Park County Road 696

[k_fergie]

I just got back from a long weekend of solo spring skiing, and it was overall quite excellent. However, one issue arose that I figure I'd let everyone here know about. I had some spooky collapsing in the new storm snow farther north in the Tenmile range with over a foot of new snow, so I made an impromptu decision to head down towards the more mellow Mosquito Pass peaks that I orphaned (Evans B, Pennsylvania, and London) via a quick 3-pack from Park County Road 696. I had limited cell service and didn't do my research before hand, but did recall something about access issues here. I figured with a public road accessing public land I'd be able to make something work. However, as soon as I turned off the main Mosquito pass road onto 696, I came to a large gate, cameras, and angry signs. Across a public road.

Now that I am back home, I am doing a little more research and see that this has been an issue before and that apparently the county had to get involved to re-open the road in 2017. Link: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=18886. And that it was open, but there were known issues in 2015 as well, had been closed in the past. Link: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=15961

Who should I call to go get this fixed? It seems like maybe I should try Park County first, but my guess is that they simply don't give a s**t since its been a repeated problem. Given the scale of this automated gate, I'd bet anything its the owners of a mine up there (can't tell from Park County Assessor, some LLC). Would USFS be able to do anything? I did check the parcels, this is a public road that goes to USFS public land.

[cardgenius]

Yeah I’d bet it’s the mine operators. About 4-5 years ago a couple workers got quite angry that some buddies and I were camped off that road on just a normal pullout. It had obvious dispersed camping spots with multiple fire rings back there so we just picked one. No signs anywhere and it was right off that public road.

Even though we were at least a half mile from the main entrance, they threatened to call the Sheriff if we didn’t leave. We stayed and nothing ended up happening. Definitely don’t remember seeing a big ass gate out there.

[Chicago Transplant]

I climbed Penn from that side in 2009 and don't remember any issues, maybe that is before this became a problem or before the current ownership? I guess it does go towards the argument that this is a historically public access though. I have always done Penn from Pika TH or Mtn View Rd TH in my subsequent repeats but have been up Mosquito Pass Road in winter and parked at the pullout at the bottom of that split with no incident.

[derekpetrie]

I’d say good luck. The LLC that owns the land entered a joint venture with Bunker Hill mining in 2021. Seems as that side of Mosquito Pass holds potential for $250M-$500M of gold deposits along with other metals.

If the gate is truly on USFS property, the road itself still only leads to what is now an active mine. I doubt there will be much interest from the county or the USFS to get the mine owners to move a gate less than half a mile up a road which has the sole purpose of private mine access. It may even be that case the mining JV has taken over improvements and maintenance of 696.

If I’m reading the maps right, this could even lead to a permanent closure of public access to the east side of mosquito pass

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-rele ... orado.html

[rijaca]

FYI:

https://bunkerhillmining.com/news-and-m ... n-colorado

[k_fergie]

Thanks for the information everyone! I'll do some reading today.

I’d say good luck. The LLC that owns the land entered a joint venture with Bunker Hill mining in 2021. Seems as that side of Mosquito Pass holds potential for $250M-$500M of gold deposits along with other metals.

If the gate is truly on USFS property, the road itself still only leads to what is now an active mine. I doubt there will be much interest from the county or the USFS to get the mine owners to move a gate less than half a mile up a road which has the sole purpose of private mine access. It may even be that case the mining JV has taken over improvements and maintenance of 696.

If I’m reading the maps right, this could even lead to a permanent closure of public access to the east side of mosquito pass

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-rele ... orado.html

The gate is right on the property line of the mine, but the critical part is that the road continues through their private property (with a documented county easement) to USFS land. They are effectively hijacking the public land by closing a public road

[dwoodward13]

Thanks for the information everyone! I'll do some reading today.

I’d say good luck. The LLC that owns the land entered a joint venture with Bunker Hill mining in 2021. Seems as that side of Mosquito Pass holds potential for $250M-$500M of gold deposits along with other metals.

If the gate is truly on USFS property, the road itself still only leads to what is now an active mine. I doubt there will be much interest from the county or the USFS to get the mine owners to move a gate less than half a mile up a road which has the sole purpose of private mine access. It may even be that case the mining JV has taken over improvements and maintenance of 696.

If I’m reading the maps right, this could even lead to a permanent closure of public access to the east side of mosquito pass

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-rele ... orado.html

The gate is right on the property line of the mine, but the critical part is that the road continues through their private property (with a documented county easement) to USFS land. They are effectively hijacking the public land by closing a public road

Reminds me a lot of the Lake Irwin/Green Lake saga outside of CB. That road was gated at the property line in 2016 if I remember correctly, and just now in 2022 it might be going to trial.... And thats just one dude vs a multi million dollar mining operation! This of course is a playbook played out all over the west. Gate a (formerly) public road, and block access to public lands beyond. Have the case get tied up in courts for years ($$) hoping whoever just gives up and you get your own private parcel of "public" lands.

https://crestedbuttenews.com/2022/06/gr ... w-rulings/

[SkaredShtles]

Is it possible that it is simply a seasonal closure? Here it appears folks were driving to the pass from that side last summer:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... quito-pass

[k_fergie]

Reminds me a lot of the Lake Irwin/Green Lake saga outside of CB. That road was gated at the property line in 2016 if I remember correctly, and just now in 2022 it might be going to trial.... And thats just one dude vs a multi million dollar mining operation! This of course is a playbook played out all over the west. Gate a (formerly) public road, and block access to public lands beyond. Have the case get tied up in courts for years ($$) hoping whoever just gives up and you get your own private parcel of "public" lands.

https://crestedbuttenews.com/2022/06/gr ... w-rulings/

Yeah that is what I am worried about happening here. You're right that its a common playbook that is unfortunately quite effective.

[k_fergie]

Is it possible that it is simply a seasonal closure? Here it appears folks were driving to the pass from that side last summer:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... quito-pass

That is a different road that is still under seasonal closure. CR696 branches off the main Mosquito Pass road and heads up south mosquito creek before hitting the seasonal closure point on Mosquito Pass

[aholle88]

Is it possible that it is simply a seasonal closure? Here it appears folks were driving to the pass from that side last summer:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colo ... quito-pass

696 is not Mosquito pass Rd. It's a turn off a bit east of where Mosquito heads up. Ultimately all of these peaks are easily accessible from other ways and this is not that big of a deal, not like people are missing much by not being able to access that one little area. It's been an issue for years, the owners are clearly crazy, simple enough to leave it alone and get the peaks from the other very easily accessible trailheads.

[Chicago Transplant]

Yeah the bigger picture is what worries me too, while right now this is a localized issue at South Mosquito Creek and there are alternate ways to access the peaks, the map in the Bunker Hill links shows private parcels all over the main Mosquito Pass road that if they turn these into active mines will shut these peaks down. The part labeled "West London Exploration Area" goes right through the London-Repeater saddle on the main Mosquito Pass road for example, and the entire west ridge of London is bisected by their property as is the east side of Mosquito and the areas around Cooney Lake you go through to access these peaks.