I've seen posts here that look like they were copied from official announcements about road closure. Is there a website or subscription service or something that says the status of the Forest Service Roads in Western WA?

Heres why I'm asking. My trip planning/mapping software tells me the shortest distance from my house in Fircrest to White Pass Ski resort is to take FR52 from SR706 to US12. While going this way won't save time (it's 2.7 hours no matter which way I go), it will save 20 miles over the next shortest route. But I wouldn't want to get to FR52 only to find it gated or closed.

Any ideas/suggestions welcome.

 

I found the answer. Call the ranger station for the forest that the road passed through. In this case, the Gifford Pinochet National...FR52 is closed for the winter.

Not to highjack my own thread but wasn't Pinochet someone important in american history?

 

The Life of Gifford Pinchot
(1865 - 1946)

Gifford Pinchot was born in 1865 to a wealthy family. A childhood interest in nature led to a career protecting forests and Gifford Pinchot become one of the founders of the conservation movement. After graduating from Yale University, Pinchot went to France and became the first American trained in forestry. A good friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, Pinchot was named Chief Forester of the U. S. Division of Forestry and served from 1898 to 1910. With the guidance of Roosevelt and Pinchot, over 200 million acres of national forest came under scientific land management. Policies developed by Pinchot still help guide most national and state forests.

Among the many, many public officials who under my administration rendered literally invaluable service to the people of the United States, Gifford Pinchot on the whole, stood first. -President Theodore Roosevelt

Gifford Pinchot became governor of Pennsylvania in 1922. A tireless worker, he often worked 16 hours a day. Governor Pinchot created the first Pennsylvania state budget, erased the state's debt and gave himself a pay cut. Governor Pinchot was not afraid of a fight. Often at odds with political parties, Pinchot fought hard for the people. Several times a week Governor Pinchot held office hours and anyone could walk in and talk to him. "A public official is there to serve the public and not run them." -Gifford Pinchot

Pinchot sought a second term as governor in 1930 and labored for employment improvements during the Great Depression. Governor Pinchot set up work camps throughout the state that became the models for the Civilian Conservation Corps of President Franklin Roosevelt. Governor Pinchot's work camps built 20,000 miles of paved roads for "taking the farmer out of the mud." These paved country roads made it easier for farmers to get from the farm to the market. Always progressive, Governor Pinchot was the first governor to have two women on his cabinet.

Throughout his life Gifford Pinchot spoke and campaigned for political reform and improved forest management. "I have been governor every now and then, but I am a forester all the time." -Gifford Pinchot


During World War II, Pinchot developed a water gathering device and fishing kits for use in navy life rafts. After writing his autobiography, Gifford Pinchot died of leukemia in 1946.

In 1961, Gifford Pinchot State Park was dedicated by Governor David L. Lawrence.

For more information about Gifford Pinchot, visit the Web site of Grey Towers National Historic Site.

 

It's Pinchot.

http://www.pinchot.org/gt/gp.html

 

Sounds like we could use a few guys like that these days.

 

As someone pointed out, calling the ranger district is the best way to get the latest information and if you know which one to call its probably the fastest too. If you're just browsing, or if its night and they aren't open, most of the national forests (at least in WA state) seem to have conditions (how up-to-date they are varies) on roads, trails, campgrounds somewhere on their web site. If you go to the Gifford Pinchot NF, they note that FR 52 is closed under their special conditions link. Seems like they all do it a little differently, so it can take some looking to find the right page.