The road to Eldo

Sorry guys and gals, but I haven't been to Eldo in almost a year. I know it is a shame, but while visiting today I could not believe the condition of the road. It's been graded and in near superhighway condition. There was a thread on M.P. a few months ago about how nasty the road has gotten with some dispute about who was going to pay for the repairs. Well it seems to have been decided and thanks (kind of) to the people who had to pay for it. I say kind of because I first went into the canyon in 1970 and it was bad then. It was always bad until they recently fixed it and I kinda got used to it being bad because it became some of the Eldo experience for me. Well that is now changed and the new road is just not the same! I actually missed all of the holes and bumps! Someone please reassure me that the road will eventually get back to it's old ratty self again soon because of the weather and erosion. Somehow it is just not right in it's present condition and I'm sure the residents are in agreement that it needs some bumps etc. to bring itself back to the good old road that it has been over the years. The rest of the park was it's beautiful self as usual.

That, and Mike McHugh is killing the poison ivy, and the Bastille descent trail keeps getting fixed up by someone... it's getting cushy down there!

if you are talking about the road through the little town (before you actually get into the park), rest assured that it will look like the surface of the moon in a couple months.

This is a semi-annual process, I beleive just after labor day and memorial day... and it was a dry september.

Nick Wilder wrote:That, and Mike McHugh is killing the poison ivy, and the Bastille descent trail keeps getting fixed up by someone... it's getting cushy down there!

It's totally becoming a sport/convenience park. Why, back when I was learning...

The section of dirt road between the end of pavement and State Park is owned by Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc. and since the maintanance is done by them (not mainained by Boulder County at all) it would explain why the road is usually so nasty. The road is one of the largest points of frustration in living in Eldorado Springs, as either 1)it is really bumpy, or 2)people are driving really fast through town, or 3) It is bumpy AND people drive fast.

Since the road is privately owned, there is no lawful enforcement of the posted 10 MPH speed limit, and I know of 4 dogs in the last 5 years that have been hit by cars. There was also a really bad accident last winter where a woman got her leg severed by a car. Some residents have been known to throw rocks at speeding cars and on one occasion a driver was threatened at gunpoint!

Please drive slowly through Eldo. And yes, it will be back to it's bumpy state in no time.

Shawn,
Comparing Eldo to Sport Park......wow, I am at a loss for words. I do hope you were kidding.

I concur, go slow.
Afterall, there is no point in rushing towards another pleasant encounter with the seasonal ranger at the entrance station. Somewhere there is a Junior High missing a vice principal. The park is full.......

I would second Brad on this one. When I was driving out this morning in the rain, we commented that it wouldn't take long for the road to revert to its bumpy, potholed state once the dirt is lubricated and drains into the creek. PLEASE drive slowly on the road!

Brad Bond wrote:The section of dirt road between the end of pavement and State Park is owned by Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc. and since the maintenance is done by them (not maintained by Boulder County at all) it would explain why the road is usually so nasty. The road is one of the largest points of frustration in living in Eldorado Springs, as either 1)it is really bumpy, or 2)people are driving really fast through town, or 3) It is bumpy AND people drive fast. Since the road is privately owned, there is no lawful enforcement of the posted 10 MPH speed limit, and I know of 4 dogs in the last 5 years that have been hit by cars. There was also a really bad accident last winter where a woman got her leg severed by a car. Some residents have been known to throw rocks at speeding cars and on one occasion a driver was threatened at gunpoint! Please drive slowly through Eldo. And yes, it will be back to it's bumpy state in no time.

A delicate situation for many people. Drivers would be best to recognize that, and so would home-owners.

Brad Bond wrote: I know of 4 dogs in the last 5 years that have been hit by cars.

A damn shame.

Brad Bond wrote: There was also a really bad accident last winter where a woman got her leg severed by a car.

Even Worse!

Brad Bond wrote: Some residents have been known to throw rocks at speeding cars

A good opportunity to get arrested, beaten up, or sued. This is illegal no matter what is going on. I hope nobody ever assaults me or my property that way, because I can't say in advance what sort of reaction I'd have. I know that I physically pulled a guy out of his car window on Broadway for throwing a smoke bomb into my open car window 15 years ago. The whole situation didn't go well for that prankster and I don't even have that bad of a temper. I wonder what might happen if you really drew the wild-card and got a real hot-head? I'm not sure who the law would side with if someone 'defended their property' against this sort of stuff, but I'm sure that it wouldn't go well for anybody. Consider this - the last time I threw anything at a moving car was in 2nd grade... and I knew it was wrong and dangerous even then, and I got my butt whopped for it besides.

Brad Bond wrote:and on one occasion a driver was threatened at gunpoint!

That is at the very least Felony Menacing, probably Disorderly Conduct, and may be Reckless Endangerment unless the person with the gun was threatened with danger of life and limb at the time that the weapon was drawn.
IE: just ask (former) Officer Derrick Curtis Saunders. (google)
If someone wants to loose their guns to the courts and then pay some fines and do some time, they should try this out. If not prepared to pull the trigger, a person can get hurt (or killed) for drawing a gun, THEN go to jail on top of that. Colorado is a pretty gun friendly state, but you can't just go pointing them at people, no matter what we think of their driving. Please mention that to whoever thinks that's OK. Guns have a time and place, but is it over someone's perception of who/what is speeding? Escalating that sort of situation to a threat of deadly force is just proof of bad judgment and makes responsible gun-owners look bad too, even though they'd never do it.

Jim Gloeckler wrote:Shawn, Comparing Eldo to Sport Park......wow, I am at a loss for words. I do hope you were kidding.

Totally kidding, Jim. :)

Yeah! This is ridiculous! Only one person every summer is being crushed by rockfall, wtf?!

For all these years, I thought the Denver Water Board maintained the non paved part of the road outside the park. No matter, it will be washboarded and nasty again in no time.
Too bad the Volvo graveyard is gone, dodging 'em really kept speeds down.