Well, as of 0700 this morning the gate at the north west entrance was still closed. I could not get an answer yesterday from calls out to the park, so I made the trek out there this morning at 0400. The roads looked to be pretty well covered with snow and there were a couple cars parked outside the gate with tents set up. I waited for the good light to come & go, and then headed back home. Not sure when they plan to re-open, as well as how long the snow will hold out.
I hear another storm is do mid-week again. I think I'll try another trip Sunday or Monday maybe.
Light was very good, very few clouds at all, no wind at that time, and 22 degrees. Overall excellent conditions.
Posted by Eric Good on December 19, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Paul sorry to hear you couldn't get in... I wish I could muster up the desire to go back, but my recent experience really left a sour taste in my mouth. After discussing my situation with a friend who is a park ranger (not at JTNP), I think I'm going to write a letter to the JT Park Superintendent and try to open up some kind of dialogue with them. I still can't believe they asked me to pack up from a relatively safe situation (IMO) and then spend hours (6.5 to be exact) driving home under those conditions. I sometimes wonder if my well being was even actually a concern... well probably just as long nothing happened under Park Services watch within the confines of the Park.
I had a guy in a two wheel drive truck do a one-eighty right in front of me nearly being t-boned by the other truck on my left while on the 62 from Twenty Nine Palms to Yucca Valley. I also hit heavy snowfall along the 10 freeway from Beaumont all the way to Redlands early that evening. Instead I could have been enjoying an experience of a lifetime... not to mention the extraordinary photo opportunities.
Sorry for the rant, and hope any of you who do make it up there in the near future bag some great photos and have a wonderful time.
Eric, I whole heartly agree with your well deserved rant. Overall, my beef is not with the individual rangers who have a tough job a lot of the times interfacing with less desirables. Sadly, I have seen that taking place more then once. However, my beef is more with the lack of communication to understand the status of the park closures. My phone bill will support that in the registered attemps trying to get a basic question answered; "are you open?".
Hence, my 2.5 hour drive to find out for myself they were not. Anyway, I'm not near as upset as you rightfully sound at this point. What you went through was very scary on the commute back home. I had clear sailing in both directions, so no pain there for me, thankfully.
I think I will try again Sunday morning in the hopes that the roads have de-iced enough they will allow entry. I will at least waste one more phone call on Saturday to see if anyone will finally answer up.
The sunrise out there this morning had photo op written all over it, which was even tougher to take for me.
Discussion
2 repliesI hear another storm is do mid-week again. I think I'll try another trip Sunday or Monday maybe.
Light was very good, very few clouds at all, no wind at that time, and 22 degrees. Overall excellent conditions.
I had a guy in a two wheel drive truck do a one-eighty right in front of me nearly being t-boned by the other truck on my left while on the 62 from Twenty Nine Palms to Yucca Valley. I also hit heavy snowfall along the 10 freeway from Beaumont all the way to Redlands early that evening. Instead I could have been enjoying an experience of a lifetime... not to mention the extraordinary photo opportunities.
Sorry for the rant, and hope any of you who do make it up there in the near future bag some great photos and have a wonderful time.
~Eric
Hence, my 2.5 hour drive to find out for myself they were not. Anyway, I'm not near as upset as you rightfully sound at this point. What you went through was very scary on the commute back home. I had clear sailing in both directions, so no pain there for me, thankfully.
I think I will try again Sunday morning in the hopes that the roads have de-iced enough they will allow entry. I will at least waste one more phone call on Saturday to see if anyone will finally answer up.
The sunrise out there this morning had photo op written all over it, which was even tougher to take for me.