[pct-l] Sierra Pass conditions and Fires in NoCal (?)

Sun Jun 22 13:36:42 CDT 2008

Hi, Gadget!  Hello to the crew in the condo, too! I've been getting press releases from the Sequoia NF, but not from the agencies further north.  The www.inciweb.org site for California only shows the Clover Fire (which you're already past) and two prescribed burns -- one in Yosemite and one in the El Dorado NF. 

I found the following information at the California Wildlands Fire site.  There was no indication of any PCT closures, though a few of these names sound near the trail.  Most of the fires seem very small, but the potential for them to get bigger is great. 

Summary of Fires by Unit:

Siskiyou Unit: 8 fires reporting minor acreage
Humboldt Unit: 50 fires for more than 200 acres
Mendicino Unit: 60 fires mapped, more than 30 additional observed; fires range in size from 1-125 acres
San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit: 15 fires up to 2 acres in size
Amador-El Dorado Unit:8 fires for approximately 75 acres
Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit: 7 fires all less than 1 acre each
Butte Unit: 21 fires for a total of over 60 acres. Butte County Sheriff’s department is effecting a Precautionary Evacuation Advisory for the Lake Concow Area for a lighting fire in excess of 100 acres burning off of Rim Rd. (Also referred to as Andy Mountain Rd.) in the Concow area. The American Red Cross is setting up an evacuation shelter at the Spring Valley School at 2771 Pentz Rd. off of Hwy 70. There are four road closures in effect: Concow Rd. from Yellow Wood Rd. north to the end of the pavement on Concow Rd, Concow Rd. from Nelson Bar to end of pavement, Rim Rd. (also known as Andy Mtn. Rd) from Hwy 70 to end of Rim Rd., Deadwood from Hwy 70 to Concow Rd.
Tehama-Glen Unit: 34 fires for a total of 550 acres.
Shasta-Trinity Unit: 62 fires up to 50 acres in size.
Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit: 5 fires with 4 contained and one burning near Napa West of Fairfield at 300 acres.
Lassen-Modoc Unit: 27 fires for a total of 25 acres.
Tuolumne-Calavares Unit: 15 fires for a total of 140 acres.
Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit:15 fires reported
The Cunningham Complex (5 fires total) are burning 3,150 acres total, the Stumpfield Fire is burning 2 acres, the Indian Peak Fire is burning 60 acres, and the Oliver Fire is burning in the Sequoia National Forest. The Sequoia National Forest has reported 25 fires.    

Phone Numbers  (530) 225-2510 (Northern California Joint Information Center) 

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: Brian Lewis <brianle8 at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jun 22, 2008 1:55 PM
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: [pct-l] Sierra Pass conditions and Fires in NoCal (?)
>
>Hi folks, Gadget here, zero'ing in Mammoth Lakes (did 25 to get here
>yesterday, as Silver Pass wasn't bad and I had town food on my mind
>...).
>
>I was just looking over recent messages and saw some about Sierra
>conditions; Cuddles already summarised stuff well, but I'll add my 2
>cents in case it helps.
>
>Someone included a question about Muir Pass, and the thing about Muir
>Pass from my perspective wasn't climbing up to it --- there's snow for
>the last 1000' or maybe a bit less on the way up (NOBO), but nothing
>bad.  The issue for me was about 4 miles of fairly level ground almost
>entirely covered in snow, as of June 18th at any rate --- it was snow
>all the way to Saphire Lake, after which it was somewhat boggy (natch)
>and then the usual transition of snow/no-snow/trail-is-a-stream stuff.
>Bottom line is that if you're doing Muir Pass, recognize that on the
>north side you'll be moving slowly, and as Yogi's book already points
>out, in the late afternoon you could be postholing for a long time.
>
>The other bit that is of potential concern is Mather Pass on the way
>up (again, NOBO).  It looks scary from below, a section of snow in a
>steep place, but when you're actually in it, the steps I found were
>very solid.  But I wouldn't want to do this in the late afternoon
>either.
>
>I definitely concur that no ice axe is needed, unless you find yours
>useful for digging catholes or like the cool look it gives you to
>carry something useless around.  If you want the latter, then I'd go
>for something more along the line of Goodtimes who carries a toy
>Indiana Jones plastic whip, that makes genuine whip sounds and play's
>the Indy theme music.
>
>No other passes stick out in my mind; I did Forester enough days back
>now that I bet it's less of an issue finding trail on the way up.
>Selden and Silver are no big deal, more snow on the far side of
>Selden, Silver was the easiest yet for me at least.
>
>And now a request: I'm sending this via my cellphone (my "Gadget"
>trail name isn't for nothing), but it's not the ideal vehicle for
>general internet searching.  I just caught on the news a few minutes
>ago that lightening strikes causes a whole lot of fires in NoCal, and
>the the Governator has called out the national guard to help fight
>them.  I wonder if anyone more connected would look round and see if
>any of these are likely to impact thru-hikers this year?
>
>I'll check back here later today and tomorrow (have to hang around
>until the post office opens).  There are 13 thru's sharing a condo
>here, and if I get any helpful info I can pass it on to them and that
>should help filter the word around in our vicinity at least.
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>
>
>      Gadget '08
>      postholer.com/brianle
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