There seem to be a bunch of posts about this in various unrelated threads, so I figured I'd start one dedicated to this topic.
The SCRD posted on their socials about somebody stealing the sign that informs visitors of the closure:
The new informational sign on Linda Vista Trail #49, Santa Catalina Ranger District, along with the signpost was reported stolen yesterday evening. The sign was installed to inform visitors to the area about the area closure from January 1 – April 30 due to the Bighorn sheep lambing season. It also helped showcase that the social trail was not a Forest Service system trail and thus is not maintained. The hope was to help set expectations for hikers during the non-lambing season. This removal puts not only the hikers at risk but also wildlife.
The closure order seems to be renewed/adjusted every two years or so, but has the same basic rules:
NO DOGS: YEAR-ROUND
NO OFF-TRAIL HIKING: January 1 through April 30
What you and I consider a trail may not be what the FS considers a trail!
I live right down the street these days. In the four years since I've moved down here I've seen the trail going up Pusch Peak explode in popularity. Not quite Piestewa numbers yet, but it's turning into the workout hike for the neighborhood. Unless the FS actually posts someone at that intersection, people are going to ignore the closure. Bet if the FS scouted around the area, the sign is probably down in a wash.
When I posted this on the most visited Facebook hiking page for Tucson it seemed half the people honestly didn't know about the closure, nobody knew it wasn't an official trail and a few people came right out and said they will continue to hike the trail year round.
Good news. If you were concerned that Mount Kimball or Window Peak were closed for the Catalina annual sheep closure January 1 to April 30, be concerned no more. The USFS allows for a 400 foot buffer to trails in the area and a map produced by the USFS on their Alerts Page delineates out those two summits as being within the open area. https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/coronado/alerts-notices
It appears that Cathedral remains within the closure area, though whether or not you would actually see lambs or lambing ewes on that summit, remains to be determined.
@joebartels How are the fire perimeters made for areas? If the existing map on the alerts page can be downloaded, it could be put on the map as an area file. Assuming it is available.
@joebartels Note 24-25 boundaries are extended in the southeast quadrant to include the land between Ventana and Esperero Trails. This appears to be a new addition this year.
The ESRI map on the Coronado alerts page has a number of available layers including many of the same topo layers that HAZ employs. That map does not include the actual summit of Kimball, though the images you posted clearly state that Kimball is ok.
As is Coronado's MO ... clear as mud
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
The notice at the top of applicable Guide pages has a link to the MapDEX perimeter, which I updated too. I added some text to the icons so it's easier to decipher.
I never noticed before that the HAZ topo summit X for Mount Kimball is not on the actual summit. The Summit X is actually on the view point by the northern cliffs where most people sit, but the true summit is set further south well away from the cliffs, and right about the edge of the closure area. The abundance of HAZ GPS routes that visit the true summit and proceed to the viewpoint are helpful. Reminds me of the time I noticed that Philomena Springs was located in the wrong basin.
I played with GPS routes and made a line of 2 points from the trail junction to the summit, and again to the viewpoint. I came up with 0.07 to 0.08 miles to the summit, but 0.12 to the viewpoint. The summit would be within 400' at 369 feet if 0.07, but is out at 0.08 miles, and the viewpoint would be beyond 400'. I'll be sure to note that on my next visit.
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