The Flatirons post-flood
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From City of Boulder Open Space and Mtn Parks: |
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Nice work guys, we all appreciate the long hours you've undoubtably been putting in. Is there any need for some type of trail day in the Flatirons? I'm sure there'd be no shortage of volunteers. |
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Additional trail openings in Mt. Sanitas area: |
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Is bouldering at Mount Sanitas okay then? Or is that still off limits? |
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If you're referring to the trailside bouldering (most of which faces west) along the Mt Sanitas Trail, which runs in a northerly direction from Sunshine Drive, then yes, that's open for bouldering. |
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When will climbing on the 1st and 3rd Flatirons be open again? Also, how about access to other climbing areas in the Flatirons? I hiked at Chautauqua on Tuesday and the trails were in bad shape with many closed and for good reason. |
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The North and South Fork Shanahan Trails are now open. These trails get us closer but all Flatiron climbing access remains closed. I hope to have more news later today and shall post what I learn from Open Space Mtn Parks (OSMP). |
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This is bizarre. The approach and descent to the 1st Flatiron have now reopened - see bouldercolorado.gov/pages/o… - but climbing the face is still officially off-limits. What's the rationale for that? Is OSMP concerned that the floods might have made the rock too dangerous to climb? Do they have to dispatch teams of rangers to inspect the routes before they reopen? |
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CJC wrote:if I had to guess I'd say maybe the difficulty/risk of getting rescuers and vehicles to an injured party and getting everyone down safely may be a factor. that's just a wild guess though. hope we're able to climb up there soon, this is prime season.Rescue would be just as challenging if a hiker got hurt. Not sure this justifies the differential treatment. |
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Ya, can't have another group of College kids going up there right now and epic-ing 50 feet off the deck now can we... :) |
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So... nature must be made 'safe' for us by governmental agencies? |
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What Tevis is saying makes sense to a certain extent. I can understand why the city doesn't want the million+ people that use these destroying an already destroyed trail system. On the other hand, I can't understand why keeping the "climber trails" closed makes sense. Climbing is always going to be dangerous and I'm sure we've all been on way more sketchy trails. |
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It's almost as if there is no political or monetary motivation to open them. |
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nicelegs wrote:It's almost as if there is no political or monetary motivation to open them.If the recreation community would finally stop voting for open space tax increases when all we ever get is less and less actually OPEN space, then maybe something would happen. |
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"The city property most heavily damaged, according to the assessment, is open space and mountain parks. Those areas suffered an estimated $17.67 million in flooding impacts." -Daily Camera 9/26 |
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Mike Lane wrote: Mind boggling. $17.67M. I don't get it.Which is exactly why many people complain so much about how high their taxes are. News Flash: Infrastructure and services aren't cheap!!! |
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haha, It's funny to think that the billion people along the front range that use the flatirons would keep it from becoming a disaster area on their own. Not a black or white issue to me. I don't mind paying some taxes and tolerating some regulation to keep it the way it is. That being said, I'll happily complain about climber trails not being open unless someone can provide a compelling explanation. ("more people will hurt themselves on the unstable trails and we don't want to rescue them" is not a compelling explanation. These trails have always been unstable, that's why they're called that). |
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J. Albers wrote: Which is exactly why many people complain so much about how high their taxes are. News Flash: Infrastructure and services aren't cheap!!!Yeah, but its open space; not the city itself. Trails, some foot bridges, benches.... I'm interested in seeing an account of how the hell it got up to $17M. |
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Mike Lane wrote: Yeah, but its open space; not the city itself. Trails, some foot bridges, benches.... I'm interested in seeing an account of how the hell it got up to $17M.Costs alot of money to have five people stand around watching one person work. |
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The OSMP page explains the current situation very well: business as usual.
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J. Albers wrote: Which is exactly why many people complain so much about how high their taxes are. News Flash: Infrastructure and services aren't cheap!!!News flash. Climber access trails are dirt and rock and a bit rough. After the flood, the trails are... well... dirt and rock and a bit rough. . Same as a million years ago. Give a private contractor a chance to fix them and it will be done faster, better and for less. News flash. Inefficiencies aren't cheap. |