Road Clearing Operator Log
Log updates are posted when reports are received from road crew members during active road clearing operations. The latest update may not reflect the current status. The road crew works Monday through Thursday, 10 hours per day.
6/2/2023 - Good progress has been made! The road is now cleared about 4 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to a place we call "Chicken Shack". Chicken Shack is just above the first hairpin switchback and used to be a place where fried chicken was served for lunch, no joke. The road reamins closed for vehicle access at the Visitor Center.
CalTrans has assisted with progress from the north, clearing to just below Summit Lake, roughly 3 miles from the Devastated Area. Clearing will not continue from here until snow melts a bit more. The road remains closed at Devastated Area.
5/30/2023 - The road has been cleared about 2.5 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to Diamond Point (1.5 miles beyond Sulphur Works). HWY 89 remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking lot from the Southwest.
Butte Lake Road is now open to vehicles for access to Butte Lake Day-use Area, Butte Lake Campground remains closed until 6/16/2023.
5/26/2023 - The road has been cleared about 2 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (1 mile beyond Sulphur Works). It remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking area. We will continue progress on Monday.
Manzanita Lake day-use and boat launch area open to vehicles.
5/18/2023 - The road has been cleared about .75 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. It remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking area. We will continue progress on Monday.
On a side note, clearing the Juniper Lake road is suspended due to washouts on the country section of the road. It will likely need to melt, rather than be cleared.
5/12/2023 - The road is now open to vehicle traffic from the northwest entrance to the Devastated Area. Several feet of snow is in the immediate Devastated Area.
5/11/2023 - We cleared the county portion of the Warner Valley Road from Chester to the park boundary (10 miles). The final three miles are still under snow. Equipment is staged at the southwest entrance at the Kohm yah-mah-nee Visitor Center ready to begin clearing Monday morning.
5/4/2023 - We finished clearing the bulk of the snow to the end of the Butte Lake Road. The road will need to dry out substantially before it opens to vehicles in order to preserve the gravel surface. Butte Lake area is no exception to the snow coverage there are up to 8 foot drifts in places! With more snow on the way, instead of proceeding from the southwest entrance, we will clear the Warner Valley Road starting Monday, May 8. This road needs to be accesible sooner than later for fire rehabilitation. Then hopefully, by the end of the week, we will begin on the southwest entrance where snow is still very deep at around 10 feet!
4/27/2023 - The road is cleared 10 miles beyond the Loomis Plaza to the Devastated Area parking lot. The road will open to here once restrooms are uncovered from surrounding snow. For now, the road remains closed to vehicles at the Loomis Plaza. Walkers and bicycles are permitted however. Road clearing will not continue from the Devastated Area.
Equipment is now staged at the southwest entrance with road clearing scheduled to begin there on Monday, May 8. As of this report, there is still 13 feet of snow on the road at the southwest entrance. With all of the winter snow pack and late-season storms, this is the latest date road clearing has ever begun from the southwest entrance! We have a long road ahead of us, literally and figuratively. 20 miles of road to go.
4/20/2023 - The road is cleared roughly 7.5 miles beyond Loomis Plaza towards Devastated Area. Vehicle access still remains at the Loomis Plaza. Walkers and bicycles are permitted on roads closed to vehicles. Road clearing will continue to the Devastated Area parking lot next week.
4/15/2023 - Manzanita Lake Campground and Park Road from Loomis Plaza to Lost Creek Group Campground Cleared of snow. No vehicle access beyond Loomis Plaza.
3/23/2023 - Road clearing equipment has been staged at Manzanita Lake. Clearing operations wil begin once conditions allow.
