Town of Stonyford Welcomes OHV Community Back to the Mendocino NF

Phil Ray (L), longtime resident of Stonyford and owner of Honda/Kawasaki/KTM

of Modesto, and Don Amador (R), owner of QWR and West. Rep. of BRC sit on historic

landmark bench in front of the Stonyford General Store

 

On behalf of the Town of Stonyford, HQ wants to extend a warm welcome to all the OHVers who have waited for almost one year to return to their favorite riding area.  I had a coffee conference this am with several of the City Fathers and business owners who are excited about having the off-road community back on the Forest.   They said it has not been the same with everybody gone.

 

Restored Trail Thru Impacted Area

Actually, it has been a real hardship for the local grocery store to stay in business during the closure period.  HQ is encouraging riders to stop by the store on your way up to Fouts and Davis Flats this weekend and buy some provisions.  The store has everything from fine cuts of rib-eye steaks to 120-link #520 chain.  When you are in there, be sure and say hi to the store’s owner, Trish Dearman.

 

Trail Marker with Vehicle Types Allowed

 

HQ expects the route network to be about 99% open with the exception of a couple very steep short sections off of Sullivan and Little Sullivan Ridges.

New Trail Width Restrictor

Again, riders can do their part to celebrate the reopening of Stonyford by riding only on designated and signed routes and honoring the vehicle width restrictions.  The agency has worked hard to install width restrictors to help the public identify which routes are appropriate and legal for their vehicle types.  The vertical trail markers should also have the symbol of the vehicle type allowed.

THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON YOU

 

 

Have a fun and safe weekend at Stonyford!

 

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Stonyford - Mill Fire Update - Good and Bad News!

View of Trails 40, 32, and 34 from M5

 

View of Trail 33 Near Mill Valley Campground

 

The Recreation HQ got to spend a few days up at Stonyford last week touring (and working too) the burn area with FS staff.  We reviewed the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Mill Fire and looked at the extent of the damage and some of the challenges the agency must address before reopening it for public use.

 

The good news is that the campgrounds at Fouts and Davis Flat are open for camping.  Non-street legal OHVs can use Trail 42 that is a loop next to Davis Flat.  However at this time, there is no access to the main trail/road network (i.e.  Trails 34, 32, 40,37,39, or the shortcut to M5).  In fact, M5 remains closed at this time.

 

If you have a dual-sport you can ride up M10 and get on the trails/roads that are open (i.e.  Trail 6, 8,12,45, etc.).  If you have non-street legal OHVs, you can trailer them up and park along M10 where

it becomes a mixed-use road.   That begins just past the junction of where the Letts Lake Road intersects with M10.  Now is a good time to take the OHV corridor over to the Upper Lake OHV area and explore some of those trails.

 

The bad news is the main trail network that got burned looks like it will remain closed through the winter so that portions of the routes that have to be restored  after getting blitzed by the bulldozers cutting firebreaks can heal.

The ugly news is there are a lot of potential impacts to the roads and trails from excessive soil erosion if the area gets hit with heavy rains.  For example, a lot of tree stumps burned down to the root systems which often cross a road or a trail.  Now with the stump/root gone, there is the potential for water to carve or gully up the road/trail bed.

Stump/root burnout on road

 

There are a number of volunteer days still ahead where you can help.  Here is a link to where you can sign up.

 

HQ Blog with Vol. Dates and Sign Up Info

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2012/10/stonyford-post-fire-volunteer-days-to.html

 

HQ believes that after these initial rains, the agency should make it a high priority to open up several corridors ASAP (i.e. Potato Hill and M5) so that riders can access the trails that are open in the non-burned areas.

 

HQ also wants to thank the agency and state trail crews that have been working very hard since the fire to help bring the impacted trails up to specs.

 

Watch for an update soon on the 1^st volunteer trail day last week.  We had a great turnout!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Stonyford Post Fire Volunteer Days to Start Oct. 20

The Recreation HQ wants to remind folks that the Mendocino National Forest is getting ready to launch some post-fire trail volunteer days soon with the goal of getting the trail system back online at Stonyford ASAP.

Janelle Taggart is heading up the volunteer efforts temporarily here at Stonyford while Paige Makowski, the regular FS volunteer coordinator, is on a detail assignment. Janelle is a full time student at San Jose State University and has classes in the San Jose Bay Area Monday through Wednesday and will be working in Stonyford, on an internship, Thursdays and Fridays and some Saturdays.

Here are the volunteer dates scheduled throughout the next couple months. The FS has decided to hold monthly volunteer events held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Please put these dates on your calendars.

 October 20th

November 17th

December 15th

January 19th

If you have not done so yet, complete the OF301a Volunteer Agreement Form linked below and send to Janelle at the address below:  *You must sign and date the form.

Here is the link to the volunteer form   http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Volunteer_FS_agreement.pdf

Janelle Taggart

Forestry Rec Tech

Mendocino National Forest

Grindstone Ranger District

5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Rd

Stonyford, CA 95979

(530)963-1328

Email: jctaggart@fs.fed.us

 

The Recreation HQ will see you on October 20.

 

 

Stonyford August 5 Update - Send in Volunteer Forms

The Recreation HQ does not want riders to think it is still not focused on the Mill Fire’s impacts to the Stonyford OHV Area.   As most of you know, this fire’s impacts are almost 180 degrees opposite of the 2001 Trough Fire.

The Trough Fire did not impact that much of the trail system, but it did nuke the various OHV camping and staging areas at Fouts Springs.  On the other hand, the Mill Fire spared the Fouts Springs campgrounds but fried about 80% of the popular trails between Fouts to Lett’s Lake and back down to Little Stony.

Link to Closure Order and Closure Map

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5382658.pdf
 

I think a lot of us are still in a state of shock as are many of the FS employees that I know.  While they continue to mop up and restore the area, it is important for those of us who can… to send in a volunteer agreement to Paige to help with future volunteer projects.

 

Here is an announcement from Paige

 

Thank you for eagerly extending a helping hand for the process of cleaning up the devastation of the Mill Fire.

We are currently awaiting the full report from the BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) Team.

As soon as we get permission to enter the area and start closure & rehabilitation work, I will email you with some dates.

The first project in order will be to secure the perimeters of the fire.  Access to the trail system will need to be closed with signs and straw bales along the intersections of M-10, 17N02 & Goat Mountain.  Theses main roads hopefully will be opening soon.  Not until the fire is called out, which most likely will be after we get rain, will we be able to start trail rehabbing.

I have attached a volunteer agreement which will need to be completed prior to any volunteer work that you do for the Forest Service.

Thanks again and I will be in touch soon!

 

~Paige

Paige Makowski

Mendocino National Forest
Grindstone Ranger District
O.H.V Recreation Technician
(530) 963-1328

Complete the OF301a Volunteer Agreement Form linked below and send to:

Here is the link to the volunteer form

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Volunteer_FS_agreement.pdf

Paige Makowski

Mendocino National Forest

825 N. Humboldt Ave.

Willows, CA 95988

If you would like to sponsor or support QWR’s post-fire recovery work (e.g. travel, supplies, seed money for matching grants, etc.) you can donate at and ID donation for "Mill Fire Recovery"

http://www.quietwarriorracing.com/Sponsorships.html

HQ is already planning to dedicate some serious time up there once the volunteer trail rehabilitation starts.  Will keep you posted as new details come in.

 

Post Fire Photos of Stonyford Fire - July 19

As the Forest Service continues to assess and restore the impacts the fire and/or the fire suppression efforts had on the resource and trail network, HQ wanted to share some photos shot yesterday at various locations that many of you will recognize.  

I can’t help but wonder why the agency allows heavy equipment to cut massive fire-lines (see dozer line photo) through “sensitive areas” without any project-level NEPA or review by specialists, yet requires massive planning efforts to put in a 50-inch or single track trail.  It does not make much sense to me.

Also, we are glad to report that Seth Watkins (his dad – Greg Watkins - used to work for the FS in R5 as a road engineer and sign guru) was able to retrieve his trailer that he had to leave at Letts Lake when the fire broke out.

Will try and keep you updated as more photos and info comes in.

Mill Fire Spares Little Stony OHV Campground - July 17 Update

Based on field reports today, the Mill Fire is at 75% containment as of this morning.  Little Stony Campground and Day Use areas escaped destruction. The weather is really cooperating...overcast and cool.  This is allowing crews to go direct with hand lines on some of the areas north above Little Stony. 

HQ believes the hand lines are a good thing since there is too much cat line already.  Full containment should be reached today with restoration efforts already in progress.  The fire should hold at just under 30K acres. 

In contrast to the 2001 Trough Fire which decimated the Fouts Springs and Davis Flat OHV camping areas, the Mill Fire mainly hit the trail system and spared the Fouts Springs and Little Stony OHV Camping and Staging areas.

Thanks for your continued interest in this issue.  No doubt there will be plenty of work to do getting the trail system up and running.  Stay tuned.

Friday O-Dark Thirty Report on Stonyford Fire - Things Looking Up

Photo (July 12) above:  Backfires at the Harvey place

Photo (July 12) below: Backfires and crews at the Ray place 

This is HQ’s Friday “O-Dark Thirty” report.  According to our man on the ground, Jeff Applegate, a

lot of the front country went up in smoke in the backfires today.

 

 Gilmore and Crackerbox went up in flame today, but he Handlebar Ranch (owned by Taz Harvey and family, off-road motorcycle and auto racer) and the 4Q Ranch (owned by Phil Ray, dirt-track legend and owner of Modesto KAW) should now be safe.

 

 They used air dropped ping pong balls, very pistols,  and drip torches for the burn out.  Everything is going according to plan on the east flank.  Two spots are burning very hot on their own...Lower Letts area and the area to either side of Trail 22 directly north of the Little Stony Day Use area.

 

There is a large contingent of resources in the Little Stony Area, so HQ is confident  they will protect that staging area.  Fire is now estimated at 18K and continues to grow.  48% containment as of last night. 

Looking better, but a lot of damage has been sustained to our trail system.

HQ wants to thank all of its readers for their thoughts and prayers regarding the fire threats to life, property, and the natural resources.   We also want to salute the firefighters and tanker crews for working very hard in the extreme hot weather.

Stonyford Fire Update - July 12 @ 11:00am

Photo (July 11 - afternoon): Looking at OHV Area from

Lodoga/Stonyford Rd.

Here is HQ’s July 12 am report based on intel from a 1900 briefing last night.   Fran Peace from Congressman Wally Herger’s Office was in attendance. 

 With luck they will keep the fire below Miner ridge, saving the Goat Mt. area.  Also, Little Stony is spared for now. That's the good news.  The bad news is that the fire will double in size.  They will start firing out along Stonyford/Lodoga Road today at 1100 (HQ will have its reporter on scene for that), bringing the fire on around the new cat-line to the Goat Mt. Road.  This will burn out all the front country fuels that are a threat to East Park Estates, Century Ranch and homes along the main road.

It appears their plan for the canyon is to use fire (probably a helitorch)  to light off as much as will burn along the rim of the main canyon, which would include all trails and side canyons up to Big Sullivan or Pine Ridge.  They cannot burn out from the road because of serpentine and spotty fuels, but want to remove as much vegetation as possible on the north side of L. Stony Road to prevent rekindling in the event of a wind or weather change which could send the fire possibly to the south side of Little Stony canyon (a bad thing) and on to Lovelady, Goat Mt. and Lake County.  

Everything up to Mill Valley, south to Crackerbox and on the north along the M10 corridor is slicked off. The fire is currently 16,800 acres, but it is estimated to be closer to 30K when finally contained if the plan is executed flawlessly. 

HQ believes the media has not covered what the fire's impact will have on special events such as motorcycle enduros and casual OHV use this fall and winter.  As many of you know, the Fouts Springs OHV Camping area often becomes the largest “city” in Colusa County during the Christmas/New Year Holiday Season with up to 2-4 thousand people camping and riding there.  The fire may have a serious impact on that activity this year.

HQ thanks local Stonyford resident and former FS OHV program manager, Jeff Applegate, on the Grindstone RD  for his excellent feedback on the progress of the fire.

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North Wind Puts Little Stony Campground in Danger - July 11 - Noon Update

Photo above: Fire Heading Towards Little Stony Campground

Photo below: BRC's Brian Hawthorne at Little Stony on a CA Trip

a few years ago

Due to a recent shift in the winds at about 11:15 am today, the smoke and fire is now being driven south by north winds and is heading for Little Stony OHV Camp/Staging Area.   Stay tuned as HQ believes this situation has grown worse in the last hour or so.     

HQ thanks its team of local reporters and residents who are helping us keep off-road fans of the Stonyford area informed on this critical situation.

Will bring updates as they come in.  Please leave a note if you think these updates are of value.

Stonyford Fire Update - July 11 @ 8am

Recent Photo Taken from OHV Trail Intersection of Fire Advancing Towards

Sullivan Ridge

Jeff Applegate tells HQ there are no big changes overnight.   It looks like they are going to use Crackerbox as a fire line since it sounds like Gilmore has burned over on top.  Fire is still advancing toward Goat Mt. and Little Stony Canyon.  It has apparently slopped over M5 in several spots and is moving south.  Big and Little Sullivan ridges and everything to the south is threatened.    Also, Cal Fire has been using a DC-10 on the Sites Fire burning West of Maxwell towards Stonyford.   FS says the plane is not practical to use on the Mill Fire.  Little use of air tankers due to smoke.  Mostly helicopters around the perimeter to aid hand crews and dozers.  A type 2 fire team has taken over management of the fire as of yesterday. 

Again, HQ believes this is a huge blow to the recreation community as this unit is a premier destination OHV area that sees visitors from throughout the U.S and Canada and is an important element in the state-wide OHV recreation matrix.

PS - Phil Ray's Ranch survived so far.

Stonyford 9am July 10 Fire Update - Big Impacts to OHV

Photo (July 10 at 7 am) above: Looking South from main road at Fouts Springs Camp Area

Photo July 10 at 7am) below: SST at Nail Track

After talking with HQ’s Jeff Applegate this morning, it appears we have some better information regarding the extent of impact to the District's OHV program.  The public briefing last night was pretty good, but it was short on details. Today, it looks like the destruction is more widespread including the loss of Old Mill Campground and some damages to  Nail Track.  OHV routes that sustained impacts from the fire so far includes:  20, 22, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43 & 48.  It appears there will be even more damage as the plan is to maybe use Big Sullivan and Crackerbox as a fire line. The good news is the fire activity is low so far this morning. 

HQ is glad to report that the Taz Harvey Ranch survived so far.  We have not heard about Phil Ray’s Ranch but we expect it did OK too.  According to Taz, the Stonyford Rodeo Grounds (staging area for the Sheet Iron 300 Dual Sport Ride) is full of firefighters and equipment.  They are prepared to finish this fire off and do mop up operations over the next week or two.

This is a huge blow to the recreation community as this unit is a premier destination OHV area that sees visitors from throughout the U.S and Canada and is an important element in the state-wide OHV recreation matrix.

PS - Just got a note from Andrew Fulks at the Goat Mountain Ranch and the fire is now marching towards his property and is 3.5 miles away.

Will have an update later today as info comes in.