Roadless area, Colorado

ryanbauman23

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 8, 2014
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Middleton, Idaho
Can someone explain the designated "Roadless Areas" in Nation Forest in Colorado. I see established roads or trails on the map in these areas but I am curious how it works. Do these roads and trails get gated off? Do people just go around the gates anyway?
 

Beendare

WKR
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May 6, 2014
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Corripe cervisiam
Roadless is hit and miss.

I've seen it in CO, MT, AZ where guys on ATV's totally disregard these restrictions. One area in the Castles in MT looked like a highway so many guys going around the gates. I was walking a closed road in AZ and almost got run over by a side by side.

Counting on a closed road being closed is an iffy strategy.

Some guys advocate popping the tires of rigs found using these closed roads....and I can't say I blame them....it might teach the lawbreakers a lesson.


__
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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A few years back my buddy and I were hiking out and found a truck that had gone around the barriers for the closed trail. Well, there were some large boulders just off to the side that took every bit of pushing and pulling to get them onto the trail, blocking the truck in. If it was just a single guy I doubt that he was able to move them. Hopefully he had to call for help.
 
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
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San Antonio
A few years back my buddy and I were hiking out and found a truck that had gone around the barriers for the closed trail. Well, there were some large boulders just off to the side that took every bit of pushing and pulling to get them onto the trail, blocking the truck in. If it was just a single guy I doubt that he was able to move them. Hopefully he had to call for help.

It irks me to no end to find tracks where I've walked 2 miles to get to legally, but that's pretty eff'd up to do to someone and leave. In the right (wrong) conditions you could cost somebody their life. I think a pic and GPS coords to the truck and a call to the local authorities is a much better way to go, even popping a tire like the post above said would be better... or keying the vehicle.
 

Poser

WKR
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Durango CO
A few years back my buddy and I were hiking out and found a truck that had gone around the barriers for the closed trail. Well, there were some large boulders just off to the side that took every bit of pushing and pulling to get them onto the trail, blocking the truck in. If it was just a single guy I doubt that he was able to move them. Hopefully he had to call for help.

 

4ester

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Nov 2, 2014
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Steep and Deep
A few years back my buddy and I were hiking out and found a truck that had gone around the barriers for the closed trail. Well, there were some large boulders just off to the side that took every bit of pushing and pulling to get them onto the trail, blocking the truck in. If it was just a single guy I doubt that he was able to move them. Hopefully he had to call for help.

They guy went around road closed signs to get there I’m sure. He knew damn well what he was doing. I hate lazy people.

I’d have done the same thing or worse. Small pebble under a valve stem (or two) would work too. Or tossed his keys back in the bushes.




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5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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It irks me to no end to find tracks where I've walked 2 miles to get to legally, but that's pretty eff'd up to do to someone and leave. In the right (wrong) conditions you could cost somebody their life. I think a pic and GPS coords to the truck and a call to the local authorities is a much better way to go, even popping a tire like the post above said would be better... or keying the vehicle.

Seriously? Destroying private property is better in your eyes than moving some boulders around in the woods? Seriously????? SMH

The only one that would have cost him his life would have been him, for going around the barriers in the first place. You reap what you sow. And yes, if I went around barriers to get further into the back country and someone did the same to me, then I'm reaping what I sowed. No one to blame other than yourself.
 
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Seriously? Destroying private property is better in your eyes than moving some boulders around in the woods? Seriously????? SMH

The only one that would have cost him his life would have been him, for going around the barriers in the first place. You reap what you sow. And yes, if I went around barriers to get further into the back country and someone did the same to me, then I'm reaping what I sowed. No one to blame other than yourself.

I'm not looking to take someone's life for being a tool. These idiots drove in for whatever reason and probably assume they can drive out, doubtful they're aware enough to plan for unforeseen circumstances like having to pack out on foot or stay overnight. If there's two guys then I find the boulders hilarious and they can talk about it while they move them, but we have no way of knowing. So yes, I think property damage like keying the vehicle or whatever is much better considering the consequences even though minute. I'm not advocating for property damage though, if you read my post I'm advocating documenting their crime and having parks & wildlife handle it, that's the proper way and the best way for them to learn long term and exactly what I'd do if I ever manage to find more than just tracks.
 
Joined
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I'm not looking to take someone's life for being a tool. These idiots drove in for whatever reason and probably assume they can drive out, doubtful they're aware enough to plan for unforeseen circumstances like having to pack out on foot or stay overnight. If there's two guys then I find the boulders hilarious and they can talk about it while they move them, but we have no way of knowing. So yes, I think property damage like keying the vehicle or whatever is much better considering the consequences even though minute. I'm not advocating for property damage though, if you read my post I'm advocating documenting their crime and having parks & wildlife handle it, that's the proper way and the best way for them to learn long term and exactly what I'd do if I ever manage to find more than just tracks.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the guy's truck probably had more than two manpower or .231 horsepower under the hood, so if two dudes can move it I reckon his truck could too. Then, he is causing property damage to his own.

And...if he can't figure out how to move a boulder with his truck and dies, that's just a little chlorine in the gene pool.
 

11boo

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Grand Jct, CO
Yeah, some of the “roadless” places are just old roads/trails closed to vehicle traffic. They are cool, till you hump in for miles then hear some jackazz coming up on an ATV.

Hears a good one. Had a guy from Texas up working for me in Colorado, and he brought his ATV. Came into work one Monday mad as heck. Seems he was riding his ATV over the weekend, thought the signs and gates were a mere suggestion the road was closed. Apparently he bushwhacked around the closure, went in a couple miles to some high lakes. Went down in the shoreline and lakebed and tore it up, while a couple of hikers were videoing the whole thing. The hikers called it in, FS met him at the gate when he came out.

i think it was about 400.00 for the violations, but he had to go to court over the restoration of the lakebed. Seems like it was big $$. I thought it was kind of funny, but Tex didn’t.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Colorado Springs
I'm not looking to take someone's life for being a tool. These idiots drove in for whatever reason and probably assume they can drive out, doubtful they're aware enough to plan for unforeseen circumstances like having to pack out on foot or stay overnight. If there's two guys then I find the boulders hilarious and they can talk about it while they move them, but we have no way of knowing. So yes, I think property damage like keying the vehicle or whatever is much better considering the consequences even though minute.

It would be pretty easy to move the boulders with even a tiny bit of cerebral ingenuity even if by themselves. On the other hand, if he arrives at the truck half dead as you've presumed in a minute case, then even the flat tire could cost him his life while he's attempting to change it. Or having the flat tire force him off the trail if he was so close to death that he couldn't change it. Lots of "what if's". But the best "what if" would be........what if people were actually smart enough to figure out that the barriers across the trail actually meant something.
 

Poser

WKR
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Durango CO
Yeah, some of the “roadless” places are just old roads/trails closed to vehicle traffic. They are cool, till you hump in for miles then hear some jackazz coming up on an ATV.

Hears a good one. Had a guy from Texas up working for me in Colorado, and he brought his ATV. Came into work one Monday mad as heck. Seems he was riding his ATV over the weekend, thought the signs and gates were a mere suggestion the road was closed. Apparently he bushwhacked around the closure, went in a couple miles to some high lakes. Went down in the shoreline and lakebed and tore it up, while a couple of hikers were videoing the whole thing. The hikers called it in, FS met him at the gate when he came out.

i think it was about 400.00 for the violations, but he had to go to court over the restoration of the lakebed. Seems like it was big $$. I thought it was kind of funny, but Tex didn’t.

Was this in the Silverton area?
 
Joined
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San Antonio
It would be pretty easy to move the boulders with even a tiny bit of cerebral ingenuity even if by themselves. On the other hand, if he arrives at the truck half dead as you've presumed in a minute case, then even the flat tire could cost him his life while he's attempting to change it. Or having the flat tire force him off the trail if he was so close to death that he couldn't change it. Lots of "what if's". But the best "what if" would be........what if people were actually smart enough to figure out that the barriers across the trail actually meant something.

That would be optimal, lol, but we all know that ain't happening.
 
Joined
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Colorado
Some guys advocate popping the tires of rigs found using these closed roads....and I can't say I blame them....it might teach the lawbreakers a lesson.


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I have never done this personally but I know someone who has. That is to carry a valve stem tool. Simply remove the valve cores and place them on the seat of the ATV/UTV. Maybe attach with a little piece of electrical tape. This way you have not stooped to their level of breaking a law which in your case would be vandalism causing damage to their vehicle. You have simply immobilized it. If they can come up with a valve core tool and a compressor they are on their way. ;)
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Tijeras NM
It irks me to no end to find tracks where I've walked 2 miles to get to legally, but that's pretty eff'd up to do to someone and leave. In the right (wrong) conditions you could cost somebody their life. I think a pic and GPS coords to the truck and a call to the local authorities is a much better way to go, even popping a tire like the post above said would be better... or keying the vehicle.

Doubtful. I've hunted a roadless wilderness area several times in NM and did exactly as you mentioned with g&f. Even talked to a long hair forest service worker less than 10 miles away on another occasion to which he replied "that's not my area but I'll call the g&f". You guessed it. Nothing was done.....
 
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