Elwood Pass road now open

Posted

By Brandon Caley

Special to The SUN

As of July 12, all the roads within the Pagosa Ranger District, including East Fork Road No. 667, are now open. The road crew was able to complete the East Fork Road repairs late July 11 and open the road to Elwood Pass.

To protect road surfaces and for public safety, Forest Service roads are seasonally closed to wheeled motorized vehicles, except snowmobiles operating on snow. They are open to nonmotorized uses, including bicycling, hiking and horseback riding. Roads remain closed until most of the road surface can withstand traffic without damage.

An open gate does not give permission to damage roads. Damage is defined as: ruts 1 inch deep or deeper on gravel roads, or 4 inches deep or deeper on native surface roads. Do not go off roads, except to park adjacent to the road on dry ground.

Current information on Pagosa Ranger District road openings and closures is available at www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan. Click on the “Forest Road Conditions” link located on the right side of the page under the “Quick Links” box. Under Maps and Publications — List of current road status, click “Pagosa District.”