null
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Post by null on Nov 16, 2017 11:18:29 GMT -8
I'm considering a trip to Big Sur next July but I heard that after a prolonged drought that there were a lot of floods and trail washouts.
Can anyone confirm this? Any idea about the conditions of the trails?
Thanks, Steve
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Nov 16, 2017 12:17:18 GMT -8
They just re-opened the Ventana Wilderness a week ago after a huge fire in 2016. Ventana Wilderness Alliance is scouting and starting to work on some trails. It's really rough. The Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes hot springs is still closed due to dangerous washouts and not likely to open soon.
The backcountry up there is usually miserable in July. I did a 2-night trip in the Silver Peak Wilderness in June that stayed close to the coast so it wasn't too hot, but the face flies and biting flies and even mosquitoes made it tough.
Any Californio would ask you why Big Sur when it's prime Sierra season.
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Nov 16, 2017 12:23:08 GMT -8
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null
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Post by null on Nov 16, 2017 14:05:17 GMT -8
Any Californio would ask you why Big Sur when it's prime Sierra season. Ha ha, mostly because I don't want to chance deep snow and swollen river conditions like this year when I had to cancel a July trip to Sequoia / Kings Canyon. Also, I thought it would be nice to check out the "other" Los Padres NF. But point taken. If temps and bugs are as miserable in July as you say trail conditions notwithstanding, I'm happy to go elsewhere. Actually, I was planning to go to Mt. Hood but initial inquiries indicate they don't allow commercial permits there.
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Nov 16, 2017 19:24:00 GMT -8
The conventional wisdom says stay away in the summer. AlmostThere from this forum used to disparage the place in summer more than I thought was justified. I've done trailwork on Madulce Peak and camped at Alamar Saddle (southern Los Padres) in both July & August the last 2 summers and it wasn't bad because we were at 6000'. Mission Pine Spring is great. I'd think high places like Pat Spring (which may be totally scorched), or Pine Valley, or the North Coast Ridge may be o.k, but I don't know.
I'd play the odds and bet the Sierra will be fantastic in July.
Anyway, lots of overgrown trails and fallen trees in Ventana because of the fire and the forest being closed for over a year. I'm clearing a trail up there the weekend after Thanksgiving and interested in seeing what it's like.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 16, 2017 22:22:15 GMT -8
The Sierra is s big place. For any July there’d be endless possibilities if not at the highest elevations then lower and also in the adjacent national forests such as Sierra which has some excellent wilderness at lower elevations. The western slope would offer a lot of opportunities.
Look off Beasore Rd for a low trans Sierra route through Ansel Adams for instance.
Ginny Clark’s book would be useful for that.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 17, 2017 9:30:51 GMT -8
I'm guessing your title meant to say "Big Sure 2018"? As others say, I'd not pick July as the time to go there, and in any case research carefully for burn areas. And, of course, there's always the chance that over the winter more pieces of Hwy 1 will fall into the ocean. Check out current closures here.
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Nov 17, 2017 11:26:53 GMT -8
Probably didn't mean to say that either.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 17, 2017 16:03:09 GMT -8
Probably didn't mean to say that either. Oh, no! It's contagious! Typoitis. :D
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Nov 18, 2017 20:53:46 GMT -8
The Ventana Wilderness burns about every 10 years or so. As soon as the vegetation grows back enough it reburns. Rather than throw large numbers of crews and aircraft at the fire the Forest Service now uses the default strategy of backing off to main ridges and perimeter roads and letting it burn. So the vegetation is returning to the pre-settlement conditions courtesy of human-caused fires.
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