20 years ago, it was great....I wish it was like that still.
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Vail Pass fees start Nov. 27: Thin snowpack restricts snowmobiles at Vail Pass area
- Thread starter Kevin
- Start date
Bunny hill
I like that analogy. Vail Pass is the Bunny Hill of CO riding. It also happens to be the ONLY place in the State where a fee is charged on Forest lands to recreate in the winter. Well, if you dont count the ski resorts that charge upwards of $100 per day to recreate. $6 seems like a pretty good deal to me. And that $6 stays in the area paying to groom the bunny slope, plow the p-lot, and print maps, etc (Map has a list of what your fees are used for).
I never saw this area before the fee was instated, but judging by some of the rants on this wall (Rotax and others) I can imagine that this place was a war zone before the FS deemed it necessary to actively manage.
I've been riding up there for about 8 years now and have always had pleasant conversation with the FS. Respect is a two-way street.
Truthfully I see them in the p-lot and usually not again for the rest of the day (hmmm. I must know where to ride).
The p-lot is filled with 50K trucks towing 20K trailers with 10k sleds in them and we are complaining about a $6 fee???
If you don't like the area or the INTENSE management, go elsewhere! Vail Pass is the ONLY spot in the state (Maybe country?) where fees are charged and the FS has an increased presence... besides that it's the bunny hill of CO!!!
my .02
I like that analogy. Vail Pass is the Bunny Hill of CO riding. It also happens to be the ONLY place in the State where a fee is charged on Forest lands to recreate in the winter. Well, if you dont count the ski resorts that charge upwards of $100 per day to recreate. $6 seems like a pretty good deal to me. And that $6 stays in the area paying to groom the bunny slope, plow the p-lot, and print maps, etc (Map has a list of what your fees are used for).
I never saw this area before the fee was instated, but judging by some of the rants on this wall (Rotax and others) I can imagine that this place was a war zone before the FS deemed it necessary to actively manage.
I've been riding up there for about 8 years now and have always had pleasant conversation with the FS. Respect is a two-way street.
Truthfully I see them in the p-lot and usually not again for the rest of the day (hmmm. I must know where to ride).
The p-lot is filled with 50K trucks towing 20K trailers with 10k sleds in them and we are complaining about a $6 fee???
If you don't like the area or the INTENSE management, go elsewhere! Vail Pass is the ONLY spot in the state (Maybe country?) where fees are charged and the FS has an increased presence... besides that it's the bunny hill of CO!!!
my .02
Well said Snowfishin. You get it.
I don't think that any of your $6.00 goes to any of the grooming. so call them on that if they are telling you that and ask where your OHV permit fees go?
The plowing that the FS is doing just started in the last year or so.
As they have always told us since Vail became a pay for use site, that CDOT plows the road. Well enough complaining about them stacking jack a**'es between trailers so tight you can't get out of your parking spot with out unhooking your trailer
.
They finally got a plow for one of their trucks and now they try to plow it and it is better than what it has been.
They still try to stack the single cars between trailers
I feel better now......
The plowing that the FS is doing just started in the last year or so.
As they have always told us since Vail became a pay for use site, that CDOT plows the road. Well enough complaining about them stacking jack a**'es between trailers so tight you can't get out of your parking spot with out unhooking your trailer
. They finally got a plow for one of their trucks and now they try to plow it and it is better than what it has been.
They still try to stack the single cars between trailers
I feel better now......
Grooming funds come from Colorado State Parks with the help of CSA (Colorado Snowmobile Association) just like the snowmobile clubs get. Most of that is coming from off-road registrations. The Vail Task Force has received funding for it's groomer and grooming from CSA. The $6 goes to other stuff like managing the area. Fencing off areas that sled shouldn't be in and keeping peace between the skiers/boarders and sledders.
I agree on the parking thing. I think they are just trying to "park" as many people as possible for better or worse results. It's one of the reasons I went to a sled deck. Get there early or miss out. Rabbit Ears is the same way at the Muddy Pass lot on weekends.
So there still seems to be some confusion?
is the forest service using the $6 to paying for the grooming or is it OHV fee?
???
Grooming funds come from Colorado State Parks with the help of CSA (Colorado Snowmobile Association) just like the snowmobile clubs get. Most of that is coming from off-road registrations. The Vail Task Force has received funding for it's groomer and grooming from CSA. The $6 goes to other stuff like managing the area. Fencing off areas that sled shouldn't be in and keeping peace between the skiers/boarders and sledders.
or
???
I have called them out on that and as it stands according to the FS 95% of your $6 stays in the fee area (5% goes to buy unmanned drones/bombs and **** like that). So a sizeable chunk of that $6 is going towards grooming trails within the area in conjunction with our $30.25 OHV registrations. I have spoken with members of the Vail Pass Task Force as well (who owns the cat that grooms these trails) and apparently the budget to groom on Vail Pass is about $65k per year. $50K from the Forest Service (your $6) and about a $15k grant from the state (OHV registrations).
No wonder all the XC skiers are so pissed to pay the $6. They are helping pay for our groomed snowmobile trails!
is the forest service using the $6 to paying for the grooming or is it OHV fee?
???
Grooming funds come from Colorado State Parks with the help of CSA (Colorado Snowmobile Association) just like the snowmobile clubs get. Most of that is coming from off-road registrations. The Vail Task Force has received funding for it's groomer and grooming from CSA. The $6 goes to other stuff like managing the area. Fencing off areas that sled shouldn't be in and keeping peace between the skiers/boarders and sledders.
or
???
I have called them out on that and as it stands according to the FS 95% of your $6 stays in the fee area (5% goes to buy unmanned drones/bombs and **** like that). So a sizeable chunk of that $6 is going towards grooming trails within the area in conjunction with our $30.25 OHV registrations. I have spoken with members of the Vail Pass Task Force as well (who owns the cat that grooms these trails) and apparently the budget to groom on Vail Pass is about $65k per year. $50K from the Forest Service (your $6) and about a $15k grant from the state (OHV registrations).
No wonder all the XC skiers are so pissed to pay the $6. They are helping pay for our groomed snowmobile trails!
No, they're PAYING to keep us off of the REST of the areas where we can't go. They pay so that we stay ON those trails.
Grooming is one benefit we get from the $6 fee. FS throws in approx. 50K per year. The State has consistently thrown in 12-16K per year as well for grooming.
Grab a map, it states specifically what these fees are used for. Once again pretty damn good deal for the sledders!
Made it up there today for a day of truly bottomless riding! DEEP!!!
Grab a map, it states specifically what these fees are used for. Once again pretty damn good deal for the sledders!
Made it up there today for a day of truly bottomless riding! DEEP!!!
You "hand" them your license to confirm you are who you say you are. It happens all over this great country.
Idunno, maybe they put a radio frequency chip in it to track you!
You need an identification to buy a season pass.
I suppose it could be any government I.D.
They just use your license to put your address and legal name on your season pass.
Yup, they "take" your license while you go get unloaded and suited up. On the way out, stop by the office and grab your pass.
If you insisted, you could probably stand around in the cold while they do the paperwork. They're trying to be helpful.
I've got a fair number of days at VP over the past few years. ONE ranger was a jerk one morning, we discussed it, fine since - and I've not seen him this year.
The rest are really cool guys, frankly.
I agree with the people who wonder why the non-snowmobile-powered BC skiers spend time on the south side of the highway, when there's a lovely skintrack RIGHT across the bridge.
I also wonder why the hardcore mountain sledders go to VP & complain about the groomers/all the other users.
Vail Pass, to me, makes sense for two groups:
- Tourists
- Sled-access skiers
When I say "tourists," I mean either the groups on rentals looking petrified OR the private cat owners OR the "midwestern" sledders who want groomed trails and do the "trail ride" thing. Not being disparaging; just a description.
Sled-access skiers and snowboarders - duh. The place is absolutely fantastic for that.
I'm a skier, I use a sled for access, and I really, really like VP. $40/year to get groomed roads that make it stupid-easy to ski untracked snow? Sure! That's damned near free compared to the cost of everything else.
When I want to just go ride my sled, I don't go to VP. I _know_ there's a lot of good stuff there, but I kinda hate groomed trails when it comes to _snowmobiling_. Much like skiing; I left the ski resorts because everything gets tracked out or groomed way too fast. I love the groomed roads when I'm using them to go skiing, could not be bothered with them if I'm just out riding the sled. It seems to me that there's WAY better places to go ride sleds than Vail Pass.
Who knows. I think the rangers at VP do a great job for the most part (one negative experience out of probably 80-100 trips there), $6/day or $40/year is cheap. I still don't see how they (Forest Service? State of CO?) make any money collecting $6/day - labor can't be that cheap, and what's a groomer cost? $100k?
Absolutely not complaining. I hope they double the price and 49% fewer people show up
If you insisted, you could probably stand around in the cold while they do the paperwork. They're trying to be helpful.
I've got a fair number of days at VP over the past few years. ONE ranger was a jerk one morning, we discussed it, fine since - and I've not seen him this year.
The rest are really cool guys, frankly.
I agree with the people who wonder why the non-snowmobile-powered BC skiers spend time on the south side of the highway, when there's a lovely skintrack RIGHT across the bridge.
I also wonder why the hardcore mountain sledders go to VP & complain about the groomers/all the other users.
Vail Pass, to me, makes sense for two groups:
- Tourists
- Sled-access skiers
When I say "tourists," I mean either the groups on rentals looking petrified OR the private cat owners OR the "midwestern" sledders who want groomed trails and do the "trail ride" thing. Not being disparaging; just a description.
Sled-access skiers and snowboarders - duh. The place is absolutely fantastic for that.
I'm a skier, I use a sled for access, and I really, really like VP. $40/year to get groomed roads that make it stupid-easy to ski untracked snow? Sure! That's damned near free compared to the cost of everything else.
When I want to just go ride my sled, I don't go to VP. I _know_ there's a lot of good stuff there, but I kinda hate groomed trails when it comes to _snowmobiling_. Much like skiing; I left the ski resorts because everything gets tracked out or groomed way too fast. I love the groomed roads when I'm using them to go skiing, could not be bothered with them if I'm just out riding the sled. It seems to me that there's WAY better places to go ride sleds than Vail Pass.
Who knows. I think the rangers at VP do a great job for the most part (one negative experience out of probably 80-100 trips there), $6/day or $40/year is cheap. I still don't see how they (Forest Service? State of CO?) make any money collecting $6/day - labor can't be that cheap, and what's a groomer cost? $100k?
Absolutely not complaining. I hope they double the price and 49% fewer people show up
When I bought a season pass they took my drivers liscense number. I assume its used as a way to cross check identity if needed. Not too worried though as the FS is an arm of the gov't. I am sure all that information is readily availble if they wanted it.
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