High Sierra Topix

FYI, Stanislaus National Forest Order STF-16-2020-01 has been extended to May 15th. (It was originally set to expire today). Basically, it says you're not allowed to be on the roads in Stanislaus National Forest, including Highway 108 and Highway 4. I guess this means that early-season trips using the Kennedy Meadows trailhead remain off-limits.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 720952.pdf
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 721617.pdf

With the amount of out-of-towners already coming up here from the valley since we went to phase 2 (I live in Sonora), expect for us to become a new hotspot very shortly. I wouldn't count on SNF to open anytime soon.

Well the trailheads have been open for a while, so...

It appears that wilderness permits will not be issued this year.

schmalz wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 5:45 pm It appears that wilderness permits will not be issued this year.

Uhhh yer gonna have to source that there bud.

A lot of proposals are put on the table as the FS evaluates how to proceed with wilderness access. I suspect this is just one of those.

It defies logic to me, to allow day-hiking but not backpacking. All of us who backpack know that the most crowded part of trails are those nearest the trailhead, and once a day-hike distance down the trail, you are basically alone, particularly if you go off-trail. As for the "rescue" argument, I believe more day-hikers (including climbers-peak baggers) are rescued than backpackers, not per-capita, but total because there are so many of them.

Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Sun May 17, 2020 10:12 am It defies logic to me, to allow day-hiking but not backpacking. All of us who backpack know that the most crowded part of trails are those nearest the trailhead, and once a day-hike distance down the trail, you are basically alone

Same for closing half the parks, just creates more crowds at the other spots. Half the regulations these days aren't about protecting people, they're about covering a manager's rear. I used to be pretty square, but it's pushed me to become something of a scofflaw recently.

As expected, SNF just extended the closures to May 31 to sync with Newsom's state order. So need to wait another 2 weeks.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus