Wilderness
Posted by alpenglowbc on August 26, 2011
US Forest Service
view up to Muir Hut on Muir Pass 2006
Sorry we don’t have a current photo of the Sequoia backcountry but the one above is from the last huge winter we had. This is the view from the north looking south up at Muir Pass. You can see the Muir Hut poking out a bit as well. I’m guessing this is about what it looks like back there now. The creeks will be cranking and snow bridges will be sketchy as well, more so in the afternoons, so plan ahead and take on any crossings in the morning. This particular summer the water crossing at the outlet of McClure Meadow was 4 feet deep in the morning and McClure Meadow was a lake!
Here’s a list of a bunch of links that may be handy. Some of the Forest Service and National Park Service trail, road, and campground openings and conditions. Looks like they have tried to update them recently. If you’ve been out in the backcountry shoot these folks an e-mail with any info you’ve got on conditions. It is greatly appreciated since many of these agencies are understaffed especially in the Wilderness departments.
Tahoe Basin:
Road and Campground Opening Dates
Inyo National Forest:
Mono Lake Mammoth Bishop Lone Pine/Mt. Whitney
National Parks:
Yosemite National Park Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
One other spot to check for High Sierra information is the High Sierra Topic forums. They have a thread that may or may not be updated but worth a look for some first hand info.
Like this:
One of the benefits of living in the western United States is the year round access to so many of the National Parks (and forests for that matter). The Center for Park Research, an offshoot of the National Parks Conservation Association, has released their findings from 10 years of research on the conditions of the cultural and natural resources of the parks. Their findings “paint a grim picture” for the future of these resources we enjoy spending so much time in. Here’s a great article from Adventure-Journal.com by Michael Frank:
“Crisis: National Parks Are Polluted, Crumbling, Under Funded, and Likely to Get Worse ”
and another on the same subject from The Salt Lake Tribune, by Brett Prettyman
“Report outlines cure for nation’s ailing parks“
Want to know more about the NPCA’s report? Check out their website HERE. Or click on the image below to get the entire 68 page report in PDF format.
"The State of America's National Parks"
It’s that time of the year again. The 38th Annual Western States 100 Endurance Run begins this weekend right here at 5AM on Saturday in Squaw Valley and continues on to Auburn for 100 miles. Get out there and cheer these folks on. It’s another year with snow on the course and should be quite a weekend! Click on the buckle to link to the Western States 100 website.
Not into the whole ultra thing or maybe you got shut down on the entry in the WS100? Well Big Blue Adventure has a couple events this weekend as well in Tahoe. On Saturday XTERRA Tahoe City begins at 8AM right at Commons Beach! Entrants will swim, mountain bike, and trail run there way to the finish once again at Commons Beach.
Then commencing Sunday at 7:45AM is the Run to Squaw Valley USA. A 7.9 mile running race beginning at Commons Beach and finishing at the Village at Squaw Valley. On site registration available for both events!
These events finish up Adventure Sports Week Tahoe, check out the calendar for clinics and more info.
This has been all over our Facebook and Twitter and here it is again:
“Trail Update as of Saturday 6.18: Glen Alpine to Lilly Lake DRY, TRT Tahoe City towards Brockway 5 miles in DRY, Eagle Lake DRY, Rubicon Trail/Emerald Bay DRY, Meeks Bay mostly DRY 4.5 miles in. Things are melting quick! Get out there and enjoy the sun!”
According to the Yosemite National Park website Tioga is open as of today however with limited access:
The Tioga Road will open on Saturday, June 18, 2011, at 8 am. There will be several no-stopping zones and visitors should be aware that hiking opportunities are extremely limited due to snow and dangerous creek crossings. No services will be available along the road.
Ever wonder why all the trails you use are in such nice condition? Well here in Lake Tahoe the big daddy trail of them all is kept in tip top shape by users just like you.
photo from TRTA
Throughout the summer the Tahoe Rim Trail Association runs volunteer trail maintenance days in order to build and maintain the Tahoe Rim Trail. So if you’d like to help out and do your part check out the TRTA’s website for volunteer opportunities. In addition to trail work info the TRTA puts on all sorts of great events year round.
What a great way to get out and enjoy the wild lands and give back as well! There are 165 miles traveling the ridges around Lake Tahoe to be kept in order, why not volunteer on an unfamiliar section?
Don’t feel like digging in the dirt all day but still want to help out? Check out what the US Forest Service has available as well. They have many other options besides trail work.
Check out this short clip of these two talented ladies motoring the Big Ditch rim to rim to rim:
And a link to the article and interview of Krissy Moehl from the Huffington post
Interesting article for all of us who play in the public wild lands of our country:
By Rone Tempest, WyoFile, Guest Writer, 5-24-11
These updates are a little closer to home if you’re in the Tahoe Basin. Obviously with the crazy snow year we’ve had many roads that are normally opening up between May 15th and June 1st are still closed. Check out the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit’s Campground and Forest Road Opening Dates. I’d hope that they update their site and status as things open but as with anything you never know. I’d give them a call just to be on the safe side before you plan anything: Forest Supervisor’s Office at (530) 543-2694.
Hear of any openings? Have any trailhead feedback? Blackwood Canyon free of snow but the gate still closed? Let us know! Post it here or on our Facebook Page . Everyone loves to ride bikes or rollerski on car free roads!
Here’s the conditions report from the White Mountain Ranger Station in Bishop. The group of folks working the visitor center there are top notch. If you’ve ever got any questions on trail conditions, campground closure or openings, roads, etc. they are usually on top of it more than the other Forest Service offices on the Eastside. They also have quite a bit of Sequoia Kings Canyon info as well.
The National Park Service is estimating that the snow line is at 6500 feet and many trails will NOT be snow free until mid to late July and mountain passes until late July to early August!
Looks like this was updated on May 19th from the USFS:
Spring conditions have arrived here on the White Mountain Ranger District and while many campgrounds are still closed due to snow some of the lower elevation campgrounds are open – please see the section below for listing of open campgounds.
All of the backcountry trails are still snowed in – this will be a late opening for the backcountry due to an abundant snowpack and a seemingly endless stream of very late winter-like storms.
The White Mountains Road into the Bristlecone Pine Forest is now open as far as Schulman Grove. It is closed past that point due to snow and saturated roadbed conditions. The only trail at Schulman Grove that is snow-free is the Discovery Trail; Methuselah and the Bristlecone Cabin Trails are still heavily snowed-in. The visitor center is expected to open on Friday May 27th for the Memorial Day weekend.
Roads The Rock Creek road is plowed to the pack station – snow beyond that point. The road to Sabrina Lake is now open but the spur road into North Lake is still closed. The road to South Lake is closed at Parchers Lodge, the road into the Big Pine Canyon is open all the way to the trailheads and the road into the Bristlecone Pine Forest is now open to Schulman Grove.
Camping The campgrounds on the White Mountain Ranger District that are currently open are: In the Bishop Creek area – Bitterbrush, Forks, Four Jeffery, Intake Two, Big Trees; in the Rock Creek area - Tuff, French Camp, Iris Meadow; in the White Mtns. – Grandview Campground; in the Big Pine drainage – upper and lower Sage Flat.
Here’s a link to the Inyo National Forest recreation conditions reports in case you want to refer back to it in the future.
