New Closures 2/25/23

[MojaveGeek]

Thanks for the continued updates, getting more and more relevant as my arrival (Friday) approaches. When the North Road opened I cobbled together a bunch of places to go over there (as you know) but... they may have to wait for another year. If it's hot, I think I'll be in Greenwater Valley or up Emigrant if it's not snowy there. Just have to roll with the punches, and fortunately there are limitless places to explore!

[trailhound]

Just an update from your resident dirtbag on the ground here in DEVA:

NPS is not confident that North Hwy will open any time soon.  Apparently they got 4" of rain in that last storm up in that area and the road is destroyed again.  Even Scotty's Castle Rd got wiped out again.  Access to Beatty is still possible as Mud Canyon is now open, but Beatty Cut-Off was wiped out. 

Well, sh!t. This is distressing news. My long planned hike to Red Wall Canyon is likely off. The web site says "flood debris on road." That doesn't sound too bad. Use a road grader to push the stuff off to the side and you are good. However, 4" of rain would be much worse. How much road building equipment does NPS own and how much comes from a contractor? I fear that every contractor west of the Rockies is busy digging out snow.

I've asked the park when will the road re-open. The desk at the Visitor Center tells me "we don't know." An email to DEVA_Information says "At this point, we have not received any indication of time line for opening North Highway."

We were supposed to arrive on March 21. I have a few days for either the road to get fixed or to hike what is accessible or to postpone the trip until late fall.

[MojaveGeek]

Redwall: If you manage to make it, I strongly suggest on a clear sunny day - really brings out the reds.

As for the road.. no one can mind read the park service. North road and Beatty Cutoff are the only paved roads currently showing closed. Does it take more than a grader run to clear off debris? Well I'm not going to pretend to do armchair highway engineering but it's not unusual to not get much info, IMHO. Miraculously, one day it will be open. And then, if it rains like that again, it will be closed.

You always need a Plan B. And C, at this time of year.

[Beardilocks]

My understanding from 294 conversations with park staff this winter is that the North Hwy is under County jurisdiction and the LAST time it was being repaired/cleared it was contracted out to a local company, not handled by the park OR the county.  No word yet this time on who is in charge. 

But likely NPS will have absolutely zero info on it until it’s suddenly open.  Last time I was told that no park officials were notified that it opened.  They just drive by one day and it was open. 

Apparently the roads within the park are a hodge podge of jurisdictions.  I have learned much about it and it remains a complete mystery to me.  Apparently the county still holds sway over Greenwater Rd fir some reason?  Baffling. 

I’ll report as soon as I hear anything.  But it will likely be “who knows” until it’s open.  My last conversation was “are we talking days? Weeks? Next year?”  Response was “no clue”. But my gut says a couple of weeks.

[trailhound]

My understanding from 294 conversations with park staff this winter is that the North Hwy is under County jurisdiction

This fact sets my devious mind to work. I would not want to drive a road closed by the NPS, but Inyo County? People routinely drive around the road closed sign going to the Whitney Portal in winter. That is another county road. The Whitney crowd likes to say that the road is not really closed. It means drive at your own risk.

How bad is the North Hwy really?  If there are a few spots with debris, our rental SUV should roll over those. What if we get a ticket? It's just part of the cost of doing business.

Also, I called the Inyo County road dept. They didn't know anything either.

[Beardilocks]

They will likely be working on the road daily to get it back up.  So there’s no sneaking past a barrier unnoticed.  It’s an active work zone.  You will be seen.

And the Ranger I talked with two days ago said that a few people went around the barrier and promptly got stuck and needed help.  

I’m all for the “it’s not closed it’s just a liability waiver closure”.  That works up on Big Pine/Death Valley Road.  Not this central in the park though.

[Daymoth]

@trailhound please dont do that. It delays the work and puts workers at risk. When I worked highways it was really a nightmare when people just ignored the cones and ended up in our safety area. Its closed out so we can work safely and finish as soon as possible.
There are a million canyons in the park, just do another one if the road is closed.

[trailhound]

There has been a change in the park's closure map. It still lists the North Hwy as closed "due to flood debris on road." However, if you click on the North Hwy, it now says "Note: Debris at milepost 27." The parking area for Red Wall is only 20 miles from the road start at Mud Canyon/Hwy 190. I understand that the park does not want people driving 27 miles only to turnaround. But, if there is nothing wrong with that first 27 miles, what would it hurt to allow people to drive it?

I'm not going to go rogue and drive it. I've thought about an appeal to the superintendent, but I would probably just get the book answer "the road is closed."

I know that there are a lot of hikes in the park, but I am somewhat obsessed with Red Wall. Three years ago, when I was in a lot better shape, we got to the canyon mouth on an overcast day. Looking back at the Cottonwoods, it was pouring rain. Not knowing what was happening on the peaks of the Grapevines, we bailed out. I got a few pictures, but they are crap because the sun was not shining. Now, my health is in decline. The amount of time that I have left to travel long distances and do serious hikes is dwindling.

[Brice]

But, if there is nothing wrong with that first 27 miles, what would it hurt to allow people to drive it?

There is stuff I want to do well before that point also.  It's frustrating but I've driven by the closure several times and each time there have been work trucks and workers parked at the closure so at least they're working on it.

[Daymoth]

But, if there is nothing wrong with that first 27 miles, what would it hurt to allow people to drive it?

Could hurt many things. Could hurt the safe access of machines and workers, staging areas for equipment and materials,  delaying the opening of the road.

They are not helicoptering graders and dropping them on mile 27.