Has anyone done a status check on Fordyce yet this season? Still buried?

I mean, come on, would someone get that snow out of the way so we can play! Ski & boarding season is over. Next.

There is still tons of snow all over the Sierras. We're at 190% of normal. Its going to take some time for it all to melt. Hopefull we'll keep having these warm summer like days for a while. That will definately help dry things up. I can't wait (but I will).

The snowpack at Fordyce is usually more significant then at the Con in my experience.

Yeah, you are right. I have been on the backside of winch hill 5 almost mid-summer and found snow pack spots there still.

I guess I will wait to see what Simple Man has to say after his visit to the McCon side.

Thanks Keith.

Fordyce...about the only practical thing is to go from Eagle Lakes to river crossing 1.

Cause this time of year.....you'll end up like Keith Strong...aka Scuba Boy.

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/misc/keithover3.jpg


In 2004, which wasn't even NEAR the snow pack we have this year...it wasn't until Mid June, that you could get to Meadow Lake. And we still found a few patches of snow. 2 weeks earlier....we couldn't get within 4 miles of Meadow Lake. It's at 8,100 feet....so it takes awhile.

Thanks Ken. No one wants to go swimming this time of year....

In the early '70's a guy at Tahoe City lumber would load his bare bones V8 CJ5 on the company flatbed and haul it to the Con. He had wide paddle tires and was always the first to Lilly Lake and beyond. I'd have cabin fever and my stock FJ40 wasn't up to following though I tried a couple of times. I found out quick about hard moring snow and soft afternoon snow.Wide floation tires verus narrow snow tires. Learned how to use my PTO winch at the same time.

[QUOTE=atvobsession]

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/misc/keithover3.jpg


QUOTE]

:eek:

So what happend here? is he ok? How did he get his rig out?

he got wet!:flipoff2:

dreamflows isn't posting anything yet

http://www.atvobsession.com/pictures/misc/keithover3.jpg




:eek:

So what happend here? is he ok? How did he get his rig out?


He held on....climbed on top and got out. They winched it back out....damage to hood and window mainly.

Keith had it out that summer at Winch Hill #2 on the Sierra Trek. Rubicon Porn Starz worked that hill.

I remember the flow was over 500...I think 525. It was 2004.

Story here: http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB68&Number=550405
...with links to a couple of the threads on the RPS Board with even more details and pictures.

Randii

there's no snow at the hammers :flipoff2:

there's no snow at the hammers :flipoff2:
Aaron if IIRC there's no shade either.:D

Thanx Randii for the info. Glad everybody is "ok"

http://www.fourdice4x4.com/dice2/trail_info.htm

River is flowing at 675. See you in Sacramento :flipoff2:

Its still snowmobile season up there :) I went last weekend still lots of snow, 8-10 feet up higher, but its melting. The lakes are still frozen and rideable with out water skipping.

went to first crossing last weekend

last year we went on fourth of july and had to camp at catfish lake with all the trailers and coches and snow wheeled into meadow lake... there where still 8 foot driffs on the main rd to meadow lake. This year will be the same. Sucks.. its our clubs Family run ie moms, dads, sons, babies ect.. like 80people--- meadow lake is key for us cause of the shiters and room. Dont know what to do this year..:(

Mike

So far the flow this year has been higher than in the last 3 years.

Fordyce Creek Rel Fordyce Lake Good-Flow: 600 cfs @ 3:00AM, slope is
zero

Please people lets stay off the trails till they have time to dry out. I know we all want to get out after this long winter, but all we will do is damage.

Fordyce pictures; http://webilt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=610

Hear is the Dreamflow report from Sunday the 21st

"Fordyce Creek Rel Fordyce Lake Bad-Flow: 1200 cfs @ 7:30AM, slope is zero"

Hi all,

This seems like the best way to disseminate info about Fordyce even though this is the Rubicon forum. Thanks for your patience in reading something about another trail we love and need to be careful on just as with the Rubicon.

Because of all the heavy rain and snow, the Fordyce trail area experienced a washout in the Indian Springs campground area which is the entrance to the trailhead of Fordyce. It has damaged a drainage culvert and made it impossible to drive tow rigs into the trailhead. This has resulted in more users parking out on the road and while not illegal it has caused congession and traffic problems. Please take care when parking your tow rigs if you go for a day of wheeling at Fordyce and don't block the road. The good news is that the damage is scheduled to be fixed by the Forest Service soon, perhaps as early as this weekend. Until that time please use extreme caution when driving your trail rigs through the campground on your way to the trail. Any additional damage to the affected area will only make things worse as you can imagine given the political climate on the trails these days. Four Dice had voluteered to get a work party together in June but unfortunately the damage is on a Forest System Road rather that the trail itself and we would need special permission from the FS engineers to do any work. Apparently this is pretty hard to get so we're in luck that they have moved fast to implement a cure.

We'll be keeping an eye on the rest of the trail as the season progresses and I'm sure there will be a need to address a couple of problem areas we already know of further up the trail. In fact, Webilt, another Fordyce Adopt-a-Trail club has already been up there doing some work to an off camber section that is only semi stable. Of course we know that we should make every effort to stay off trails that can be damaged because of the soil conditions during this time of the year but we all know how that goes. In our exuberence to wheel after a long and harse winter we sometimes jump the gun a little. Please keep the conditions in mind if you use the Fordyce trail and make every effort to "Tread Lightly!"

last weekend in the con the sherriffs department was giving out tickets for wheelers that had tires beyond the fenders. They were using a quarter to determine ,they would drop a quarter from the fender and if it hit the tire you got a prize! The department is not going to close a county road but they intend to profit from its existence, and the best way to decrease impact is decrease traffic, enough of us get tickets and we will find another place to enjoy life.

Regarding the sheriff's enforcement, I'm not too impressed that they are focusing on vehicle violations (rather see them on foot hitting the jerks who are causing resource damage!), but it is THE LAW.

The department is not going to close a county road but they intend to profit from its existence, and the best way to decrease impact is decrease traffic, enough of us get tickets and we will find another place to enjoy life.
FWIW, I don't think the Sheriff's Office is trying to decrease usage or impact through these tickets. IMHO.

When we roll out of the driveway with unshielded tires sticking beyond the fenders, we take our chances... I say *WE* because I do it, too. Just like when I'm going 75 in a 65 -- I take my chances. If I get a ticket in either situation, I ain't happy... but I'm not unhappy with the officer on the scene. I'm unhappy with his management for prioiritizing such pussy violations, and with myself, for not slowing down or strapping on some flaps.

Hell, the 'quarter test' is at least a specific way to test for compliance, and I'm even a little grateful that they have simplified it to that extreme. Of course, it also tempts me to mount a ducted leaf blower under the bed. :laughing:

Randii

do mud flaps provide enough protection to avoid a ticket or are fender flares also needed?

Mud flaps are enough but they have to be "adequate" to actually prevent stuff from being flung backwards. There is no specification in the vehicle code but I believe that they should be as wide as the tire and come down at least half way.

Just a little tread lightly info about the damage at the Indian Springs campground at the entrance to the Fordyce trail.

From Mary Furney/Tahoe National Forest:

"I went up to Indian Springs yesterday and only the electrical conduit and
water pipe were fixed and buried. The rest of the width of the trailhead
access road at the culverts is still exposed, although it does look like
some work was done to reduce the grade dropping onto the culverts from both
sides. After talking with a forest engineer this morning, the forest road
crew is still working on the road damage near Foresthill caused by that
earlier earthquake. So supposedly the crew will fix the ISTH road next
week---we'll see....
The utility lines at this time are well buried and protected by a large log
and the area is flagged and staked off. I just hope people with larger rigs
don't snag or hit the flagging and bump the log off leaving the utility
lines more vulnerable. I plan to patrol the area on Saturday to keep an eye
on things."


Please be careful if you visit Fordyce before this work is completed.

An update from Mary Furney at the FS:

"Hi--just letting you know the road is fixed into Indian Springs Trailhead.
Have a great weekend!"

Looks like the Forest Service moved fast to repair the problem and it's taken care of.

when's your guys trail maintenance day Tinman?