{"id":20022,"date":"2023-06-12T11:39:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T18:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.4x4training.com\/w\/?p=20022"},"modified":"2023-06-15T14:32:25","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T21:32:25","slug":"research-trail-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.4x4training.com\/w\/research-trail-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Trail Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer has arrived. Among the myriad outdoors activities that come to mind is four-wheeling. Many four-wheelers go off-road during the winter months, of course, but summer is a particularly popular time.<\/p>\n

With weather conditions generally calm, it\u2019s natural to assume that the trails and back roads are open and accessible. That\u2019s not necessarily the case. Indeed, trails could be closed or made impassable due a host of natural calamities.<\/p>\n

Even in summer, spend a few moments checking the status of the trails you intend to drive. One or more may be closed.<\/p>\n

Why might the trails be closed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trail and road closures occur for a number of reasons, including:<\/p>\n

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  1. \n
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    1. \"\"Deep snow. Due to the record snowfall California received this past winter, higher elevations still have significant amounts of snow. Roads and trails could be challenging. The Rubicon still has snow on it. It\u2019s not technically closed, but you can\u2019t drive far on it.<\/li>\n
    2. Debris from landslides. Snowmelt is causing flash floods, mudslides and landslides. Roads and trails may be torn up or blocked by boulders and mud. Flash floods can literally rearrange a trail, leaving it markedly different in shape and location.<\/li>\n
    3. High water on the trail. In as little as 2 feet of water, the vehicle is lifted so that the tires lose traction. Streams could be running high for several months, as the snowpack slowly melts.<\/li>\n
    4. A government agency deemed the trail or road unsafe. Authorities are concerned for your safety, as well as the safety of first responders who may be called to provide aid. Even though the trail may seem passable, heed the CLOSED sign. Turn around and come back another day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Know the area to adapt to weather hazards<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"\"Back in May I joined several buddies for a trip in Utah. We intended to drive and camp on the Barracks Trail but learned early on that the trail\u2019s 20-odd water crossings were impassable. (There\u2019s no way to drive the trail without crossing streams multiple times.) The water was flowing so fast and deep, we were advised to stay off the trail.<\/p>\n

      As one local put it, \u201cEven if you had 40-inch tires you wouldn\u2019t have made it.\u201d<\/p>\n

      We nixed that idea. Being familiar with that area helped us quickly rethink our plans. We found a great campsite on a parallel road.<\/p>\n

      I encountered similar issues in Death Valley in autumn 2022. Several storms moved through that area during the summer. Just before leaving for my trip in October, I learned that almost everything \u2013 paved roads and back roads \u2013 was closed.<\/p>\n

      The Park Service closed the roads because they didn\u2019t feel it was safe to drive through. Roads were so washed out you couldn\u2019t get from one side of the park to the other. (Incredibly, three or four roads are still closed.) As an alternative, we had everyone drive all the way around to enter the park from the east side, change our route to use open roads and change to an available camp site.<\/p>\n

      The issue isn\u2019t confined to California. A number of roads in Utah suffered water damage and are closed.<\/p>\n

      How to find out about trail conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

      A good place to start is the internet. Search for a blog or forum dedicated to the area you\u2019re interested in. While those resources are useful, the information could be old and obsolete. Note when the article was published. If more than a week old, conditions could have changed.<\/p>\n

      With snowmelt causing flooding and washouts, a trail discussed in a blog post could\u2019ve changed dramatically soon after the person\u2019s visit. You wouldn\u2019t know that by relying solely on blog or forum post.<\/p>\n

      The DOT and some counties publish road status reports on a regular basis. One of interest to me is produced by Inyo County in California. Go here<\/u><\/a> to download a copy of the PDF. You\u2019ll note, for example, that Buttermilk Road, along with North and South Saline roads are closed. I believe they update the list on a weekly basis. As of this writing, the June 12 report is the latest.<\/p>\n

      Perhaps friends \u2013 or their friends \u2013 live near where you intend to drive. Call them for advice.<\/p>\n

      Feel free to call the oversight agency. That could be the county, U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. Note that officials tend to err on the side of caution. They don\u2019t know what your capabilities are, so you may be told to choose a different trail.<\/p>\n

      The mountains present their own hazards<\/strong><\/p>\n

      As mentioned already, mountainous areas out west still hold deep snow packs. During the hot summer days, tourists gravitate toward higher elevations. They don\u2019t expect to encounter roads covered by snow or damaged from snowmelt. Or simply closed.<\/p>\n

      Always check the status of roads and trails before leaving. And, of course, pack appropriate clothing.<\/p>\n

      Have a backup plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"Mazurka<\/p>\n

      Memorial Day 2019, I was with a group that planned to camp near Papoose Flats, located in the White-Inyo range of eastern California. The weather deteriorated as we climbed to about 7,000 feet. Listening to NOAA weather on the ham radio, we learned a big storm was going to hit that night. Changing plans, we drove through Papoose Flat and exited the Inyo Mountains on Death Valley Road.<\/p>\n

      \"Saline<\/p>\n

      As we descended into Saline Valley, a heavy, violent thunderstorm blew out of the Inyo mountains and Papoose Flat, and across the road we were travelling on. Still about 10 miles north of the storm, we had a bird\u2019s eye view as it travelled quickly beyond us. Camp was pleasant that night considering the alternative: spending a cold, freezing night on the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n

      There were two takeaways for us that weekend:<\/p>\n

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      1. \n
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        1. Carry a radio capable of receiving the NOAA weather channel.<\/li>\n
        2. Know the area well enough to select an alternative campsite.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Few four-wheeling expeditions go exactly as planned. But that\u2019s part of the allure of this hobby. An unexpected challenge adds spice to any excursion. However, closed or blocked trails and roads can ruin a trip if not accounted for.<\/p>\n

          Before every trip, check on trail conditions, and create a backup to counter a blocked trail or other unexpected challenge.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          #\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0\u00a0 #<\/p>\n

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          Did you miss the previous articles?<\/p>\n

          2023<\/strong><\/p>\n