24 Sep Jeep Jamboree Camp Rubicon 2024
By Brandon Alvarez, Tread Lightly! California Program Manager
Summer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a truly magical time of year, especially in the stillness of pre-dawn. The wet pavement at the Tahoma Staging Area, situated on the western shore of Lake Tahoe, shone in the headlights of a Jeep, hinting at the previous night’s thunderstorm and promising more to come. It was the third of August 2024, and the Tread Lightly! team, along with El Dorado County, shifted into 4-wheel drive and hit the trail. It was time for Jeep Jamboree Camp Rubicon!
Jeepers Jamboree and Jeep Jamboree are two of the oldest running Jeep events in the country, with 2024 marking the 72nd Jeepers Jamboree and 46th Jeep Jamboree, as well as the 6th iteration of Camp Rubicon. Camp Rubicon was born out of the need and desire to educate the next generation of off-road enthusiasts to help ensure that our sport continues to thrive and grow in the most ethical and responsible manner possible. Through fun, hands-on activities, 150 kids, ranging from 6 to 17 years old, who participated in Camp Rubicon walked away with the skills and trail etiquette needed to aid their future as off-roaders.
After the rain cleared, families gathered on the lawn at Rubicon Soda Springs for a Camp Rubicon staple, the yearly hike out to the Stone Cabin. The Stone Cabin site is a leisurely half-mile hike through picturesque stands of aspens and meadows that, in a bygone era, were home to cattle. Initially built in the 1940s as a hunting cabin and summer retreat, it provided a great spot for kids to start their day with the area’s history. The group took turns filtering through the small one-room structure, and took note that the entire west wall is roughly shaped from a massive granite boulder, the cabin’s namesake. The observant group members noticed a small pit carved in the corner, which served as an icebox for perishable items. With only a straggler or two still taking in the cabin, the group began making their way back to camp for lunch and the rest of the Camp Rubicon agenda!
Spurred on by the alarming increase of wildfires in recent years, not only in California but nationwide, a fire safety demo was first on the list of Tread Lightly! led activities. Once the kids assembled around the bonfire pit in camp, Search and Rescue gave a short talk emphasizing the importance of staying put if lost and how to use a signal whistle to alert searchers to your location. Just as Search and Rescue finished handing out signal whistles and makeshift rain ponchos to the kids, a sudden gust of wind rushed through the camp, causing the coals from last night’s bonfire to burst back into flames. This unplanned demonstration helped prove the point that just because a fire is not actively burning doesn’t mean it’s fully extinguished. What was originally meant to be merely a demonstration of the “drown, stir, drown, feel” technique for extinguishing campfires turned into a live exercise where kids excitedly shouted out the next steps of the process until the fire was cold and extinguished. At the end of the exhibition, each of the kids was presented with a collapsible bucket to call their own so they too could do their part (with the help of an adult) and fully extinguish campfires on their next trip! With goodies secured, the kids were given a brief break to stay hydrated and walk around before the next set of activities.
Recouped and ready to go, the kids approached the finale of Tread Lightly! activities for the day, a trio of stations aimed at ensuring they and their vehicles are prepared for on-trail adventures. First on the docket was a vehicle readiness checklist featuring the El Dorado County Jeep. Presented with a checklist of essential items, the kids were tasked with finding all the items on the Jeep and prompted to think where they could find each item on their parent’s vehicle, and where they might stash them on their own in the future. Some of these items were easy to identify, like a fully stocked first aid kit and charged fire extinguisher, but others made the kids stop and think, such as extra clothing to deal with sudden weather changes or a water filter for use in emergencies. The kids attacked the activity with enthusiasm rarely seen outside of their age group and were quick to call out items not found on their parents’ rigs. With homework assignments to ensure their parents’ vehicles were fully prepared for their next adventure, participants rotated to the next station.
Standing by her signature green, white, and black wrapped BFGoodrich Tires® Jeep, Charlene Bower of Ladies Off-Road Network was ready to take kids on a guided tour of the mechanics and engineering found under our rigs. After crawling under the vehicle, kids were tasked to point out and identify components in the undercarriage. The kids were taught that being familiar with your vehicle is the first step in understanding some of the mechanical mishaps that can occur on the trail and, more importantly, how to fix them outside of the comfort of your own driveway. While some were initially intimidated by the complex maze of parts, all the kids were soon pointing out u-joints and shock mounts like seasoned pros. Armed with newfound knowledge, the kids then rotated to the final station for the day.
The final station, a sad-looking tire scrounged from the mechanics’ camp, gave the kids the tools to deal with everyone’s favorite frustration on the trail: the punctured tire. Also being taught by Ladies Off-Road Network, the first step on this station was to create a puncture. With the help of a cordless drill, the kids, some with a troubling level of enthusiasm, punched a hole in the tire. The bruised and battered tire then received a thorough reaming to ensure proper plug application. Some participants had trouble at first with the finicky technique required to remove the tool while leaving the plug in place, but soon, even the youngest of the group successfully plugged the tire at least once.
By the end, the entire lot of kids were beaming with pride at their accomplishments and the Tread Lightly! led activities for the day wound down to a close. Armed with newfound knowledge and skills to help them on their future off-roading endeavors, the participants eagerly prepared for the end-of-day Camp Rubicon activities, including the ice cream eating contest and kids raffle! We at Tread Lightly! greatly look forward to Jeep Jamboree Camp Rubicon 2025 and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to educate the next generation of off-roaders!
Thank you to the partners who made this possible:
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