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.
6/03/2022 - The 30-mile highway is open to through traffic.
5/26/2022 - The road crew punched through the last section of unplowed highway near Kings Creek yesterday. We will focus on cleaning up the shoulders today to improve conditions for hiking and biking. Next week we will continue to clean up the shoulder, install road signs, and complete other preparations for opening to vehicles, when conditions allow.
5/16/2022 - Park road crew is working on Juniper Lake Road this week to allow access for Dixie Fire repair. Butte Lake Road is open to vehicle access; the campground is scheduled to open 6/3. Caltrans is continuing to assist from the north and is nearing Summit Lake. Park staff are preparing the 10-mile section between Loomis Plaza and Devastated Area for opening to vehicles soon. Hikers and bikers can continue to use the cleared sections of the highway including 6 miles between Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Lassen Peak parking area. Watch for fallen rocks, icy corners, and snow-covered shoulders.
5/9/2022 - An ongoing storm brought approximately 9 inches of new snow to the Lassen Peak area on Sunday. We cleared the new snow from the 7-mile section between the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Lassen Peak today and will likely need to do so again tomorrow. Clear skies beginning Wednesday should make for excellent conditions to Hike and Bike cleared sections of the highway before they open to vehicles.
5/6/2022 - We ended the week at the Lassen Peak parking area, which is halfway cleared of snow. It snowed and rained most of the week and more snow is forecasted for the weekend. A vendor will be at the park next week to assist with repairs on the second blower. Once repaired, we'll use the second rotary blower to continue clearing from Devastated Area as well.
5/01/2022 - Highway cleared of snow between Southwest Entrance and Lake Helen and open to non-motorized traffic only. Vehicle access from Southwest Entrance is limited to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area.
4/30/2022 - Highway cleared of snow between Southwest Entrance and Emerald Lake and open to pedestrian traffic only. Vehicle access from Southwest entrance limited to Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area.
4/7/2022 - We're ending the week at Emerald side hill (above Little Hot Springs Valley). We're hoping to have our snow blower for the south side back together Monday morning; CalTrans assisted us in the Southwest Area this week. We're also expecting the parts for the second rotary blower next week so we can continue clearing from the north side. CalTrans cleared up to Lost Creek Group Campground.
3/31/2022 - The one-mile section between the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Sulphur Works is open to vehicles. This section may close temporarily in inclement weather. Road clearing is complete to Butte Lake and Warner Valley areas. Butte Lake Road remains closed to vehicles until the road dries out. The entire Warner Valley Area remains closed to all use for Dixie Fire rehabilitation and repair. Clearing work on Juniper Lake Road is on hold until staff are able to make repairs to the road such as replacing damaged culverts. Road crew will begin clearing in the Southwest Area again today.
3/25/2022 - Crews completed clearing to and through the Sulphur Works parking area. Staff were also able to clear all the way to Drakesbad due to shallow snow depths and also cleared just inside the gate to Juniper Lake Area. Another crew completed the initial pass to Butte Lake Campground. Parts for the second rotary blower at Manzanita Lake are expected to by the end of next week. Park crews will be able to work with CalTrans to continue clearing toward Devastated Area from the Manzanita Lake Area once the second blower is functioning again.
3/22/2022 - Caltrans cleared approximately 1-1/2 miles from Loomis Plaza in the Manzanita Lake Area. Manzanita Lake Campground Road has a single lane cleared through all campground loops and to the Day Use Area. The park road crew is continue to repair the blower to join Caltrans in the Manzanita Lake Area. Crew members are completing minor repairs to a second blower in order to clean up the shoulder and parking area to and at Sulphur Works in the Southwest Area.
3/16/2022 - The road crew cleared snow between the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Sulphur Works today. Snow depth is four feet or less in most areas, allowing us to reach pavement on our initial sweep.
3/15/2022 - Road clearing is on hold in the Manzanita Lake Area due to mechanical issues with one of two park snow blowers. Roads staff have been bulldozing snow off the Butte Lake dirt road and ended approximately 1/2 mile from the park boundary today. This dirt road usually takes at least a couple of weeks to melt completely and dry out prior to opening to traffic.
Change in Clearing Order
This year, the road crew completed clearing between the Southwest Entrance and Sulphur Works and then cleared Warner Valley Road and then Juniper Lake Road. Although usually cleared last, these two remote roads were cleared early this year to allow access for Dixie Fire repair and rehabilitation efforts.
