Route Inventory Data Summaries: 7/10/05
Area: Mono Mills
Observers: Chris Kassar and Mike Klapp

Route 01N23

           Quad:  Lee Vining & Mono Mills
           Documentation on Maps/Guides: 

* shown as 4 X 4

Route description: North and west of the Mono craters 01N23 heads off of Highway 120 heading east and northeast (Picture 710001).   

Narrative summary: Route signed with route number (Picture 710002). Very sandy, deep in spots. High use at beginning; trail deteriorates and use decreases as route heads east and gets further from highway. Significant proliferation off of this route as it crosses through open country (Picture 710003, 710004). Motorcycle, mountain bike and full-size vehicle tracks. Little to no vegetation in the center of the route (Picture 710007). Sagebrush, bitterbrush, Jeffrey pine trees are dominant vegetation. Coyote prints were found on the route.   

Recommendation: The purpose of this route is unclear. Closing this route would be difficult because of the open terrain surrounding it, however, we recommend not including it on the USFS inventory.

 Route N148

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:

Route description:  Spur off of 01N23 heading northeast, dead ends at turn around northeast of the Mono Craters and 1/3 mile northeast of Highway 120 (Picture 710005, 710006).

Narrative summary: Very sandy, deep in spots. Moderate use. Motorcycle, mountain bike and full-size vehicle tracks. Little to no vegetation in the center of the route. Sagebrush, Bitterbrush, Jeffrey Pine trees are dominant vegetation.

Recommendation: The purpose of this route is unclear. Closing this route would be difficult because of the open terrain surrounding it, however, we recommend not including it on the USFS inventory.

 Route N149

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:

Route description:  This is a spur route heading south off of 01N23 northeast of the Mono Craters and 1/3 mile northeast of Highway 120 (Picture 710008).

Narrative summary: Very sandy, deep in spots. Low use. Motorcycle tracks. Little to no vegetation in the center of the route (Picture 710010). Sagebrush, bitterbrush, Jeffrey pine trees are dominant vegetation. Coyote prints were present. Route ends abruptly (710009).

Recommendation: The purpose of this route is unclear and it does not get significant use.  We recommend not including it on the USFS inventory.

Route N146

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

Route description:  Route heading north and west off of 01N23 (Picture 710011) northeast of the Mono Craters and 1/3 mile northeast of Highway 120.

 Narrative summary: Very sandy. Low use. Motorcycle vehicle tracks. Significant proliferation off of this route as it crosses through open country (Picture 710012). Route ends abruptly (Picture 710013). Little to no vegetation in the center of the route. Sagebrush, bitterbrush, Jeffrey pine trees are dominant vegetation. Bigelow’s monkeyflower, lupine along the route.

Recommendation: The purpose of this route is unclear. Closing this route would be difficult because of the open terrain surrounding it, however, we recommend not including it on the USFS inventory.

 Route Z2530

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

Route description:  Route off of Highway 120E heading south and west towards the Mono Craters (Picture 710014).

Narrative summary: Route begins in 2 spots along Highway 120 (Picture 710014, 710015). Very sandy, deep in spots (Picture 710016). Low use and poorly defined in places. Motorcycle and full-size vehicle tracks. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, grasses and sedges are found along the trail. Designated end on inventory was junction with Z75, but route continues past this junction, eventually deteriorating and ending abruptly (Picture 710017, 710018).   

Recommendation: The purpose of this route is unclear. It does not get significant use and is poorly defined. Although closing this route would be difficult because of the open terrain surrounding it, we recommend raking out the tracks and not including it on the USFS inventory.

Route Z75

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

*shown as trail

Route description:  Route meets Highway 120 at its east end (Picture 710023) and parallels Highway 120 while following the base of the Mono Craters.

 Narrative summary:   Very sandy and gravelly. Very wide and well-defined. Open country allows for proliferation (Picture 710020). Moderate use.  ATV tracks present. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, grasses and sedges are found along the trail. Broken barrier present at junction of Z75, Z76 and Z77 (Picture 710021). As route nears junction with Highway 120, proliferation of tracks off-trail increases (Picture 710022).

Recommendation:  This route is well defined and would be very difficult to close, yet we recommend not including it on the inventory.

 Route N151

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

*shown continuing into Mono  Craters

Route description: Closed route off of Highway 120 heading south and west.  

 Narrative summary: Very sandy. Closure appears effective (Picture 710024). Consists of “closed area” signs, OHV information kiosk and wooden barrier (Picture 710025, 710026). Few remnants of vehicle tracks behind the sign and barrier.

 Recommendation: Keep closed. Do not include on the inventory.

 Route Z2733

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

*shown going into Mono Craters and the Pumice Quarry
  
Route description: Spur route off of 01N38 heading south and west (Picture 710027).

 Narrative summary: Sign at the beginning warning that the route has soft sand so only 4x4 vehicles are permitted (Picture 710029). Sandy, rocky and well established near beginning (Picture 710030). High use near beginning; decreases as heads west. Tracks going off-road are present across adjacent pumice flats (Picture 710032, 710035). Route quality deteriorates; becomes very rocky, narrow and impassable as it heads up the east side of the craters (Picture 710033). Ends at pumice mining site (Picture 710034). Motorcycle, ATV, full-size vehicle tracks present. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, sulfur buckwheat, creambush, lupine, nude buckwheat found along trail. High use campsite with 2 fire rings, signs of recent use and potential to grow found along route (Picture 710028).

 Recommendation: This route becomes impassable to vehicles. Do not include on the inventory.  

 Route Z2736

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:

*shown as 4 X4 route on Mono Mills quad and as a trail on Lee Vining Quad

Route description: Spur route off of Z2733 heading north and west around the Mono Craters (Picture 710036).

Narrative summary: Very sandy, rocky and narrow; quickly becomes impassable to all motorized use (Picture 710037). Low to moderate use. Motorcycle and full-size vehicle tracks near beginning; none after trail deteriorates. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, sulfur buckwheat, creambush, lupine, nude buckwheat found along trail. Recent cutting of Jeffrey pine trees for access by motorcycle (Picture 710038).  Route becomes impassable due to fallen rocks and trees (Picture 710039).

Recommendation: Close this route. There is no clear purpose for it and it potentially invites proliferation into the Mono Craters. 

 Route N156

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

Route description: Spur loop that heads off of Highway 120; first heading north and then heading south (Picture 710040).

Narrative summary: Very sandy, undefined and difficult to follow causing a good deal of proliferation (Picture 710041). Moderate amount of use. Motorcycle, ATV and full-size vehicle tracks present. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, sulfur buckwheat, creambush, lupine, nude buckwheat found along trail.

Recommendation: There is a good deal of proliferation off of this route and it is difficult to follow. We recommend not including it as a designated route.

Route N154

            Quad:  Mono Mills
            Documentation on Maps/Guides:  

Route description: Spur route off of Z99 heading west (Picture 710043) in Jeffery pine forest east of Mono Lake.

Narrative summary: Very sandy, undefined and difficult to follow causing a good deal of proliferation (Picture 710042). Low to moderate amount of use. Motorcycle, ATV and full-size vehicle tracks present. Little vegetation in the center of the route. Jeffrey pine forest is dominant; sagebrush, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush found along trail.

Recommendation: This route is difficult to follow because there is no clearly defined route. We recommend either making this route more defined and easier to follow or closing it by raking out tracks and rocking near the highway. Do not include this as a designated route.

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