DeCaLiBron Closed to public access?

[Somewhat of a Prick]

I feel really really bad for the landowners near the Quandary trailhead.

The road has been signed for no parking and they now give tickets for anyone parking along the road. Everyone has to park in the parking lot now.

Thats good to hear

[Candace66]

Others have helped me with this, so... (just use the code in the YouTube link and insert between the 2 "YouTubeVideo" thingys)

Ah, I see the problem: I should just use the video identifier without the rest of the URL before it, thanks.

...it seems to me like the current situation would not save the landowners from the liability they claim to be trying to avoid. these trails and peaks have been consistently open to hikers on a longstanding basis, such that a reasonable person going there would not be expected to know they are currently closed. if there are currently no clearly posted signs or other physical barriers to prevent access, then you can't expect a notice of closure on a website hardly anyone visits to provide you any legal protection. if someone gets hurt and decides to sue, the landowners would have to show that person knew they weren't supposed to be there. the current efforts being made are not nearly sufficient to demonstrate an honest effort by the landowners to inform people of the closure.

Yep, I'm not sure exactly how they are covering their "tails" right now.


A little more background on that 2015 video: That was filmed on Saturday morning. I'd camped in the area (slept in the back of my SUV) the night before that. But thankfully not near Kite Lake!

Instead I had driven a little ways up the side road that climbs to Dolly Varden Mine, etc. Friday evening and night, I was stunned by the number of vehicles coming up the road toward Kite Lake. I couldn't imagine where all those people were going to camp, even assuming some would sleep in their vehicles.

Here's a still photo of the area right around the trailhead. Like the video, the was taken from the Emma Lake trail on Saturday morning...

[zhumphrey7]

Can anyone confirm if Democrat is still closed? Trying to find a definitive answer and am finding conflicting info. Some AllTrails trip reports are dated within the last say or 2 for example.

[TaylorHolt]

Can anyone confirm if Democrat is still closed? Trying to find a definitive answer and am finding conflicting info. Some AllTrails trip reports are dated within the last say or 2 for example.

Same status on the forest service page. Kite Lake open, DeCaLiBron summits still closed:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/r ... ecid=12844

[rperth]

There are no signs at kite lake stating the summits are closed. People are hiking them everyday. I’m not even sure how up to date that Forrest service web site is.

[myfeetrock]

There are no signs at kite lake stating the summits are closed. People are hiking them everyday. I’m not even sure how up to date that Forrest service web site is.

I just spoke with the South Park ranger district at 10:10am and the lady said "they are CLOSED"! If you are hiking them, you are going to ruin it for the rest of us!

[greenonion]

There are no signs at kite lake stating the summits are closed. People are hiking them everyday. I’m not even sure how up to date that Forrest service web site is.

I just spoke with the South Park ranger district at 10:10am and the lady said "they are CLOSED"! If you are hiking them, you are going to ruin it for the rest of us!

They really need to post this info prominently on an updated website and out near the TH for all to clearly see. While there are supposed negotiations going on with the landowners I get the feeling they might be doing a half assed job of posting this info just so they can say “see everyone is still trespassing”. Doesn’t seem to be a good faith effort on part of landowners but I hope I’m absolutely wrong.

[IntrepidXJ]

If you are hiking them, you are going to ruin it for the rest of us!

While I would normally agree with this sentiment, if they are not signing the area properly and prominently, I can't really fault people for not knowing any better at this point...

[myfeetrock]

If you are hiking them, you are going to ruin it for the rest of us!

While I would normally agree with this sentiment, if they are not signing the area properly and prominently, I can't really fault people for not knowing any better at this point...

Tell that to the game warden when he fines you, takes your gun, and you're hunting privileges because you were unknowingly hunting on private property. I'm just hearing too many people say "but every one else is doing it". I'm sure more know than don't, but they are playing the "I didn't see any signs" card. I just want to take my daughter there this summer, and it may not happen if people really don't care what the authorities say.

[JChitwood]

What a load of crap these 150 year old mining claims are. Buy an old claim for pennies then extort whatever user group you can. I hope hundreds of hikers a day continue to go up there. Of course I won’t be one of them who wants to take a chance on getting fined or arrested?

[rperth]

What a load of crap these 150 year old mining claims are. Buy an old claim for pennies then extort whatever user group you can. I hope hundreds of hikers a day continue to go up there. Of course I won’t be one of them who wants to take a chance on getting fined or arrested?

Arrested. LOL.

[seano]

I'm sure more know than don't, but they are playing the "I didn't see any signs" card.

There seems to be an easy solution: almost everyone drives up a single road to a single parking lot, then hikes a single trail. Put up a sign at the parking lot, and no one has plausible deniability. If you expect everyone to obsessively check a semi-popular website, or study maps to find inholdings and suss out their owners' current whims, expect to be disappointed.