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M.E.T. Snow Update

Hooligan said:
WLDWUN You Busy Saturday, want to drive around?

Dirtyjed Have a particular spot you want to check out?
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sorry was out of town last week

I would think MET is clear of snow by now.

a small group of us went all the way to Leek Spring lookout on 4/29
at that time there was only snow on MET the last two miles to highway 88 and could easily be driven to
 
no snow yet but bringing this back up

Gates are being installed both at the upper end near 88 to replace the old one. this one is also in a bad location, but the upper end has always been closed to vehicles once they groom it for the snowmobile trail that uses the road in the winter

also, a gate at the lower end now, just at Ferrari Mill Road.
this one is worrisome.
no reason for a gate there as the road should NEVER be closed down lower (wildfire is only exception)
I expect they are up to something and will look into it shortly.
 
Confirmed... gate is going up at the lower section where all of the "your gps is wrong" signs are. I am not sure if they can legally be closing the road though, as there are a couple of private properties up MET and closely off of MET that should have access easements through MET. Hoping that the gate is just "we had extra funds that we needed to use" kind of thing.

On another note... similar gate is going up over on Wrights Lake Rd, and there are rumors going around of another one up Icehouse Road somewhere (plow line??)

I will be reaching out to EDNF and seeing what their plans are.
 
Sounds like screwsome is
phawkin us long distance



Soooo
12v plasma?:laughing:
 
Still waiting to hear back from EDNF... but I got ahold of county and they said it's not their gates.

All of those roads are EDNF roads (so feds, not Newsome).

County is not involved with them, but is aware. We will have to wait and see what ednf says...
 
Highway 88 is bunk in the winter time... not allowed to snow wheel anywhere. I've had better luck off highway 108 and prefer somewhere past Sonora. Down to get together for a first big storm trip.

Jimbo
 
4x4toyotatyler said:
Still waiting to hear back from EDNF... but I got ahold of county and they said it's not their gates.

All of those roads are EDNF roads (so feds, not Newsome).

County is not involved with them, but is aware. We will have to wait and see what ednf says...
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met with some of the Forest Service on Friday.
the recreation Officer for the Placerville District is not even aware of them, she is new this year though.

talked with another and his explanation makes sense but is still troubling.

the gates were ordered due to the Caldor fire closure, where the forest was closed for many months. the government does not move fast and the funding was just recently approved, and gates arrived recently.
since they applied for them, they had to install them. there is no known current plan to close the lower one on MET. (still concerning)

there is also one on North South road at the MET junction.
 
WLDWUN said:
met with some of the Forest Service on Friday.
the recreation Officer for the Placerville District is not even aware of them, she is new this year though.

talked with another and his explanation makes sense but is still troubling.

the gates were ordered due to the Caldor fire closure, where the forest was closed for many months. the government does not move fast and the funding was just recently approved, and gates arrived recently.
since they applied for them, they had to install them. there is no known current plan to close the lower one on MET. (still concerning)

there is also one on North South road at the MET junction.
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That sounds like something budget spends would go towards. From working with FS and county on some things, it sounds to me like they freaked out when caldor hit on a few things... one of them is the ability to control public access to natural disaster zones. Hence the gates going up in popular recreation areas that have few egress options.

Legally, if they want to close roads like MET and wrights lake road to over snow travel, then they have to change the travel management plan, which would require public comment periods. Now, they can temporarily close routes with forest orders so long as they can reason that public safety is at risk with it being open (natural disasters), but permanent closure would be illegal the way the current travel management plans are. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
 
So... update on this. I spoke with someone last night who I am going to leave unnamed, but is very involved with OHV Access issues in El Dorado.

According to him, "FS is planning on using them to keep public out during storms". Close them during a storm, open them back up on nice days.

Which means, the definition of a "nice day" is left open to whatever the FS decides.

Aka, the gates will get closed and not get reopened until spring time.

And if that is the case, the FS might be opening the door wide open for a lawsuit since it would be considered an illegal closure according to the travel management plan. I'll be keeping a very close eye on this one, and digging deeper to find out who in the FS exactly is responsible for the gates, since it seems like OHV division is unaware.
 
Dance lightly, we need your contact to stay willing to talk.

Phawked to see more inept closure of our lands.
Yea it's not today. But like a law, once in place it is PERMANENT (the gate)
 
Clb said:
Dance lightly, we need your contact to stay willing to talk.

Phawked to see more inept closure of our lands.
Yea it's not today. But like a law, once in place it is PERMANENT (the gate)
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Ya 100%. I don't think he is going anywhere. He's been doing this for 30+ years. I just brought it up with corvas ex director too. She said she's gonna send a couple emails, and gave me a couple of places to start poking the bear at.

I love my snow wheeling too much... not gonna be dropping this one.
 
Nice

Kinda wish Albright was still in the game.

We need guys like you puttin in the effort.:beer:
 
4x4toyotatyler said:
I just brought it up with corvas ex director too. She said she's gonna send a couple emails, and gave me a couple of places to start poking the bear at.

I love my snow wheeling too much... not gonna be dropping this one.
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I am guessing that is Amy
if so, have her get a hold of me


4x4toyotatyler said:
So... update on this. I spoke with someone last night who I am going to leave unnamed, but is very involved with OHV Access issues in El Dorado.

According to him, "FS is planning on using them to keep public out during storms". Close them during a storm, open them back up on nice days.

Which means, the definition of a "nice day" is left open to whatever the FS decides.

Aka, the gates will get closed and not get reopened until spring time.

And if that is the case, the FS might be opening the door wide open for a lawsuit since it would be considered an illegal closure according to the travel management plan. I'll be keeping a very close eye on this one, and digging deeper to find out who in the FS exactly is responsible for the gates, since it seems like OHV division is unaware.
Click to expand...

would really like to know where he is getting his information from.
this is something that cannot be let sit. I have talked to several that have said "close them once, and we will remove them"

I would call the Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais directly, but he just left that position for a job in Washington DC. he still has the same email so I may try anyway. He does still live in Pollock Pines
I can try the district Ranger, Scot Rogers, but he has always been poor on communication.
will also reach out to the patrol Captain, Frank Aguilar

also, if they do have a plan to close them even during a storm, the county Sherriff department needs to know as they have their OHV jeep patrol that road in the winter. I will reach out to one of the deputies that has that assignment and see if he can find anything.
 
4x4toyotatyler said:
Have you pass this information about the gates on to Cal 4 x 4. The forest service and them had a real good working relationship when it came to the Mormon immigrant trail we would go up there and camp out at the information booth send out flyers to people and give them info in Regards to over the snow travel on the road. Thanks to Dana Holland RIP we lost a good one when he passed away
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I know one family that still has a lot of acreage up there how can the forest service keep them from getting to their property


 
Hooligan said:
What happens when a person gets locked behind the gates?
Click to expand...

I already have a plan to do that if it come to it:flipoff2:

unless there is a Forest Order closing the road, you can legally be on either side of the gate.
there are a few places I have seen this already.

Leek Spring Lookout is one
the road goes to the tower, but a gate was installed 200 yards before it. the road is legal past the gate on the MVUM
there is no barrier on the right side, and you can pass the gate without being more than 1 vehicle length from the road.
engineering at its finest
 
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