I got to the trailhead late this morning to discover that the trail had been closed for a week. No explanation on the sign. As the ranger office south of the turnoff for the trailhead is closed on Tuesdays, I drove to the ranger office another 16 miles north on 61. They closed the whole area b/c of some distant fires and b/c it is not easily accessible, which would make it difficult to rescue people if the fires spread. No exceptions for a 3-hour hike, even after quite a bit of rain the night and day before, b/c ``once people got there, they can continue hiking away further". Apparently, it is not normal to have fire closures in July, but not too unusual in August and September. I just want to pass this on in case anyone is planning a long-distance trip there in advance.