Blue lakes/French Meadows

[microtus]

Our club is looking at an overnight run next weekend to either Blue Lakes or French Meadows. Are there any gates or legal closures to the roads accessing either of these locations that anybody knows about? Another option was the Burney Reiley trail. Natural hot springs have a certain appeal.

I had planned on contacting the Toyabi and Eldorado tomorrow but the USFS websites have been down all day so I have no access to contact info.

Not a lot of snow at any of these locations (25" of snow at Blue lakes @ 8,000 feet elevation, with a high of 35 degrees and a low of 13 today). All it takes is one good storm to blow through but so far this year it's been dismal.

[microtus]

USFS website is back on line so I'll answer my own question and spread the wealth.

After way too many phone calls:

The Blue Lakes road is closed via a USFS gate at the snow park staging area and is open to snowmobile traffic aka non-wheeled travel only.

French Meadows Res. has very little snow on the ground but there is a plow line on the North end of the Dam that is preventing vehicular access. There are no restrictions to wheeled travel to French Meadows or Chipmunk Ridge Road that leads to Hell Hole. There just happends to be no snow.

[Kendo]

Yeah, normally the gate on Foresthill Road would be closed at China Wall for snowmobile traffic only. Since no significant snow this year though, shold still be open.

[Badburn]

Are there any good trails up there? Foresthill? Looking for a place to go this sunday. Ive heard of china wall, but never been up there.

[Kendo]

Wheelin trails? Nothing more than fire roads really. Pick a route off the side of the road and head down. Might wanna take a GPS or something with you though, easy to get lost.

As far as snow mobiles go, I think one of the better places around to go. We just need some white stuff.

[microtus]

Yeah, normally the gate on Foresthill Road would be closed at China Wall for snowmobile traffic only. Since no significant snow this year though, shold still be open.

The word I got was once the snow level reached 18" at China Wall they close the gate to wheeled travel. No idea if they have restrictions on the other road that heads towards French Meadows.. It's one big loop if you wanted to drive the whole thing.

China Wall probably has ZERO snow right now. Here are some pics of a trip we made a couple weeks ago past the China Wall gate.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mickeymicrotus/album/576460762383053085#page1

6,317 feet on the gps was good for about 3 feet of snow at that time

[Bebe]

Linky no worky.....

[Keith]

USFS website is back on line so I'll answer my own question and spread the wealth.

After way too many phone calls:

The Blue Lakes road is closed via a USFS gate at the snow park staging area and is open to snowmobile traffic aka non-wheeled travel only.

French Meadows Res. has very little snow on the ground but there is a plow line on the North end of the Dam that is preventing vehicular access. There are no restrictions to wheeled travel to French Meadows or Chipmunk Ridge Road that leads to Hell Hole. There just happends to be no snow.You could get to blue lakes via the road from Red Lake. That would be a groovy snow run right there...!