Author: Michael Ballard

June 2020 Update

Well, June is upon us. Summer is fast approaching. While things have been on hold due to the current situation, we are looking to the near future to restart things. Depending on many factors, we would like to hold a CUTRR event sometime in late August or September. With the coming budget issues all levels of government are going to have, getting the road opened may be a lot more difficult. It doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but only time will tell.

I am hoping to make another inspection run over the road sometime later this month as well. I haven’t seen how the road is doing since the last major storms of the winter season. I suspect that most locations held up fine but there are a few in particular (one near the south end of Reservoir Summit grade) that I will look into in more detail.

Not much else to report so far, though. I am working on updating and adding more information to this site in my spare time. So far, I’ve been working on a few pages that focus on our current projects and goals. Keep watching the site for more updates!

Thank you all for your continued support and interest. We look forward to seeing you out on the road at one of our CUTRR events in the near future!

Ridge Route Views

Since we can’t go on the road, at least for now, why not see it through photos? I have a large collection of photos I’ve taken of the road over the years and love to share. Tell us what your favorite point on the Ridge Route is? Mine is the section between Reservoir Summit and the Tumble Inn. It has some of the best concrete and views along the entire road. It is also far away from any other road, allowing for the ability to just stop and relax, hearing nothing but nature.

  • Gorman Post Road
  • Granite Gate
  • Toward Black Mountain
  • Toward Liebre Summit from Reservoir Hill
  • Liebre Mountain
  • Between Kelly’s and Tumble Inn
  • Serpentine Drive
  • The Three Ridge Routes

March Update – Part 2

Due to the ongoing crisis, our events are on hold. We will resume our Clean Up The Ridge Route (CUTRR) events once things settle down. Hopefully, we can have one before the summer heat arrives. Our Ridge Route inspections will still continue unless there are further developments.

The Ridge Route itself is another issue. While the gates can be open on occasion for various reasons, the roadway is still officially closed. Once the roadway is officially open, we will make an announcement here, in addition to whatever the USFS does. As this is still the rainy season, please keep off the roadway during and after a rain storm. The roadway is fragile in places and driving it when the soils are wet can damage the roadway.

Thank you all for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you out there when we are able to hold an event again.

March 2020 Update

Things have been busy with the RRPO lately. Last month, I posted a request for a new RRPO Secretary. It didn’t take long to get a candidate. On Thursday, March 4, the board met to vote on this new secretary as well as a few other administrative issues.

So, we’d like to welcome our new RRPO Secretary – Richard Schwartz – to our board. We look forward to his help in keeping the Ridge Route in good repair and getting it fully open again.

We have also finally settled on a date for the next CUTRR. It will be held on April 25th, starting at 10 am. The meeting location is TBD as well as additional details regarding any requirements will be announced soon. If you’re interested in joining us, please let us know beforehand.

An event, which is also a fundraiser for the RRPO, is coming up this month. A trail race run, called the Ridge Route Ultra, will be held on Saturday, March 14. The event will go nearly the entire length of the roadway, from near Martin’s to near Neenach.

On Saturday, April 4 at 7 pm, I will be giving a presentation at the Ridge Route Communities Museum regarding the status of the Ridge Route and how others can help. For more information regarding the museum, click here!

As to the roadway itself, the gates are still closed, though the northern gate has been compromised. The USFS is aware of the problem and it will hopefully be fixed somewhat soon. The southern gate remains closed, so through travel is still not possible. A section of roadway, at the south end of the Reservoir Hill grade, has been undermined by pipeline work. Unfortunately, it is also a section which has nearly pristine concrete. We are working with the USFS to get this corrected as soon as possible. The northern end of the roadway, from the Liebre Maintenance Station to Sandbergs has sections of asphalt that are degrading. Hopefully, we will be able to get some patches repaired, which will go a long way to protecting the remaining sections.

New Secretary Needed for RRPO

We are presently seeking a new Secretary for our board of directors. The duties are fairly simple but are necessary to help fulfill our goals. We would need someone that can attend our board meetings (generally every two months and usually via teleconferencing with some in-person meetings), record minutes, keep records of RRPO membership, and assist where needed with other tasks. As we are now moving toward fairly regular events on the Ridge Route, this will be something we will need sooner than later.

If you are interested, let us know!