I was talking to Jobe down at DCHS this last weekend about this story that Mike might close his property as a springs access route. Jobe said Mike has said on many other occasions over the years that he was going to do this. I see there is a 6 foot chain link fence up on the Bowen Ranch northern boundary. I think Mike owns an 80 acre parcel. I wonder if the fence is up around the whole property? If Mike did close the Ranch for DCHS access, it seems unlikely to me that the USFS or BLM would " improve " any of the current public routes in that area. The route around the west side of the Bowen Ranch, to the Freedom Trail parking spot, and then further ( 4 wheel drive vehicle advised ) on another half mile or so the the USFS parking spot where 3W02 begins is rough. Two wheel vehicles do use, and make it to the Freedom Trail parking spot.

The long ago closed, BLM signed for public use route through the Moss Mill on down to the USFS parking spot at 3W02 was improved back then and for a time two wheel vehicles could make it rather easily to the USFS parking spot. Mike if I remember it correctly used to own also a 40 acre parcel near the Moss Mill and he said the BLM route through the Moss Mill crossed a small portion of that property. Actually there was a sign, looked like from the BLM to me that indicated the boundaries of the private property when you would drive that route. I think a couple Mike knows now owns that 40 acre parcel. If the BLM was inclined to provide a good route to the USFS parking lot it seems to me that they could just move the portion of that Moss Mill route further east off of the 40 acre parcel, into BLM land. My impression is that the portion of private property crossed is short, then the rest is BLM lands on down to the USFS parking spot where the forest lands start. I have not seen any parcel maps for the area so do not know the public/private land boundaries. This would be the shortest, easiest route to improve but the USFS and the BLM may not want to make any access routes to DCHS easier since the agencies already deal with an assortment of problems with the visitation levels to DCHS as they are, even increasing over time due to social media exposure.

So if Mike did close the Bowen Ranch, the route around to the Freedom Trail parking area would be the shortest alternative ( unless the Moss Mill route was opened up again ), in accessing DCHS from the north side. The Freedom Trail parking area can also be accessed by driving up the power line road from Deep Creek Rd, but the condition of the steep part of that route is variable given the last time SCE graded it, and in relation to storms/rainfall/runoff. Like last weekend it was rather ruff from the recent rains, and today's rainfall will have made it worse. The power line rd is graded every 2-3 years intervals or if it gets real bad, but it seems like they are grading it less in recent years maybe due to budget constraints. Going back down it is steep, with low range 4 wheel drive best for the least use of brakes. A couple went over the side on it and were killed a couple of years ago.

Or, just go by way of the Bradford Ridge Trail, no dirt roads to deal with. Its a longer hike but the drive to the trail head is scenic mountain terrain. Getting to that trail head can be a problem or not doable if there is a lot of snow.

Many years ago while I was at DCHS, suddenly some people landed on the beach area above the Pheonix Pool in their small private blue helicopter. They got out and soaked for a few hours, then off they went