Slate River Winter Trailhead STOR Committee Meeting

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Slate River Winter Trailhead STOR Committee Meeting – February 25th, 2021

Agenda and Talking Points

1. Project Background a. Present Forest Service Winter Recreation Map and Slate River Valley Overview. b. The Slate River Winter Trailhead is located entirely within Gunnison County’s right of way, surrounded by the “Kikel Parcel” owned and conserved by the Crested Butte Land Trust. c. The location of the trailhead predates Land Trust ownership of the parcel. d. The need for a trailhead solution was identified as far back as 2008 when the Crested Butte Land Trust purchased and conserved the Kikel Parcel. e. Addressing the trailhead issues in the Slate River Valley is a stated priority in the STOR strategic plan. f. Crested Butte Land Trust, along with the town and county, conducted a planning process in 2019 and 2020 that included several public meetings and a first draft of a site plan that attempted to address the issues identified in public meetings. g. The second draft of the site plan did not get presented or discussed publicly due to significant public opposition from adjacent and upstream neighbors prior to releasing the revised plan.

2. Update on CB Land Trust Position on Slate River Winter Trailhead a. Crested Butte Land Trust’s primary goal is to protect the conservation values of the property surrounding the Slate River Winter Trailhead. b. Crested Butte Land Trust’s relationship to the trailhead is as a neighbor and stakeholder. The Land Trust is partner to STOR and the community. c. Crested Butte Land Trust only has regulatory authority on lands owned by CBLT. The Land Trust can’t regulate public use on public lands beyond private conservation land boundaries. d. Crested Butte Land Trust manages land predominantly for non-motorized recreation, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and ranching. e. The “Kikel Parcel” is conserved land that prohibits motorized use, with an allowed “restricted use” of 8000 square feet of non-paved parking. f. Crested Butte Land Trust’s current position is to slow down and re-organize a stakeholder driven process to determine the best path forward. g. Crested Butte Land Trust will work with STOR to create a subcommittee dedicated to this topic. The previous sub-committee members, including Noel and Mel have moved on to different roles/orgs. h. Crested Butte Land Trust and STOR will seek volunteers to participate in the subcommittee. It would be good to have representation from users, neighbors and landowners.

3. Season Updates a. Updated snowmobile signage indicating that snowmobiles must stay on road until they reach public lands. b. Participation in the WCU Data Collection Initiative (DCI) including an additional camera provided by CBLT to collect use data at fixed times each day. This is a supplement to the motion camera maintained by DCI. c. Placement of a portable restroom that is pumped out weekly.

4. Call for subcommittee volunteers a. Email CB Land Trust with interest following the meeting. Email Cheryl cc Joe.

ACTIVITIES ACCESS LEGEND around Private Land istrict Crested Butte t ger D Snowmobiling Open Winter Recreationic an tr n R BLM Land Dis iso nger nn COLLEGIATE PEAKS # White River is Ra u Allowed with USFS Land Sopr G WILDERNESS X-C Skiing listed restrictions " Mount Taylor Pass USFS Wilderness National Forest Bellview ! " Treasury MAROON BELLS ! SNOWMASS Mountain " Conundrum Allowed USFS Winter Travel Area Emerald WILDERNESS Peak t Dogsledding but discouraged East Maroon Pass White River ic Taylor Lake Forest & District Boundary Lake ! tr Castle is t Roads & Highways " National Forest D ic Copper Peak r tr Snowshoeing Closed Streambeds Lake ge is n D $" Crested Butte Land Trust a r =(> Sopris Ran R e % %&' Crested Butte Mountain Resort ger Dist n g !% Snowcat rict Mount e an Winter trailhead Land Boundary " p R Taylor Pass Hut Touring/Skiing Baldy s Proposed opening E A on Winter Routes Triangle Pass L K is Winter 2013/14 Y (Subject to safe conditions, Paon " Purple ! M n ia Range Mountain un may be di!cult to locate) r District O U G (Miles) N SCALE T Taylor 1 2 3 4 A I " Slate River Upper East River Gothic Corridor N S Peak " Avery General recreation emphasis Non-motorized private recreation emphasis Peak Twin Lakes " White Rock Mountain " Pearl RAGGEDS Mountain WILDERNESS Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness " Augusta Trailhead is on county property. No overnight parking Mountain at trailhead. Snowmobiles must stay on the road Non-motorized recreation emphasis through private property and Land Trust property until " Mount reaching the National Forest boundary. Tilton t

c i r Elkton : t t !! s -% ic i 59 r Friends b 378 t D To Paonia 56/ s Hut ! 34 i r Gothic Teocalli Reservoir Erickson &<<( e " ; D Gothic Mountain g " Springs r n Mountain Upper East e a g Gunnison R Brush Creek n Pittsburgh a n o R s See inset i Middle Brush Creek Gunnison a E i n Daisy Pass Washington Gulch National Forest X-Country skiing recreation emphasis n n ! o u

a West Elk G See inset National Forest P Scenic Byway B ! " Italian " Mountain #$ " Hancock % Dogsledding is restricted to Brush Creek Road. Peak &' " Marcellina ! Mountain % 12 " Snodgrass Lower East River #("$! RIDGE TEOCALLI Raggeds Wilderness Mountain General recreation emphasis Upper Cement Creek Non-motorized recreation emphasis General recreation emphasis %&'!% West Brush Creek See inset / Y Lower East 0 E C 1 Garfield Brush Creek RAGGEDS 2 G "

3 Purple Peak N " WILDERNESS 4 Peak Peeler Y Mt. Crested Butte See inset 5 " 6 A Peak D / SCARP RIDGE Meridian 3 R 7 Lake 8 5 Y 317 9 :

- B Oh-Be-Joyful !! % % ! U - Gunnison ! Private recreation emphasis b . : R 811 ,# " Ruby Peeler Lakes ?% Peak Nicholson Irwin Lake National Forest Kebler Pass to Watson Flats C!"#$"% B&$$" M'&($)*( R"#'!$ Kebler West Motorized recreation emphasis (Under special use permit) Motorized recreation emphasis Closed to snowmobiles and snowcats. 734 See CBMR for uphill access policy. " Mount Emmons Gunsight Pass ! Peanut OPEN AREA is north of an east-west line (shown below) Lake 317 " Washington Gulch skirting the base of East & West Beckwith Mountains. This 12 Lake " Mt. Crested " Strand B line is approx. !⁄" mile south of Dollar Lake & !⁄# mile north Irwin Butte Hill Double Top X-country skiing recreation emphasis of Beckwith Pass. No closures. (See closed area below.) Kebler East Crested Butte to Kebler Pass (both peaks) Irwin Copley Recreational snowmobiling emphasis Lost Lake Lake Slough " 12 Crested Butte All snowmobiles must display a Washington Gulch THE DYKE snowmobile sticker. Stickers, regulations and use maps Lost Lake Farris Creek / Strand Hill Lake Grant for Washington Gulch are available from Gunnison " W. Beckwith General recreation emphasis Ranger District or Crested Butte Chamber, which show Mountain 826 Dollar b the following geographically-restricted regulations: Lake a 738 KEBLER WEST CLOSED AREAS (within this blue border and reaching the National Forest boundary, located the West Elk Wilderness) are closed to all motorized activities. about 1 mile above the trailhead. ! Kebler Pass

" E. Beckwith " Point can use the road, and the east (Gothic Mountain) Mountain . Lookout

- side of the road, below the Elkton Hills skier area.

Beckwith Pass (

! , + 135 Lower Cement Creek

in Washington Gulch (36 CFR 261.56).

WEST ELK # ' General recreation emphasis

* WILDERNESS & Mount " " Ridge area is reserved as skier domain. Ohio Pass Lily ( Axtell ! ) Lake # Snowmobiles are prohibited from this area #("$! (36 CFR 261.56). Snowmobiling and snowcat use are restricted to !"#$ Cement Creek Road. %&'!% land. Snowmobile riders must stay on Washington

%&'!% Gulch Road #811 through Elkton, unless permission has been granted from the landowners. " Whetstone Mountain a Ohio is closed to snowmobiles. This area is managed " : Peak G E !! to provide a quality backcountry ski experience for N -% : R A Ohio Creek $ %!! I T E ;!* the general public (36 CFR 261.56). BB - AC -! 7A8 T H R General recreation emphasis 740 A N snowmobile rentals at Washington Gulch trailhead. WEST ELK Gunnison WILDERNESS the Gothic Corridor and is closed to winter OHIO CREEK OPEN AREA (within this blue border) National Forest Crested Butte motorized use (36 CFR 261.56). Swampy Pass OHIO CREEK CLOSED AREA (within this blue border) pertains to NFS lands outside the West Elk Wilderness. South " Cement t ! is closed to all motorized activities (Wilderness). (See closed area at left.) Mountain ric ist D West Brush Creek er t C g ic " Carbon X-country skiing recreation emphasis an tr Peak R is ia D n r o ge a n P a b R Snowmobiling and dogsledding are restricted to n o West Brush Creek Road and Deer Creek Road. is n n Gunnison u G Lower East Brush Creek Gunnison " Round D Mountain National Forest X-Country skiing recreation emphasis ! Castle Pass National Forest Y @ 6 8@ 737 - % Dogsledding is restricted to East Brush Creek Road. ! Red I N S ! " O U N TA : Mountain W E S T E L K M Baldwin West Elk Upper East Brush Creek Sheep Scenic Byway E Lake General recreation emphasis 730

To Almont, Dogsledding is restricted to East Brush Creek Road. Taylor Park " The Castles To Gunnison & Gunnison SLATE RIVER VALLEY OVERVIEW MAP June 12, 2020

Scho!eld Pass Mt Bellview !")$*)%' !"#$%"('

Cinnamon Mountain !"#$#(+' Mt Baldy !"#$%#&'

Paradise Purple Mountain Divide !"#$(%,'

Augusta Mountain !"#$%%('

Anthracite Mesa !""$#&('

Gothic Mountain !"#$&+"'

Richmond Mountain !"#$%)"' PITTSBURG

Schuylkill Mountain !"#$"-&'

734 Snodgrass Mountain !""$"-%' Musicians Camp 6 811

OBJ Campground 6 OBJ - Gunsight Gunsight Smith Connector Hill

CB Loop Gunsight Bridge Long Lupine Lake Upper Lower Loops Lower Loops 6 River Flats C

Nicholson Lake

CO 739A

Bud Lupine

Mt Emmons !"#$+-+'

Peanut Lake

Woods Walk 4 LEGEND

Watershed Boundary

U.S. Forest Service CRESTED BUTTE Raggeds Wilderness

12 Bureau of Land Management

Conserved Lands 135 Private Parcel

C Proposed SRV Trailhead

6 Camping + Restroom Sites

Trail

Road

N scale

0 .5 mile 1 mile 2 miles Slate River Winter Trailhead

Crested Butte Land Trust - Kikel B Parcel Conservation Easement – Recorded 2008 Language Relevant to the Slate River Winter Trailhead – Excerpts from the CE

Slate River Winter Trailhead

Crested Butte Land Trust - Updated Snowmobile Signage at Slate River Winter Trailhead

Slate River Winter Trailhead

2020/2021 Winter Data Collection Initiative Study Summary

• A game camera was installed at the trailhead on December 28, 2020 to capture vehicular use of the parking area. • A researcher collects the SD card bi-weekly and then analyzes the images. • The study quantifies the number of vehicles at the parking area at four-hour intervals: 7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm. • The study also categorizes the types of vehicles: o Truck/SUV; o Mid-sized/Compact; o Vans/RV’s; o Vehicles w/ Trailers. • This information will help us to better understand parking area usage, trends, and parking capacity at the trailhead.