Bucks Lake

The Road Department says the road is open with some narrow areas and the Bald Rock detour as of  6-23. Yes, summer can begin right about now……

The Road Department website says the road is open to Letter Box now, where they have encountered TEN FEET of snow!

Patience, folks. It is going to be a little while longer.

And while I am on the subject, I think the Road Department people should get some shining recognition at the annual Homeowners meeting. They have earned it this year.

Finally, the ANNUAL FIRE DEPARTMENT BREAKFAST will go on as scheduled (think summer, at last) on SUNDAY  July 3, from 8 – 11 am.

We got our new sensors and put them in the system today, and guess what? THEY WORK! So the temperature now is accurate. The barometer still has some issues, which I am working through.

For the locals, Mile High and Mtn Ash are now plowed and open. There is still an awful lot of snow around, but it is melting fast.

Could summer really be upon us?

I know, I know, it has been screwed up. Royally. But we are getting close. I have managed to unlock the website, and it is updating properly. But I have now discovered the temperature and rain sensors were trashed by the snow. Replacements are on order, and I hope to have them installed in about 10 days. Then, hopefully, all will be OK again.

On a related subject, as the snow melts, reality sets in. Virtually no satellite dish survived. We have discovered at least one cabin with the deck completely destroyed (they know who they are). Some cabins have had siding peeled right off the walls. And PLEASE be sure to look at your electrical service before you turn it on. There is an unknown amount of damage to service drops just becoming obvious.

Long time readers of this space have probably noted that I only rarely say anything about people in business at the Lake, preferring to steer clear of “commercial” influences. However, an unusual winter and spring do provide me an opportunity to identify some people providing local services, so here goes:

Plowing: Eric Ward, Mike Clauss, and Wilburn Construction, are those I am aware of. In addition, Eric Ward has the equipment to do construction jobs during summer.

Painting: I have been contacted by Marcus Slatten, who lives in Quincy. His number is 530-519-0771. He has painted in the area with his father for many years.

On to other news. I have been told now by two different people that there is a major wash out on the newest section of the Oro-Quincy Highway in Butte County, that will require using the Bald Rock Canyon Road detour for just about all of the summer. Meanwhile the Plumas County snow removal crew is somewhere around Frenchman Hill, as they head for the Butte County line.

Many of you have just received the Forest Service letter that describes the thinning project they hope to tackle next summer. I personally feel that with the Homeowers Association request to locate the log landing areas further off the road than originally planned, this is an outstanding project that merits our enthusiastic support.

I continue to get information requests on how to get internet at the Lake. Wild Blue, out of Portola, is maxed on their satellite until some time this summer. Hughes Net, usually contacted in your local community, does install at the Lake. If you are Forest Service, policy has been that if you can place the dish on your cabin, you just need to inform them, but if you must locate it on a pole you have to get their permission before you do that.

We were at Bucks last Friday, and the snow is just unbelievable. First, the County now has all the basin roads plowed, and they are working on the back road. That’s the good news.

There is at least a 10 – 12 foot snow wall in front of the cabins across the road from the fire station. If you go down Big Creek by the Haskins cabins, the wall of snow there is around 15 feet. Really.

On the Dam road, the wall of snow between the top and Thompson lake looked to be about 10 feet.

We want to get Mile High plowed, but the contractors won’t even consider it till the middle of June

Getting the picture? This is one for the record books, and it looks to be a very short summer.