UPDATE 5 PM: Check out Stanley Zucker's video of the fire line at El Prieto.
Now that the Station Fire no longer endangers our hills, people are venturing out to see what's open, what's closed, and what still may be a danger spot.
First, it's important to remember that if the Forest Service or another agency has closed a trail, stay off of it. There may still be dangers (smouldering ash pits can linger for quite awhile), or they may need it open to move firefighting equipment in and out. Don't take a foolish risk, and help firefighters do their job!
That said, we've had several emails asking or telling us about what's open or not. Stanley Zucker wrote us on Saturday:
Hi Tim. I was wondering if a thread about this might be useful info. I can report this morning that hikers, bikers and runners are going up Brown Mountain trail from the upper Arroyo end and it clear with no "Keep Out" or "Closed" signs all the way up to the top (about 7 miles). Don't know what is going on down at Millard Campground as nobody had gone down that way from the saddle and I am assuming Chaney Trail is still blocked to traffic so you can't get there that way. At least it was closed Friday morning when I checked. That's all I know. I shot some video of my run through the new moonscape up to the saddle which I will upload somehwere and send a link in the comments if this thread gets going.
Greg Garner on the "neighbors" listserv reports:
I ran to Henninger yesterday. The Toll Road is in much better shape than it was right before the fire. It has been re-graded with a big tractor and then had many other trucks going up and down so that the loose dirt is now pretty compacted. The big slide right below Henninger was re-shaped and is now manageable by bike. The Toll Road is different after 4 years of neglect, but after it is re-opened post fire, it should be fine for all forms of activity.
As far as the ACT, it too was re-worked. I only ran the section between Glenn Allen and the Eaton Canyon bridge so I don’t know what it looks like going towards Zane Grey. The section I ran has been widened to about 4 or 5 feet and is in great shape.
So those of you who have been hitting the trails post-fire: what do you see, and what can you share with your fellow hikers/bikers/trail runners?
(Correction: we wonder why we renamed Stanley Zucker "Zuckerman"? Maybe because it sounds like a Woody Allen character ... or some kind of superhero from Brooklyn. At any rate, we fixed it!! Thank you, Stanley Zuckerman!)
