Sierra NF Trail Report 10/7 (Isberg/Stevenson)

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Sierra NF:

Wilderness Trail and Trailhead Report
Wilderness Area(s): Ansel Adams Wilderness
Trailhead Entry: Isberg Trailhead
Number: A58
Trailhead Exit: Isberg Trailhead
Number: A58
Trail Name: Stevenson Trail
Number: 25E01

Destinations Visited: Hemlock Crossing
Regarding resource impacts.

Food Storage: Be Bear Aware! Proper food storage is always necessary in our National Forests in order to protect and keep our bears and wildlife wild. The approved methods of food storage in the Sierra National Forest Wilderness Areas are either a bear canister or counterbalancing. A proper counterbalance needs to be 15 feet above ground and 10 feet away from the tree.

Trail Conditions: (trees down, trees cleared, stream crossings, available water, mosquitos, fishing, wildlife/bear encounters)
The Stevenson Trail has now been cleared of trees from the Isberg Trailhead to Hemlock Crossing. Nearly the entire length of the trail from the trailhead to the footbridge was impacted by the Creek Fire, save for several small green islands. Burn severity ranges from low to high intensity along the trail, including areas that are completely scorched as well as areas with mature green red fir, western white pine, and lodgepole pine still dominating over a low intensity ground and understory burn.

There is essentially no water flowing in the East Fork Granite Creek or any of the smaller streams that cross the Stevenson Trail further north. The North Fork San Joaquin is still flowing at Hemlock Crossing.

Luckily, it seems the Stevenson Trail was spared the worst of the summer thunderstorms and is still in good condition from the Isberg Trail junction to Hemlock Crossing. In addition to clearing trees, Sierra National Forest Wilderness Rangers cleaned and installed numerous drainage features and reinforcement along the trail to help prevent excessive erosion within the burn scar. Hopefully with the work completed this past week, the lower part of Isberg Trail and the Stevenson Trail will be protected from damage this fall, winter, and spring.