I received this update a few days ago:

Inyo National Forest Blowdown - Late Spring 2012
Key Messages and Talking Points
(Updated 5-25-2012)


Current Situation
  1. On November 30 a powerful windstorm hit the Eastern Sierra wreaking havoc in some areas of the Inyo National Forest, with estimates of over ten thousand trees being uprooted and downed. The Reds Meadow Valley, Devils Postpile National Monument, and trails leading into the surrounding Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses were impacted the most.
     
  2. Good progress is being made in clearing downed trees from trails and campgrounds, and repairing damaged roads. Crews are working as fast as they safely can, but as of Memorial Day weekend there is still no projected opening date for public access to Reds Meadow Valley.
     
  3. Our goal remains the same as it has been - to open as much of Reds Meadow Valley, and the trails leading out of it, as soon as is feasible. Access to the Valley was gained over a month sooner than normal and crews have been working diligently to take advantage of the mild spring conditions.
     
  4. Despite the fact that this was a low snow year, there was approximately 200 inches of snowfall in Reds Meadow Valley. The ground is still very wet and this has impeded the work of crews and equipment that just cannot access certain areas.
     
  5. At this time no public access to Reds Meadow Valley is allowed, including pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The road has multiple potholes and breaks, and rocks and woody materials continue to fall on the road. Portions of area roads and trails are damaged to the point that they pose a hazard to the public until they can be repaired.
     
  6. The primary reason for the access closure is for public safety. There is a lot of heavy equipment working in the valley and on the road, and crews are working on the trails. Crews and heavy equipment operators are working in hazardous areas where knowing the location of every person is essential to maintaining safety. They are also able to work more quickly and efficiently when they do not have to worry about the safety of visitors who may be in the area. Allowing them to accomplish their work unimpeded by recreationists should facilitate the opening of the campgrounds and trails sooner, and reduce the risk of injury to public visitors.
     
  7. The Forest Service has suspended campground reservations in Reds Meadow Valley at this time. Wilderness reservations are still being taken for July and later in the summer, but we cannot predict the date that a specific trail will be clear. The temporary freeze on wilderness reservations for trails accessed by Reds Meadow Road will be lifted as soon as the road is open for public access.
     
  8. Even as trail obstructions are cleared, in some areas trail damage is significant. It may be many weeks until some trails are passable for all users, particularly for stock.
     
  9. It is anticipated that the first campgrounds to open will be Reds Meadow, Devils Postpile and Minaret Falls. The last to open will be Soda Springs and Agnew.
     
  10. In the Mammoth Lakes Basin, portions of which were also hit hard by the wind event, some trails still have minor obstacles. Duck Pass has not been cleared and the Mammoth Pass Trail, past McCloud Lake, is impassable at this time. Other less affected areas of the Forest, including Whitney Portal, and North Lake and the Paiute Pass trail out of the Bishop Creek drainage, have been cleared and there should be no impacts to summer access.
     
  11. Up to date information, with details on clean-up progress, maps and photos, is available on the Inyo NF website at : http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/Inyo/Blowdown

 

Impacts
  1. A December survey of 45 miles of trail out of Reds Meadow Valley revealed that all 9 trails were obstructed to some degree; at least ½ of the 45 miles of trail surveyed were densely covered with down trees.
     
  2. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the John Muir Trail were both obstructed north and south of Devils Postpile. Other affected trails include Upper Rush Creek on the PCT, Fish Creek, Mammoth Pass Trail into Reds Meadow, and the River, High and Shadow Creek trails near Agnew Meadows. Additionally some trails in the Mammoth Lakes Basin, including the Duck Pass trail, and the Piute Pass trail near North Lake in the Bishop Creek Drainage were also impacted.
     
  3. All developed sites in Reds Meadow Valley sustained some level of damage. Agnew Meadows Campground was the worst hit, with Reds Meadow Campground also being hit hard. Soda Springs, Minaret Falls and Pumice Flat Campgrounds had lots of down trees. Pumice Group Campground is not too bad. Starkweather Lake area is OK, while Sotcher Lake area had a large amount of down trees all around it, but very little damage to facilities was sustained.
     
  4. Devils Postpile National Monument had office buildings damaged. Throughout the valley the following were damaged:
    • 20 picnic tables
    • 14 bear boxes
    • 4 fire rings
    • 4 toilet buildings (2 seriously damaged)
       
  5. The work that needs to be done to clear developed sites and trails is multi-layered. Down trees must be removed. In the many cases where the whole rootwad was unearthed it must be dealt with and the hole left by the unearthed rootwad has to be filled in. It is estimated that there are around 400 rootwads that need to be removed and the holes filled within campgrounds and developed recreation sites in the Valley. Hazard trees (those that have not fallen, but have the potential to) are being identified and depending upon their location must be taken down. Damaged infrastructure is being repaired.