pittsburg lake?

Spidey

Active Member
Location
Lehi,Ut
I rebuilt my jeep this past year and have recently gotten back in the 4wd scene.
When did pittsburg lake trail become restricted to horse and hiking only? I was up in mineral basin yesterday which is almost melted enough to make the entire drive, and went to the pittsburg lake trail head and it was resticted with a little gate.
We have to do something about this b.s. What the forest service needs to understand is that the dedicated 4wd enthusiasts clean and protect areas. We are the ones that respect the outdoors and pick up trash. The trails that require a built rig are drivin only by the dedicated wheelers that can get up them. We also clean all access trails that lead to them that have beer cans throw on them by the white trash dirtbags that keep anything over an 8 inch trout. This is wrong we have to band together and keep our country free, before it's gets to hard to get it back. This isn't the only part of our freedoms being taken away because of the apathetic people, our freedoms are being destroyed everyday by those scum politicians in D.C. We have to become a proactive people before we lose everything our fathers fought and died for. Stop being lazy! It's the small things that make a difference. Talk to the forest ranger and let them know your concerns pick up trash and give it to the rangers, document it, do anything! Vote! even though we already know the outcome of the elections in Utah do it anyway for principle sake. Let's get this trail back and prevent others from closing. We all just acccept that a trail is lost once it closes, bull $hit! We can re-open them as well if we band together and want it enough.
People say we are in a war on terror, that immigration is a problem, and global warming will kill us. No the real problem is that good people do nothing and they suck down all the B.S. the asssociated press throws at them. As long as we believe the crap we avoid the real problems. I.E. reality is this. We are 80% dependant on foriegn oil and that makes us the ***** of the middle east. We idirectly fund terrorism and we are at war so we can have a stake in the oil there. Thats it. No sugar added. Because of the tree huggers that hate war we are in a war because we can't build refineries and drill in Alaska. So you love 4 wheelin? Well, you better get this figured out and fight those greenies everyday because you wont just lose a trail because of those pricks, you also won't have gasoline to put in your rig if things get worse in the middle east. We have to build the infrastructure for oil now so we can turn on the tap as soon as we need it.
As long as we can afford a monthly payment fill a tank one more time before the next check, watch another episode of the office, and eat a cheeseburger life is sublime so long as we get another feel good email about some sweet person and forward it we think we are doing our part. WRONG! get off your lazy a$$ and do something proactive everyday.
I'm buying a natural gas civic for my commuter car. Why, because I'm gonna be driving on fuel that came from carbon county and not the middle east. It's 75 cents a gallon. I couldn't care less that is cleaner burning. I'm just sick of paying 400 a month in gas and that money going to the enemies of freedom. And if we have to bomb Iran to keep them from finishing thiers nukes gas prices will be about 20 bucks a gallon. That's the cold hard truth. Stop thinking the world is stable.
"There is no security in this life, only opportunity." Eisenhower
"If you're not a liberal in adolesence you don't have heart, If you're not a conservative in adulthood, you don't have a brain." Churchill
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
I'll have to admit, I quit reading somewhere around the oil rant...

As for Pitsburgh, it has been "technically" closed for ~10 years, though it was ~4 years ago now that they dug the trench and started building fences. It is (was) really a moot point as the trail was almost entirely private property and RS2477 rights don't pertain to trails that were created after the USFS was granted jurisdiction of the property. In addition, a death on the trail forced the landowers (rumored to be a religious group at one point) to lobby the USFS to close & enforce the closure to protect them from liability. Similar situation to the now closed Earl-Eagle Trail (aka Upper Major Evans Gulch).

Now, on a somewhat better note... the property was recently traded back to the USFS, so in some aspects we might be a tad bit closer to re-opening it. Sadly with the amount of damage that takes place up at Forest Lake (such as rigs in the water, etc), I don't see it happening :(

The Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association (which you should join if you havn't already) has an EXCELLENT working relationship with the USFS in American Fork Canyon. We have done thousands of hours of service in the canyon in the last couple years alone. Many of our BOD members have good relationships with the rangers in the canyon, etc. Join U4WDA and help out in the canyon (and the state).

You can join them here:
https://www.u4wda.org/joinus.aspx

U4WDA AF Canyon Service Project:
http://www.u4wda.org/eventdetails.aspx#june9
 

Badger

I am the Brute squad
Location
South Salt Lake
you made it further then me.......

welcome to a world that won't change .we the wheelers are always going to be out voted and pushed out by the larger group of sheeple that believe what they are told.

welcome to the never ending fight for your 4 wheeling freedom.you want to help and fight the sheeply.join all the clubs you can like the ones Cruiser posted above.

Don't forget
USA-All

as one of them as well
 

dunatic67

It's all about the HP
Location
Lehi
does anyone have a picture of this lake? I used to wheel up to a lake in AF canyon farily often... I hope this isn't it.

Just a guess, but I would assume you haven't been to Pittsburgh Lake. It was a hell of a trail when it was open. I only know a handfull of people who have been there.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
Just a guess, but I would assume you haven't been to Pittsburgh Lake. It was a hell of a trail when it was open. I only know a handfull of people who have been there.


????


There's lots of folk that have been there. If I remember right, there was only one spot that was quite technical. Seems there was a BIG rock right at the top of a bouldery climb. We took my wife's ZJ (stock) up to that point and decided that was far enough for it (probably about '98?). It seemed like if you could get over that rock, there wasn't anything harder along the trail. It's a cool lake. Right in a cirque near the top of the canyon. Almost worth the hike.
 

neagtea

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
farmington
I went up there before it was closed and the big rock had been moved. I drove right to the lake. It was pretty cool. Too bad we lost it. I haven't been up AF for a couple years Have the ATVers started bypassing the rock garden again? They probably have went in to pittsburgh also. Oh yea I own atv's also but use them responsibly.
 

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I made it up there before it closed. I think they closed it after someone rolled on the technical part. Could have been a fatality. Cool cabin up by the lake.
 

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
I made it up there before it closed. I think they closed it after someone rolled on the technical part. Could have been a fatality. Cool cabin up by the lake.

A man and a woman tried to ride up the trail double on a 3 wheeler. They rolled, they died.

I've been up there a handful of times on my atv's. There was a steep climb on bolders that went into a 170° corner, then it was mostly dirt that was always full of ruts, washes and alternating moguls from people trying to climb it without lockers. After that section there are several streches of very steep, rocky, narrow, hanging on the edge of the mountain... the last bit to the lake is open and meadowy. It is a very awesome lake and although I would love to be able to drive up there again, I hope they open it by permit only.... it's not a big enough area to handle the traffic it would get, plus on about half of the road it's one way only, there is NO WHERE to pass.
 

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
Here's the only pics I have, they are from '00 and they are crappy (I only had a 1/2 megapixle camera then)

I plan to take critters up there this year sometime, and I will take tons of pics then.

Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 001.jpg Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 002.jpg Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 003.jpg

Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 004.jpg Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 005.jpg Wheeler trip to Pittsburgh Lake 8-29-00 006.jpg
 
Last edited:
Sweet pics. It sure would be something to get this road reopened. It's not outside of the realm of possibility, but it is a long-term project. Considering less than 1% of 4x4 users in the state are active in land use issues, we have a long, uphill battle to reopen anything.

Want to get Pittsburgh Lake opened? We have a plan, but as I mentioned it is a long-term (2-3 years) project.

Start by joining U4WDA if you haven't already:

https://www.u4wda.org/joinus.aspx

Then participate in our projects in AF Canyon (and elsewhere):

http://www.u4wda.org/eventdetails.aspx#june9

Then find out other ways to help U4WDA in our mission:

http://www.u4wda.org/volunteer.aspx

What we really need is grant money. If we could secure a $500,000 grant over 5 years for use on the PG district, Pittsburgh Lake would be open the following day.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
.........What we really need is grant money. If we could secure a $500,000 grant over 5 years for use on the PG district, Pittsburgh Lake would be open the following day.



Who do I write the check to?

So is that grant to enable patrolling of the area or does it just go into the FS general fund?
 
Who do I write the check to?

So is that grant to enable patrolling of the area or does it just go into the FS general fund?

A $500,000 check made out to "Uinta National Forest, Pleasant Grove District" would be great! :)

The money would be for general operation of the district. Right now, they have absolutely zero motivation to open Pittsburgh Lake. The concerns are:

Lack of personnel resources for enforcement and patrol activities.

The District doesn't have a vehicle that can go up to Pittsburgh Lake (the TJ is gone).

Forest Lake is a mess, why would they open motorized access to a pristine mountain lake?

The Uinta NF's budget was slashed this year by around 35%. They have fewer and fewer resources to manage the existing motorized routes, so opening new routes is out of the question until the resource concerns are addressed.

As a non-profit group working on public land issues, U4WDA (and other groups) are able to apply for various types of grants (federal, state, and private) that could be used to assist the PG district with enforcement, maintenance, and education projects.

As soon as we were able to offer $100,000/year in grants and X number of hours in volunteer labor (on a continuing, long-term basis), they now have motivation to open Pittsburgh Lake.

As we always say, it comes down to money. Getting these kind of grants are not out of the question. U4WDA has not had the resources to research and pursue such grants to this point, but it is something we would like to start working on in the next few years.

In the meantime, we're working on the "volunteer" side of the equation. U4WDA and member clubs provided over 1000 labor-hours last summer alone. We're working with the district to curtail the damage and impact at Forest Lake as a test-case that could be used to support the reopening of Pittsburgh Lake. That's why I encourage everyone to participate in service projects in the area. Like our fence project last summer. We blocked some illegal routes, protected a fragile area, and did it all in an area where the FS NEVER would have been able to do it without our help (you were there!).

Since we don't have a sugar-daddy with $500,000, we have to count on individuals until we can get some grant money going.

Individuals can donate to U4WDA's general fund or to U4WDA's Open Access Fund. The U4WDA Open Access Fund is a separate account set aside to support legal action to protect access to roads and trails in Utah. Donate to either fund here:

https://www.u4wda.org/donate.aspx

In the meantime, we need as many volunteers as possible up there each summer.
 

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
Great information Steve. I hadn't seen the volunteer sight on U4 until this post. I've got June 9th on my calendar.
 
Top