SFNF Going to Stage II

Get your rides in this weekend, Santa Fe National Forest is going to Stage II restrictions on Monday June 18th.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe/news-events/?cid=STELPRDB5374495

Wow, I was off by two days. I think we will get some good rains this year.

Don't ask me why, just one of those feelings. Should be a great late summer and fall.

You riding tomorrow?

Nope. I will be headed out of town with the family.

Atomic, or anyone else, I've never been to a forest that had these fire restrictions at the time of my visit. How do they make notification or physically close the forest?...signs?...barricades?...black helicopters?

For us Stage 2 means we can't ride the single track trails, but all of the marked roads are open. I have always taken this to mean that any road I can find on any map is fair game. This might not be true, but I have never been caught and if I were challenged might be able to make a reasonable case and get by with a warning.

There are also a lot of camping restrictions.

Except for a few general signs there is no other information on the ground, ie. nobody puts barricades in front of the trailheads.

When they go to Stage 3 or whatever it is that closes the forest completely, they put up barriers on all of the roads.

BTW FR 289 is open and a couple of us road it last Monday to view the devastation from the Conchas fire last year. It was amazing that the fire station on FR 268? survived the fire, but nearly all the houses didn't. The fairly new fancy cabin at the bottom of the hill was untouched.

Thanks wb...I was always curious how they did that. Knowing the vast number of roads and access points, it seems an impossible task to actually close it or guarantee making everyone aware of it. I can see the camping being the biggest concern, of course.

Several years ago we rode a lot of the trails in the Cloudcroft area under Stage 2 restrictions. The trails were "marked" and thus open even the Rim Trail. We even checked with the ranger in Cloudcroft before riding.

wbbnm is correct. This coming Monday, only marked forest roads can be ridden. All the fun single track will be off limits.


Today Ditch and I took the opportunity to ride single track in North Jemez. Thanks Ditch for helping me pick up my bike on one hill of Teakettle trail that I could not do because of wet roots (yes, it sprinkled up there). We had fun...video too.

This was the Wherethefugisthetrail ride. I couldn't believe how overgrown it was in places and how much we had to circle around looking for it. A great ride and definitly a place to return to. Hopefully some rains will come along and keep it open.




Geo didn't have all the fun. I KO'd a tree and took out my left front turnsignal. Think the bars are a bit tweaked, but no biggie there. I gassed at the wrong time on a slick little log.

Is SFNF at stage II or III?

I'd heard they're shutting it down to all motorized travel beginning Friday. I tried calling the SF Forest Service office yesterday afternoon but no answer. I guess they left early to go drink some beer and shoot off fireworks. I'll try calling again tomorrow. If no answer I'll stop by there on way home. I'll post once I have an answer.

Have a good fourth and pray for rain!

QUOTE=AtomicXRer;19056249]Is SFNF at stage II or III? [/QUOTE]

Their website still shows State II as of Monday. I rode through Jemez on Hwy. 4 today and all gates are still open including FR 280, 286 and 289 (Dome Rd.).

Stop by next time...I live off of NM4.

Looks like stage II by what you said.

pics or you never left the driveway..........

My understanding of Stage II is marked forest roads, with exceptions for routes indicated on the MVUM. I take this to mean single track on the MVUM is OK. Single track not on the MVUM is even more forbidden than usual.

MVUM is the word.......

Been raining here last few days; good soaking each day. It's suppose to rain more all week. Can't imagine going to III at this point.

I don't think there is an MVUM yet for the Santa Fe Forest. They published their final EIS and a Record of Decision that will lead to an active MVUM no earlier than about Oct 20. If there are appeals as there surely will be, the MVUM will not take effect until all appeals are dealt with (which will probably be rejected out of hand).

The ROD states that not all trails and roads in the Alternative chosen will be on the first version of the MVUM until "issues are resolved".

Nearly all the trails we ride in the forest would be perfectly legal to ride were it not for the Stage II restrictions.

The rule in the forest now (before Travel Management) is that you can take motor vehicles anywhere you want as long as it is not in a special Motorized Travel Restricted Area or Wilderness Area. There aren't too many of these in the Jemez area of the SFNF.

A few of the trails do go thru private land and this is another issue.

Well, that sucks.

I know guys that sometimes ride the "secondary" trails in our area. I'm letting them know that they should stay off them while Class II restrictions are in place, as the penalties for violation are significantly higher.