Helicopter Project on the Rubicon – Part 2
Heli Ops magazine did a great write up about not only the Helicopter operations but also the history of the trail. This is Part 2.
Meet Ron Cannon
Updated Bio-
Ron was born and raised in Placerville. He graduated from El Dorado High School in 1985. In 1991, married his first love “Tami” after dating for 5 years. He attended the police academy in 1995, served with the Placerville Police Department for 24 years, and retired in September 2020. Ron was also a volunteer firefighter for Diamond Springs/ El Dorado Fire for 10 years where he was a member of the volunteer firefighters association. He served as the President of the Union Mine Junior Rattlers youth football and cheer and served as the inaugural president for the merger of Hangtown and Timber Little League in 2009. He has always considered himself a public servant.
Ron became interested in off-roading relatively recently. His love for the Jeep developed after renting two of the JKU’s while in Hawaii on vacation in 2012. Upon return he found himself regularly having coffee with members of Jeepers Jamboree spending hours listening to jeeping stories (sorting through the BS), watching jeeping videos, and falling in love with the idea of owning a Jeep. In 2015 he purchased a used 2013 JKUR with the intent of building it for the 2016 Jeepers Jamboree. He built it with a basic lift, bead lock wheels, and all the steel he could find to protect it! The 2016 Jeepers Jamboree was “go big or go home” introduction to rock crawling that he and his wife both loved. Afterward he began volunteering at Jeepers Jamboree and he joined the Hangtown Crawlers. His newest goal is to Jeep the entire country, but the Rubicon Trail is his first love.
The Rubicon Trail Foundation became a source of information, so he began attending meetings, donating to Black Tie & Boots, volunteering at Cantina, and donating directly to RTF. Ron’s past experience serving the community makes him very familiar with the demands of organizational service. Being recently retired, Ron can now dedicate time to serve the greater good of the Rubicon Trail. He believes in private property rights and year round access to public lands with reasonable limitations for responsible conservation. Service to that end is his honor.
Meet Diane Hawks
Diane was born and raised in the Bay Area and has always had an interest in vehicles since her family owns an automotive repair shop in San Francisco. Diane used to build and show muscle cars in Northern California. Her 1969 El Camino won a trophy at the Oakland Roadster show and her 1968 SS Chevelle won the best burnout contests at the Western Street Machine Association or WSMA events. Her early off-roading experiences were with her 1973 F-250 and her 1993 Toyota pickup, where she would frequent Hollister Hills SVRA and Frank Raines OHV Park. She also enjoyed riding her Yamaha Banshee with friends at Pismo Dunes.
Diane’s first trip to the Rubicon Trail goes back to 1995 with her 1971 CJ5 which had manual steering and manual brakes. That trip was all it took for her to become addicted to the Rubicon Trail and upgrades for her Jeeps to follow.
In 2004, Diane and Scott bought horse property in Somerset where they raise Arabian horses.
Diane was a volunteer with the El Dorado County Search and Rescue OHV Team for 11 years. She has also done events on the Rubicon Trail such as organized trail staff for the Hi-Lander’s Annual Poker Run, driven female Veterans for Wheelers for the Wounded, attended Rubicon Scramble, Jeep Jamboree, Cantina on the Con, driven for several OHMVR tours, and attended other various trips.
Diane has been the VP of the Hi-Lander’s 4wd Club for four years helping with conservation and maintenance work parties on the Barrett Lake Jeep Trail and Southfork Campground. She also attends meetings and trail runs with other 4wd clubs, and is the admin of three Facebook off-road groups building relationships within the off-road community.
Diane brings many years of off-roading experience and looks forward to being a part of the Rubicon Trail Foundation team.
Current trail Jeeps: 2015 JKU Rubicon, 2003 TJ Rubicon, 1981 CJ8 Scrambler
Merry Christmas!
The Officers and Directors of the Rubicon Trail Foundation would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Please be safe in heading up to the Rubicon and make sure to pack plenty of layers, let your loved ones know where you are going and when you should return, bring plenty of food and supplies in case of delays and use your best judgement when traveling in snow and on the trail.
Be Prepared
Be Prepared
Snow Wheelin’
Snow Wheelin’
Best wishes from your friends at the Rubicon Trail Foundation.
Welcome our New Directors’
On Wednesday, December 16, 2020 the Rubicon Trail Foundation had a quick monthly meeting to vote in some new and old Directors. It is our pleasure to announce that we added two new faces to the board. Many people may know them already but we want everyone to know who the board is.
Please help us in welcoming Diane Hawks and Ron Cannon to the board. We will be showcasing our board members over the next few weeks so stay tuned for more info on these new Director’s.
Our Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail users and supporters. These include trail users, land owners, county representatives, manufacturers, and Rubicon event organizers.
Existing Board:
Officer’s:
President: David Thomas: Toys on the Rocks, FOTR, Placerville, CA
Vice President: Ken Hower: FOTR, VLLS, Rubicon Trail Patrol, ATV guy, Auburn, CA
Treasurer: Jonathan Carlos: 4×4 In Motion Club, Rubicon enthusiast, Pollock Pines, CA
Secretary: Chris Cowan: Rubicon enthusiast, non-profit experience, Plymouth, CA
Director’s:
John Arenz: Past President, Jeepers Jamboree, FOTR, FOE, VLLS grad etc., Pollock Pines, CA
Rusty Folena: charter RTF member, past President, VLLS grad, FOTR, Adopt-A-Trail Participant, Plymouth, CA
Dan DeWolf, Jeepers Jamboree ex-president, Rubicon enthusiast, Jeepers Jamboree Cook Crew, Placerville, CA
Matt Warden, Jeepers Jamboree Cook Crew, Adopt-A-Trail Participant, Rubicon enthusiast, Placerville, CA
JC Jenkins, Volunteer at the Kiosk, Rubicon enthusiast, Shingle Springs, CA
Mike Gerondakis, Jeepers Jamboree Board, Rubicon enthusiast, Pollock Pines, CA
Laura Blake, Jeepers Jamboree, , Placerville, CA
Tyler Hovelsrud, Rubicon enthusiast, Oregon
For more information on getting involved or supporting the Rubicon Trail Foundation please call us at 888-678-2426 or visit our website at www.rubicontrail.org. Our meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of each month with the exception of Dec. Location to be determined.
Snow Repository
Over the last several years, there has been an increasing problem with Placer County, contractors, and local homeowners using the Tahoe entrance to the trail as a snow repository. Those of us who live in snow country know how hard it can be to find a place to store snow when plowing and clearing roads, but taking the snow from one public road and placing it in another is not a solution, it only migrates and exacerbates the problem.
Doug Barr (of The Other Rubicon) and Ron Briggs (Tahoe FOTR lead) have been working on this problem for several years and have asked RTF (and just about anybody they can think of) for help. RTF has gotten involved at the level of attending meetings, making phone calls, and offering help with education. Our stance is that we are not asking anybody to DO anything, but we are insisting that they DO NOT move snow onto the Rubicon McKinney Road, an open public road. As Mr. Barr points out, this is an illegal act.
Recently RTF directors attended a public Zoom Meeting (it was cancelled in person) with Placer County representatives and neighbors. At that meeting we stated our position and offered to create and place signage to remind folks not to dump snow in the roadway. Here is our follow-up letter:
Happy Thanksgiving
The Rubicon Trail Foundation wants to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! Please be safe and take all precautions when out and about.
We have finally hit the cooler weather and with that days can be warmer than the brisk cold nights. Make sure that when you pack you bring plenty of clothing layers, tarps, sunscreen, shovels, enough food and then some extra in case of delays, always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return and be SAFE!
Since the temperatures can change dramatically be aware of fire restrictions. Start by getting a campfire permit from any CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, or BLM station or office. Permits are required to have campfire or portable gas stoves on public lands.
During periods of high fire danger, campfires may be restricted. Also, keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby at all times.
- Choose a safe location
- Clear a minimum 10 feet around fire
- Extinguish your fire with the “drown, stir and feel” method and/or water
Check to ensure there aren’t any local fire restrictions in the area.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=fsbdev7_019067
Rubicon Ham Repeater Replaced
The Rubicon repeater started as a surplus handheld radio mated to a mobile in Rubicon Springs in 1992. Merlin Scott (KC6BFV) became the first caretaker of the Springs in 1991, and in 1992 his friend Frank Yost (KA6GWY) decided to make his life safer by putting in a barebones repeater. Originally the antenna was mounted on a shovel handle stuck in the ground, and eventually the antenna was hoisted into a tree each spring and removed at the end of the season.
In 2004 Merlin moved to Spider Lake and the repeater moved with him. It had much better coverage now but was still old handhelds in a pelican case powered by a used car battery and solar cells lying on the rocks. The antenna was mounted to a tripod held down with sandbags.
In 2008, with driving force from Dennis Mayer, RTF made an agreement with the Spider Lake property owners to put in a permanent vault, making the repeater year around. It has gotten better over the years with improved receivers, new engineered antennas, more solar power, a remote weather station, and added digital capability.
In the last two weeks the repeater hit another milestone. Last year RTF voted to appropriate $5000 for the purchase of a brand-new commercial quality repeater. The repeater was ordered from Daniels Communications, and tuned and mated to the RLC-1 controller that was added in 2013. Last week John Arenz (N6YBH) took the repeater in and with help from Ryan O’Neal and Steve Nelson it was installed. The last of the glitches were repaired by John at the Spider Lake vault and Frank by remote control this weekend.
With support from our donors, RTF has funded, and Frank Yost and the Rubicon Nerd Patrol have put in place the premier ham radio repeater on an OHV trail anywhere. It has been used to save many lives and ordered a lot of parts over the years. Now it will be in place for years to come!
The Rubicon Trail Foundation is federally recognized, non-profit organization dedicated to the future health of the Rubicon Trail. The Rubicon Trail Foundation acts as the support for Rubicon work projects, Friends of the Rubicon, and as a liaison with local government organizations. This support can range from getting approval for projects from the appropriate agencies, to feeding the volunteers, to buying the supplies needed to maintain the trail. We also fight the efforts of others to close or restrict use of the Rubicon Trail System. All funds raised help to enhance the future health of the Rubicon Trail, while ensuring responsible motorized year-round access.
Our Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail users and supporters. These include trail users, land owners, county representatives, manufacturers, and Rubicon event organizers. For more information on getting involved or supporting the Rubicon Trail Foundation please call us at 888-678-2426 or visit our website at www.rubicontrail.org.
Great Collaboration and Work to keep Rubicon OPEN for ALL
Part of education that often is not noticed is working on the trail and collaborating with others. The Tahoe National Forest Service reached out to us, Friends of the Rubicon, Jeepers Jamboree, and the CA OHV Division to get some much-needed work on Cadillac Hill & Observation Point not to make it easier but to keep the trail preserved and open for all.
Joe Chavez, the Tahoe National Forest OHV Resource Tech put together this great PowerPoint presentation.
https://www.rubicontrailfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/HO-127_Siller-Rubicon-pt1-R.pdf
The picture above was to stabilize the bottom of Morris Rock, reducing siltation and damage from oil spills. Using RTF trailers, large rocks were loaded and brought to the site by volunteers, and then placed by the excavator. This creates a rocky challenge for trail users and prevents future damage…win win!
The Rubicon Trail Foundation is federally recognized, non-profit organization dedicated to the future health of the Rubicon Trail. The Rubicon Trail Foundation acts as the support for Rubicon work projects, Friends of the Rubicon, and as a liaison with local government organizations. This support can range from getting approval for projects from the appropriate agencies, to feeding the volunteers, to buying the supplies needed to maintain the trail. We also fight the efforts of others to close or restrict use of the Rubicon Trail System. All funds raised help to enhance the future health of the Rubicon Trail, while ensuring responsible motorized year-round access.
Our Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail users and supporters. These include trail users, land owners, county representatives, manufacturers, and Rubicon event organizers. For more information on getting involved or supporting the Rubicon Trail Foundation please call us at 888-678-2426 or visit our website at www.rubicontrail.org.
Helicopter Project on the Rubicon May 2020
Heli Ops magazine did a great write up about not only the Helicopter operations but also the history of the trail.
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