FAWK!!!! SPIDER LAKE CLOSED AGAIN this year :(

[geberhard]

FAWK!!!! SPIDER LAKE CLOSED AGAIN this year



Really sucks, whow are the dumbasses that are causing this crap??? Why teh fawk are people messing with the trail, driving off of it again? Shit, shoudl we start policing ourselves so this will not happen? Pretty soon the trail will end up closed because of dumbasses.

Last year because of human waste (crap) and thsi year becuase of people driving off the trail, rocks and bushes, etc.. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More info here:

http://www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/spider_05.htm

and

http://www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/projects_05.htm


"The Rubicon Trail Famous Spider Lake Closes Again!
When Will We Get Management Rather Than Closures?
by Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador and FOTR Trail Boss


For the second year in a row, Spider Lake of the Rubicon Trail has been closed to motor vehicle access. This time it's for resource damage. Last year (2004) it was for human waste. The closure is smaller this year, but once again, Spider Lake has been closed to us while really no management has occurred to fix any of the problems that Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR) has been pointing out to the USDA Forest Service and various County officials for years!

Citing resource damage (ie. vehicles driving over rocks and bushes, and getting off the trail), the Eldorado National Forest (not El Dorado County) has once again shut us out of Spider Lake. Admittedly, this time it's only our vehicles that can't get into the vicinity of Spider Lake. Last year, even walking in the area was prohibited because of the human waste issues. This year, the Forest Service is concerned that continued resource damage, as well as pollutants from our vehicles, will degrade and possibly contaminate the lake. Last year it was thought that the human waste would cause fecal coliform contamination in the lake (it didn't because we cleaned it up).

NOTE: Last year the closure was for possible human waste contamination that NEVER panned out. There was no impact to the lake -- no bacteria found. Also, last year the closure was initiated by El Dorado County, followed by a Forest Order from the Eldorado National Forest. This year (2005) it was only the Eldorado National Forest issuing a Forest Order.

Here's the deal:
1. FOTR has invested over 10,000 hours of labor into the trail since 2001. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of OHV Trust Fund money have gone into the trail -- mostly sponsored by El Dorado County.
2. FOTR has offered up many solutions to both the County and the USDA Forest Service. Not nearly enough has been done by either agency, especially the Forest Service to MANAGE the Rubicon Trail and especially Spider Lake.
3. Spider Lake (USFS property and private property) still does not have any designation routes to and from; it has no designated camping areas; it has no signs telling us what can and can't be done; it has no management of the Little Sluice area even though the two are directly connected and many agency personnel feel that the Sluice exacerbates the Spider Lake problems due to human use concentration.
4. FOTR has said many times that Emergency Closures should be reserved for when management fails. There has not been nearly enough management of the famous Rubicon Trail to warrant closures like this. It is time for management.

Read more here: http://www.delalbright.com/Rubicon/projects_05.htm

Please spread the word. Email me if you have any questions.
thanks, Del "

[Crash440]

I just got Del's email too



time to get involved.

[RDUB29]

Originally Posted by geberhard

...Spider Lake has been closed to us while really no management has occurred to fix any of the problems...

Their definition of "fixing" the problem and ours, is drastically different.

[Roc Doc]

Fucking great.

Any word on when or if it will be re-opened?

The Marlin roundup is next month, and I was looking forward to camping lakeside. I can park my truck and walk down, but it's not the same.

Doc

[Rubicrawler]

The continued closure is nothing new. After the original closure for human waste was lifted in November of 2004. A new closure went into effect for Resourse Damage and control immediatley afterword. AFAIK, this closure has no time line or limit. Right now the east side of the Lake is closed by order of the Land Owners to motor vehicle's only and foot traffic/camping is allowed as long as you stay 100 feet (someone please confirm) from the water's edge. The west side is closed by order of USFS for Resource Rehabilitation.

Someone closer to the situation please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any details

[geberhard]

Will try posting more info from Del. This totally sucks. I believe that someone commented last year on the board that after the first closure that the National Forstry service only needed three consecutive justified closures in order to permanently block a trail section, is this true??

[Kim~]

Uh oh--Michael is gonna be big time bummed---the Rubicon run is in 3 weeks!

People are such pigs. Petey should be chiming in any time...

[chris408]

Seems like they respond with action before the assholes REALLY destroy the Rubicon.
And at least humans are still allowed at Spider Lake.


and why wasnt the "Rubicon patrol" watching out for idiots that run over bushes and go off the trail?

[welndmn]

*sigh*
Another closure, with no imput from anybody invloved, and going aginst what everyone invloved suggested...

[61scout80]

what kind of actions can be taken by the enthusiest of the sport? both from the local area and those of us from around the country?

would writing the local bussiness owners, telling them how we just canceled our vacation to their area help? letter to government officials? what can we do to help?

[Rubicrawler]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

what can we do to help?

Get involved & make your voice heard! Join FOTR, Blue Ribbon Coalition, local clubs & organizations.

[Rubicrawler]

Originally Posted by Kim~

Uh oh--Michael is gonna be big time bummed---the Rubicon run is in 3 weeks!

People are such pigs. Petey should be chiming in any time...

This really shouldn't effect his trip unless he was planning on camping at Spider. I hope he has a great run!

[randii]

Mark's right on most of it -- only quibbles about details. Last season's all-travel closure sunsetted in November, and USFS land was open over the winter. The private lands adjacent remained closed, however.
This new closure was formalized on May 26, 2005, for a reduced area within the 2004 closure area. This new closure prohibits motorized travel but allows camping and non-motorized access with no constraints on camping, and it is scheduled to run through a May 27, 2005 sunset. The links above provide a map.

I'm uncertain of the camping status of the private lands, though FWIW it is worth noting that FOTR recommends camping a few hundred feet away from any body of water.

This sucks, but FOTR is still going to work with the landowners and Forest Service to try to mitigate damage and get access restored to these areas. The best thing we can do now is honor the closures and continue to get even more organized to fight this type of action at an agency/management level.

Randii

[DMG]

Go ahead and blame assholes on the trail, I am sure there are still plenty of them but the real problem now is anti-ohv people in the government and the public. No group of wheelers or anything else will be perfect but they seem to expect that. When you started working with and making concessions to the trail closure advocates you lost most of the fight.

[GJC-BETTERHALF]

Originally Posted by Kim~

Uh oh--Michael is gonna be big time bummed---the Rubicon run is in 3 weeks!

People are such pigs. Petey should be chiming in any time...

Hey Kim,

Is he goin with Todd?

[Haole]

Originally Posted by Kim~

Uh oh--Michael is gonna be big time bummed---the Rubicon run is in 3 weeks!

People are such pigs. Petey should be chiming in any time...

This isn't as bad as we thought on Tuesday night meeting. We've pretty uch decided that camping isn't going to be as fun without Spider, so who knows where we'll stay exactly this year.

Petey will chime in about 8pm.

[Haole]

Originally Posted by Rubicrawler

This really shouldn't effect his trip unless he was planning on camping at Spider. I hope he has a great run!

Been meaning to hook up with you guys again. Just haven't been able to make it up there this year.

[Haole]

Originally Posted by GJC-BETTERHALF

Hey Kim,

Is he goin with Todd?

Nope, with the Axlesnappers.

[YellowSub1962]

Originally Posted by Haole

This isn't as bad as we thought on Tuesday night meeting. We've pretty uch decided that camping isn't going to be as fun without Spider, so who knows where we'll stay exactly this year.

Petey will chime in about 8pm.

I'm early bitch!


PS - for the rest of you, as Scott said and a few others have reiterated upon, this is nothing new, just hte official announcement. If you have not been involved in this matter for the last few years you have exactly ZERO room to bitch, so STFU and do something about it instead of whining then turning right back around and getting drunk on your apathy till the next time you want to bitch about something you did nothing about and don't like the outcome. We all know who the ones are that are involved, and I'm sure many of you share my opinion, but will not speak so I did it for you.

Nothing breaks us up more than people on th sidelines bitching and moaning and then doing nothing.

[Rockcrusher]

Originally Posted by geberhard

FAWK!!!! SPIDER LAKE CLOSED AGAIN this year

And next . . . And the next year . . . And so on!

The next closure will be USFS lands around Buck Island . . . I give that one 3 years at most. TRPA hasn't officially weighed in yet but I fully expect them to close the little bit of the trail that goes through their bailiwick . . . When they do, there will be no recourse for they answer to no one.

All of this because some people are too stupid to learn.

[tacomamike]

Originally Posted by Rubicrawler

Right now the east side of the Lake is closed by order of the Land Owners to motor vehicle's only and foot traffic/camping is allowed as long as you stay 100 feet (someone please confirm) from the water's edge.

These are the signs on the private property boundary. I don't see where it says foot traffic and camping is okay. Maybe someone can clarify?

Also talked with a Forest Service ranger last week and asked about future vehicle access to the lake. He was talking about possibly making a nice hiking path down there. I know that's not an official Forest Service decision, but might be a peek into what they are discussing internally.

Later,
....Mike
http://www.toy4x4.net/

[microtus]

I went through the trail 7/16-7/18 and it was pretty clean. I guess there were some people that picked up a bunch of keystone empties (I don't remember the names but thank you) but the trail seemed pretty clean.

There were some oil leaks (we used 4 spill kits while fixing a broken rear axle) that probably could have been cleaned up a little better. The Box probably always has its share. I'm not sure if anybody has made a stink about that yet. There was somebody passing out spill kits Saturday at Loon so you would think people are carrying them.

With no camping at Spider I'm still curious about the impact around Buck Island. We were pushed for time and short of a quick swim by the dam we didn't take any time to look around.

It's obvious that the Box is the draw around Spider and that might spare Buck Island from similar issues. Being a little farther into the trail probably dosn't hurt either.

[Kim~]

Originally Posted by Haole

This isn't as bad as we thought on Tuesday night meeting. We've pretty uch decided that camping isn't going to be as fun without Spider, so who knows where we'll stay exactly this year.

Petey will chime in about 8pm.

I wish I could go with you guys this year But with all the time I have taken off this year for Ali-- I just can't afford to take the time off. Hopefully next year--maybe we'll even have a bigger rig so we can bring kids... (I keep hoping)

[SanDiegoCJ]

Originally Posted by Kim~

I wish I could go with you guys this year But with all the time I have taken off this year for Ali-- I just can't afford to take the time off. Hopefully next year--maybe we'll even have a bigger rig so we can bring kids... (I keep hoping)

For that you'll need a "rock limo".