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Based on the assumption of the Schultz Fire closure lifting tomorrow and trusting Jim's statement that FR552 will be open...anybody up for hitting the cirque on Sunday morning? I'd like to start no later than 9am, preferably earlier, but I'm flexible on a start time as I live 20-25 minutes from Lockett Meadow. I'm putting off posting an event page for a couple of days to make sure the area opens and see if anyone actually wants to do it? Here's the hike description: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=2185 Who's game?

Ah fiddlesticks. Wish I could do this one, but Jon and I are definitely backpacking to Brown's Saddle Saturday and hitting the peak for sunrise. Not that that's a bad thing... :GB: I'll get to that cirque one of these days.

BTW, I'm assuming the wildflowers up that high will be gone...but early autumn color in the tundra is almost certain. View of the cirque area from the Humphrey's ridge two years ago yesterday: http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=73547

azpride wrote:I'll get to that cirque one of these days.

July 2011 ;)

You guys are killing me! I would so love to hike Humphreys again, from the Inner Basin this time.

hippiepunkpirate wrote:July 2011 ;)

Maybe 2012

big_load wrote:You guys are killing me! I would so love to hike Humphreys again, from the Inner Basin this time.

Just to be clear, this isn't a Humphrey's peak bag...but a hike into the cirque that sits directly below Humphrey's.

That would be OK, too, although I have to at least get my boots on the inside of that wall. Have fun! I have two more months to plan my next hike.

I just got off the phone with Peaks Ranger district about the inner basin opening. Brian Padrowski (sp?) told me that the road to Lockett Meadow will remain closed until next summer. They are going to issue a closure statement asap but he didn't say if all areas would remain closed.

fotogirl53 wrote:Brian Padrowski (sp?) told me that the road to Lockett Meadow will remain closed until next summer.

Ah, thought so! That's what I get for trusting Jim This thread is null and void. (just kidding Jim)

Now don't go getting all down on Jim. Like all of us who are itchin' to get up to Lockett Meadow and beyond, he was being an optimist!

fotogirl53 wrote:he was being an optimist

That's twice in one month! Things are looking up.

fotogirl53 wrote:Now don't go getting all down on Jim. Like all of us who are itchin' to get up to Lockett Meadow and beyond, he was being an optimist!

I was being a realist, trying not to get everyone's hopes up. I wish he was right...

As of last Friday (9/10) CNF announced autumn/winter closure plans for various campgrounds, and for Lockett Meadow it simply said it's closed due to being in the Shultz Fire Closure Area. If they were planning on opening access 5 days later you would think they ... oh nevermind its the FS. Why would I ever think they would do something logical or use forethought? My bad!

As posted in the other thread (which should now be retitled in the negative), the closure was in fact extended until 12/31/10. There will be no Cirque until after the snow melts next spring...

Of course, the closure extension is dated 9/10, and still isn't posted on the website. You think they've managed to update the posted signs out in the woods?

Sorry, I'm really surprised they are keeping it closed. I just looked at the Coco website and they have press releases from before the 10th and up to today (on the homepage sidebar) and for some reason they failed to post the closure extension. It turns out they signed the order on Friday, so you would think they would have posted it on Friday or yesterday. Oh well. Sorry folks. I think they're over doing it, but it won't really affect me so it isn't a big deal.