You are right, it can be tough finding good spots in the winter. Here are some of the places I search out:
- Snow parks are great
- BLM land is less likely to be gated than N. Forest land
- During hunting season (late Fall), managers are reluctant to close gates (they don't to suffer the wrath of hunters).
- Wide pull-outs (where SnowPark permits are not required)
- Ski area's
One of the reasons the gates are closed is to reduce the road damage that getting stuck on saturated wet roads causes.
Of course, it goes without saying, but conditions can rapidly change overnight (esp. down there). Not just new snow, but a frozen crust or slush is much harder to drive though than the dry powder you drove in on. Also, experience has taught me that it really sucks to have a plow make a huge berm right where you need to get back onto a paved road......
Hopefully, next winter, we'll get some snow....or recreation will be the least of our worries here on the dry west coast.
Steve
