trip there's good swimming at Lake Alpine and Utica Res at the end of Slick Rock. Unless you're a big snorkler I wouldn't bother with packing mask/fins.

Both times I fished Buck Island and some of the smaller nearby lakes I got skunked, which is pretty common for those lakes. Last I heard those lakes in that area are not stocked. I've never fished Lake Alpine but I've seen people catch fish there. I bring my fishing gear but always take 395 back home and spend an extra day or two to fish the Eastern Sierra spots instead.

Definitely bring wag bags. Saw a post on FaceBalls saying all the outhouses are full. I don’t anticipate them being cleaned out before Sierra Fest.

Thanks for all the info, especially about the full outhouses. That’s good to know in advance.

Swim trunks were never in doubt. Same with swim shoes for my delicate tootsies.

Agreement on WAG bags... so here is some additional advice since you mentioned "over-packing" which is a common mistake from what I see when it comes to the Rubicon.

Of course this is just my opinion and philosophy. Others might disagree and that's okay.

Unlike Moab (I know you've been there you don't have a base camp so you will be hauling all your camping gear on the trail. If you plan on bringing every "luxury" camping item with you, not only will it fill your jeep but the extra weight can certainly add up. The trail can be brutal enough, and the more weight you are carrying adds stress to your rig, makes hard climbs harder or some obstacles (Soup Bowl) far more difficult. Can that lead to more breakage? Possibly, depending on your setup, and I would say in some cases without a doubt. I've seen it happen.

Sure, when I take the truck on campouts I load it up. But on wheeling trips with the Jeep (and no basecamp) I take a minimalist approach. I figure if a backpacker can spend a week on that trail (Desolation Wilderness), why can't I, using the same approach a backpacker would? I don't need a full two burner grill, cast iron pots and pans, a huge table, huge propane tank, and full kitchen setup. I bring a backpacker "pocket" stove for heating water and typically eat Mountain House freeze dried meals (which ARE really good) and super easy and convenient. I even bring a smaller ice chest and limited ice (usually I'll freeze some water bottles before hand for ice). Make sure you do bring enough drinking water with you however, unless you go so far as pulling water out of the lake with a filter... (I don't go that far yet, but can if I need to). And don't bring firewood. Campfires are usually not allowed this time of year on the Rubicon. Also gas - as long as you start with a full tank of gas in your XJ you'll be fine. So no need to bring extra Jerry cans full of gas (although I have seen that useful in helping those that didn't prepare so wisely). Those guys coming from California - I don't know where you usually gas up (Fresh Pond?) Coming from Tahoe, I gas at Kyburz or earlier in Meyers.

Spare parts? and tools? You have to prepare wisely on that based on likelyhood of breakage. Sometimes sharing tools and spares with others is a good idea. (ex: if we have 12 rigs going, we don't need 12 Hi-Lift jacks...)

The unfortunate thing for you out-of-towners going straight from the Rubicon to Hermit is that Hermit IS a basecamp so some of those "luxury" items can come in handy there. Decisions, decisions....

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Thanks very much, Eric. I’ll rethink my packing list carefully in light of your advice. I’ve got a bunch of stuff on the list that I normally bring along for car camping that I can do without. And I’m sure I regularly carry in my rig way more tools than I really am likely to need. For example, I probably don’t need both a full set of impact sockets and a full set of non-impact sockets in the same sizes. So I’ll work on lightening the load.

But we all know how it works...that one tool or part you leave behind is the exact one you're gonna need on the trail!

Is there any particular two-meter ham radio frequency that you Sierra Chapter guys favor? I know I could just ask at the trail head, but in case I’m running late or something I’d just as soon set it in advance and have one less thing to worry about.

151.775. (Locomoco) is what we have been running the last few trips. Alot of people bought the cheap Amazon radios and they work better then the old cbs.

10-4. Thanks.

Also FYI, here's the Rubicon repeater frequencies from the Rubicon Trail Foundation, copy and pasted from their website:

805 El Dorado 146.805 -.600 PL123.0 The KA6GWY repeater, covers the west
slope of El Dorado County and the Sacramento area and is linked into the Rubicon Repeater

805 Tahoe 145.350 output, 146.205 input PL123.0 The Tahoe Basin
KA6GWY repeater, linked 24/7 to the 805 ELD repeater, coverage in the Tahoe Basin.

805-S 146.805 simplex, no PL This is the repeater output frequency
of the KA6GWY repeater. Nice to have so that you can talk to your friends right in front of you,
still listen to the repeater, but not tie it up when simplex will work just fine.

Rubicon repeater, no link 444.9875 +5.00 PL 156.7 The Rubicon repeater located near
Spider Lake, coverage on all of the Rubicon Trail except east of Barker Meadows OHV trail.

Rubicon repeater, linked 444.9875 +5.00 PL 107.2 Same as Rubicon Repeater except
that when using this PL it links to 805 El Dorado and 805 Tahoe
Rubicon simplex 444.9875 simples, PL107.2 This is the repeater output
frequency of the Spider repeater. Nice to have so that you can talk to your friends right in front
of you, still listen to the repeater, but not tie it up when simplex will work just fine. Note: PL is
used because some users decode PL on their handheld radios.

Thanks very much! I’ll be sure to print that out and keep it with me! Or, better yet, will program them into my radio in advance. Duh.