Wheeler Gorge??

Anyone know if fires went through wheeler Gorge and if it's climbable or not? Was thinking of going there this weekend if open for access 

I would not count on it, especially with 10% containment.. From the map it looks like it has been burnt and I remember hearing at some point on a radio scanner that the fire reached Double Tunnels. I'm unsure how exact or reliable this information is.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=34.42192092216428%2C-119.28749084472656&hl=en&z=12&source=embed&ie=UTF8&mid=1TOEFA857tOVxtewW1DH6neG1Sm0

HARD ROAD CLOSURES: SR 33 NB from Maricopa Highway and Ojai Avenue to Matilija Canyon

http://Firemap.sdsc.edu

It is at the tunnels and doubt you’ll be able to drive there. The smoke is terrible. You don’t want to climb with a respirator. Smoke has kept me out of home all week. Likely that the haze will be around for awhile. Stay away from burn areas for awhile. 

Yeah dude, gimme some of what your smoking cause this stuff in the air ain't cutting it. Don't recommend going that way at all. I drove into ojai yesterday to get a load in my pickup truck from a coworkers house. If I wasn't wearing a respirator I wouldn't go up there at all right now. You may be able to access pine mountain via I-5 to the back side of 33. But if I were you I would just go stick it out wicth the crowds at Malibu creek or somewheee not on fire

Edit: the captain on my boat lives up there also. Cozy dell trailhead area is burnt up. With that said you're not going to make it far out of downtown ojai 

Edit Edit: or go out to Texas canyon or something. With the amount of driving you'd have to do just to climb at wheeler you might as well go somewhere else

Any update on the fire from the locals? Did it go through Wheeler Gorge? Can the campground be used or did the fire burn through it?

bump.  Anybody been out there and can update on conditions?

I’m about to take a drive out there right after breakfast. Was climbing at saddle peak the other day and whipped into a ledge. Since I won’t be climbing for a while I’ll do some recon and let you guys know. Expect an update this afternoon 

Joe Garibay wrote:

I’m about to take a drive out there right after breakfast. Was climbing at saddle peak the other day and whipped into a ledge. Since I won’t be climbing for a while I’ll do some recon and let you guys know. Expect an update this afternoon 

You OK? 

Guy Keesee wrote:

You OK? 

Yes, I believe so. Nothing broken. Just some torn soft tissues. Swelling is going down now. That route ‘proud mary’ is a bit dangerous. First time to saddle peak and first thing I noticed was the bolting seemed off. I should have been more aware of the ledge below the 2nd/ or 3rd bolt. The climb causes you to pull out a bunch of slack as you go up and left over a small roof. Whipping here caused me to land right on the shelf. Nothing I or my partner could’ve done differently I think. Took over an hour to get out of there. 

Sorry guys. From CalTrans;

Current State Route 33 Conditions

Before driving, check with the Caltrans Highway Information Network (CHIN) 800.427.7623

SR 33

    [IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]

    IS CLOSED FROM 1.2 MI NORTH OF OJAI /AT FAIRVIEW AVE/ TO 19.5 MI SOUTH OF

THE WEST JCT OF SR 166 /AT LOCKWOOD VALLEY RD/ (VENTURA CO) - DUE TO A WILDFIRE

- MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

    1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 4.1 MI NORTH OF OJAI /AT MATILIJA HOT SPRINGS RD/

(VENTURA CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 0001 HRS ON 11/30/18 - DUE TO

CONSTRUCTION

    [IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]

    NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

Was hoping Cal trans’ reports weren’t up to date. Just turned around at the Deer Lodge. It is confirmed that the road is closed. Coned off with CHP parked at the closure. As of now there is no access to the climbing up the 33. 

  Anyone have any info on road and rock conditions for Santa Barbara area? I heard San Ysidro had a Trail closure. What about Gibraltar or Crag full of Dynamite? 

Joe Garibay wrote:

Was hoping Cal trans’ reports weren’t up to date. Just turned around at the Deer Lodge. It is confirmed that the road is closed. Coned off with CHP parked at the closure. As of now there is no access to the climbing up the 33. 

  Anyone have any info on road and rock conditions for Santa Barbara area? I heard San Ysidro had a Trail closure. What about Gibraltar or Crag full of Dynamite? 

Was hoping the same. Thanks for checking it out for us. Please chime back in when you get word of it being re-opened - thx 

Took a walk through of wheeler this morning. Let me start by saying it could be a lot worse

first of all walking down the creek there are a lot of downed trees which I made a little effort to clear. Watch your step! There are some dead rodents in the walking areas and they blend in with the fresh rockfall very well, mostly in front of the long cobble wall. Also keep an eye out for rockfall itself, in the 3 minutes I was there 6 small slides occurred mostly on the trout farm side.

Vegetation above most of the anchors on the cobble walls was burned, and there is enough rockfall in the creek to suggest they may be a little sketchy. I'm willing to bet that most of the midway through the route bolts are in good shape. The first bolt of economique may be sketchy also. The lower part of the tree at the base had burned, the rock didn't feel crumbly or anything though. 

The sandstone routes and the schist routes seem unscathed.

I didn't hike up to Mikes Gully due to the trail being super sketchy and how many pebbles were raining down from that way. But by looking at the burn scars, it looks like it got pretty thrashed.

sespe, Potrero, fortress, and Derrydale didn't get hit. 

One more thing, I wouldn't suggest using the creek as a beer cooler for a while, dude that shit is so nasty

If any of you hear of an organized effort to get out and clean up Wheeler, please feel free to post it here. Would love to help out. 

Any info on Gibraltar rock and Cold Springs Dome?

Sean Maher wrote:

Any info on Gibraltar rock and Cold Springs Dome?

I have no clue and I'm not sure about road closures that still may be in effect in SB.

If anybody does get a chance to drive around and do a little report I'd also be interested in crag full o dynamite,San ysidro and Skofield park

Thx Jeff. The rock fall seems bizarre. Any news if the campground next to wheeler survived?

Brian morin wrote:

Thx Jeff. The rock fall seems bizarre. Any news if the campground next to wheeler survived?

There's definitely some campgrounds that didn't get it to bad but others got pretty toasty

the smallest post office in the United States got a little smaller though

This is is the front of the Wilcox Resort (across the highway from the hot springs) sometime in the 1920s.

Drive out to Gibraltar today. It is unscathed. Climb on. It was close though. Burned right down to the parking area under the trees that are across the road. 

  Road is closed getting to Crag full of dynamite etc... 

  drive safe up there because the fire crews and forest service are still very active on these roads. 

Hwy 33 closed due to mudslides.