New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

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HikerGuy
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New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by HikerGuy »

The details for the timed-entry system have not been finalized, but reservations are expected to be available for these popular recreation areas by mid-May.

https://www.9news.com/article/life/styl ... 6fae58ef65
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by Chicago Transplant »

Thanks for the update. In case anyone wants to know why there are so many areas going to reservations and restrictions, this sentence from the article seems to be a major reason along with the just general increase in use. I cringe every time I hear stuff like this. Seemed to hear about it a lot last year throughout our public lands. Depending on where people camp it can take years to recover from a single campfire once the ground is damaged, particularly in tundra. Not to mention the numerous abandoned smoldering ones the FS reported last year.
Last year in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the USFS said people inadvertently created “thousands of new campsites” when they stayed in undeveloped areas for the night, building “hundreds of new campfire rings” and leaving human waste and trash in the municipal water supply.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by Bombay2Boulder »

This is much needed and a sad reality in the current times. I have been saying for a couple of years, but sawatch is the new front range and this effort is so necessary for conserving the areas in Front Range that get insane visitation nunbers. Let's see what happens in Sawatch in the years to come too.
Curious what the specific rules turn out to be for evans and brainard.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by rperth »

I’m probably in the minority, but I think it’s sad that we are limiting the number of visitors to wilderness areas. It’s sad that you won’t be able to spontaneously go to some of our wilderness areas without a permit. It’s sad to think about future areas that will require reservations. Just sad. It’s just what I think. I’m not here to debate it.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by PJ88 »

It is sad that this keeps happening, but if that USFS quote is true it sounds like a no Brainard to me.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by Chicago Transplant »

rperth wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 3:45 pm I’m probably in the minority, but I think it’s sad that we are limiting the number of visitors to wilderness areas. It’s sad that you won’t be able to spontaneously go to some of our wilderness areas without a permit. It’s sad to think about future areas that will require reservations. Just sad. It’s just what I think. I’m not here to debate it.
I completely agree and is why I quoted that specific sentence. I think most people on this forum would agree, but are also the most likely to practice a Leave No Trace ethic when visiting. I don't like to plan my outings weeks in advance, weather and other factors determine where I hike each weekend, not some reservation I made 3 months prior.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by peter303 »

Mt Whitney and Half Dome introduced reservations to cut fatalities.
This study says permits did not make a difference on Half Dome in that regard.

https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S108 ... 7/fulltext

I suppose cutting numbers might reduce boredom deaths on Evans :)
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Matt
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by Matt »

rperth wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 3:45 pm I’m probably in the minority, but I think it’s sad that we are limiting the number of visitors to wilderness areas. It’s sad that you won’t be able to spontaneously go to some of our wilderness areas without a permit. It’s sad to think about future areas that will require reservations. Just sad. It’s just what I think. I’m not here to debate it.
I'm here to agree with you.
I wonder if they will require the fee just to reserve a spot for Mt. Evans.
Maybe Bean knows if they can get away with that..?
I sure hope they do not.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by aholle88 »

rperth wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 3:45 pm I’m probably in the minority, but I think it’s sad that we are limiting the number of visitors to wilderness areas. It’s sad that you won’t be able to spontaneously go to some of our wilderness areas without a permit. It’s sad to think about future areas that will require reservations. Just sad. It’s just what I think. I’m not here to debate it.
It sucks for some areas, especially for us folks who have weekdays off and go to those popular spots when there are less crowds. BUT, all the popular areas are doing it. And they need to. Because the popular areas are getting trashed and ruined (prime example: Ice lakes). There’s plenty of wilderness/USFS land that is still hardly used and is no problem accessing. You just have to get a bit further away from Denver, and not near popular attractions that OutthereColorado and other magazines/websites have blown up as “best secret spot/best this/best that.” I still am able to go places almost every day without seeing hardly a sole, even in the Springs. I don’t plan hardly ever in advance and I don’t see these reservations affecting that anytime soon. Just search out places on your own, don’t follow the magazine articles favorite spots, don’t post about a cool spot when you find it, and you are good to go.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by 434stonemill »

While I agree it's sad to not be able to do some things spontaneously, I don't know of a good alternative. At some point, to keep the wilderness experience and deal with potential environmental damage, you do need to cap amount of people in a certain area.

For a better article, with more details, check out Colorado Sun (https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/04/arap ... ecreation/)

The most important detail besides reservation system is that the Forest Service will be requesting everyone overnighting in Arapaho and Roosevelt NF to use a bear-proof storage container.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by headsizeburrito »

434stonemill wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 4:57 pm While I agree it's sad to not be able to do some things spontaneously, I don't know of a good alternative. At some point, to keep the wilderness experience and deal with potential environmental damage, you do need to cap amount of people in a certain area.
I'm with you on this. It's a bummer but there is probably no alternative. With RMNP this year the timed entry is divided into zones, with 5am for the Bear Lake corridor and 9am for the rest of the park. I'm just hoping there is a reasonable period that doesn't require reservations. 9am is probably too late, but 5am is probably too early. Guess we'll see when the details come out. It sounds like this will just be for the road up Evans but I wonder if anything else is coming from Guanella Pass. It's overloaded but also harder to control access to.

I just want to be able to do Tour d'Abyss once the snow melts without jumping through a lot of hoops! If it's anything like the RMNP permit system all permits will be gone in minutes.
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Re: New reservation system coming for Mount Evans, Brainard Lake

Post by RETEP 1 »

Meh...it’s better to snag Mt Evans from Chicago Lakes anyways.
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