Dishpan Springs, So. Cal.

[snailwagon]

Is Dishpan Springs open or not?
I thought no, but we were up in the area yesterday and there were not any closed signs or blockades, just remnants of yellow tape in the bushes. So we went in a bit. Went to the waterfall, my stock pig flooded struggling with the waterfall. Then my friends jeep ate its radiator real good, and got stuck on top of the waterfall even better. Fun recovery.

Back to dishpan, what has been done in the area and why was it closed before? Beutiful area, just too many dirtbikers trying to run into your cruiser out there.

 

[clownmidget]

Ah yes. The best strategy I've found is - "Go on a week day!" I think that's become my mantra for just about anything in southern CA and it probably applies to all the good wheeling. I went up and did Gold Mtn, Holcomb Valley stuff, etc. on a Friday morning and it wasn't until I was leaving around 2 pm did I see a single other vehicle out there on a trail. It made me reconsider working on the weekend just to take a day off where you actually enjoy it.

I had not heard it being closed at all this season so maybe the tape was for ???

Pics please.

 

[snailwagon]

Last time I was up before this was in the beginning of august. At that time, dishpan was closed. The ranger I spoke to then claimed it would be open in a month or so, but I've also heard different. The entire pinnacles area and surrounding trails were closed for many moons after the last fires tore through all that area (rip cedar glen). I think two years almost.

 

[clownmidget]

Interesting. I know that the White Mtn loop road was closed too for a long time due the burns but it was open the last time I was up there, like Nov 8 or around then. Lots of juniper skeletons and not much else.

 

[Taz]

According to the San Bernadino Forest Service on Nov. 12th it was open. I went up on Nov 13th and it was CLOSED! They did a hell of a lot of construction in those 24 hours! I must have got some kind of idiot at the Forest Service. It has been closed for almost three years to the best of my knowledge? At the rate they are working we will be able to wheel up there again sometime in 2010!

 

[snailwagon]

You can drive on it now, but legal status is questionable. I posted this because it appeared like somone removed the blockades (not the FS) White mountain has been open for some time, over a year. It was only closed for a very short period. Hell of a trail in winter, usually there are not any tire tracks to even follow for 2 months out of the year.

 

[Taz]

Are you sure? I was just up there a couple weeks ago and there was a huge pile of rock at the creek bridge (the arrowhead end of the trail) It was only passible by the dirt bikers.

 

[snailwagon]

There was a huge pile of rocks on the trail side of the bridge, but a trail has been made in the center of them. Passable in 2wd. So probably not legal.

 

[clownmidget]

I just spoke to the Arrowhead Ranger's Station (Fri Dec 02) and the Dishpan Springs Road (3N34) IS closed. The estimation for completion of the bridge and trail opening is Christmas. This website (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/conditions/) has the conditions about half way down and will be updated as soon as the trail is open, at least that what I was told. The Ranger did tell me that they will be on higher enforcement on the weekends for people going on the trail and will be fined accordingly.

Looks like nearly everything else is open though!
Mike R