[Backpacker Joe]

I thought the road was paved beyond that point already. I guess not. Nice update.

[CascadeRambler]

Thanks for sharing the pictures along with the update. The Middle Fork road will likely remain closed for a week or more while repairs are designed and implemented. Today a large crack was found in the road bed in the area near MP 8.8 where the hillside has begun slumping, this may delay reopening the road even longer. In the meantime if you want to get up to Mailbox Peak you will need to park along the SE Middle Fork road outside the roadblock at the road closed sign, just be sure not to block driveways or USPS mailboxes that way the residents won't mind.

[Dave Workman]

[puzzlr]

[Bernardo]

Looking forward to an update and more pictures.

[trailchick]

Hi there, I was part of the party that got stranded up near Dingford Creek while trying to return from Goldmyer the evening of January 4th. We encountered a washout about 3 miles from the Dingford Trailhead and were able to drive safely through it, but 500 feet later we hit another that was much too swift and deep to attempt at night. We had plenty of food and supplies and decided the safest option was to car camp and wait it out. The morning of the 5th we were surprised the washout was running much lower so we proceeded through only to be stopped by the large washout on MP 9.9 of the Middle Fork around 8:30am. Sometime around 10:00am the volume and current of the washout exploded and it was running strong until around 1:30pm when it finally receded. It left so much debris that we still couldn't safely cross by car. We were prepared to spend one more night and hike out in the morning when we ran into some guys from the ACI construction team checking out conditions. We also had the good fortune of meeting puzzlr, who was up there documenting the storm. With their help we forded back across the washout and got a lift back to Valley Camp. The ACI construction team confirmed that the bridge was undermined and likely dangerous to drive over, so I'm still waiting to retrieve my Jeep from the other side. I can definitely say this was a memorable first time visit to Goldmyer! What an experience to witness this firsthand. Quite amazing the power of Mother Nature I have quite a few pictures up here: https://plus.google.com/photos/101103468185880220624/albums/6101805597909430593 And the whole crazy story up on my blog: http://www.trailchick.com/2015/01/06/goldmyer-hot-springs-and-forces-of-nature/ Thanks to the ACI team and to puzzlr for giving us a lift out. It was a real pleasure meeting all of them!

[nordique]

Three of my friends did Mailbox Peak yesterday and said the walk to the trailhead is not that long--but that the available parking is only adequate for five or six cars. Tomorrow, the usual Mailbox mobs will arrive at the road blockage, without having seen Trail Talk, so the parking could be a serious problem!

[zephyr]

Thanks puzzlr for continuing to update this report on the Middle Fork. Those photos from 2009 and earlier this year are a great comparison together. Adding the video from the Goldmyer group really enhances the story more. Fascinating stuff for those of us who hike the Middle Fork area. Welcome to NWHikers, Trailchick. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Good luck with the jeep recovery. ~z Edit: I just read your blog entry Trailchick. Well done! You folks made lots of smart decisions during those two days of waiting. Very good job of keeping your cool, staying safe and communicating your situation.

[trailchick]

Thanks so much for the welcome! I probably should have been part of this forum a long time ago! And thanks for the kind words. You never know when you'll be at the mercy of Mother Nature out there, huh? So it's always a great reminder to be prepared when going out. We got very lucky and it was a great learning experience and adventure for us! The good news is that I was able to retrieve my Jeep yesterday with the help of some amazing folks at both Valley Camp and Goldmyer. We are really lucky to have such a great place like Goldmyer.

I did post a follow-up in case anyone is interested and you can see more photos on my SmugMug account. I'd imagine it'll be a while before the road re-opens. There are several washouts that are very tough to cross even with high clearance 4x4s and the culvert bridge still requires repair before it's driveable. There is also an area of the road that is slumping and cracked and another with evidence of recent sliding. I guess until then it'll be a nice quiet walk or bicycle ride. Thanks everyone!

[boot up]

I especially like the "bump" sign. Nice shot!

[puzzlr]

Thanks to trailchick we now have a picture of the slump that CascadeRambler was referring to earlier. As I suspected it's in a chronically weak section of the road just past the CCC intersection, and just before the new water crossing that was flooded. Below are shots of previous slumps in the same place. I've always wondered why it slumps here because it's right at the bottom of a 50' rock cliff and should be one of the most stable sections of the road.

2015 (photo by trailchick)

2009 (photo by Aaron Pease)

2008

2008 (photo by Matt)

The plans call for a "deep patch" in this area. Not being a road engineer I can't provide much context, but it indicates there will be a 4 1/2' deep "patch" of "select borrow" here below the road surface.

Annotated Middle Fork road plans in the area of the chronic slump by the CCC road

[CascadeRambler]

An amazing thing happened at the "temporary" Mailbox parking area Saturday and Sunday; Saturday somehow 39 vehicles managed to park along the road without incident and on Sunday I counted 44 vehicles on my morning walk through the area, again with no apparent issues! Oh and by the way, this included Kayakers and whitewater rafters. I guess this just goes to show we are a pretty good bunch of folks that want to get along with everyone. Nice job everybody!