Solitude Canyon

Solitude Canyon | Revised Proposed Action On November 8, 2020 the Inyo National Forest released a Revised Proposed Action for the project.  The Forest will bring forward the Lakes Basin portion of the proposal, while removing the Solitude Canyon trail from consideration. The District Ranger cited concerns by State agencies and Forest Service specialists about Mule Deer, as well as issues raised by the public. Over 2,000 public comments were received on the proposal. A final decision memo regarding the remaining portion of trail near Lake Mary will be released soon.

Solitude or Pumice Dear Editor: Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the proposed new trail in Solitude Canyon. I recently hiked into the canyon from the old mining road near the motocross track and down the old abandoned Sherwin Lakes Trail. Other than the latter, there are no other trails evident except game trails. We were thrilled to see a large buck take off down canyon! There are many environmental resources to consider which would best be addressed in an Environmental Assessment. As the Lakes Basin has become extremely impacted, deer and other wildlife have no other migration route…

Hardly Solitude Dear Editor: As a long-time outdoor enthusiast (hiking, riding, climbing) and Mammoth resident, I am writing to express my concern with the Solitude Canyon multi-use trail proposed by the Mammoth Lakes Trail committee and being considered by Inyo National Forrest (INF). I have a 20-year familiar (hiking and biking) with the Rock Trail and Sherwin Crest terrain, and can attest to their changes over time. From conversation with the trail proponents, my understanding of the arguments in favor of the proposed trail are twofold: • Relived overcrowding on other trails, especially those in the Mammoth Lakes basin; and…

Dear Editor, Regarding the proposed mountain bike trail up the Solitude Canyon portion of the “Lakes Basin and Sherwins Area Trail Enhancement Project”, is there a project plan the public can review, including a schedule, budget and risk analysis? Having hiked and skied in Solitude Canyon since the 1970s, I am concerned that the cost of construction in such steep, rugged terrain could easily run into the upper hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. Regardless of whether or not we believe this project should proceed, in these financially challenging times we absolutely need to be assured that if…