High Sierra Topix

Hello all-

This is my first post on this forum and people here seem very knowledgeable. A couple questions:

1) Does anyone have any idea when ranger stations in emigrant vicinity will be opening up in light SIP/lockdown lightening up? I was guessing that someone who frequents this forum may have some inside info on the topic.

2) On 5/18 we are hoping to get out to at least Lords Meadow, Boundary Lake area. We know its a bit early to head out but per some snow survery websites it looks like the snowpack is relatively low and the area is passable? Do you think there will be enough residual snowpack to require snowshoes etc. Would you recommend going somewhere else?

3) Is Lords Meadow a bad destination this time of year due to relatively flat wooded areas and lots of mosquitos, and very high / impassable cherry creek?

4) Any idea on when Crabtree / Gianelli might be opening up, to get into Emigrant from North?

5) do you need a Yosemite wilderness permit to stay at Kibbie Lake if you hike in from Emigrant? Ive seen different answers.
Thanks!

Your real problem is access. The whole flipping Stanislaus NF is closed right now until May 15th, likely to be extended. You can't even be on HWY120. Forest Services generally are slow, so I bet this drags out a while.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/stanisla ... ?aid=58258

Leave the snow shoes, there will be a bit of snow on Kibbie Ridge, but not enough to bring gear this year. Anything called a meadow in spring is full of knee deep mud. Cherry creek will be raging, dont cross that thing. Kibbie lake is great this time of year. A permit from the National Forest covers you if you hike into Yosemite.

Check the Stanislaus National Forest home page for further updates: https://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus/

What I see there today implies that the full closure order has been rescinded, but no wilderness permits will be issued until the Governor's shelter-in-place order is rescinded - who knows when that will be? Also, independent of COVID-19, due to road damage, numerous forest roads are closed until June 30, including all the roads to west-side trailheads for Emigrant Wilderness (except Cherry Lake and Crabtree Meadows) and many roads to trailheads for Carson-Iceberg and Mokelumne Wildernesses. See the road closure order and maps at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 732152.pdf

-Phil

forest order STF-16-2020-07 has been extended through May 31. Given the high number of people coming up here from the valley in just the last two days (I live in Sonora), I fear that we will see a huge spike in local cases. I would not count on SNF to open anytime soon.

MountainMinstrel wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 12:23 pm forest order STF-16-2020-07 has been extended through May 31.

That order just closes campgrounds, trailheads are open. No wilderness permits though, so day hikes only.

Trailhead parking is closed and you can't park on forest service roads so it's pretty darn limited.

MountainMinstrel wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 10:11 pm Trailhead parking is closed and you can't park on forest service roads so it's pretty darn limited.

Got a forest order # for that chief? Cuz if you read the one you linked too...

The trailheads are indeed open...just not the parking.

MountainMinstrel wrote: ↑Sun May 17, 2020 6:57 am The trailheads are indeed open...just not the parking.

OK, no source. So I'll assume all my friends skiing and mushroom foraging this weekend weren't breaking forest orders, or they weren't being enforced.

I only know what the Forest Service has told the local news.