Fire Season Stuff

Obsidian said:
Not sure what is true or not ... just relaying info from one of the OCMTB groups I follow on IG.

I am not recommending riding burn areas ... but I also would never recommend conforming to obvious nonsense. I will probably do my own little protest this weekend. Maybe.
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i have no interest in riding or hiking in burned moonscapess nor do I promote it. But recreating outdoors in unburned areas that are in the vicinity of the nurned areas should be ok after a reasonable time period, I get closing areas very close to the burns to deter people from entering, but the whole range inckuding areas miles away?
What kills me is it looks like lower chiquito, from the trailhead to almost the waterfall, my fave and one of the best singletracks in the santa anas, did not burn, but because it leads into a burn scar, lord knows when any of it will be accessible,
Woner what will happen with Exoloration trail in running springs, since the fire hit a little bit of the lower part,
 
sir crashalot said:
i have no interest in riding or hiking in burned moonscapess nor do I promote it. But recreating outdoors in unburned areas that are in the vicinity of the nurned areas should be ok after a reasonable time period, I get closing areas very close to the burns to deter people from entering, but the whole range inckuding areas miles away?
What kills me is it looks like lower chiquito, from the trailhead to almost the waterfall, my fave and one of the best singletracks in the santa anas, did not burn, but because it leads into a burn scar, lord knows when any of it will be accessible,
Woner what will happen with Exoloration trail in running springs, since the fire hit a little bit of the lower part,
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I saw another IG post that Running Springs was mostly OK. Not sure about Exploration ...

Just glad I rode Explo twice this Summer. I always hate that I never ride San Juan as much as I should, and now it is gone for at least a year. :confused:
 
Lost Kiwi said:
Heres the extent of the closure, Blackstar missing from the map so I don't know if thats included in the closure but certainly everything else appears to be. According to this the only place between Sierra Peak and Highway 74 that is allowed to be ridden is lower Joplin. I'm guessing they didn't include that because technically you can't get to the bottom of it anyway without trespassing at the youth detention center.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd12057
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https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1205786.pdf
 
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Obsidian said:
...I always hate that I never ride San Juan as much as I should, and now it is gone for at least a year. :confused:
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I haven't ridden San Juan in quite a while. I didn't mind - in fact dare I say - almost enjoyed the climb for its gradient and switchbacks, but I hated trying to navigate the ever-present rut while climbing. Maybe we can re-hab this classic so that the tread is more rider-friendly. Dunno - maybe that will only last for the first 1000 e-bikes that "uphill flow" the trail (1 week?).

And regarding the comments above about Luge and STT - well, where's the pirate emoji?!
 
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after thinking more after my initial knee-jerk reactions i get why they would close the whole area short-term, at least until the end of fire season, Keeping people out lowers the risk of another fire, which would be the last thing we need at this time, But after a little rain theres no reason for trails not immediately adjacent to the perimeter to remain closed, The Path put out a statement reiterating that Vance would reassess periodically and maybe open further areas sooner, Hopefully thats the case.
But unfortunately the best singletracks in the SAs-IMO but im sure others agree- are (were) between ortega highway and Joplin-all within the Holy and Airport perimeters, hope they all or most eventually reopen before im too old to ride. Motorway is no substitute for Chiquito because, well, there is no substitute for chiquito :cry:
 
From Mountain Bike Bill's web page, 2001

SanJuanTrail-30OCT01-06-AnUpperSwitchback.jpg
 
Just got this from Keith Eckstein......

Hi All:

As some of you know, The Warrior's Society Mountain Bike Club has been working in partnership with the Cleveland National Forest to rehab the trails burned in the Holy Fire of August 2018. The Airport Fire has now taken precedence and we have just gotten a brief summary from the District Ranger on the current status of the Trabuco District, including the recently published Closure Order.
The following is NOT a direct quote, from the Darrell Vance, the District Ranger, but rather my summary from my communication with him.

From Fire Camp:
As of 2024-09-20, Trabuco District rangers and staff have been on the Airport Fire. Twelve days and counting as of 2024-09-20. Those District staff which are not working the fire are just too few to respond to day-to-day District tasks, much less any emergencies which may arise.
We have burned campgrounds and day-use areas, and our Rec Center at the top of Ortega Highway is a total loss, as well as a large portion of neighboring El Cariso Village.
The current District closure is temporary, until such time as some staff resources can be freed up to address any of the usual situations on the District. At that time, the Closure will come under review and scaled back.

Sounds like the District lost significant assets from the Airport Fire and their capacity to serve the public is much reduced. When the staff are all returned to their normal jobs back on the District, some time will be needed to get back up to speed on the normal operations. Once that is achieved, sounds like the temporary Closure will be reviewed and appropriate modifications made.
What can we all do in the meantime? For now, cooperate with the Rangers and honor the Closure.

Submit to me via email or text message any comments or concerns. I will respond to each one and forward them on to the Rangers.
Most importantly, sign up for the trail work that will most assuredly be needed when the winter rains arrive, dumping sediment through the canyons of Orange County. This winter, the unburned trails in the District will need all the TLC we can muster.

The Warrior's Society will continue working with the Rangers on getting into some parts of the burn area during Spring of 2025, with the goal to restore trail tread and armor up against water erosion.

But that is a big ask and totally dependent on many factors, including but not limited to: Mother Nature, the extent of the fire's damage to each affected trail, and if the volunteers can safely access the trail.

I have seen many posts on Facebook expressing interest in joining in on trailwork days. Being an old fart, I do not participate in Tik Tok(sp?) or Instagram, so email and/or text message are the ways to reach me.

To add your name to the volunteer roster, and to submit your comments on the temporary closure, email Keith Eckstein, Director of Trail Maintenance, The Warrior's Society ecksteinly29@gmail.com
 
mtnbikej said:
Just got this from Keith Eckstein......

Hi All:

As some of you know, The Warrior's Society Mountain Bike Club has been working in partnership with the Cleveland National Forest to rehab the trails burned in the Holy Fire of August 2018. The Airport Fire has now taken precedence and we have just gotten a brief summary from the District Ranger on the current status of the Trabuco District, including the recently published Closure Order.
The following is NOT a direct quote, from the Darrell Vance, the District Ranger, but rather my summary from my communication with him.

From Fire Camp:
As of 2024-09-20, Trabuco District rangers and staff have been on the Airport Fire. Twelve days and counting as of 2024-09-20. Those District staff which are not working the fire are just too few to respond to day-to-day District tasks, much less any emergencies which may arise.
We have burned campgrounds and day-use areas, and our Rec Center at the top of Ortega Highway is a total loss, as well as a large portion of neighboring El Cariso Village.
The current District closure is temporary, until such time as some staff resources can be freed up to address any of the usual situations on the District. At that time, the Closure will come under review and scaled back.

Sounds like the District lost significant assets from the Airport Fire and their capacity to serve the public is much reduced. When the staff are all returned to their normal jobs back on the District, some time will be needed to get back up to speed on the normal operations. Once that is achieved, sounds like the temporary Closure will be reviewed and appropriate modifications made.
What can we all do in the meantime? For now, cooperate with the Rangers and honor the Closure.

Submit to me via email or text message any comments or concerns. I will respond to each one and forward them on to the Rangers.
Most importantly, sign up for the trail work that will most assuredly be needed when the winter rains arrive, dumping sediment through the canyons of Orange County. This winter, the unburned trails in the District will need all the TLC we can muster.

The Warrior's Society will continue working with the Rangers on getting into some parts of the burn area during Spring of 2025, with the goal to restore trail tread and armor up against water erosion.

But that is a big ask and totally dependent on many factors, including but not limited to: Mother Nature, the extent of the fire's damage to each affected trail, and if the volunteers can safely access the trail.

I have seen many posts on Facebook expressing interest in joining in on trailwork days. Being an old fart, I do not participate in Tik Tok(sp?) or Instagram, so email and/or text message are the ways to reach me.

To add your name to the volunteer roster, and to submit your comments on the temporary closure, email Keith Eckstein, Director of Trail Maintenance, The Warrior's Society ecksteinly29@gmail.com
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thank you jason
 
mtnbikej said:
Just got this from Keith Eckstein......

Hi All:

As some of you know, The Warrior's Society Mountain Bike Club has been working in partnership with the Cleveland National Forest to rehab the trails burned in the Holy Fire of August 2018. The Airport Fire has now taken precedence and we have just gotten a brief summary from the District Ranger on the current status of the Trabuco District, including the recently published Closure Order.
The following is NOT a direct quote, from the Darrell Vance, the District Ranger, but rather my summary from my communication with him.

From Fire Camp:
As of 2024-09-20, Trabuco District rangers and staff have been on the Airport Fire. Twelve days and counting as of 2024-09-20. Those District staff which are not working the fire are just too few to respond to day-to-day District tasks, much less any emergencies which may arise.
We have burned campgrounds and day-use areas, and our Rec Center at the top of Ortega Highway is a total loss, as well as a large portion of neighboring El Cariso Village.
The current District closure is temporary, until such time as some staff resources can be freed up to address any of the usual situations on the District. At that time, the Closure will come under review and scaled back.

Sounds like the District lost significant assets from the Airport Fire and their capacity to serve the public is much reduced. When the staff are all returned to their normal jobs back on the District, some time will be needed to get back up to speed on the normal operations. Once that is achieved, sounds like the temporary Closure will be reviewed and appropriate modifications made.
What can we all do in the meantime? For now, cooperate with the Rangers and honor the Closure.

Submit to me via email or text message any comments or concerns. I will respond to each one and forward them on to the Rangers.
Most importantly, sign up for the trail work that will most assuredly be needed when the winter rains arrive, dumping sediment through the canyons of Orange County. This winter, the unburned trails in the District will need all the TLC we can muster.

The Warrior's Society will continue working with the Rangers on getting into some parts of the burn area during Spring of 2025, with the goal to restore trail tread and armor up against water erosion.

But that is a big ask and totally dependent on many factors, including but not limited to: Mother Nature, the extent of the fire's damage to each affected trail, and if the volunteers can safely access the trail.

I have seen many posts on Facebook expressing interest in joining in on trailwork days. Being an old fart, I do not participate in Tik Tok(sp?) or Instagram, so email and/or text message are the ways to reach me.

To add your name to the volunteer roster, and to submit your comments on the temporary closure, email Keith Eckstein, Director of Trail Maintenance, The Warrior's Society ecksteinly29@gmail.com
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ive decided to stay out of any of the closed areas until theyre open. Blackstar is super tempting though, i mean its so far from the perimeter, but what you posted makes a lot of sense.
 
Chantry Flats i supposed to open on Oct 2!!!! 4 years after the Bobcat fire. LAist article

CLOSED TRAILS:

  • Zion Trail
  • Sturtevant Trail closed to Mt. Wilson
  • Anything north of Sturtevant Camp is closed to Newcomb Pass
OPEN TRAILS:

  • First Water Trail
  • Upper and Lower Winter Creek trails
  • Sturtevant Loop to Sturtevant Falls
  • Gabrielino National Recreation Trail from Chantry Flats to Sturtevant Camp
 
Derkderkall said:
Chantry Flats i supposed to open on Oct 2!!!! 4 years after the Bobcat fire. LAist article

CLOSED TRAILS:

  • Zion Trail
  • Sturtevant Trail closed to Mt. Wilson
  • Anything north of Sturtevant Camp is closed to Newcomb Pass
OPEN TRAILS:

  • First Water Trail
  • Upper and Lower Winter Creek trails
  • Sturtevant Loop to Sturtevant Falls
  • Gabrielino National Recreation Trail from Chantry Flats to Sturtevant Camp
Click to expand...
Winter Creek trail is cleared to the summit of Mt. Wilson!
 
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