Coyote LK trail

[85-4roller]

 Went up to Red lake 6-1, hoping to find the coyote gate open, as stated in forest service web site on 5 -30. But it was still locked with 3 rigs in front of it, asking if I had the key,I didn't. so we  walked in. No snow, downed trees or even a wet spot on the dusty trail. The guy waiting in the jeep said he walked in last weekend & there was no snow then. 
                  I would like to ask a question to every one. Does it seem that the trails are opening later (not calender date later, but amount of snow & moisture remaining later) than they were 10 - 20 years ago. I swear I remember sitting around red & coyote lakes with snow patches(great place for beer storage) around them.
Then I decided to write another letter to the Forest Service as follows:

        Could you please open the trails when they are accessible, so the public can enjoy them earlier, while there is still some moisture on the trail and the mosquitoes have not yet hatched. Many years ago the trails were successfully used when they still had a small amount of snow on them. If you don't have the man power or funding to open or maintain the trails, I suggest you just put up" NOT MAINTAINED, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK"  signs. The independent drivers or clubs will clear the trail, but no one person or club should have control over the opening the gates of public trails, they should always be open, until the snowfall. This worked in the past and in other areas.

[freds40]

The club that opens and maintains the trails out of Sand flats as well as most others in the Shaver Lake area, has done a lot to assure we even still have trails to wheel. They are a very knowledgeable group and open the trails when they are not only snow free, but ready for all comers. There are a lot of people out there with poor trail etiquette who make enough mess of our trails when they are bone dry let alone still damp/wet from the snow melt.

The trail should be open in a couple of weeks from what I've heard but raising a stink with the FS won't make it happen any quicker. The FS has put these trails in the hands of a great group who will open them when the trails are completely ready.

[megolfer]

The only thing that your letter will do is hurt.  Did you walk in all the way.  I had heard there was still some snow getting closer to the late.  Fresno 4wd are the ones that open the trails.  They will get it open as soon as they can.  They need to make sure it is dry and the trail clear so people dont tear the trailup or get off the trail to go around a tree or wet area.

Went up to Red lake 6-1, hoping to find the coyote gate open, as stated in forest service web site on 5 -30. But it was still locked with 3 rigs in front of it, asking if I had the key,I didn't. so we  walked in. No snow, downed trees or even a wet spot on the dusty trail. The guy waiting in the jeep said he walked in last weekend & there was no snow then. 
                  I would like to ask a question to every one. Does it seem that the trails are opening later (not calender date later, but amount of snow & moisture remaining later) than they were 10 - 20 years ago. I swear I remember sitting around red & coyote lakes with snow patches(great place for beer storage) around them.
Then I decided to write another letter to the Forest Service as follows:

        Could you please open the trails when they are accessible, so the public can enjoy them earlier, while there is still some moisture on the trail and the mosquitoes have not yet hatched. Many years ago the trails were successfully used when they still had a small amount of snow on them. If you don't have the man power or funding to open or maintain the trails, I suggest you just put up" NOT MAINTAINED, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK"  signs. The independent drivers or clubs will clear the trail, but no one person or club should have control over the opening the gates of public trails, they should always be open, until the snowfall. This worked in the past and in other areas.

[Hottrod81]

I hope you only put a $.39 stamp on that letter so it gets returned to you.

[The Rooster]

x-2

[85-4roller]

Original question. Does it seem that the trails are opening later (not calender date later, but amount of snow & moisture remaining later) than they were 10 - 20 years ago. No one out there remembers ? And yes we did walk all the way in & around coyote lake, even saw a horse rider camped back by the creek.   Also, no disrespect meant to club members..............

[Hottrod81]

It really depends on the year and amount of snow.  Fresno 4wd does a great job of clearing the trails of trees.  They are not the ones determining when the trails open.  The Forest Service is in charge of that.  Fresno 4WD has to wait to open the trails until they receive the keys to the gats.  The trails have starting opening up 3 weeks earlier this year than last year.  Last year during memorial day, you couldn't even make it to the lookout tower on bald mountain.  The FS does not open the trails too early for fear that a freak snow storm could come in and people get possibly trapped in there. 

[LCOwner]

Join the 4WD Club of Fresno.  We open that trail every year.  We can always use the help to open trails.