SummitPost.org

Clara Barton ? Didn't she have something to do with the American Red Cross ?

Far as Western parks go, some folks were forced to vacate their residences near Vegas ...



http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/6/government-shutdown-forces-lake-mead-residents-out/

peninsula wrote:

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

I saw on another site that the Horseshoe Meadows Road is open again. I guess Inyo County didn't think the Federal Government should be shutting down a County road, but Inyo County will close it once we get enough snow.

The campground signs in the San Bernardino National Forest are covered with plastic - I wonder who thought that would have more impact than a closed sign? It was nice to see that people were just parking on the outside of locked gates, where possible, and recreating at picnic areas in the National Forest over the weekend.

Someone appears to have kicked over the Tuolumne Meadows webcam on the way out...



A little snow in southern Sequoia NP...

WHAT .... thought the Parks were closed.

How the hell did THAT GUY get in there ???

A phone call earlier this morning confirms you can get into Mineral King if you tell them you plan to stay at the Silver City Resort.

They are almost full for this weekend! I guess all vendors aren't affected.

Silver City is a private inholding

mrchad9 wrote:A phone call earlier this morning confirms you can get into Mineral King if you tell them you plan to stay at the Silver City Resort.

They are almost full for this weekend! I guess all vendors aren't affected.

Why on earth would NPS or FS administrators get a whipping? For following federal law? Good grief. If you don't like the law, call your congressman or woman.

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?

Please cite the federal law that says parking lots (that cost no money) need to be roped off and closed (which saves no money) in the event of a shutdown.

The NPS administrators need a whipping for multiple reasons.

mrchad9 wrote:A phone call earlier this morning confirms you can get into Mineral King if you tell them you plan to stay at the Silver City Resort.

They are almost full for this weekend! I guess all vendors aren't affected.

The same basic scenario is folding out @ Grand Canyon ... folks can't get into the Park, so they're flocking to the nearby town of Sedona in droves.

Sedona was completely packed with tour-ons today. I tried to get into a grocery store to buy a pass, but the manager wouldn't sell me one ... said I'd have
better luck talking to the local "aliens ....."

Update on parking closure:

The parking spot that holds only 3 or so cars is still barricaded with plastic sawhorses, somebody overturned then one day, but apparently the NPS had money to get them back in place. Farther down the road, a pull-off that has room for maybe 8 or 10 cars has not been barricaded. Today it was flooded, due to heavy rains, and a NPS pickup was there, probably to clear the storm drain. Seems like they don't whether they are open or closed.

Near Vegas, we don't have an official national park. But Red Rock Canyon NCA is treated much like a national Park (But is operated by BLM). The rangers are making enough of a show to give one the impression the area is closed; but are being pretty even-handed for locals. The gated scenic loop is closed, and tickets are issued for people who cross the gates (which have clear warnings). But just a mile or two south on route 159, are several trailheads with parking areas maintained by the county, and there are trailheads with unmaintained parking in Calico, at the east end of RRCNCA. The unmaintained THs and parking have been drawing lots of folks, and there has been no effort to issue tickets or close off the parking. Hundreds of people hike from those "open" THs each day during the closure.


This is the Dept. of Interior policy:
http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/BLM-FAQ.pdf
"Will I be able to visit BLM-managed public lands?
All recreation facilities, including campgrounds, boat ramps etc., will be closed. If it is a nondeveloped
recreational destination with no controlled access, you may visit. However, there will
be no services and there will no non-emergency services available."

There is some interpretation as to "non-maintained" and "controlled access." West of Hayford Peak, on BLM land, a plastic Barrier was erected on the Deadman Canyon dirt road. The lower part of that road was bladed in 2005, so perhaps it is viewed as "maintained," and perhaps the new plastic barrier is "control."

Interesting. I can find no similar statement for NPS, which is also part of Interior. I did find:

Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. For more information, FAQs, and updates, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.

If Interior has to shut down all concessionaires in National Parks and prohibit people from walking in, then they should declare all offshore oil leases suspended and require the oil platforms be shut down.

Really! If stupidity is the order of the day, let's do it right!

Buz Groshong wrote:Interesting. I can find no similar statement for NPS, which is also part of Interior. I did find:

Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. For more information, FAQs, and updates, please visit http://www.doi.gov/shutdown.

Where exactly did you find the statement: "Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. " ? When I search for that statement via google, several doi pages come up as choices, but I cannot find that statement on any. Perhaps it was taken down when they realized it was incorrect?

In any case, I would recommend printing out the statement that I cited, and bring it with you when you visit any BLM lands that seem to be "OK."

MoapaPk wrote:

Buz Groshong wrote:Interesting. I can find no similar statement for NPS, which is also part of Interior. I did find:

Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. For more information, FAQs, and updates, please visit http://www.doi.gov/shutdown.

The link to the document I cited... is on the page that you cited! Gee, I wonder why folks are confused?

I backed into it. I followed your link. Then I went back up, whereupon I got a 404 with a link to the one that I cited. You see, I've worked in DC, so I know about the required chasing one's tail in circles that you have to go through to get to the right place for answers in Federal Govt.