Crabtree Trailhead Opening? (Emigrant Wilderness)

[hanktheskier]

Hello All,
So With all the nice weather and lack of snow Im wanting to get a early trip into the Big Lake area in Emigrant Wilderness. Does anyone have info on the status of the road into Crabtree trailhead?
Thanks
Hank

[tomba]

Today I called Summit District office of Stanislaus National Forest in Pinecrest. The road to Crabtree trailhead and Gianelli trailhead is still closed. It may open some time within the next 2-3 weeks or sooner. It depends on how the road dries up. Confident that it will open for Memorial Day.

I also called Groveland District office. The road to Shingle Spring trailhead to Kibble Lake is open, but there are branches on the road that one has to drive over (too large to move by hand) - it requires a high clearance vehicle. A fire crew should go there within a few weeks, and they would clear the branches, but they may have been cleared by now anyway.

There is snow above 8000 ft.

In Kennedy Meadows area all they know is that the trail to Relief Reservoir has no snow. No info beyond that. There is snow on north-facing slopes.

In Toyabe National Forest in East Sierra at the Twin Lakes trailhead (plenty of camping there now, BTW), there is no snow on the trail to Barney Lake. No info beyond that. This is from calling Bridgeport Ranger Station.

[walkingman]

called Summit ranger station (Pinecrest) Monday 5.6.2013. Access is still gated at route 108. No access to Aspen meadows and beyond (Crabtree, Gianelli), or Bell Creek until Memorial Day????

"What's up guys?" Budget cuts, furloughs, staff shortage is the standard response.
...You can grunt it in above Pinecrest Lake if enamored. I've done this several times over the years in the early season!

[venturefar]

Crabree is open as of Monday (5/13).

[tomba]

I called Pinecrest again. While Crabtree road is open and Crabtree campground will open on 23rd, the road to Gianelli is blocked by snow drifts about 1/4 mile before TH. Gianelli trail conditions are poor (snow). Powell Lk is frozen.