Morman Emigrant Trail...(MET)...Or Iron Mountain Road...5 miles closed

[NOTPRETTY]

FYI...From the FS.



Improving Visitor Safety on Morman Emigrant Trail


Placerville, CA... Forest Service management of the Mormon Emigrant Trail

(MET) that connects Highway 50 at Pollock Pines and Highway 88 will change

this winter season to improve public safety and to better assist forest

visitors recreating on the Eldorado National Forest. Wheeled motor vehicle

use such as, cars, trucks, four-wheel drives, and all-terrain vehicles, is

prohibited along the five mile section from the Iron Mountain Sno-Park near

Highway 88 to the Silver Fork Road junction on MET during the winter season

when the road is snow covered and used by snowmobiles.


The Forest Service reports that visitors attempting to travel

over-the-snow from Highway 50 to Highway 88 via the 25 mile long MET

frequently become trapped behind a gate near Highway 88, or become stuck in

the snow along the road.


“Just last weekend multiple vehicles became stuck and visitors needed to

be rescued,” said Anthony Scardina, Acting Amador District Ranger. “The

recent fatality of a stranded motorist in southern Oregon emphasizes our

need to be proactive to improve public safety.”


The eastern section of the MET near Highway 88 is utilized in the winter

as part of the Silver Bear snowmobile trail system and is already closed to

wheeled over-the-snow travel. Scardina says wheeled vehicle over-the-snow

travel damages the groomed trail and creates an additional safety risk when

snowmobiles and motor vehicles travel on the same route.


Approximately 20 miles of the MET, from Sly Park Road on the western

Highway 50 end to the junction with Silver Fork Road, are open for wheeled

motor vehicle over-the-snow travel. A snow berm will be placed on the MET

at the Silver Fork junction so that vehicles cannot continue eastbound to

Highway 88. From Highway 88, another snow berm will be constructed on the

MET at the Iron Mountain Sno-Park to control westbound travel during the

winter. Appropriate signing will also be installed.


For further information contact the Amador Ranger District at (209)

295-4251 or the Placerville Ranger District at (530) 644-2324.


END

[NOTPRETTY]

No...Iron mountain road is not closed. Don't panic. I've requested a map from Tony that I can post here or get a link for so that people know exactly what has changed.

My opinion...Iron Mountain road is a magnet for inexperienced users. And, the problems detailed above are real. Having said that, I hate to see anything closed. Its a failure to manage, educate and enforce...again.

[mtnbronco]

I think I am going to get sick... The people I find up there stuck and unprepared are the same types everytime... "how much longer is it to Kirkwood?" "Mapquest gave me these directions" Then I tell them that they should read the signs along the way "Closed in Winter". They are clueless that as they climb in elevation that the snow is getting deeper. I finally got tired of the mapquest comment and went to the site and typed in Sacramento to Kirkwood and sure enough it uses the MET route,,,, Maybe the Kim's of the world should sue the internet map people instead to the forest service.... just my 2cents

[Brandon]

I'm gonna sound stupid but hasn't it always been this way, snowmobiles only the last section? It has been a long time since I went that far but I recall running into a ranger who told me that a long time ago. I had no need to continue so I didn't and haven't since. That was back when the ski resort was there though..

[Redheck]

Originally Posted by Brandon

I'm gonna sound stupid but hasn't it always been this way, snowmobiles only the last section? It has been a long time since I went that far but I recall running into a ranger who told me that a long time ago. I had no need to continue so I didn't and haven't since. That was back when the ski resort was there though..

No, you couldn't go to leek springs lookout after they started grooming the trail. Silverfork is before the switchbacks, before the meadow. We have always been able to go there. As far as I know anyhow.

lisa

[Simple Man]

In the full article, the Kim family incident in Oregon is sited as a reason for closing the access to vehicle use. I really wanted to call Tony and ask him when he would be closing the hiking, cross county skiing and snowshoeing trails due to the incident on Mt Hood.

[NOTPRETTY]

Originally Posted by Simple Man

In the full article, the Kim family incident in Oregon is sited as a reason for closing the access to vehicle use. I really wanted to call Tony and ask him when he would be closing the hiking, cross county skiing and snowshoeing trails due to the incident on Mt Hood.

Excellent point!!

[resqme]

Maybe we should close Hiway 50 because of a traffic accident in Boise?

[Kurtuleas]

In the monthly phone meeting Tony said one reason was becuase of the lack of snow. Becuase of that, the flatlanders are able to make it farther up Iron Mountain, getting stuck, and creating more problems. I do not know why they can't read the freakin sign that says ROAD NOT PLOWED......

They will block the road BEFORE Silverfork to insure people do not try to go down Silverfork. (Patrick locked the gate in Kyburz anyway back in November....)

BTW: the final route des plan is now delayed until MARCH.

[UGET IT]

Shocker.........

Wait! I'll alert the Media...................

I dont go there anymore..............havent for a few years, anyone who didnt see this coming is retarded or lazy with seasonal Iron Mtn road past issues.

Is it a wonder why I have a daily driver/wheeler now.

UGET IT

[NOTPRETTY]

FYI...The map of the closure area. In PDF format

METCLOSURE