RDannemann Wrote:
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> Google 'Gunnison National Forest' and call the
> Gunnison Ranger Office.
> The road is very walkable and the tunnel is not
> far from where the road
> was closed.
>
> So much Forest Service money is now diverted to
> fire costs nationwide
> and endless budget cuts by congress the past 20
> years give the Forest
> Service less money for maintenance and repair
> every year.
True, the tunnel is not very far from where the road was closed— I don’t know the exact mileage. But I doubt the forest service wants people driving to the closed spot, and then parking and turning around on a ledge, which is what the grade is at that point. More likely, they will expect you to park and walk from far below— say in the area of Sherrod Loop. This will make for a very pleasant hike but will be considerably longer.
Another problem as I see it is that with the road closed, the restoration work that was taking place outside the west portal will likely come to a halt due to accessibility issues. That would be a shame for sure.
Bill M.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2019 02:29PM by Bill M..