Sunrise to Big Lake Road

[kwp]

Heading up to Unit 1 this weekend and was wondering what the status of the road from Sunrise to Big Lake is. The forest service website that normally has the road closure info is "currently unavailable" and has been all week. Have they finished and opened the section from the res line to sheeps crossing? What about the section from sheeps crossing to crescent lake? Can you access the reservation lake road from the main road or do you have to go around the back side of big lake?

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can let me know what is open and what is closed.

[Red Rabbit]

According to the G&F fishing report, the road from Crescent to Sunrise is still closed, so one need to get to Big L from Eager.

Access to Reservation lake is through Big Lake.

http://wmatoutdoors.org/fishingreport1.shtml

[azpackhorse]

Big Lake last Sunday 5/4, the road from Sunrise is indeed still closed

 

[.270]

 

it were closed this past weekend. can't get to biglake without going to eagar, coming in from u 27, or from reservation lake. fishing is really good right now too. we caught bunch last weekend. i'd think everyone oughta take advantage of it. sorta chilly. 14 at big lake saturday morning. e caught a buncha brookies and cuts too. caught one rainbow about 16". Lark.

[azpackhorse]

my buddy caught a real nice brookie and a 21" 4 1/2lb Rainbow along with several other fish.

[cmc]

273 is closed from Sunrise to Cresent and will for a while I believe.

 

Open on the 261 and the FR285 from Egar all the way back in. Oh and that FR90 that cuts between the 261 and 285 has a nasty drift accross. Don't be like the dip in the red jeep in front of me and off road to go around it please. Maybe the FS that's working the area will get a truck over there and clear it... but doubt it.

 

cmc

[billrquimby]

According to an article I saw in the White Mountain Independent last fall, work on the road from Sunrise to Big Lake is taking longer than projected and the road probably won't reopen until summer 2009. The article said they've relocated the Sheep's Crossing bridge site and did something to the Little Colorado River there.

 

Bill Quimby

[kwp]

Thanks for the info guys, I figured that it would be closed but knew that somebody here would know. Didn't realize that there was still that much snow up high, good to hear.

[AZantlerhead]

According to my father wo is doing QC work there with Mactec engineering, it will be closed another 2 months expectedly. The forest service wants to open it but they cant. Currently there is an agreement to keep it closed till July 1st at least. Completion however may take longer. But what if you have a key to the gates like my dad?

[billrquimby]

According to my father wo is doing QC work there with Mactec engineering, it will be closed another 2 months expectedly. The forest service wants to open it but they cant. Currently there is an agreement to keep it closed till July 1st at least. Completion however may take longer. But what if you have a key to the gates like my dad?

 

 

We took the crossover road from Wahl Knoll almost to Crescent Lake last week, only to find the road over the dam was impassable (except by bulldozers and tanks). We had no choice but to turn around and retrace our route back to pavement.

 

Incidentally, the signs posted at the barricade near Sunrise Lake say unauthorized users found in the closed area are subject to a $25,000 fine and imprisonment.

 

Bill Quimby