You guys need to take a look at this proposed logging project...including Burnt Granite. Thinning, new roads and even clearcuts "fire origin thinning".
Interesting how that trail was recently abandoned. I'm actually surprised this is legal, isn't that considered a roadless area?
http://bark-out.org/project/hunter-timber-sale
bleah
I read all of the info that the FS has made available online, but found no mention of clearcuts. Thinning and so forth, but nothing as dramatic as a clearcut. What did get my attention though was a couple of proposed road closures which would affect access to the north end of the Rho Ridge trail. The road system map indicated that the short stub road off of 6310 which provides access to the north trailhead would be closed, as well as the road off of 4670 leading to the Mt Lowe trailhead and Rho Ridge trail. I've marked these on the attached map.
The road leading to the Burnt Granite south trailhead off of 6310 would be left open. It doesn't look like the Burnt Granite trail itself would be affected by any of the proposed actions, at least from what I can tell from their map.
I believe that the Forest Service has "abandoned" the north end of Rho Ridge. The Forest Service trail page shows the trail starting at Graham Pass:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5405700.pdf
The Mt Lowe trail does not appear on their website either, so I can only assume it has been officially abandoned as well.
The Burnt Granite trail disappeared from their website a few years ago.
It never ceases to amaze me how these trails just vanish from their inventory with no notice or anything - just "poof" and they are gone.
One new area of clearcutting I saw the other day when hiking the Hillockburn trail - looking north I heard a helicopter and thru the trees I saw a clearcut area. Looking at the map I think it was above Big Cliff - I'm guessing they are logging off some of the burned timber up there. I was unable to get a photo of it from the trail since it was so far away and just got a peek thru the trees.
There is also a clearcut (I think they call it the Jazz Timber sale) down near Elk Lake Creek. That is the first real clearcut I've seen in the district in quite some time. The rest of the work has all been thinning.
It looks like that sale could impact the Burnt Granite Trail near the 4650 road with thinning of stands and whatever they do during Mistletoe treatment in the area.