CDOT came up to me today @ R E

[drypowder]

this morn while unloading my sled just east of m c parking lot along the south side of the road CDOT drove up to me and explained the lot accross the road( north side) will remain unplowed this year because starting next year it wont be plowed anymore ...That is how they explained it to me shhh.
They went on to say that i should get the word out to snowmobilers ' that the forestry wants/needs feedback on parking space to be added.
They are currently thinking about adding to the m c parking lot , making one part camping for overniters and the other for day use. Also the Dumont parking lot they want to expand it to a drive in parking area .
They said also that saturday was the busiest they have ever seen.. that being said i dont know why anyone needs any feedback , its obvious the sport / area has grown in popularity.
They were nice guys to talk to ..and as they said , there just doing there job.

 

[Jermbob]

Its only going to get busier up there. Add a lodge and its the next Togwetee Pass. Awesome area and some of the best snow in CO just off the trail. In a few years it will become like VP if it keeps up. 4 place enclosed trailers galore which are cool if you car pooled with your buddies otherwise do the math, not enough room for that. I can't tell you how many times I've seen 4 place enclosed trailers and one or two dudes. I know most of you are against paid parking and expanded parking areas but I don't see an option. It has totally changed up there.

 

[Dogmeat]

So one weekend of the last 10 since the season has started warrants corralling more people into what will eventually become a shrinking area?

I still say just leave it alone.

I distinctly remember parking @ MC every single weekend the spring of 2011 and it not being near as bad as everyone is describing it right now, and that was when it dumped fresh snow every single weekend until like the third week of May.

So what has caused the massive influx this year? Could it be there was a 2' dump and nowhere else in the state got that? Was it due to the fact that apparently the USFS closed off more area closer to Denver this year ...
I don't know ... I'm sure RE is more popular now than ever, but last year hardly anyone rode it at all because there was zero snow. This year isn't shaping up to be much better.

IDK, I still say the retarded parking situations are the exception, not the rule and I just don't trust the USFS to not screw it up for everyone.

 

[Jermbob]

Closed

Lots of my summit buddies have been heading that way with all the closures this year. Just saying.

 

[rhalloran]

I only go to RE/Buff when the closer stuff does not have much snow, or RE/Buff is _dramatically_ better.

I've been to Buff Pass more this year than the past 3 combined.

I suspect a LOT of people are justifying the extra hourish when comparing snowfall totals.

That, and the first storm after a long high pressure system is always a sh!t show.

 

[Dogmeat]

Lots of my summit buddies have been heading that way with all the closures this year. Just saying.

All the more reason "more parking" isn't a solution. "More area" is absolutely a solution.

 

[skibreeze]

Closing more areas just puts more pressure everywhere else, it's sad because it's so counterproductive.

 

[BackCountryBob]

More area is our solution but less area is becoming a reality--so get as much parking as possible because the state may eliminate parking along the right -of-way.

BCB

 

[PJ-Hunter]

One, the parking lots to just ride Buff Pass on either side are as big as my back yard. One reason why everyone parks on RE.

Two, Saturday was just the beginning. It can and will get worse. People flocked there because we recently got snow. By Saturday the snow was settled and beat down likle Rodney King. Sunday there was hardly a soul up there.

Three, people flock to RE/Buff because it does have good terrain and they don't wanna daytrip to VP for those sorry conditions or GM, even though GM has better snow than RE. It's easy to get to.

Expanding parking will just make things worse. It will turn into Togwotee or parking situations like at Green Rock. I'm truly surprised that there wasn't a few fights. We didn't even bother with the MC lot. Just parked on the side lot coming up the East side. Rode by the MC Lot and I have no idea how that many people got crammed in there. You could have gotten three more rigs in if some people hadn't be taking up two spots with their spare sleds. If you have extra sleds, load them back in the trailer. Those folks who take extra truck parking just for sleds are the most inconsiderate ones. Come on, you have an empty 4 place trailer behind your RV, Truck or motorhome. When you are done riding, load the sleds in it. Common sense goes a long ways.

 

[Dogmeat]

I dont see how its possible for RE to become togwotee.......tog is about 5x as big of area and its 8 hours from denver

But..... lets not even play with the parking lot notions and just leave it alone to be.on the.safe.side

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Comparitively. There is a lot of terrain on RE, if you know where to go. That Range (the areas open to sleds anyways) stretches down to the Gore Pass on the South side and past Buff Pass on the North. You can ride sleds in the Grizz-Helena trail area but it's tough. You can make that range every bit as big as Tog. You just have to know which way to go. Two years ago I hit it and it was awesome. Last year and this year not so much for obvious reasons. But you are still limited to the small parking areas. Making them larger isn't the key, adding more acreage is the answer. The West side of RE is closed to sleds and more than 80% of that terrain is never even touched by the skiers and that is a fact! They stick to their little trail and the rest just sits untouched by humans in the winter. I could go in there right now and ride 40 miles and not see one ski trail. Just a downright waste of great terrain.

 

[backcountryislife]

Well... after the retarded parking situation on saturday, I fully expect they'll be making big changes up there. UNREAL how many people were parked illegally, or on private land, or on the side of the road way down at the bottom of the pass...

I've never seen anything like it, but I'm sure they were taking pictures & using that data as a comparison for what they want to do.

 

[milo303]

Its a poor snow year and RE has been an exception so of course its going to be slammed... I agree, no parking expansion unless we also get an area expansion and more lots to service those areas. Expanding mc alone seems like a horrible idea.

In short, we need more snow and wider knowledge of accessible ride areas to spread things out.... And of course we always need more area to ride ( :

If CO has a great year I don't think the problem exists at RE..

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Well... after the retarded parking situation on saturday, I fully expect they'll be making big changes up there. UNREAL how many people were parked illegally, or on private land, or on the side of the road way down at the bottom of the pass...

I've never seen anything like it, but I'm sure they were taking pictures & using that data as a comparison for what they want to do.

Were you flying your kite? I saw a few kiters around. Never rode up to them tho.

 

[Mtn-Track]

WTF on Plowing?!?!

OK, so I'll bring it up.

WHY do the NOT-PAYING-FOR-CHIT leaf lickers get ALL 'their' parking areas plowed but the PERMIT-PAYING sledders don't? Nobody seems to be challenging or questioning this......... is it a non-issue or something? Why would CDOT stop plowing a lot THIS YEAR because they are planning not to plow it NEXT YEAR?!?!?!

WTF?
.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The squeaky wheel is the one that gets the grease"? Well, the bark licking twig fairies are the whiniest bunch of Liberal b*tches around and toss in the fact that Rabbit Ears backs a ski resort you can guess who gets the preferential treatment. As for CDOT thinking logically...


You can't tell me you are surprised. Come on, we are talking about a state entity that spends millions a year, EVERY YEAR doing the same damn traffic study on the I70 corridor with the same conclusion, year after year.

 

[rusty_jigawahowski]

as far as the permits/plowing of the lots, your looking at two totally different entities. CDOT doesnt get any of the money that we pay on our registrations, and the forest service doesnt have anything to do with plowing lots, at least at rabbit ears. the cdot guys talked to us as well on sunday morning, mostly stressing the fact that there needs to be feedback given. they made it sound as if nobody had called or wrote any letters.

Just my two cents here, but what i would like to see is an overnight lot for all of the campers and another lot with sufficient room for big trucks and big trailers to move around that is marked well for day use only. I love the campers and the community feel in the MC lot, but it just gets to crowded with the big rigs and then those of us with the trucks and four place trailers all trying to park together. Make the overnight lot a pay-per-night-lot and allow the day use lot to be free. whatever happens, id like to see the directly-off-the-highway parking go away just because it's only a matter of time before we see a significant accident that closes it all down.

all that being said, we found tons of fresh untracked snow sunday and did not see a single other sled outside of the parking area!!! snow was deep and good!

 

[Mtn-Track]

as far as the permits/plowing of the lots, your looking at two totally different entities. CDOT doesnt get any of the money that we pay on our registrations, and the forest service doesnt have anything to do with plowing lots, at least at rabbit ears.

That I'm aware of, BUT one look at the parking areas and try to convince me that all the Elements, Subarus, Leafs, Prius', and other 'green' turds are paying into the CDOT coffers at a rate anywhere near what the rigs in the sledder lots do. Obviously sledders pay the fees to enjoy their riding areas (yes, grooming is part of it) but the leaf lickers don't pay squat and are continuing to steal more land, parking, and public services, all being maintained by everyone else like sledders and their road/fuel/bridge taxes. Hell, if ever there was a case for suing the state for practicing what's obviously a discriminating activity...

Sorry, rant off, just getting tired of being screwed more and more each day by the free-loaders....


.

 

[Mtn-Track]

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The squeaky wheel is the one that gets the grease"? Well, the bark licking twig fairies are the whiniest bunch of Liberal b*tches around and toss in the fact that Rabbit Ears backs a ski resort you can guess who gets the preferential treatment. As for CDOT thinking logically...


You can't tell me you are surprised. Come on, we are talking about a state entity that spends millions a year, EVERY YEAR doing the same damn traffic study on the I70 corridor with the same conclusion, year after year.

I get it and you're spot on!
From what I got from the OP was that CDOT was pushing for people to comment to the USFS for a new lot, but in the interim CDOT has decided to screw sledders out of another parking lot while they continue to dedicate their full support to the twig fairy lots. Wrong, and I suspect the legalities of whats going on may be called into question....

 

[skywagon]

Hey Guys, easy answer to the mess up there, just buy a lot in RE village, build your pad and ride from your house everyday, problem solved!
Ron