Current Trail Closure Map (9/15/2013)

[Hikin_Jim]

Here's a current trail closure map, courtesy of Perry A who was up yesterday. If it's highlighted, it's open.


The segment of the PCT from Strawberry Jct to where it joins the trail to Wellman Divide is open per verbal assertion by a ranger but when you get there, it's marked off with yellow tape. It's also marked as closed on the above map. Not sure why it would be closed since it was not impacted by either the Mountain or the Silver fires.

HJ

[Ellen]

The segment of the PCT from Strawberry Jct to where it joins the trail to Wellman Divide is open per verbal assertion by a ranger but when you get there, it's marked off with yellow tape. It's also marked as closed on the above map. Not sure why it would be closed since it was not impacted by either the Mountain or the Silver fires. HJ

I also wonder why Strawberry is marked as closed. I received verbal permission at the Long Valley Ranger Station to do the Strawberry Loop when the tram reopened.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[Hikin_Jim]

I suspect some kind of mis-communication is going on.

At there very least there's no fire related reason why that segment should be closed.

HJ

[Arvanitis]

Are you all saying that you talked to the ranger station AND hiked that trail even though it is closed?

I was at the Idyllwild station Sat and Sun and was told that the station chief went up on Sat to survey the trails but decided not to re-open at this time. I asked as to why since it was not impacted by the fires and was told that they still wanted to keep people out of the area because they were afraid hikers would go off trail into burned/fragile areas. Does not make any sense to me but I am curious as to why some people got verbal permission to cross the tape and others did not??

[Arvanitis]

Are you all saying that you talked to the ranger station AND hiked that trail even though it is closed?

I was at the Idyllwild station Sat and Sun and was told that the station chief went up on Sat to survey the trails but decided not to re-open at this time. I asked as to why since it was not impacted by the fires and was told that they still wanted to keep people out of the area because they were afraid hikers would go off trail into burned/fragile areas. Does not make any sense to me but I am curious as to why some people got verbal permission to cross the tape and others did not??

[Sally]

If anyone were to "go off trail into burned/fragile areas" from the Strawberry Trail, I would say they had some extraordinary cross-country skills.

[Sally]

If anyone were to "go off trail into burned/fragile areas" from the Strawberry Trail, I would say they had some extraordinary cross-country skills.

[Hikin_Jim]

Considering how far away the fire is from the Strawberry Trail, I'd say they had a teleportation device.

I don't think anyone has been "going under the tape". I think some people have been told it's open only to find it taped off when they actually got there.

HJ

[Arvanitis]

Sally, I agree; they would have extraordinary CC skills, that why it makes no sense to me what I was told at the Idyllwild station. I was just wondering if anyone had actually hiked the trail, even though it is still taped off - taking a big risk going into the closed areas, I understand a hefty fine.

[simonov]

This message from the website doesn't clarify anything:

Currently the following trails and campgrounds are open until further notice due to the Mountain Fire. Trails are Deer Springs, Marion Mountain, 7 Pines, Fuller Ridge from Idyllwild. Trails from the Palm Springs tram are Desert View, High Trail, Round Valley Trail to the San Jacinto Peak.

So are they open or not?