High Sierra Topix

Sounds like all national parks are being vacated and closed. Also sounds like all Inyo permit offices are closed. But I don't see how they could "gate off" the trailheads, so I'm still planning my trip.

Talimon wrote:Sounds like all national parks are being vacated and closed. Also sounds like all Inyo permit offices are closed. But I don't see how they could "gate off" the trailheads, so I'm still planning my trip.

The access roads to many USFS trailhead areas are gated, especially those that routinely get closed in the winter. Closing those trailheads is easy. Swing the gate closed and put a lock on it.

Hopefully we'll see some reports regarding which trailheads have access.

I had a 3 day backpacking trip to Yosemite planned this weekend and now it looks like I need to relocate to a NF.

I would look forward to knowing what NF trailheads are still accessible by car (e.g. not gated off). I would be grateful for any info on the matter!

Talimon wrote:Sounds like all national parks are being vacated and closed. Also sounds like all Inyo permit offices are closed...

I had called the Interagency Visitor Center at Lone Pine last week, and they said they'd be open, but today they are closed. They had no advice for picking up my wilderness permit. On the better news side the big campground on the road out of Bishop, Four Jeffrey, answered their phone and claimed business as usual.
-mort

Tom wrote:Does a shutdown mean that there will be no one patrolling the backcountry and therefore no need to worry about permits? ...just wondering.

My thoughts exactly. The question is - will they block roads to the trailheads? There are still people out there on trails with cars at the trailheads, they would get stranded, at least the cars.

The Mammoth Times is reporting that the Tioga Road is closed.

I think they would have a hard time gating off various roads to trailheads. People are still out there and are legally allowed to be out the duration of their permit. Closing a road means they're locked in.

Maybe a sticky thread on which roads are gated? After spending almost 3 months in a cast I am finally about to go backpacking again the weekend after next... Even though it's only going to be a couple miles into the backcountry, I will be damned if I'm going to let a bunch of morons in DC prevent me from getting back into the mountains.

Now the Mammoth Times is saying that the Tioga Road is open. Other reports say that you are not allowed to stop to 'recreate'. But how are they going to tell the difference between cars parked at the Wilderness Center parking lot who were there before the shutdown and those who parked after? And who is going to do the enforcing if the employees are furloughed?

according to dot.ca.gov:

HWY 120
"IS REOPENED FROM CRANE FLAT TO 5 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /TIOGA PASS/
(TUOLUMNE, MONO CO) AT 0930 HRS ON 10/1/13"

I was planning on heading to Yosemite this weekend and camping at Porcupine Flat or up in on of the NF campgrounds near Tioga Pass, those are probably gated off I would imagine.