[Dante]

I'm planning a trip at the end of the road. The most recent information I have is that the road is rough but passible in a 4x4 to a washout about 1/2 mile from the end of the road. Has anyone been to the washout/end of the road recently? If so, what can you tell me about the conditions? P.S. When will it be gated?

[-lol-]

[ajgoodkids]

Allow a lot of time and be patient. Everything beyond Taylor River is rough stuff. Driving faster than snail pace can be hazardous to the underside of your vehicle. The good news is the Middle Fork Road up to Taylor River is in much better shape than previous years. You'll make good time on that stretch. Okay, okay, here comes the soap box. I don't like road walking. It's boring, unaesthetic and invariably in trashed, logged out terrain. The forest service built and maintained the road for logging. We shouldn't be forced to walk a road through the logged out terrain to get to worthwhile trails in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

[Dante]

Excellent! Thanks. I found the same info here: http://66.155.42.150/advscripts/mbs_rd2_rpt.asp The trail on the south shore of the river is actually pretty nice if you like the lowland forest thing. It would just make going to Williams lake a MUCH longer trip. IMO gating the road at Dingford will just force people to take one of the "second best" shortcuts to the high country. I wonder if the parking police will be partolling the end of the MFK next weekend . . .

[Backpacker Joe]

Doubtful, its a long way to go to give 5-50 dollar tickets! BUT, the gobernment RARELY makes any sence, so they'll probably be waiting there for you in CAMO! TB PS, hey Dante, what are you guys going to do anyway?

[Dante]

[fubar]

[Dante]

I actually like the south shore trail a lot. It has become my prefered way to get to the hotsprings (upstream or down). It makes the trip more of a "real" hike. I've just been spoiled by the easy access to the high country and will miss it. If I recall correctly however, the road will continue to be open and maintained for "inholders". If that's the case, it won't be turning into anything like the old Taylor River road anytime soon.

[MtnGoat]

"And once people stop driving it and maintaining it as a road it won't be a road for very long." No, it will just be a long slog on a hard, rocky roadbed now overgrown, just like Taylor river is. Only a lot longer one. When there is *already* a trail on the opposite shore, for those who feel like walking the extra miles. Right now, we have access to the same region for everyone, those who want to walk on one side, those who don't have time, or just plain don't want to, on the other.

[Dante]

I like the status quo, too, but isn't this more or less a done deal?

[Backpacker Joe]

We could become ANTI enviro/eco *****ists and boom the gate everytime they put a new one up!

[Sore Feet]

Or...we could make TB play taxi driver and shuttle any of us who want to go up there OVER the gate...

[Curt]

I haven't been following the changes with this road. What's the current situation? Does it close prior to its end? How far? What's this about tickets? -Curt

[Dante]

As of September 6 it was open to the end. See the link I posted above. The Forest Service recommends a "high clearance vehicle." It gets pretty rough after the Taylor River "Y"--plenty of places where the surface is big rocks. Last I heard the road will soon be gated at Dingford Creek (but the road open to and maintained for "inholders"), but I don't know when. I think it's a done deal. I hope I'm wrong. I don't know about tickets. It seems stupid to drive all that way to write parking tickets, but . . .

[Randy]

If someone is going to continuously blow up the gate let me know, so I don't go through the trouble and expense of getting a key!