Colorado Units Overrun by Recreation?

[ckleeves]

Some, but not enough, I assume it is pretty bad

It’s real bad. From what I have seen it’s almost easier to avoid rec users in front range units, just because they stick to a trail going to a specific peak or other destination.

The overall headcount might be less in the San Juan’s, but they are spread out everywhere and much harder to predict. Thru hiking the longer trail systems, bagging 13’ers, yodeling and rolling rocks off peaks, bivy camping everywhere with the much less strict dispersed camping rules etc.

 

[Poser]

It’s real bad. From what I have seen it’s almost easier to avoid rec users in front range units, just because they stick to a trail going to a specific peak or other destination.

The overall headcount might be less in the San Juan’s, but they are spread out everywhere and much harder to predict. Thru hiking the longer trail systems, bagging 13’ers, yodeling and rolling rocks off peaks, bivy camping everywhere with the much less strict dispersed camping rules etc.

And don't forget to mention the endless stream of SxSs

 

[Hnthrdr]

It’s real bad. From what I have seen it’s almost easier to avoid rec users in front range units, just because they stick to a trail going to a specific peak or other destination.

The overall headcount might be less in the San Juan’s, but they are spread out everywhere and much harder to predict. Thru hiking the longer trail systems, bagging 13’ers, yodeling and rolling rocks off peaks, bivy camping everywhere with the much less strict dispersed camping rules etc.

Haha it’s wild seems like that is the norm in the front range as well, I live close to the most used wilderness area in the country it’s an absolute zoo! Not unusual for there to be cars parked a mile from the trail head for a September leaf peeper hike. The volume is unreal. The rock rolling is about as dumb as it gets though… yelled at some dudes doing it on a switch back trail with trail right underneath… it’s like a contest for how stupid people can be…

 

[ckleeves]

I think the bottom line is it’s bad everywhere if it’s a scenic area I guess that’s what I was getting at. Front range wins on overall headcount, San Juan’s win on packs of side X sides blaring mariachi music and disco lights going with drones recording them from overhead all while a dude who’s so high he needs a parachute strums a John Denver tune from a distant basin that had 70 elk in it the day before until he blew them out.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think the bottom line is it’s bad everywhere if it’s a scenic area I guess that’s what I was getting at. Front range wins on overall headcount, San Juan’s win on packs of side X sides blaring mariachi music and disco lights going with drones recording them from overhead all while a dude who’s so high he needs a parachute strums a John Denver tune from a distant basin that had 70 elk in it the day before until he blew them out.

The SxS are out of control… I mean I get they can be fun but a couple years back in Taylor park it’s just people ripping up and down the main drag all day, blaring music and kicking up dust, like WTF get a life?

 

[The_Jim]

And you can thank YouTube and instagram for all of it. 80% of the people you see wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for influencers.

 

[Poser]

And you can thank YouTube and instagram for all of it. 80% of the people you see wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for influencers.

Yeah, the ORV/Overland influencers are a real thing and I've seen the effects first hand. Not to mention the amount of influencer branded Jeeps, Toyotas and SxSs. The traffic on the Alpine Loop and various offshoots around Lake City, Silverton and Ouray is just insane and I don't think it is sustainable. If nothing else, there definitely needs more education and enforcement. The Forest Service opened up 2 positions last summer dedicated to patrolling the alpine loop, but its almost for certain that those positions have been eliminated. Its also the case that those are mostly county roads and I have seen a sheriff's deputy up there once in a SxS, but its just not a practical use of their time considering those counties only have a sheriff and 2 deputies and the town themselves only have a police chief and 2 cops. There just aren't the resources to have enforcement constantly tied up on 20 mile stretches of roads that place the officers 2+ hours away from the highways and towns.

 

[The_Jim]

Yeah, the ORV/Overland influencers are a real thing and I've seen the effects first hand. Not to mention the amount of influencer branded Jeeps, Toyotas and SxSs.

For sure, I have a brother in-law that is watching some youtube dipshit's videos out about all his Colorado trips. My BIL has never left a maintained gravel road in eastern Nebraska, and is convinced that because his Jeep Cherokee has rear lockers he should be able to drive any road in Colorado.

 

[ckleeves]

Yeah, the ORV/Overland influencers are a real thing and I've seen the effects first hand. Not to mention the amount of influencer branded Jeeps, Toyotas and SxSs. The traffic on the Alpine Loop and various offshoots around Lake City, Silverton and Ouray is just insane and I don't think it is sustainable. If nothing else, there definitely needs more education and enforcement. The Forest Service opened up 2 positions last summer dedicated to patrolling the alpine loop, but it’s almost for certain that those positions have been eliminated. Its also the case that those are mostly county roads and I have seen a sheriff's deputy up there once in a SxS, but its just not a practical use of their time considering those counties only have a sheriff and 2 deputies and the town themselves only have a police chief and 2 cops. There just aren't the resources to have enforcement constantly tied up on 20 mile stretches of roads that place the officers 2+ hours away from the highways and towns.

I don’t even know where you would start on that mess. Like you said it’s a huge area to patrol and that’s if they had a dedicated patrol. Maintaining the county roads properly would eat the entire road and bridge budget in some counties and that’s only going to help people drive faster on them.

There is an easy answer out there but those tourism dollars are enough to look past the major problems that have been created. What’s funny is other towns still consider letting OHV’s into town even after Silverton learned how great that worked.

As much as I hate more fees they should create a San Juan ohv sticker, make it 100.00+ and all money generated goes to enforcement and what’s left goes to trail maintenance. Rental SXS pay a 10X rate for the sticker.

 

[Dos Perros]

Did you know some of the granola people think it's unethical to be off trail? Wild.

 

[Poser]

I don’t even know where you would start on that mess. Like you said it’s a huge area to patrol and that’s if they had a dedicated patrol. Maintaining the county roads properly would eat the entire road and bridge budget in some counties and that’s only going to help people drive faster on them.

There is an easy answer out there but those tourism dollars are enough to look past the major problems that have been created. What’s funny is other towns still consider letting OHV’s into town even after Silverton learned how great that worked.

As much as I hate more fees they should create a San Juan ohv sticker, make it 100.00+ and all money generated goes to enforcement and what’s left goes to trail maintenance. Rental SXS pay a 10X rate for the sticker.

If they are going to charge a ORV sticker, might as well require a 30 minute online course about trail etiquette, not driving on the tundra (and how doing so causes 100 years worth of damage) and not driving your SxS out into alpine lakes (I've seen this more than once).

The other thought I've had is just not plowing those roads. They start plowing them every year in April so that they are melted off by July. What if they just didn't plow them? That comes at a massive cost for the counties to operate heavy equipment for a month+.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Did you know some of the granola people think it's unethical to be off trail? Wild.

Oh I’ve been told “ you aren’t supposed to be off trail” by a Karen a time or two growing up here….

 

[ckleeves]

I’m not positive but I feel like the reason they plow them is to try to keep people on the roads. I have seen places where big drifts have remained all summer and people have caused chaos by either making roads around the drifts or destroying the saturated road around the drift trying to get thru/over it.

About 10 years ago a huge drifted section closed a road about 2 miles from the dead end of it. I thought it was perfect because I could just hike in from there and figured it would only help the hunting. The damage is still visible from the stupidity that went on that summer trying to make it around it. Whenever I think I have seen it all a new surprise awaits me up there!