I recently went over Kearsarge P. and enjoyed exploring Vidette Basin mid-September. Great trip. I'd like to go over again early next week before the predicted snow arrives Wed/Thur. But with the Fed shutdown, I'm not sure if I'll have access to the trailhead in Onion Valley. Is the Onion Valley Trailhead parking area gated? I'm figuring there will be signage for closure, but if there is no gate and no one to enforce the closure, I'm ready to go back over. Any information appreciated! Cheers, G

Fletch wrote:They won't close the government. This is being played out too much in the media (Congress has been passing debt cieling levels since the 1700's and no one cared much --- it's just recently that the measures have ben used as a media tool). I presume the media needs something to talk about now that we aren't going to war with Syria.

Politicians lose far more than we do (as citizens) with a government shutdown. The Repuplicans lit this media fire and are having trouble putting it out...

Was your crystal ball in the shop?

I was just in the Mt. Whitney zone this week (the day after the government closure) and the zone was open though no rangers were working of course. When we returned to the portal after camping the local sheriffs had put signs up in various parking lots notifying the people that they would be closed soon. Apparently the mountain would still remain open although people could be cited if caught. There is also apparently a group of lawyers who are creating a class-action lawsuit against the federal government to protect those who are fined for being in the parks. I am not sure how to get a hold of this group if one is cited.

peninsula wrote:I recently went over Kearsarge P. and enjoyed exploring Vidette Basin mid-September. Great trip. I'd like to go over again early next week before the predicted snow arrives Wed/Thur. But with the Fed shutdown, I'm not sure if I'll have access to the trailhead in Onion Valley. Is the Onion Valley Trailhead parking area gated? I'm figuring there will be signage for closure, but if there is no gate and no one to enforce the closure, I'm ready to go back over. Any information appreciated! Cheers, G

There is no gate on the road to Onion Valley; so as long as that snow that is forecast for this week doesn't amount to much you should be able to drive up there. The road to Horseshoe Meadows has been gated - I'm not sure how that is okay because that's a County road.

All the concessionaires operating campgrounds and other facilities have been evicted; so we might see some of the gates that were left open to allow access to those campgrounds closed and locked if they haven't been already. I certainly hope the administrators in the USDA and Department of Interior get a whipping over the way they have treated the public during this partial shutdown. Why would a gate that leads only to a trailhead with either no facilities or just a restroom be locked? That is very poor customer service.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

KathyW wrote:

peninsula wrote:I recently went over Kearsarge P. and enjoyed exploring Vidette Basin mid-September. Great trip. I'd like to go over again early next week before the predicted snow arrives Wed/Thur. But with the Fed shutdown, I'm not sure if I'll have access to the trailhead in Onion Valley. Is the Onion Valley Trailhead parking area gated? I'm figuring there will be signage for closure, but if there is no gate and no one to enforce the closure, I'm ready to go back over. Any information appreciated! Cheers, G

There is no gate on the road to Onion Valley; so as long as that snow that is forecast for this week doesn't amount to much you should be able to drive up there. The road to Horseshoe Meadows has been gated - I'm not sure how that is okay because that's a County road.

All the concessionaires operating campgrounds and other facilities have been evicted; so we might see some of the gates that were left open to allow access to those campgrounds closed and locked if they haven't been already. I certainly home the administrators in the USDA and Department of Interior get a whipping over the way they have treated the public during this partial shutdown. Why would a gate that leads only to a trailhead with either no facilities or just a restroom be locked? That is very poor customer service.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

It is obtuse political gamesmanship. How pathetic. Thank you for confirming my trip is going according to plan! Over Kearsarge Tuesday with a base camp established where I can ride it out. I love stormy weather, especially when it is followed by sunny warmth! Cheers

Here in the Potomac Gorge, my refuge from the insanity of the D.C. area, it's two different stories in two different states.

On the Maryland side, parking lots are barricaded, but rangers are not doing anything about people parking there and accessing the park as long as they are not blocking gates. So yesterday, there were a lot of hikers, bike riders, and kayakers out.

On my way back from kayaking, I swung around to the Virginia side to see what access there was like. People were apparently being allowed to park in the exit lane at the entrance station. There was even a police officer there, and he was not writing tickets or making people leave. So back at home, I grabbed a different kayak and headed back out to run some rapids more easily accessed from the Virginia side. When I got back, all the cars were gone. An NPS staffer was there in a vehicle turning people away. So I and a few others were reduced to sneaking in from outside points. I had to carry my kayak almost a mile through woods both ways.

But on the plus side, the few of us out there practically had the place to ourselves.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

Exactly. I've already canceled some plans and changed others for my trip to Colorado next weekend. I'm sure I'm not the only one now avoiding gateway towns such as Estes Park in light of the shutdown. And the merchants there will not be getting back pay for the lost revenue.

I'm not surprised to hear the schizo stuff comparing Virginia and Maryland's approaches to the shutdown.

We have a week planned down in the Smokies in early November with a house rented for part of the time there. I've already started researching sightseeing and light hiking outside the NP so I can get my walks and photography in.

Anyone with specifics on where I could hike in the Sevierville area or within an hour or so would be welcome!

Thanks, Kathy

KathyW wrote:

peninsula wrote:I recently went over Kearsarge P. and enjoyed exploring Vidette Basin mid-September. Great trip. I'd like to go over again early next week before the predicted snow arrives Wed/Thur. But with the Fed shutdown, I'm not sure if I'll have access to the trailhead in Onion Valley. Is the Onion Valley Trailhead parking area gated? I'm figuring there will be signage for closure, but if there is no gate and no one to enforce the closure, I'm ready to go back over. Any information appreciated! Cheers, G

There is no gate on the road to Onion Valley; so as long as that snow that is forecast for this week doesn't amount to much you should be able to drive up there. The road to Horseshoe Meadows has been gated - I'm not sure how that is okay because that's a County road.

All the concessionaires operating campgrounds and other facilities have been evicted; so we might see some of the gates that were left open to allow access to those campgrounds closed and locked if they haven't been already. I certainly hope the administrators in the USDA and Department of Interior get a whipping over the way they have treated the public during this partial shutdown. Why would a gate that leads only to a trailhead with either no facilities or just a restroom be locked? That is very poor customer service.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

If they can't spend money they can't provide customer service. They probably are authorized to protect govt. property (by excluding the public).

I'd imagine that concessionaires might have a case for a breach of contract lawsuit, except that their contract probably has a provision that shuts them out if the park/forest must be closed, such as for snow, storms, fire, or other causes.

Bob Sihler wrote:Here in the Potomac Gorge, my refuge from the insanity of the D.C. area, it's two different stories in two different states.

On the Maryland side, parking lots are barricaded, but rangers are not doing anything about people parking there and accessing the park as long as they are not blocking gates. So yesterday, there were a lot of hikers, bike riders, and kayakers out.

On my way back from kayaking, I swung around to the Virginia side to see what access there was like. People were apparently being allowed to park in the exit lane at the entrance station. There was even a police officer there, and he was not writing tickets or making people leave. So back at home, I grabbed a different kayak and headed back out to run some rapids more easily accessed from the Virginia side. When I got back, all the cars were gone. An NPS staffer was there in a vehicle turning people away. So I and a few others were reduced to sneaking in from outside points. I had to carry my kayak almost a mile through woods both ways.

But on the plus side, the few of us out there practically had the place to ourselves.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

Exactly. I've already canceled some plans and changed others for my trip to Colorado next weekend. I'm sure I'm not the only one now avoiding gateway towns such as Estes Park in light of the shutdown. And the merchants there will not be getting back pay for the lost revenue.

You've got to remember that these are two different parks, MD is C&O Canal park and VA is Great Falls park, so they have different managers. At the local level, I'd bet some managers are looking the other way while others are not.

silversummit wrote:I'm not surprised to hear the schizo stuff comparing Virginia and Maryland's approaches to the shutdown.

We have a week planned down in the Smokies in early November with a house rented for part of the time there. I've already started researching sightseeing and light hiking outside the NP so I can get my walks and photography in.

Anyone with specifics on where I could hike in the Sevierville area or within an hour or so would be welcome!

Thanks, Kathy

They can't close the main highway through the park and it looks like they would have a lot of difficulty trying to close off the trailhead parking for Chimney Tops, since the parking is just a wide place in the road. There must be some others like that.

I've been living in a cave this past week. What's all this talk about shutting things down and making life miserable ?

Buz Groshong wrote:

Bob Sihler wrote:Here in the Potomac Gorge, my refuge from the insanity of the D.C. area, it's two different stories in two different states.

On the Maryland side, parking lots are barricaded, but rangers are not doing anything about people parking there and accessing the park as long as they are not blocking gates. So yesterday, there were a lot of hikers, bike riders, and kayakers out.

On my way back from kayaking, I swung around to the Virginia side to see what access there was like. People were apparently being allowed to park in the exit lane at the entrance station. There was even a police officer there, and he was not writing tickets or making people leave. So back at home, I grabbed a different kayak and headed back out to run some rapids more easily accessed from the Virginia side. When I got back, all the cars were gone. An NPS staffer was there in a vehicle turning people away. So I and a few others were reduced to sneaking in from outside points. I had to carry my kayak almost a mile through woods both ways.

But on the plus side, the few of us out there practically had the place to ourselves.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

Exactly. I've already canceled some plans and changed others for my trip to Colorado next weekend. I'm sure I'm not the only one now avoiding gateway towns such as Estes Park in light of the shutdown. And the merchants there will not be getting back pay for the lost revenue.

You've got to remember that these are two different parks, MD is C&O Canal park and VA is Great Falls park, so they have different managers. At the local level, I'd bet some managers are looking the other way while others are not.

Of course I know that, Buz!

Bob Sihler wrote:

Buz Groshong wrote:

Bob Sihler wrote:Here in the Potomac Gorge, my refuge from the insanity of the D.C. area, it's two different stories in two different states.

On the Maryland side, parking lots are barricaded, but rangers are not doing anything about people parking there and accessing the park as long as they are not blocking gates. So yesterday, there were a lot of hikers, bike riders, and kayakers out.

On my way back from kayaking, I swung around to the Virginia side to see what access there was like. People were apparently being allowed to park in the exit lane at the entrance station. There was even a police officer there, and he was not writing tickets or making people leave. So back at home, I grabbed a different kayak and headed back out to run some rapids more easily accessed from the Virginia side. When I got back, all the cars were gone. An NPS staffer was there in a vehicle turning people away. So I and a few others were reduced to sneaking in from outside points. I had to carry my kayak almost a mile through woods both ways.

But on the plus side, the few of us out there practically had the place to ourselves.

Also, the public workers will be getting back-pay, but what about all the private enterprises that draw income from the tourist trade related to our public lands?

Exactly. I've already canceled some plans and changed others for my trip to Colorado next weekend. I'm sure I'm not the only one now avoiding gateway towns such as Estes Park in light of the shutdown. And the merchants there will not be getting back pay for the lost revenue.

You've got to remember that these are two different parks, MD is C&O Canal park and VA is Great Falls park, so they have different managers. At the local level, I'd bet some managers are looking the other way while others are not.

Of course I know that, Buz!

I figured you did. Others might not, though.

An interesting aspect of the parks lockup occurred to me on the way to work this morning. I drive to work on the George Washington Parkway, which is a national park. They haven't blocked it off, but a small pull-off that will hold about 3 cars was blocked off. It had plastic sawhorses and what looked like crime scene tape closing it off. I think the crime was against the public - closing facilities and entrances to protect the parks makes sense, but this was just plain stupid and mean spirited. Directly across the parkway from this small parking area is a residential neighborhood where people can park on the street and easily walk to the bike path that goes past that small parking area. Somebody in management should be removed.

Buz Groshong wrote:An interesting aspect of the parks lockup occurred to me on the way to work this morning. I drive to work on the George Washington Parkway, which is a national park. They haven't blocked it off, but a small pull-off that will hold about 3 cars was blocked off. It had plastic sawhorses and what looked like crime scene tape closing it off. I think the crime was against the public - closing facilities and entrances to protect the parks makes sense, but this was just plain stupid and mean spirited. Directly across the parkway from this small parking area is a residential neighborhood where people can park on the street and easily walk to the bike path that goes past that small parking area. Somebody in management should be removed.

That's how it was on the Clara Barton Parkway, too. It just seemed petty, but maybe that's the point in order to increase pressure to reopen the parks.

I had to pull off the end of the exit lane at Lock 10 so I could stash my bike for a shuttle. Just to be spiteful, I used the median for a U-Turn instead of driving up to the nearest exit to turn around as I normally do!