Gnat Flat Road 3330??

[wall of wood camp]

Just checking to see if anybody has been on the gnat flat road from the taneum road down at the pavement just past icicle campground up to the top where it turns off to tamarack springs?  I was on it about three weeks ago drove down from the top it was supposedly closed but there were no signs of it being closed until I hit the bottom and the barricades with the gate attached appeared to be pulled completely off the road and there were campers trailers wall tents you name it everything up the hill.  looking to be going back up there for another camping/scouting trip but didn't want to drag the trailer up their to find the road closed back up.  there is no reason for it to be closed if it is.

[bobcat]

This might help:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoYAOUjMeXDfODy-HWHg-zDrx8kb4ADOBro-3nk56bqF-RGGGSZOCoCAPi8eX8!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=TOPNAVIGATION&cid=stelprdb5308177&navid=120000000000000&pnavid=&ss=110617&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Okanogan-Wenatchee%20National%20Forest%20-%20Cle%20Elum%20Ranger%20District

[Griz231]

I spent 15 days up there for archery. It's open as far as I'm concerned.

[wall of wood camp]

Thanks Griz I'll go with that.   Bobcat the link works but is not very helpful because it has said the same thing for over a month now and it doesn't seem to be too accurate thanks for the help though.

[runamuk]

I was told it was still closed when I was out there last weekend, saw a fair amount of ranger activity too so....

[bobcat]

Sounds like it's officially closed, but UNOFFICIALLY open.   

[runamuk]

Sounds like it's officially closed, but UNOFFICIALLY open.   

I think if you park and walk in you are safe I may try and drive out further today or not had a spot I was gonna go check out but the ranger told me the roads to gnat flat and gooseberry were closed but the road to south fork meadow was open.... the original closure was at the taneum campground (which is closed due to a sort of missing entrance road  its now a creek bed ) but they said they got it open a few weeks ago.....and since manastash has road closures you cant find maps of the taneum  thankfully nice people made me a copy

[dblungshot]

Camps all over Gnat's Flats and lots of activity over archery season.  People were even camping up Manastash Rd? I took the extra time and legally accessed this area, but seeing all the vehicles and activity shows me no enforcement was taking place.  I asked multiple campers and no one said any ranger stopped or was seen. 

I don't know what to think or what is going to take place during ML.  Frusterating that Ranger website roads are closed but no enforcement...It's a lot of work to be legal but I now question it.  This was a weird situation.

Good luck

[bigtex]

Camps all over Gnat's Flats and lots of activity over archery season.  People were even camping up Manastash Rd? I took the extra time and legally accessed this area, but seeing all the vehicles and activity shows me no enforcement was taking place.  I asked multiple campers and no one said any ranger stopped or was seen. 

I don't know what to think or what is going to take place during ML.  Frusterating that Ranger website roads are closed but no enforcement...It's a lot of work to be legal but I now question it.  This was a weird situation.

The issue is $. How are WDFW, USFS and Kittitas County SO suppose to enforce all the laws in the woods when they are all so short staffed it's pathetic. Just because there isn't an officer there stopping people doesn't mean its alright to violate the law. There is also no such thing as Rangers with the USFS that patrol/enforce laws. USFS Rangers are the people selling maps at the Ranger District.

There is one USFS LEO to cover the Cle Elum District. One Kittitas County Deputy that works USFS lands full time from about May - November in the Cle Elum District. Outside of that some seasonal USFS employees have the authority to write petty offense tickets, but guess what, the summer season is over and their job is done. WDFW has to patrol the whole county. In comparison, about 20 years ago there were 4 Deputies that patrolled USFS lands during the busy season.

[fishingnut71]

dblungshot. how do you legally access a CLOSED area legally? Closed means closed! Unless you work for the state and are on the clock huntin. Authorized vehichles only.

[dscubame]

Is it a closed area?  One access road may be closed with other access roads to the same "area" open.  Happens all the time and nothing wrong with it.

[runamuk]

dblungshot. how do you legally access a CLOSED area legally? Closed means closed! Unless you work for the state and are on the clock huntin. Authorized vehichles only.

you can walk in its closed to motorized vehicles...so you can legally park and walk  seems simple to me

[TheHunt]

It might be open for handycap hunters.

[Recurve-Elk]

I talked to a wildlife officer while up early archery hunting.  He said someone illegally pulled the barricades on the 3330.  So it is still closed, but people are just using it.

[Griz231]

There is one wash out up there on 3120 and it's BS that they close the main road going in.   I understand closing the road that is washed out but come on man!
The area isn't closed, u can access from Joe Watt canyon. That is what the cle Elm ranger told me before the archery season.
It's all political BS anyway.

[bigmak154]

I was up there last weekend and its good to go, the road is closed farther down the tanuem but the road to gnat flat is fine.

[DuckDr.Duke]

Its open as far as I am concerned I went up thru gnat flat, tamarack springs and to the top of Quartz on Sept. 10. You will have to turn down the old coal bunker rd thru buck meadows to go anywhere else. I looked at the wash out areas and there are none. They set some Jersey barriers of to block a small  5 to 8" wide hole X width of the road just past tamarack springs, I can't believe they did this.

Griz231 is right political BS and stupid managers in the foreset service who are yuppies. I don't know why the forest service doesn't just ask some hunters and campers to help out with the roads and donate some time and money to fix it when really its not that big of a deal. The road is no worse than before, it is BS they closed them (taneum side).

My hunting buddy lives in ellensburg, he said he went to the meeting over their on the taneum rd condition in Aug. The manager for the forest service was their pleading her case of why its shut down. I guess the locals just chewed her butt apart. She said that if a Honda civic cannot go up the rd then they shut it down, total BS. Time for some new managers in the forest service.

The south side coming thru buck meadows is shut down.

[runamuk]

This could save the economy.....I have a brilliant notion... stop maintaining all roads....before you get uppity hear me out....everyone will drive on as is which means a sudden insurgence of need for american made trucks and suv's which also slurp up gas....and it would cut the government budget not having to fix any of the roads...and it would reduce speeding 

[DuckDr.Duke]

Or maybe the forest service should pave it and put in a gas station or I should be politically correct with the electric charging system to fuel/power up the Toyota prius, so I  can go elk/grouse/deer hunting in buck meadows 

[Griz231]

Its open as far as I am concerned I went up thru gnat flat, tamarack springs and to the top of Quartz on Sept. 10. You will have to turn down the old coal bunker rd thru buck meadows to go anywhere else. I looked at the wash out areas and there are none. They set some Jersey barriers of to block a small  5 to 8" wide hole X width of the road just past tamarack springs, I can't believe they did this.

Griz231 is right political BS and stupid managers in the foreset service who are yuppies. I don't know why the forest service doesn't just ask some hunters and campers to help out with the roads and donate some time and money to fix it when really its not that big of a deal. The road is no worse than before, it is BS they closed them (taneum side).

My hunting buddy lives in ellensburg, he said he went to the meeting over their on the taneum rd condition in Aug. The manager for the forest service was their pleading her case of why its shut down. I guess the locals just chewed her butt apart. She said that if a Honda civic cannot go up the rd then they shut it down, total BS. Time for some new managers in the forest service.

The south side coming thru buck meadows is shut down.

There was a guy in the camp down from us by Frost mtn with a honda civic. lowered, loud can pipe and all.  one of our huntin buddies brought the family subaru too.
I would say the road was just fine.  Nice try!!

[runamuk]

I talked to a wildlife officer while up early archery hunting.  He said someone illegally pulled the barricades on the 3330.  So it is still closed, but people are just using it.

that was my take....there are a number of roads around here marked closed that people say arent.....I wont take a chance on being wrong....I dont have money to pay for tickets... and maybe everyone else wont get one but I guarantee I will  I figure I must of done something absolutely wretched in a past life because in this life all I have to do is start to think about breaking a rule and I will see an enforcement officer or cop....

[canyelk48]

Its open as far as I am concerned I went up thru gnat flat, tamarack springs and to the top of Quartz on Sept. 10. You will have to turn down the old coal bunker rd thru buck meadows to go anywhere else. I looked at the wash out areas and there are none. They set some Jersey barriers of to block a small  5 to 8" wide hole X width of the road just past tamarack springs, I can't believe they did this.

Griz231 is right political BS and stupid managers in the foreset service who are yuppies. I don't know why the forest service doesn't just ask some hunters and campers to help out with the roads and donate some time and money to fix it when really its not that big of a deal. The road is no worse than before, it is BS they closed them (taneum side).

My hunting buddy lives in ellensburg, he said he went to the meeting over their on the taneum rd condition in Aug. The manager for the forest service was their pleading her case of why its shut down. I guess the locals just chewed her butt apart. She said that if a Honda civic cannot go up the rd then they shut it down, total BS. Time for some new managers in the forest service.

The south side coming thru buck meadows is shut down.

There was a guy in the camp down from us by Frost mtn with a honda civic. lowered, loud can pipe and all.  one of our huntin buddies brought the family subaru too.
I would say the road was just fine.  Nice try!!

Yeah, same BS story about why Manastash Road was closed.  We went the long way around (Barbers Spring) for archery elk only to find that someone tore down the gate at the Manastash Sno Park several days later.  College kids were driving up to camp and hike the Manastash and Lost Lake areas in their Hondas, Subarus and other low clearance sedans without issues.  It's all a political ploy to keep the roads closed and make it a wilderness area!

[DuckDr.Duke]

What I also heard was the big wolf push from the Federal Gov't gives them an excuse to keep it closed.

[crazyantler]

I figure he who has the biggest bumper can push anything out of the way.  I hate politics and try really hard to abide by the rules but I tend to agree with many others who have special tags and are being kept out of good hunting areas only for the agency's to push some political agenda at our expense.  If you can access the area via an open road then the area should be open.

[wall of wood camp]

The forest circus decided it wasn't worth the fight and decided to post on their website today that the 3330 road is now open along with some other roads in the area but the 3100 will remain closed even though someone had the bigger bumper and blew through the gate at the manastash snow park a few weeks ago.

[mtndew]

The forest circus decided it wasn't worth the fight and decided to post on their website today that the 3330 road is now open along with some other roads in the area but the 3100 will remain closed even though someone had the bigger bumper and blew through the gate at the manastash snow park a few weeks ago.
[/quote]

What website is saying that the 3330 is open? Just looked at the Cle Elm ranger district website, and it hasn't changed.??

The following Forest Service Roads are closed to motorized use due to flood damage.  It is unlikely that these roads will open to public travel in 2011.
Road No. 3100 Manastash is closed from the Sno-Park to Barber Springs Road, at Buck Meadows (you cannot cross Manastash Creek on the 3100), and from the junction with 3120 to the end at Quartz Mountain.
Road No. 3330 Gnat Flat will remain closed at the junction with to Goosebery Flat.
Road No. 3350 Peoh Point is closed from mile post 1.6 to the junction with Road No. 3350-119
Road 3120 is closed at a point between the junction with 3120 109 and 3100 near the Hoyt Mine Trail crossing
3111 115 Walter Springs will remain closed.
Access to the area south of Taneum Creek and north of Manastash Creek is via the LT Murray State Wildlife Area using Joe Watt Canyon and connecting roads

[DuckDr.Duke]

mtndew-
No new website info from what I know. But some hunters during the labor day weekend decided enough was enough and moved the barricade at the taneum junction at the bottom before heading up to the top of gooseberry and tamarack springs. I also talked to a guy that I know was archery hunting around Frost and he said some hunters took the initiative to fix the rough spots in the road. Yeah rough spots, that's it. There is barricade right after you go thru the tamarack springs and I cant believe the forest service even put the road block their in the first place, its a small trench that could be filled in with about 2 yds of gravel. They (forest circus) likely spent more time and money blocking the road then even trying to fix them. The main complaint is the fact they have no money for an emergency road (fix). What the heck happen to all the stimulus money that Obama dulled out? All they really need to do on the taneum is get a grader in their. But the south going out thru buck meadows will be a challenge, it likely will need a whole new rd in areas. Time for some new forest managers who know what they are doing.

[Griz231]

mtndew-
No new website info from what I know. But some hunters during the labor day weekend decided enough was enough and moved the barricade at the taneum junction at the bottom before heading up to the top of gooseberry and tamarack springs. I also talked to a guy that I know was archery hunting around Frost and he said some hunters took the initiative to fix the rough spots in the road. Yeah rough spots, that's it. There is barricade right after you go thru the tamarack springs and I cant believe the forest service even put the road block their in the first place, its a small trench that could be filled in with about 2 yds of gravel. They (forest circus) likely spent more time and money blocking the road then even trying to fix them. The main complaint is the fact they have no money for an emergency road (fix). What the heck happen to all the stimulus money that Obama dulled out? All they really need to do on the taneum is get a grader in their. But the south going out thru buck meadows will be a challenge, it likely will need a whole new rd in areas. Time for some new forest managers who know what they are doing.

The blocks by taneum campground were open two weeks before archery. We went in Joe watt and came out that way before we even knew there was a closure. Could nt see the road closed sign when we went out.  Like you said putting the barricades in costs money, which they could have put towards fixing instead.
Also isn't there a gravel pit on the 3120 right before the washout by Hoyt trail. Pretty sure I saw one.

[WapitiChaser]

 :yeah:My rant is the same.  3100 road IS open.  Saw a class A RV come down today.  3111-115 to access from 31 to North side of Manashtash is open (says washed out) but is in POOR condition.  3330 is in great shape and jersy barriers have been removed at taenum.

I agree with everyone else that volunteered their  .  This is BS.  They took the time to load a flat bed with jersy barriers, truck in a back hoe on another flatbed to place them, when they could have run one dumptruck with a loader and fixed ALL of this in one day.

I suspect its to beg a bigger budget of for fed funds.  Either way, we all pay big dough for passes, tags, taxes ect. for this to be left  and the area closed off.   Dam tree huggin, granola chomping, Kumbaya singing paper pushers

[bassquatch]

Here is a helpful link including photo's....

http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/notices...s-closures.pdf

[bassquatch]

Try this link, I don't know why it's not working?? 

http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/notices/20110803-tan-man-fs-closures.pdf

[DuckDr.Duke]

Try this link, I don't know why it's not working?? 

http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/notices/20110803-tan-man-fs-closures.pdf

Yeah that link/report was out a while ago. You have to just drive over and look. Once you see what was barricaded you will scratch your head. The south side coming thru buck meadows is pretty bad though.

[D-Rock425]

My dad and I were camp right at the gate off the taneum creek rd for the entire archery season and not once was the gate closed.   There where dozens of vehicles driving in and out everyday.

[bassquatch]

Sorry, didn't know that link was already posted... I plan on just heading over for the opener to see for myself the carnage and chaos! This State, make something make sense when it comes to hunting? Riiiight.  Priority No. 1 for the USFS & WDFW: Protect the wine sipping mountain bikers!

[DuckDr.Duke]

Sorry, didn't know that link was already posted... I plan on just heading over for the opener to see for myself the carnage and chaos! This State, make something make sense when it comes to hunting? Riiiight.  Priority No. 1 for the USFS & WDFW: Protect the wine sipping mountain bikers!

Yeah your right on the mnt bikers, they even got the USFS to flatten the jeep trails, because the poor mtn. bikers said they were to rough