Re: Palisade Repair Progress

A comment about driving the railroad grade up towards Alpine Tunnel:
In 2019, I attempted to hike in to Alpine, but got stopped by a large snow slide about a mile or two below Sherrod Loop. I successfully got into Sherrod Loop last summer (2021) and did the easy 3 mile hike to Alpine Tunnel to get photos for my then and now book project. . The biggest difference between 2019 and 2021 is the railroad grade has become much more rocky. In 2019, I was able to drive 10-15 mph for much of the route. In 2021, I was only able to drive 5-10 mph in my Tacoma 4x4. Why the difference? One factor I have noticed over the past few years is a great increase in large 4 wheel ATVs. I talked to a local who told me that the smaller tires of the ATV's tend to push out dirt between the rocks much easier than the larger tires of Jeeps & other 4X4s. I've seen the same problem occuring in Northern Arizona (but not yet in California). The grade to Sherrod Loop parking area is still driveable in a high ground clearance vehicle (4X4 not really needed), but will definitely take more time that it used to...