[pct-l] Northern CA smoke / Etna Summit roadwalk details - Please

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

It was extremely smoky late yesterday - at both Etna Summit and the Lovers Camp area...  Slightly better today, but the westerly winds are picking up bringing in more smoke once again...  The Caribou is still going strong - 7/24 report it is over 5800 acres; still lots of smoke from the Ukonom and Siskiyou Complexes as well...

Regarding the roadwalk - the Scott River Road was very recently oiled and graveled for approximately 9 miles West out of Fort Jones...  Another good reason to take the Mugginsville cutoff - save at least 5 miles road walikng plus 7+ miles of the possibility of having gravel kicked up by cars passing you...

Regarding the Trinity Alps closure - I simply quoted what was posted on a bulletin board (by the "Incident" people) outside Ray's Market in Etna...
BTW, the trailheads I mentioned which were not posted a day after the 'closure' are in the Salmon River RD...  South Fork Lakes is in the Scott River RD, however...
If you want to see something 'funny' - wait outside a FS district ranger office until the Incident folks come by and post yesterday's fire status...  The ranger disrict staff comes out to read the day-old bulletins to find out what is going on with the fires!  InciWeb (i.e. the Incident Command folks) doesn't seem to be able to communicate with the local forest service folks very well - and guess who has to pass along (mis)information to the public? - the local district staff!!...  Really sad when you seriously think about it!!!

Still best wishes and good luck to the '08 thrus (AND section hikers, too!)...
Happy trails!!!
Jim / "PITA"


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: mattjolley at comcast.net
> PCT is still open in the Trinity Alps Wilderness,  although the reports are that 
> it is smokey.
> 
> The inciweb.org site for the Bear Wallow fire was corrected to specify the 
> Trinity Alps Wilderness closure was only for parts of the Salmon Ranger 
> Disctrict, not the entire Klamath National Forest
> as it originally stated.
> 
> Matt
> 
> 
> pita wrote.
> Hello from the Etna Library...
> 
> Arrived in NorCal Tuesday afternoon/evening - VERY SMOKY...  Stopped by Castle 
> Crags/Amaratti's and gave a lift to 4 thrus to Mt. Shasta - couldn't see the 
> mountain at all!
> Much smoke from the Caribou Fire (1 of 2 in the Bear Wallow Complex) which 'blew 
> up' late Monday and through Tuesday...
> The Anthony Milne Fire (2 of 2 in Bear Wallow Complex) still burning but not 
> expanding much - however it is only being monitored - so the PCT remains CLOSED 
> from Etna Summit to Marble Valley...
> 
> As of 7/23/08 reports, the Milne was at 1625 acres while the Caribou was 4807 
> acres (and by the smoke the Caribou is still growing)...
> Also as of 7/23 the Trinity Alps Wilderness area that is in Klamath NF is closed 
> - but there was no posting at the Trail Gulch or Long Gulch trailheads late 
> 7/24...
> The PCT does go through part of that area - i.e., ~South Fork Lakes basin to 
> Carter Meadows Summit...
> 
> I will next be going to the NE corner of the Marble Mountains WA - Boulder Creek 
> trailhead (might be giving 2 thrus a ride to Lovers Camp IF new shoes arrive in 
> the mail today)...
> 
> I'm printing out directions given previously, 
> <http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/2008-July/019143.html>, for Etna 
> to Lovers Camp and will leave them at Alderbrook B&B in the Hikers Hut...
> 
> Best wishes and good luck to everyone in this very smoky area of NorCal...  Wish 
> you could SEE this area!!
> Happy trails!!!
Jim / "PITA"