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Parking Near Kiosk (between base of dam and spillway)

1K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  cruzila 
#1 ·
Parking last weekend was a cluster. I rolled in with 16' lengths of deck beams hanging out the back of my 20' long Dodge, and had a tough time squeezing down the road to even get to the dam, let alone finding much parking near the kiosk (sure didn't want to carry those beams far!).

The parking up top on the road is going to sort itself out quickly -- there are parking signs clearly posted, and those folks out of compliance will be making contributions to the El Dorado County general fund, and quite possibly to the local towing service (serious coin to haul a tow wagon and trailer to impound!).

I'm searching for suggestions, though, on trailer parking between base of dam and spillway. Somebody is gonna get revved up about the horrors of trailers, and how great the good old days were before people started needing/wanting tow vehicles and trailers... it won't be me. The reality is that the use is already here, and we need to figure how best to work around it.

Here's an idea:
Park less like epileptic, crackhead monkeys with Tourettes, and we could fit easily a third more trucks/trailers in.

I'll be digging up some overhead pictures of the area... if anyone has pictures from the dam, please post up for discussion.

Randii
 
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#2 ·
it was a touch over crowded. i was as far off to cliff as possible and the person who parked right next to me almoast owed me a trailer tire as i was barly able to get my junk out. pretty fed up. but yes. it doesnt take much to just park in a line like a truck stop or rest area.....
 
#4 · (Edited)
:laughing: Good one, Ron! I had to dig a little for that one. :flipoff2:
I was thinking more along the lines of picks like this...









 
#5 ·
That was a airial photo but it was so white when I posted it you couldn't see it. I've taken so many pics from on top of the dam. The problem is I have so many picsa I cant find the ones from on top of the dam. Anyway looks like you got what you need :rolleyes:
 
#6 ·
Ah, when I keyed the lat/lon into Delorme, it looked like GK. I figured you were joking that you could park your tow wagon there! :laughing:
 
#8 ·
The last pic was a cluster, but that was last year's Cantina fundraiser, and actually shows an example of how best to maximize capacity... folks who went up together have parked nose-to-tail.

I'd really like to see the county develop this area for better capacity.

Randii
 
#9 ·
Nose to tail is best for the big area. Unless you are with more than one, park elsewhere. Groups can take the big area. That way noone gets blocked in.

I have thought there should be a special area near the kiosk for use by the kiosk personnel only. When I went by on Friday, Rubithon parking had already taken most of the spots near the kiosk. Maybe the small area just past, between the spillway and kiosk. Proly would need some sort of barrier. Posts and wire rope with a key?
 
#10 ·
microtus said:
That last pic...what a cluster
I'll take responsibility for that one:emb3:

That pic was from our club's Cantina for the 'Con fund raiser last year. Yeah, it was crazy but, like Randii said, people parked head to toe and it all worked out. We had a lot more people show up than we expected last year but we'll be ready for them this year!
 
#11 ·
Scott, dunno about starting down the slope of reserved parking... I do like the idea of solo folks parking legally on the road or at the chalet, and groups going nose-to tail down below.

Mark, anytime TDO wants to cause a traffic jam, and raise awareness (fundraiser was great, but I was STOKED at how many people got the word), go for it! You guys did it all right -- you got the word out well in advance so other users could work around you, and you parked tight as a club to maximize parking. :cool2: :grinpimp: :cool2:

Randii
 
#13 · (Edited)
I like that idea, Ryan, and have parked my rig on the slabs before, as well, but we definitely need to get some clarification from the Forest Service about what they'll go for... the 'helipad' above the spillway has been used for years, with adjacent parking, but with the newish Eldorado National Forest motorized restriction map and enforcement guidelines, I'm nervous.

Certainly, there's no harm done to the slab by parking on it on the other side of the spillway, but enforcement lacks clarity. :(

The Loon spillway 'helipad' is north of the dam, due northeast of the kiosk, at the highest point nearest the spillway, opposite the dam.

Here's some TTORA pics approaching the helipad from the air:

...and looking uphill from just past the spillway:


Randii
 
#15 ·
Definitely -- sorry if I expressed that poorly -- for all helicopter landing zones, we need to keep them clear and maintain an accessible path to and from for emergency vehicles. I just think we can park an aisle of tow wagons and trailers on either side of that accessible path.

It sure would be nice if folks could do this on their own without requiring a bunch of structure, stripes, and enforcement... my hope for this thread is that it'll get people to THINK when they park next and the users can maximize parking without further help. :grinpimp:

Randii
 
#16 ·
Another thing to think about is the flight path. The area to the NNE where the trail goes up and over is right in the path. Don't park there.

Basically in the top pic the granite goes out to a point, that is the fligth path. The only good area to park is to the left on the grade. Which is not a good area to park. At least for me.
 
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