Question about Bear Rocks access in winter

FS75 is gated in the sharp turn below Bear Rocks where FS782 breaks off about a 1.25 miles from Bear Rocks. I have parked there and walked up when it has been gated. The question is whether you'll make it that far. The road up to there isn't maintained so it depends on the weather and snowpack. That is on the lee side of the mountain so that helps.

Well, most of the land that FS75 passes through is Forest Service so you should be good, just don't block the road. There is a bit of private land a bit below the gate where's there's some sort of housing development. Just use Caltopo and load the FS map to see where it's at or Gaia on your phone if you have it. I honestly doubt that anyone, especially FS personnel will drive up the road - they would have no reason to this time of the year. I honestly have only seen FS personnel once in 30 years on the Mon or GW and fortunately that one time we were looking for a ride and they shuttled us. I've only seen a state DNR officer once also.

Gali,

Let us know how the road was. I'm considering doing the same in two weeks.

hikeer,

I believe you are mistaken and thinking of the new gate at the Laneville cabin. If you look at satellite imagery (Google Earth or Google Maps) you can see a driveway to some private dwellings 2/3rds of a mile down from where I encountered the gate some years back. I could see the gate being moved to there but if it were any further down the FS would have to hand out keys to the landowners - not sure that's something they want to do especially since it doesn't make much sense. Now I could be wrong.
and will check but haven't heard of this.

On further reading of the closure notice it states that the gates on FS75 & 19 will be moved to lower elevations so the Jordan Run side could be lower than it used to be. If they move it down to the proclamation boundary then it's 2.4 miles down from where it used to be and thus about 3.6 miles from Bear Rocks. Would be nice to know. Unfortunately, the FS being who they are don't give details of where the gate is, even the MVUM's are not updated. 

Hikeer,

Thanks for that info and please let us know where the gate is if you get out there. I could see private land behind the gate if it didn't have dwellings but having a house behind the gate doesn't seem quite right or possibly even legal. As I noted before there are at least two houses on a road just 2/3rds of a mile down from where the old gate was and that was on imagery as of Nov 2013 and there were spots for several more houses. I do see the possibility of another entrance road to that development another two tenths of a mile down. It will be good to know where the gate actually is. I didn't mind the 1.25 mile road walk from the old gate but I don't want to spend 3 miles each way doing a road walk. Does anyone know anything about using the Timberline chairlift to get up to the Sods. Is there a single use fee and you just get off at the top? Do you walk back down along the ski runs. I used to ski back in the 90's but haven't been on the lifts since except for once in the summer when they ran it.

Didn't go out yet but talked to someone that lives at the bottom of the road coming off Jordan Run. He says the gate is about a mile up from Jordan Run, so that would leave a pretty good trek up to Bear Rocks. Walked up many a time from the old gate and it was a pretty easy 25-30 minute walk. About 3 years ago I stood (in snowshoes)on top of a 12-14 foot snowdrift in the middle of the road just below Bear Rocks - on the first day of April!

So, access to Dolly Sods North in winter can be done in the following ways:

1 - Walk Jordan Run Rd 3.6 miles one way (if the above gate info is correct)
2 - Ride ski lift from Timberline - looks to be a $15 cost and will drop you near the Cabin Mt, Breathed Mt. Big Stonecoal trails merge point
3 - Forest Rd 80 - gets you the near the same place as the ski lift but it isn't maintained in winter - if snow is shallow you might make it up it. Wouldn't count on it.
4 - A Frame Rd. - there is access but this is a 9 mile unmaintained road so again - don't count on it.

I can't think of any other way shy of a very long hike from Laneville or up FS19 and 75. Did I miss something?

I think you have pretty well covered the options. If the weather cooperates, I'll do my best to get out there tomorrow afternoon to verify. I wish the FS would reconsider where they are locking the gate on FS 75. I've been up both sides in the winter and I never saw any issues with people getting in trouble on FS 75 - not to say it didn't happen but it wasn't nearly as common as on FS 19. They absolutely made the correct call on FS 19 - I've seen people up there that had no business in the world being on that road - one time a man and woman who I swear had never driven in the snow and they were hung up almost to the top where FS 19 meets 75. Had to drive them back down the mountain. Another time there was an Audi sedan in the ditch about a mile from the top, 12-16" of snow on the road with just ruts to drive in - I was very worried in my 4WD truck and was just flabbergasted that someone would drive an Audi sedan up there.

Whoah, didn't check this thread in a while; lots of responses! I'm going to go this Saturday and will report back afterwards. As far as I can tell FR 75 is gated about 1.6mi from Jordan Run Road, which leaves a ~3mi walk to Bear Rocks. I'm probably too chicken to risk driving for long on a snowy mountain road, and am anticipating having to stop about 1mi from Jordan Run Road, which is where the road looks to enter steeper terrain.