FS ROAD 9 CURRENT STATUS

Post by **Glenrider** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:05 pm

Based on conversation with the USFS Friday, June 3rd, 2005.

http://redriversaga.topcities.com/recon.html

Update and pics will be posted in a couple of weeks.

Post by **pawilkes** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 8:19 pm

thanks for the info but whats the point of the website? i don't mean that offensively, just wondering what its goal is.

Post by **Glenrider** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:41 am

The primary point is described on the RRS homepage. The secondary point is to provide useful information to anyone who wishes it. Not to worry, no offense taken. For 30 years our organization has been involved with the Gorge.

Post by **Ascentionist** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:36 am

I think its best for the road to stay closed. You can still hike or bike out there and the area (and too many others) could use the recovery time.

Plus now there are no yay-hoos out there when you want to go climbing.

Post by **meetVA** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:48 pm

I'm going to disagree on "it being best to keep the road closed".

Maybe I'm the yahoo you are talking about (too true!!) but I can't wait to get back out to Indian Creek or Purple Valley and I think that the only way I'll be able to make a weekend out of it is to bike with camping gear.

Post by **Jerry Bargo** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:28 pm

> the only way I'll be able to make a weekend out of it is to
> bike with camping gear

Which, I can tell you, is an awesome way to go! I've done two such trips in the Indian Creek area over the past couple of months. It is quiet and beautiful. I would never feel safe riding a bike back that road if it were open to public motor vehicles.

I too would love to see the road remain permanently closed. The campsites have all received so much abuse over the past 18 years. Let the car camping partiers trash private campgrounds and keep them out of the forest. Those who have to put in a little extra effort to have the backcountry experience are much more likely to treat the place with respect.

Of course the horseback riders are already beginning to heavily use the area, which in some cases can be nearly as bad. (Any trail used by horses becomes un-usable for foot travel.) But there really aren't any hiking trails and I can't imagine the climbers' trails would be of interest to the horseback riders.

Post by **pawilkes** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:54 pm

how far of a ride is it to get back there?

Post by **CincySam** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 6:20 pm

So I was glancing at a map of the FS 9 area the other day, and I'm curious - do you all think there's any possbility of getting to Indian Creek, PV and all the rest of those crags from the north? It looks like there are roads that come down into that area from the north, though I'm betting that they are on top of the cliffs. Maybe a trail or scramble down from a road could land you at Dip Wall?

Just a thought. I hiked out to Pistol Ridge the other day, and it wasn't bad anyway.

s.

Post by **Artsay** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 6:27 pm

Ray rode his bike back in there for guidebook stuff and I swear he said something about seeing an old couple back there. I remember he was wondering how in the world they got all the way out there.

So yea, maybe there is another way in there. If you find out, let me know!

Post by **Wes** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 6:30 pm

You should be able to (in theory) park off of 77 somewhere and walk to the top of Indian Creek and maybe purple valley. The problem is that there is a lot of private land around there. You can see the CCC complex from Muscle beach, and that is off of 77.