As a Rubithon rookie with a virtually stock FJ60, the Rubicon Trail was
quite a challenge.  I now have a, er, customized rig :^0  The trip was
awesome in almost every aspect.  The scenery, the rigs, the camaraderie, the
organizers.... the list is endless.  To see old friends and meet new ones,
putting faces to names, and sharing experiences was a true joy.    Although
our (the trio of rigs of which I was a part) arrived at the Springs a day
later than planned due to technical difficulties along the way, I am
actually glad it turned out that way for the experience it created,
specifically, the feeling of accomplishment and adventure.  I feel sorry for
Jimmy Miller (one of our trio) who has worked hard on his rig to get ready
for Rubithon, only to be dashed shortly after the start of the run with a
broken front locker, and ran 2WD most of the way to Spider that night where
he ultimately twisted the rear driveshaft.  My son Ian made a valiant
attempt in his FJ40 at Little Sluice only to twist his rear driveshaft.  On
the way from Spider to Buck Island we fixed Jimmy's front third member
taking out the faulty locker. On Thurs night  at Buck Island someone (the
pilot of Cruzilla) kindly welded Jimmy's rear driveshaft and he was ready to
roll again in 4WD.  Oh, the joy of trail repairs!

The Buck Island to Rubicon Springs leg was a real blast - it's truly amazing
what a stock 60 can get through with some good spotters, a bit (don't worry
Mr. Mullen, it was minimal) of rock stacking/hi-lifting, and lots of gusto!
No yank straps or winches needed, thank you!  Mind you there is not a
straight panel on the rig now, sorry to say.

The stay at the Springs was a delight - thanks to the efforts of TLCA
folks - great breakfast and diner BBQ!

Not to dwell too much on the negative stuff, but like Bill Jackson, I found
the showboat antics of some a bit disconcerting.  Many activities are
becoming more and more extreme , and wheeling is no exception.  The
difficult part for wheelers is that we like to enjoy the backwoods areas of
Mother Nature - this puts us at odds with the greenies (and probably the
uninformed public at large)  who regard us as destroyers of the environment.
It is not what we are, but what we are perceived to be, that is the issue.
Remember Ross, the great masses do not act on factual data and do not
research the issues, but rather act on sound bites and media spin.  I think
we need to remain very alert to the trends within the activity lest it turn
around and bite us.  Thankfully, the great majority of Rubithon folks were
super people just there to enjoy the run in a rational manner and take care
to tread lightly.

Special thanks to my fellow trekkers Jimmy Miller, Morgan Fletcher, and
Chris Alger, as well as Ian and Trevor Plaine,  for their help and
encouragement.

All I can say in conclusion is "Wow, see ya next year!"

Andy Plaine, Danville CA TLCA#4974  danyalpine@value.net
1970 FJ40  1972 FJ40  1985 FJ60 (Silver Cloud)  1988 FJ62