Since im sure the memorial day weekend thread is going to die and drift away into internet abyss that a seperate thread for this would be in order. Im pretty sure these slides will become a subject of discussion as things thaw out and we all get up there to see the scope of the damage. Alot of snow came off of signal peak this winter in the form of Avalanches and as a result have blocked various access points to fordyce trail with debris. Tinman covered this in the memorial day thread touching on the one slide that came down onto the lower section of the trail before you even get close to CC #1. The other two slides are still snowmobile access material.



Anyways heres some Pictures from a friend taken a few weeks ago now with his account of
what went on over the winter up there.

"It appears that possibly 3 separate slides kicked loose off signal peak this winter, one came down near the "clifta" off camber area on the lower half of the trail, another went down into fordyce creek possibly near crossing 3 and then the largest and most destructive slide is the rattlesnake road slide."

"All three slides started high up at the top of signal peak and did not slow down, its anyones guess on the slide that came down by creek crossing 3 it may have not even impacted the trail and only impacted the hillside, and creek, from a distance you couldnt tell if it got down onto the trail. The slide that went across the "clifta" appears moderate and clearable." "The rattlesnake road side slide wiped out the road and continued uphill on the other side of the canyon several hundred feet. the amount of speed and the depth of the snow is difficult to describe, the number of snapped off trees buried in what looks to be 60-80 ft deep worth of snow and hundreds of trees is phenomenal. the attached Pictures do not do it justice it is 400-500+ yards across."


"There will be a lot of debris to clear before anyone gets back down that road"


http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/48868/2528191590060221230S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2528191590060221230xVIozN)

http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/48731/2318566240060221230S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2318566240060221230KGYqeb)

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/47160/2560924120060221230S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2560924120060221230tMVqwN)

http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/46703/2354311990060221230S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2354311990060221230wsMVsf)

http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/45575/2519656700060221230S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2519656700060221230ZGQYBA)

Fordyce lake from basin peak 6/12 around noon

http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/45309/2411130540060221230S500x500Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2411130540060221230zZYCUd)



Very near Fordyce lake a couple hundred feet up in elevation...... that is a 16' high roof ridge ........ 6/12 mid am
http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/45447/2312739830060221230S600x600Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2312739830060221230lhstrO)

Its going to be awhile till it all melts and even then the creek is going to be high most of the year

We made it to the 1st crossing on saturday. Lots of snow still on the trail from the big avalanche that bret reported all the way down the hill to the slabs. from the slabs the trail is clear till you get to the last drop to the river, where there appears to have been another avalanche. It came down the hill across the trail down the hill some more and across the slabs that are just down river from the crossing. Alot of the trees are pushed over and there is some debris
out on the slabs. We forgot the cameras so no pictures sorry. And the water is deeper than hell. It looks to be about a foot deeper than the deepest we saw last year.

Fordyce lake from basin peak 6/12 around noon

http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/45309/2411130540060221230S500x500Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2411130540060221230zZYCUd)



Very near Fordyce lake a couple hundred feet up in elevation...... that is a 16' high roof ridge ........ 6/12 mid am
http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/45447/2312739830060221230S600x600Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2312739830060221230lhstrO)

Its going to be awhile till it all melts and even then the creek is going to be high most of the year


Is that Peter Grub Hut?


Dang!!!:eek:

I talked to the TNF and they say their road engineers are putting together a contract to clear Rattlesnake and they hope to have it awarded and the road cleared by June 24th.

i talked to the tnf and they say their road engineers are putting together a contract to clear rattlesnake and they hope to have it awarded and the road cleared by june 24th.

yay!!!

Rattlesnake Road gate was still locked (as of Sunday).
Saturday the excavator & a few trucks came down the trail & left (trucks had a bunch of closed signs inside). But like I said, the gate is still locked.
2-3 rigs came down to the gate later that afternoon. (I assume they got through via Signal Peak). After hitting the gate, they went back up the trail I believe).
Several in our group went up & said that the landslide & road is clear (still needs a bit of work supposedly).
However, they were stopped by 10-15'+ snow drifts :eek: just passed the cleared area.

Update!!!


I spoke with Cisco Campground today. They said that Rattlesnake Rd. is open to the "Y". I asume they mean right at the top of the hill where it splits to go east twards Lola Montez and goes north to Foradyce and the boy scout camp. They also said that snowmobiles were going in from the Y and one fell through Lake Sterling at the boy scout camp.

HAHA that was me at Sterling Lake. Looks just like meadow does. The slide is clear and we drove our trucks towing trailers up Rattlesnake rd to just shy of the "y" and launched our snowmobiles. There is at least 3-15 feet of snow covering the road from there to Fordyce lake with almost no dirt showing until you go over the hill and get very close to the lake. I will try and post some pics tonite!