Every spring local road crews hop in their plows and loaders to clear the roads that lead to the lakes and trail heads of the Sierra. While often the lakes, like South Lake and Sabrina are frozen, anglers use the freshly opened access to try their luck when fishing season opens.

Those hoping to use the summer trail heads in the Eastern Sierra for some spring skiing this weekend will likely have to wait a week. With a decent winter behind us, there is still work to do before the roads into the Sierra open for the summer.

Bob Brown with the Inyo County Road Department reports that crews are working on the Horseshoe Meadows which should be open by the Fishing Opener.

There is a large boulder that will require blasting on the Whitney Portal Road, but this shouldnt stop access to the end of the Whitney road. If the certified blasting crew doesnt arrive next week, Brown says that county crews will put a barricade around the boulder so the road can be opened.

Onion Valley Road to Kearsarge Pass should be plowed out and cleared this week, but wont open until next week.

Big Pine Creek to the Glacier Lodge is open already, Brown reports. The county section of the South Lake road could be done by the end of the week, but Brown says that crews like to let the freshly plowed roads melt out a bit to avoid the early morning ice sheets before they officially open the road. South Lake is expected to be open by the Fishing Opener.

Susan Lent with Caltrans reports that the road to Sabrina will open next week. She also says that plow crews are now three miles from the gate at Tioga Pass. While the Park Service isnt expected to start plowing from the west side until May 1, Caltrans crews hope to have their portion of highway 120 plowed out and open by the Fishing Opener.

Lent reports that Monitor Pass is already open, and crews have started work on Sonora Pass as well.

In Mono County, crews have started to plow out the roads to Lundy Lake and Virginia Lakes.

So not much expected to open by this weekend, but access to the Sierra for the trout opener looks good so far.

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