[pct-l] Etna Summit roadwalk details - Please

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

Sorry I'm late on this...  Fairly good info presented so far (thanks Deems, Elevator, and Matt), but I might add the following...

Where the PCT (nobo) comes down to Etna Summit at the larger parking area, there is a FS bulletin board to the right - it "MIGHT" have info/map posted on it...  If the PCT nobo from Etna Summit (a couple hundred yards N from the bulletin board) is still closed there 'should be' a couple of postings just N of the road on the PCT (I believe they have to post the closure on site by 'law')...  As was previously stated - the PCT 'might' be open by the time you get there (but I doubt it - there is VERY LITTLE INFO online about this fire, the Bear Wallow Complex - two fires, the Milne and Bear Wallow, the latter being the closest to the PCT though the Milne would be readily seen (and is the larger of the two fires) from the crest above the Wooley Creek drainage...

Highway 3 from Etna to Fort Jones is fairly wide and does have decent shoulder area (compared to Sawyers Bar Road!!) - it WILL be a long, boring walk, however...  The Scott River Road from Fort Jones to Meamber School (where the Mugginsville 'cutoff' comes in) is slightly narrower but still has fairly good shoulder area...  Scott River Road from Meamber School to Indian Scotty is narrow (but still 'two-lane') with NO consistent shoulder area at all...  Indian Scotty to Lovers Camp is indeed very narrow in areas (some stretches remind me of the road into VVR!)...  The back roads between Greenview and Meamber School (through Quartz Valley) are narrow without much shoulder room - but not much traffic to worry about...

>From Etna Summit, if one definitely wants to WALK into Etna, one can also take the old road grade part way down (go East downhill at the FS bulletin board) - but beware there are also old logging spur roads branching off of the old grade...  it crosses Sawyers Bar Road after ~1.1 miles(~1.5 miles down SBR), then hits SBR again in another ~0.7 miles (~2.2 miles down SBR)...
When walking down Sawyers Bar Road to Etna, stay on the LEFT side of the road facing the uphill traffic - which you will hear coming up the grade long before they get to you...  You will probably also hear most of the downhill traffic well in advance since they (usually, if they know the road) gear down quite low so they don't 'ride their brakes' all the way down the grade!!

I believe PCTers can still camp for free in the park in Etna...

I do NOT recommend the CCTG (across from Bob's Ranch House Cafe) - their parent organization
is running a world-wide scam operation...  Nothing against the young folks there in 'training' (which consists of how to 'raise money' for the organization) - well intentioned but they have been misinformed and lied to!  They even made the news a few years ago - a CBS affiliate in San Francisco did it and it wound up on 60 Minutes later, too...  Okay - I'll get off the soapbox now!!

Mileages:
>From Etna Summit to the B&B Hikers Hut (road narrow in places!) is 10 miles, an additional ~half mile to 'downtown' - such as the Etna Brewery!!! - just as an example, of course...   ;-)
'Downtown' Etna to first Greenview turnoff on Hwy. 3:  ~6.1+ miles
Turn left on Quartz Valley Road in Greenview:  ~0.5+ miles
Turn left on Quartz Valley Road (straight becomes Oro Fino Road - DON'T take Oro Fino Rd.!!):  ~1.7 miles
Mugginsville:  ~1.7 miles (go straight on QVR)
Go straight on East Quartz Valley Road:  ~0.7 miles
Rejoin Quartz Valley Road:  ~3.6 miles
Turn left on Scott River Road at Meamber School:  ~0.9 miles
Go left across bridge at Indian Scotty / Lovers Camp turnoff on Scott River Road:  ~7.0 miles
(Indian Scotty campground:  ~0.2 miles from SRR)
SRR to Lovers Camp/Paradise TH road junction:  ~5.5 miles
Lovers/Paradise road junction to Lovers Camp TH:  ~2.0+ miles
Lovers Camp TH to PCT in Marble Valley:  ~4.7 miles (~3/4 mile Lovers Camp to Red Rock Valley trail junction)
[Lovers/Paradise road junction to Paradise TH:  ~6.3 miles]
[Paradise TH to PCT:  ~2.1 miles]

[1st Greenview turnoff to Fort Jones on Hwy. 3:  ~7.0 miles]
[Fort Jones to Meamber School on Scott River Road:  ~7.2 miles]

My calculation for Etna Summit to Etna to Lovers Camp to PCT via the Mugginsville cutoff is ~45 miles...  One will miss ~24 PCT miles from Etna Summit to Marble Valley...  So approximately an additional 21 miles walking...

See <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/forestvisitormaps/klamath/west/07.php> for Etna-Fort Jones-Indian Scotty area...
See <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/forestvisitormaps/klamath/west/06.php> for Lovers Camp TH / Paradise TH / PCT area...
See <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/forestvisitormaps/klamath/west/11.php> for Etna Summit / Sawyers Bar Road towards Etna area...
See <http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lon=-122.9930913&lat=41.3951387&datum=nad83> for Etna Summit and the old road grade...

I hope the info is helpful...  I will be in the area July 23 until August 5 - my backcountry time might be cut very short or even nonexistent this year due to the fires/smoke (will also depend on where my son is working the trails) - so I might be 'hanging out' around Etna and offering rides at least part way to Lovers Camp for the non-purists for a â™ day or two...

Best wishes and good luck on the remainder of everyone's PCT journey for 2008...
Happy trails!!!
Jim / "PITA"