Per California Four Wheel drive Association's email today:
The Barrett 4-wheel drive (4WD) Trail, a rugged six-mile off-highway route from Wright's Lake to Barrett Lake, just west of Desolation Wilderness, was re-opened today (July 23, 2015), now that reconstruction has been completed on three segments of the trail to protect sensitive meadows. The Barrett 4WD Trail has been used by recreationists since the 1960s and offers one of the most challenging off-highway vehicle (OHV) experiences in the Sierra Nevada. The trail has a high rating for difficulty and is only recommended for very experienced OHV users prepared for remote travel over large rocks. Motorized travel on this trail is typically at a rate of approximately 1- 2 miles per hour. The final work to reopen the trail was completed June 26 to July 1 when Forest Service employees and 19 volunteers from the Hi-Landers 4WD club installed two rolling dips and a culvert to minimize the potential for sediment from the trail to end up in one of the meadows.

Last fall, projects at two other meadow sites along the trail were completed. One involved constructing a short 0.27 mile trail reroute around a meadow and restoration work at the section of trail that was replaced. Near the largest meadow, rolling dips were constructed to divert water that was running down the trail, and three ephemeral stream channel crossings on the trail within the meadow were stabilized by hardening the approaches with permeable materials to minimize sediment entering the streams.

The work was funded by the Forest Service with assistance from a California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division Ground Operations grant and a Secure Rural Schools Title II grant through the El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee. The project was implemented by the Forest Service together with two contractors, a Student Conservation Association Leader Crew and volunteers from the Hi-Landers 4WD Club.

The Hi-Landers 4WD Club has a long history of stewardship with the Barrett 4WD Trail. They have assisted with maintenance of the trail under the adopt-a trail-program for many years. In 2013 they provided assistance with transporting materials during construction of the new Barrett Bridge, and with restoration of the Jones Fork Silver Creek crossing that the bridge replaced, which were also California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation grant projects. During the recent 4th of July weekend, the Hi-Landers cleared logs that had fallen in the trail and did additional trail maintenance work in preparation for the trail re-opening. A ceremony in recognition of the Hi-Landers dedication to the trail is planned for Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 am at the Barrett 4WD Trailhead.