Sierra Fest dates?

Ok folks. I have agreed to help with part of the Sierra Fest this year. I know some of you have expressed interest in having the dates pushed up into August.

This is still in the works, but it was suggested to run the Rubicon Monday though Thursday, and then meet up in Deer Valley for the remainder of the week.

The preliminary dates are: August 8th through 11th for the Rubicon, and August 11th through the 14th for DV.

The Rubicon is hard to schedule runs for in August. Besides, if any of you have ever run the Rubicon during the week you will realize how much nicer it is without the large crowds. We will camp at Buck Island Lake for a few days of relaxation.

I can help lead the Rubicon portion of the trip. The real problem is that I can't commit to spending the weekend in DV after being on the Rubicon all week. The other problem is that I have never been to DV so I am useless in scheduling events and camp locations.

What is needed now is for someone (more than one person is good too) to help volunteer to organize the Deer Valley portion of the run, and help with the dinner/raffle.

I know some of you guys have scheduled a DV run in July, maybe you guys can reschedule the run to coincide with the Sierra Fest instead?

This schedule isn't set in stone, but the dates would need to stay the same. Before any of this can happen, we need volunteers to help.

So, any takers?

I wont be able to make any of it now... Have fun guys.

I am also going to run the Rubicon the second week of July for any that are interested, see my wheeling 2011 thread

Josh

Regardless of the dates, I would like to keep the DV and Rubicon runs separate. I cannot afford an entire week off for wheeling. I can get 2 half-weeks off easily. If they are the same week, I would have to skip one trip and I don't want to miss either.

Any other comments on this? There was grumbling that the Sierra Fest was too late in the year, this was an attempt to try to make the run more accessible.

It has been a few years since we had a week long trip planned. Believe me when I say running the Rubicon during the week is a whole different experience.

The original dates can stay if you would prefer, but we need more feedback on the dates and the runs themselves.

I only get a week of vacation time so doing it during the week would be tough for me.

Bryan C. said:

Any other comments on this? There was grumbling that the Sierra Fest was too late in the year, this was an attempt to try to make the run more accessible.

It has been a few years since we had a week long trip planned. Believe me when I say running the Rubicon during the week is a whole different experience.

The original dates can stay if you would prefer, but we need more feedback on the dates and the runs themselves.

Click to expand...

I'm sure the group will be split regardless of dates. I am in favor of holding two separate runs to appeal to the majority of drivers, but you will never be able to please everyone.

I also feel running a smaller group on the Rubi is best, but that sort of defeats the purpose and fund raising efforts of SF. The 2010 SF was a perfect storm of sorts, with so many able to attend. That will be hard to beat, but perhaps holding the same runs and times each year to build tradition will help gain regular attendees.

I like running the 'Con mid-week. But since I didn't do it last year, I will probably make it this year whether it is moved up into August or the original plan of September.

I'll also run DV in July.

One problem I see is it is quite a drive from the end of the Rubicon (Tahoe side) to the south end of Deer Valley, where the group usually camps. And, DV is nowhere near the experience that the Rubicon offers with the scenery and wheeling. So after doing the 'Con, how many people would realistically spend another couple days to do DV, unless DV has a huge turnout and is a significant event? Maybe for some of the Cali guys it makes more sence if they can get home via Hwy 4, that way its kind of on the way home. But for the Reno guys I think it is far too tempting to go home after the Rubicon, since it is much closer than DV.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I could do it either way, I just don't know what the majority would do.

If it is decided to combine the two, I can volunteer to lead the group to DV and lead the trail if necessary.

I vote two separate events. It's cool if you want to add DV to Sierrafest, but that should be in addition to the July DV run.

I wouldn't be able to do a weeks worth, I'd probably break stuff too. (Not to mention that Dv is 7 hours from home.)

I think we should split them up. I did SR/DV last year with Jeepforum. After 2 days on those trails i was ready to head home and get some sleep. The weekend after that i spent 5 days on the Rubicon guiding jeeps. Once i got off the trail the only thing i wanted to do was sleep in my own bed and take a nice shower. The trail really beats the crap outa ya! My vote is split them up. If i can manage the time, I can help lead DV/SR. I could guide the people from CA from Jackson to the trail head or campsite if i go home to visit the parents in Cali.

EricsXJ said:

I like running the 'Con mid-week. But since I didn't do it last year, I will probably make it this year whether it is moved up into August or the original plan of September.

I'll also run DV in July.

One problem I see is it is quite a drive from the end of the Rubicon (Tahoe side) to the south end of Deer Valley, where the group usually camps. And, DV is nowhere near the experience that the Rubicon offers with the scenery and wheeling. So after doing the 'Con, how many people would realistically spend another couple days to do DV, unless DV has a huge turnout and is a significant event? Maybe for some of the Cali guys it makes more sence if they can get home via Hwy 4, that way its kind of on the way home. But for the Reno guys I think it is far too tempting to go home after the Rubicon, since it is much closer than DV.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I could do it either way, I just don't know what the majority would do.

If it is decided to combine the two, I can volunteer to lead the group to DV and lead the trail if necessary.

Click to expand...

I'm with Eric on this one, it really would make a really long week if we combined these two events, and a lot of time to get off work etc. I would really like to get all the trails in this summer but with no buffer time in between the two for (repairs, more parts, rest) necessary things it makes it tough. As for the runs themselves me and Eric could pair up and lead from the Reno side with whatever rigs come from over here.

August 8-11th work great for me for the Rubicon, but I wouldn't be able to swing the rest of the week off to do Deer Valley afterwards. Until my boy is old enough to go on a trip like this with me, Mama only likes me being away so long...

Folks - I think the intent is to make the weekend portion of the trip (Deer Valley) an accesable portion, that ANY member of the sierra chapter with any level of built rig can attend and have fun at.

If you want to go to the Rubicon portion during the week - GREAT! Go!

But extending the trip into the weekend makes it so that people who dont have time off can meet up, still participate, and have a good time.

The Rubicon portion will be a cool event - but not everyone can take a week to go wheeling, AND not everyone has a rig that is a good idea to take on the Rubicon.

And the Rubicon isnt the best location to hold a dinner, raffle, and group event due to the limited access to certain areas and smaller campsites due to the 50' off the centerline of the trail rules. Also carting all the swag into Buck doesnt sound like a small feat.

If someone can only come to one part of the event - or the other - its OK - sierrafest is about wheeling - Get out there when you can!

XJ_ranger said:

Folks - I think the intent is to make the weekend portion of the trip (Deer Valley) an accesable portion, that ANY member of the sierra chapter with any level of built rig can attend and have fun at.

If you want to go to the Rubicon portion during the week - GREAT! Go!

But extending the trip into the weekend makes it so that people who dont have time off can meet up, still participate, and have a good time.

The Rubicon portion will be a cool event - but not everyone can take a week to go wheeling, AND not everyone has a rig that is a good idea to take on the Rubicon.

And the Rubicon isnt the best location to hold a dinner, raffle, and group event due to the limited access to certain areas and smaller campsites due to the 50' off the centerline of the trail rules. Also carting all the swag into Buck doesnt sound like a small feat.

If someone can only come to one part of the event - or the other - its OK - sierrafest is about wheeling - Get out there when you can!

Click to expand...

:thumbup: couldnt have been said better. on a side note, I have live up in the area of the rubicon for the better part of my life. There are tons of trails up there than people with little or no build could go up and have fun on. Some even on BLM where the forest service cant say nething about. I think Xjensen has a few trails on his website like Hell hole. We could just try and hold the event all up there, make sierra fest a multiple trail run so everyone can play/ attend, and hold the dinner raffle in a place and at a time the is convienant to everyone. Just my .02

Thanks Opie. I agree that the Sierra Fest is supposed to be just that, a festival of wheeling. I can't make both runs either. I might be able to spend one night in DV, but I agree that I would want a night in a hotel for a shower and a good nights sleep.


One of the first Sierra Chapter runs I went on was XJ Fest in 2004. Fordyce, Rubicon, and Barrett over the course of 9 days. I made it halfway into Barrett and decided to head home. This was and still is one of the best runs I have ever been on. Some of the people I met at that run I still hang out with and consider great friends.


Opie is right. Not everyone will make both runs. Those that are capable of running the Rubicon may not want to go run DV. And those who can't run the Rubicon may want to go to DV.

EricsXJ said:

I like running the 'Con mid-week. But since I didn't do it last year, I will probably make it this year whether it is moved up into August or the original plan of September.

I'll also run DV in July.

One problem I see is it is quite a drive from the end of the Rubicon (Tahoe side) to the south end of Deer Valley, where the group usually camps. And, DV is nowhere near the experience that the Rubicon offers with the scenery and wheeling. So after doing the 'Con, how many people would realistically spend another couple days to do DV, unless DV has a huge turnout and is a significant event? Maybe for some of the Cali guys it makes more sence if they can get home via Hwy 4, that way its kind of on the way home. But for the Reno guys I think it is far too tempting to go home after the Rubicon, since it is much closer than DV.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I could do it either way, I just don't know what the majority would do.

If it is decided to combine the two, I can volunteer to lead the group to DV and lead the trail if necessary.

Click to expand...

Since I haven't been to Deer Valley, would it be closer if we headed out from the Loon Lake side? With 2 down days at the lake we could run to the top of Cadillac and head back to camp one day, and then leave out the Loon Lake side.

Like I said, this is still in the planning stage.

Bryan C. said:

Since I haven't been to Deer Valley, would it be closer if we headed out from the Loon Lake side? With 2 down days at the lake we could run to the top of Cadillac and head back to camp one day, and then leave out the Loon Lake side.

Like I said, this is still in the planning stage.

Click to expand...

if you left out the loon side you could go over to hwy 50 then through strawberry to hwy88. Looking forward to this trip however it goes.

Ha. I was thinking the same thing about running Rubicon from Tahoe to Loon.

I don't like the August dates, but that's just me.

Bryan C. said:

Since I haven't been to Deer Valley, would it be closer if we headed out from the Loon Lake side? With 2 down days at the lake we could run to the top of Cadillac and head back to camp one day, and then leave out the Loon Lake side.

Like I said, this is still in the planning stage.

Click to expand...

I think it would be faster to run out Tahoe side and down 89 to 4, looks a lot longer to drive all the way out Ice House and back up and over 50 to 89 south.



Unless you want to run the Strawberry trail to get over to 88, back up to 89 then to 4 . . .

i second that, 89 will take you down fast to 4...

blondejoncherokee said:

i second that, 89 will take you down fast to 4...

Click to expand...

Dont' forget to fill your tank with Markleeville gas before you head to Hwy 4. Should be $6 a gallon by then.