Los Padres Recreation Areas to Reopen by Friday

Trips to the Channel Islands are back on. So are visits to Yosemite after the government shutdown ended. But getting into our backcountry is taking a tad longer.

Computers have to be rebooted, emails cleared out and passwords changed.

Administrative stuff. Those things kept staffers busy at the Los Prietos Ranger Station, one day after the government shutdown ended.

“We need to do an orderly opening of everything,” said District Ranger Pancho Smith. We can’t just slam everything open all at once and expect everything to work right.”

You might say the wilderness quickly took over after the Pendola and Los Prietos day use and campsites were cut off to civilization.

No major problems but a few pipes broke and some water systems went down.”We need today to get through campgrounds, unlock bathrooms, be sure the water systems are working, toilet paper in bathrooms, all those importatnt things, you know.” Smith said.

First thing Friday morning, the government “closure” signs will be ripped off and the gates reopened, just in time for the weekend.