Eldo - After Hours Parking Violation

Last night, a few of us climbed at Peanuts Wall, finishing the evening of climbing with a couple of top rope runs as the sun was setting.

We returned to our vehicles with a "Courtesy Notice" that indicated the park is open from dawn to dusk. The time noted on the notice is 8:15 pm - just after dusk. The vehicle's license plate is also noted on the notice. The individual who signed the notice is B. Phillips.

I have a 20+ year history of climbing in Eldo after work once a week during the warmer months. Never before have we seen one of these notices.

I have a few questions. Mike McHugh, or others in the know, please provide comments / direction.

- has a decision recently been made to enforce the Eldo dusk closure?

- is a second (or third) offense going to result in a fine? If so, how much is the fine?

- if we wanted to climb, for example, Yellow Spur after work, and enjoy the sunset up on top, is this no longer okay? Can we continued to do so without getting fined? Should we park outside the park in order to avoid being fined?

Wally

Wouldn't asking the park officials be a better way to go? Seems like you might get more accurate answers.

FrankPS wrote:Wouldn't asking the park officials be a better way to go? Seems like you might get more accurate answers.

yeah but this gets a good narrative going, i'm curious about this, as well as i'm sure other are too.

Seems springtime in Eldo usually has a couple of new, overly zealous rangers..

FWIW: I build trails, pull weeds, clean bathrooms, plow roads, and such. When I can, I try to pass along useful information about park facilities and closures. I have nothing to do with law enforcement.

You can always call the park office and ask directly. I don't know how often the rangers check this site, and have no idea if they'll respond in a forum.

Thankfully, the gate at the bottom of the canyon is courteous enough to open as you drive up to it.

From what I remember, parking outside the canyon is a bigger hassle than receiving "Courtesy Notices." It's probably time for a personal conversation with a ranger.

Share what you find out.

Courtesy notices are just that, a courtesy and a reminder of the posted rules. Making a public issue out of it can only make it more of an issue that it already was. Wally, I know you have been climbing in eldo forever. I suggest you delete this thread and keep any after hours to yourself. You will need every poster on this thread to delete their post before you can delete the thread.

FrankPS wrote:Wouldn't asking the park officials be a better way to go? Seems like you might get more accurate answers.

It's the way of the internet. Why go directly to the source when you can have others do it for you?

That being said it's still an interesting topic. I would imagine they would fine alot of people in the summer months!

The general rule is that if you are there after dusk you need to call for a rescue.

Thanks for the responses.

Yeah - there was a phone number on the Violation. It is at home - I will call the park tomorrow.

Overly zealous ranger is what I am thinking (hoping) as well.

Mike - cool - thanks.

Cornelius - many of us have considered the dusk closure to be a loosely interpreted rule that suggests it is time to leave the park at dusk, which is typically what happens. Of course if you are at the top of the Yellow Spur at dusk, the "leaving the park" event takes a bit of time.

Yes, I will share what I find out.

Greg - it is common knowledge to the Eldo rangers and staff that some climbers remain in Eldo after dusk. My thought is it is good to have dialogue on the issue. Last summer at dusk a ranger was making his final rounds and we were racking up at the base of the Bastille for a quick ascent of the Bastille Crack by headlamp. The ranger waived and smiled - expressed no concern at all.

Long Duk Dong - not true at all. Pretty typical for many climbers wanting to maximize the day and the climbing experience and the resulting rap and or walk out by headlamp.

Wally

Wally wrote:Thanks for the responses. Yeah - there was a phone number on the Violation. It is at home - I will call the park tomorrow. Overly zealous ranger is what I am thinking (hoping) as well. Mike - cool - thanks. Cornelius - many of us have considered the dusk closure to be a loosely interpreted rule that suggests it is time to leave the park at dusk, which is typically what happens. Of course if you are at the top of the Yellow Spur at dusk, the "leaving the park" event takes a bit of time. Yes, I will share what I find out. Greg - it is common knowledge to the Eldo rangers and staff that some climbers remain in Eldo after dusk. My thought is it is good to have dialogue on the issue. Last summer at dusk a ranger was making his final rounds and we were racking up at the base of the Bastille for a quick ascent of the Bastille Crack by headlamp. The ranger waived and smiled - expressed no concern at all. Long Duk Dong - not true at all. Pretty typical for many climbers wanting to maximize the day and the climbing experience and the resulting rap and or walk out by headlamp. Wally

How can a warning be called "Overly zealous"? Towing the car would be over "Overly zealous"?

Sounds like someone working there is actually doing their job and patrolling the park that we love.

Better to have someone remind us of the rules and show a presence than have the place deteriorate.

K Weber wrote: How can a warning be called "Overly zealous"? Towing the car would be over "Overly zealous"? Sounds like someone working there is actually doing their job and patrolling the park that we love. Better to have someone remind us of the rules and show a presence than have the place deteriorate.

rock erodes faster at night i forgot

Did anyone think that this may be more of a safety check instead of attempting to cite an individual for an infraction?

There has been a lot of rain lately, rocks are soaring through the skies in the canyons, and more people than in '98 are climbing after dusk. It seems reasonable to assume that a concerned ranger would put a note on peoples car, especially when there are forecasts(usually wrong) showing rain in the night. And if the car still had a note on it when the next shift comes on, time to find some climbers.

It also seems like a pretty gentle way to remind people that even though everyone has been breaking the rules for decades, its still against the rules. I'm sure they had every right to actually ticket you, but they didn't. They could have towed the car. Hell they could have keyed it. There are literally a million things they could have done that would have been more zealous.

Hello all - I spoke to an Eldo ranger this afternoon. The person was quite cool and seemed to understand that sometimes climbers aren't able to return to their vehicles by dusk.

I sense the message is try to leave the park by dusk, but the rangers understand that sometimes climbers are not able to return to their vehicles by then.

And Eliot - I agree with you - it could be a safety check. If that courtesy notice is still on the vehicle at dawn, then likely there is a concern.

Happy climbing. Wally

Long Duk Dong wrote:The general rule is that if you are there after dusk you need to call for a rescue.

I lol'd at this because it comes a few weeks after an Eldo rescue where people came out of the woodwork to suggest that the rescuees should've spent the night instead of calling for a rescue.

Carry on....

Wally wrote:Hello all - I spoke to an Eldo ranger this afternoon. The person was quite cool and seemed to understand that sometimes climbers aren't able to return to their vehicles by dusk. I sense the message is try to leave the park by dusk, but the rangers understand that sometimes climbers are not able to return to their vehicles by then. And Eliot - I agree with you - it could be a safety check. If that courtesy notice is still on the vehicle at dawn, then likely there is a concern. Happy climbing. Wally

Wally, good to hear.

Makes me reminisce a bit about a midnight descent off Rewritten with Epic. ;-)