500 acre fire (Bar Fire) in the Feather River Canyon about 4 miles east of the PCT/Belden area. The west flank which is east of the PCT is tied in with handline and we are doing some burnout operations which is generating smoke. No evacs or threats to PCT. Heading north up from Belden the PCT will head north then west away from the fire. We expect containment by Thur. 8/5.

There is a bit of snow for about 4 miles or so 30 miles north of Burney Falls State Park where the elevation reaches above 6000 feet above Moosehead Springs.
The rest of the section is smooth sailing. Happy trails.

Snow (continuous) about 6200 feet northfacing slopes, about 7200 feet southfacing in both section M and N, but hot weather and all is melting fast. Makes trail and route finding very time consuming. Sign posts are still buried in 5 or so feet of snow so we've had to just follow the terrain. The extreme low snow levels reported earlier this month (3000 ft.) seem to have melted off. The many trees blown down in section O as reported by several other folks are just as bad in sections M and N. There was some winter storm with 80 MPH winds that 'topped' trees and sent whole trees down clogging the trail. Not just old, dead trees but live firs and pines that still have green needles on them. We've been calling it a steeple chase, going under, over, above and below trees so often.

"...there are maybe a hundred or more trees down on the PCT south of Castella. It starts about six miles south of I-5 and runs at least to Ash Camp. The trail is also damaged in many places where large trees fell over leaving big holes. Looks like heavy snow fall caused the damage."
[that would be PCT mile ~1476 (Ash Camp) to PCT mile ~1501 ("about 6 miles south of I-5")]

Hiked Old Station to Burney Falls on May 14-16, 2010. Blow down minimal. Approx. 10-12 easy to avoid trees and one difficult (1 mile south of Cassel Rd.)
Grass covers much of the trail and navigation required attention. Water cache at Rd. 22 - 13 gallons, mostly full. No snow, no water on rim.
Fire damage dis-heartening but no ill effects on trail.

Fourteen miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the southern border of the Lassen National Forest to the Three Lakes Trail, the Chambers Creek Trail (4.2 miles), and the Indian Springs Trail (6 miles) have been restored to allow hikers safe access through these areas. Signage for the trails has been replaced to make the trails user-friendly as well as encourage their use by both experienced and beginning hikers.

The PCT is now open in Lassen National Park. Fires have been contained and there is no threat to PCT users.

Lassen National Forest staff have reevaluated the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) closure area on the Hat Creek Ranger District. Starting at Forest Road 32N12, near Twin Bridges, the PCT is now opened for hikers through the Forest. Hat Creek Recreation Area campgrounds and day use areas are all open for the public’s enjoyment.
Hikers are advised to stay on the trail through the burned area, as small fires continue burning inside the fire perimeter.
Residents and Forest visitors are reminded that hazards will continue to exist in the fire areas. Trees weakened by the fire may fall without warning at any time. Stump holes burning out and hidden by ash also pose a potential hazard. Boulders loosen daily and roll out. Firefighters continue to remove hazards and mop-up areas within the fire perimeter. Travelers are advised to be vigilant as other emergency workers are working along the highway replacing phone and electrical equipment.
Before traveling, check the website for maps provided in the Forest Orders before entering any national forest. Many forests throughout California have on-going fires. Increased trip planning is necessary, as fires will continue until fall rains.
Contact Hat Creek Ranger District Office at 530-336-5521 or the Lassen National Forest Office at 530-257-2151 for additional forest order information or visit the Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen.

Currentely Lassen National Park has a management fire burning that affects the PCT in the park. The Park has a temporary reroute for through traffic and the reroute directions are posted on the critical intersections. This event is expected to be short lived and the PCT reopened soon.

Lassen NF Temporarily Closes a Portion of the Pacific Crest Trail Due to Fire Danger Susanville, CA….The Lassen National Forest is closing a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through an area that leads into the Hat Creek Fire Complex southeast of Burney along Highways 89 and 44. “We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to gain control of a several large, active fires on the forest” said acting Forest Supervisor Christopher O’Brien. “This temporary closure is to protect public and increase firefighter safety during the ongoing fire suppression operations.” The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed north starting from Forest Road 32N12 just off Hwy 44/89 near the Vista Point and Twin Bridges Campground. It reopens again near Baum Lake and Cassel Road just north of the community of Cassel, approximately 2 miles east of the junction of Highway 299 and Highway 89 (a.k.a. Four Corners). Please be advised there is another wildfire under Cal-Fire jurisdiction at the northern end of this PCT closure area. For current fire information on the Cassel Fire call 530-225-2510. For more forest closure order information see the Lassen website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen for the Pacific Crest Trail and Surrounding Area Closure Order No. 06-09-03, Hat Creek Complex Information line at 530-336-1026 or contact Patrol Captain Mike Zunino at 530-252-6400. Campground Closures Hat Creek Recreational Area Campgrounds and Day Use Areas remain closed due to fire activity until damage assessments can be completed. Currently closed are: Hat Creek, Cave, Big Pine, Rocky, Bridge and Honn Campgrounds. Day Use Areas include; Old Station Picnic Area, Bridge Day Use, Subway Cave, Spattercone Trail and Hat Creek Rim Overlook.
Traveling State Highways Motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution in areas with active fires, due to the fact there are still many fire crews working in the area. Additionally, along Highway 89 and 44, motorists should expect to see minor spot fires adjacent to the roadway and may encounter areas of smoke. Motorists are advised to remain in their vehicles when traveling mountain highways during dangerous fire activity. Wait times can vary, please be prepared to stay in your car. Fire conditions can change rapidly, roadway evacuations will take longer if people and pets are outside their vehicles. During intermittent highway closures traffic is being piloted through areas with on-going fires; watch for rock and logs that are being loosened and falling onto the roadway. Call Cal-Trans Highway Information at 1-800-427-7623 for current road information. California Highway Patrol (CHP) requests hazardous conditions be reported at 530-242-3210. -LNF-

Hat Creek Complex Fire Update
Pacific Crest Trail is currently closed in the Old Station area. Hikers are encouraged to hitch around trail from Chester to Burney Falls or Castle Crags SP. Both Highway 89 and 44 are closed making it difficult for hitching, should hikers make it to Old Station via the trail. Unfortunately no reroute is available.
For more information on the fire visit Lassen National Forest site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen/

Although trail is not officially closed at posting, PCTA suggests leaving the trail at Highway 36 in Chester, entering trail once again at either Burney Falls or Castle Crags State Park. Northern California Interagency Incident Management (NorCal) Team II assumed command of the Hat Creek Complex to manage the three fires for the Lassen National Forest. The Sugarloaf Fire is burning near the Old Station community where approximately 100 structures are threatened. Fire managers expect that the fire will be 100% contained on Monday, August 17. Objectives for fire managers are to keep the fire within existing fire containment lines while minimizing fire suppression impacts to riparian and cinder cone areas. Old Station Campground and Visitor's Center Closed

I passed through Old Station yesterday afternoon the Sugarloaf fire within the Hat Creek Complex). The Heitmans were not required to evacuate as of 6:00 pm last night (Monday 8/3), but the more eastern part of Old Station was evacuated. There is a lot of smoke in the area. Highway 89 north from Highway 44 was closed. The PCT remains open as of last night but there are a lot of fires in the area resulting in large amounts of smoke and very low visibility. Land phone lines and internet are out in the area due to the fire. Cell phones only work from the top of Hat Creek Rim off Highway 44 which is northeast of Old Station. I suggest checking the Inciweb site via postholer.com for the current status of the Hat Creek Complex fire if possible before hiking through the area. Rockstar

South of Highway 36. Downed tree blocking the trail below Soldiers Creek intersection with the trail

Hiked Sierra City to Chester May 29 through June 4.
Fire Report - Trail open throughout. Last year's fires affected the PCT from first saddle after Humboldt Road (1316) to lowest saddle (1319.3). The fire crossed the PCT for only about a total of a half (1/2) mile. For about another mile and a half (1 1/2) , the fire reached the PCT. The fire here was mostly a ground fire. Because the PCT is for the most part on the crest in this section, it is and was used as an effective fire break. The trail is in immaculate condition through the affected area and is actually quite scenic. Hats off to the fire crews who put this fire out and preserved the PCT.
Snow Report - Patchy snow above 6800 feet especially in the areas of Frog mtn (1303.7) and Butt mtn (1325.3). Navigation not difficult. Snow melting fast. Night time temps in the mid 40s.
Trail Report - Trail in great condition up to first crossing of Chips Creek (1298). Zero blowdowns. Recent trail mtnce is obvious. Thank you. From there on many blowdows require leaving the trail to get around. Section through fire affected area immaculate. More blowdowns after that. Motorcycle and mtn bike activity from Milkhouse (1306.9) all the way to Highway 36 (1335.8). Trail damage at curves, obstacles and blow downs as the vehicles avoid and leave the trail to go around. No signage at upper road crossings saying this activity is illegal.
Trail is obscure through the meadow at far West end of Chips canyon. Follow cairns to head wall and pick up the trail as it curves to the east. Both crossings of Chips Creek almost knee high and the water is moving. Lots of seasonal sources available throughout. No on-trail sources from Cold Spring (1308.6) to Soldier Creek (1332.1).
Climb out from Belden has some poison oak and it is tick season.

Back Country Horseman logged trail from Belden to lower crossing of chips creek May 28 thru June 1.Trail was a mess and totally closed to stock travel, but is open from hwy 70 to about a mile above Myrtle Flat.
We will be working on the northbound portion to hwy 36 during the month of July 09

As of today, June 1, 2009 the trail is open
A section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) near the town of Belden and north to the Plumas and Lassen National Forests boundary has been re-opened. The PCT sustained some fire damage due to the Canyon Complex fires which swept through the area in June, 2008. For local trail conditions, contact the Mt. Hough Ranger District, (530) 283-0555, or visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/plumas,

The PCT is closed from Belden, Hwy 70 crossing, north for approximately 5 miles to the Plumas--Lassen National Forest boundaries due to last year's fires, extensive blow down and poor trail conditions. Anticipated opening by mid to late June.