Squire Creek road conditions

[Otto]

There were no new road slides or other road-bed damage from this winter. However,  much was deposited on the road! Many alders and a few small firs have come across the road. A chainsaw will take care of them. But there is a stopper: a boulder the size of a VW beetle slid onto the middle of the road. The location is about a mile below the old, wide, parking lot. This is about a half-mile above the good, narrower, parking spot below that newest road cave-in from three years ago. This is where one should park when visiting. There is no good turn-around at the stopper rock, nor pullouts for parking.

[Otto]

Yesterday I cut away most of the downed trees that would cause a bike rider to dismount. My saw ran out of gas with three left. Next trip, I'll bring an axe for those...

This winter, the road was blocked by large boulders below the old parking lot. Don't drive to the rocks as there is no easy turn-around. The best parking option is the grassy lot about 100 yards below the recent road cave-in. About 3/4 mile below the old parking lot, it holds 4-6 vehicles and the derelict trailer is gone!

Before:

After:

Many singles like this:

The Main Wall from the road:

Edited June 18, 2022 by Otto

[JasonG]

thank you @Otto!

[tanstaafl]

Thanks for doing all that work while I played around on semi-sunny sport climbs instead of joining you .... 

[Otto]

On another visit this week, on Tuesday, I chopped out the last of the road obstacles. The road is now free of anything new that would cause a bike rider to dismount. I do like a long, smooth downhill ride!

The first two were located just before the first culvert. First one, before:

After:

Second one was the worst obstacle. I dropped it onto this skid log and pushed the cut log off the road.

Almost there:

After:

The last two were above the first culvert. This was the biggest of all:

After:

Fourth and last was a double alder:

Phase two:

After:

During celebration ride:

 

[Otto]

Just visited, on 4/5/2023, the Squire Creek road with an axe. Chopped out six alders and two firs that had come across the road. One of them was still covered with snow, so I cut both ends and left it to roll off the road, later. Other than that, there are no new obstructions that would require a bike rider to dismount.

I walked up to the South Face turnoff point, about four miles up. There was about two feet of snow there.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Otto

[JasonG]

Thank you for the update and the work keeping this road open @Otto!

[mountainsloth]

Wow Otto, that’s a lot of work! Thanks for doing it!

 

[Otto]

Went up the road this past Tuesday, 5/2/2023, and dragged that last of the branches and small logs off the road. All the snow is now gone, and there is nothing unusual which would cause a bicyclist to dismount.