MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – With winter weather and the holidays both arriving, officials are urging visitors to the Mendocino National Forest to be prepared for changing conditions.

So far this week there have been several situations where people have become stranded or suffered exposure from the winter weather in the forest, as Lake County News has reported.

In one case, 12 people became stranded in the snow on the Mendocino County side of the forest on Sunday, with some of them not being reached by Search and Rescue until Monday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Three people on the Lake County side of the forest above Upper Lake had to be assisted by a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer on Sunday, according to Mendocino National Forest spokesperson Tamara Schmidt.

Then on Tuesday morning, there was a report of travelers on Forest Highway 7 getting stuck, Schmidt said.

“Road conditions are pretty dicey,” Schmidt said.

She said that the Mendocino National Forest's off-highway vehicle trail system currently is closed because of the weather, which has included snow in the higher elevations over the past week.

Schmidt said the forest is seeing an increase in activity due to people going up to pick out Christmas trees, the permits for which went on sale last week.

The Christmas tree permits will be available through Dec. 17, and are good through Dec. 24. The cost is $10 per tree, with a limit of one tree per household.

Schmidt said the Mendocino National Forest sells about 3,000 tree permits annually, with the money going back into the general fund.

“It ends up going back to the treasury, so it's not really staying here in the forest,” she said.

To find out more about the Christmas tree permits and where to purchase them, see Mendocino National Forest Christmas tree permits available .

For those planning to visit the forest this weekend for outdoors activities and Christmas tree hunts, Schmidt urged them to be cautious.

If road conditions are deteriorating, turn back, she said.

Anyone driving into the forest should be prepared for cold and changing conditions, Schmidt said.

She suggested that visitors take common sense precautions, including telling people where they are going and when they are coming back, and leaving for the trip with a full tank of gas.

All Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed on Thanksgiving.

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