Laughing Bear, I agree with the points you make above. I accept the Route 3 access the way it is. I do not feel that the USFS have the obligationn too ensure that all trail access roads provide for all types of vehicle travel. However if the USFS desires that the general public hike from thier USFS parking lot at the beginning of trail 3WO2 then realistically for that to happen people have to be able to get to that location with thier vehicles. Folks are not inclined to hike way out of thier way on Route 3 just to catch the trail at that point. As it stands, the USFS has expressed thier interest in seeing the visiting public use the USFS parking lot. Most people can't get there because of the condition of the roads. Most cars ( including two wheel drive cars ) can get to the point where the Route 3 trail starts, before the steep hill. That spot is on USFS lands too. The hike on the Route 3 trail to DCHS is very similiar in distance to the hike to DCHS from the current USFS parking lot. I have thought that it would make sense to just make a USFS lot at the Route 3 trail head and use that as an official access point also. Since the distances to DCHS traveled by the visitor are essentially the same then then you basically have exactly the same situation as people hiking from the USFS current lot. A kiosk could be put up there to inform the public of rules just like at the lower lot. The differance would be that a Route 3 USFS parking lot would see alot more use. However, the USFS real intention may be to have the USFS current lot difficult to get to and therefor little used. The visiting public accessing in to the area on Route 4 to 3 will naturally seek the walking route to the springs that makes the most sense for thier particular situation and in consideration of the type of vehicle thier driving. For the time being, since the USFS parking lot is so difficult to get to it will see little use from the general public accessing by other ways than the Bowen Ranch Toll option.
