Play in the snow legally
| Wednesday, Dec 09 2009 06:49 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Dec 09 2009 06:51 PM
The Kern County Sheriff's Department has warned the public they can get citations for playing in the snow near Tehachapi and Frazier Park if they trespass on private property.
So, if you're going to play in the snow, it's best to know where and what to bring.
Tehachapi shouldn't be on your "go to" list, unless you just want to look at the snow or shop at town businesses, sheriff's deputies said.
There is almost no public land for playing in the snow and what is available, such as the Tehachapi Mountain Park, is restricted to only a few people, deputies said.
But there are snow play areas for sledding and sliding above Frazier Park, the mountains south, east and north of Isabella Lake, Greenhorn Mountain, Breckenridge and Piute Mountains.
Public areas won't have a fence or gate, or they will be clearly marked as a public recreation area, forest rangers said.
People should bring tire chains, extra clothes and blankets, easy-to-carry food like beef jerky, flashlights and big trash bags (ground cover for putting on chains), Forest Service spokeswoman Cindy Thill has advised.
She and sheriff's deputies stressed to stay off fenced or gated private property, but look for places to walk in the snow or to sled on small hills off the sides of roads.
In the Frazier Park area that means you should stay above Lake of the Woods, off Cuddy Valley Road or in the Mount Pinos Recreation Area.
Daily fees may be required in the Mount Pinos area. Check with the ranger station or stores above Frazier Park.
The public lands around Isabella Lake, Breckenridge, Piute Mountain and Greenhorn Mountain are free. A fee is charged for the skiing and snowboarding at Alta Sierra at Shirley Meadows off Highway 155.
That's also an area where people can cross-country ski, Thill said.
