{"id":2456267,"date":"2020-03-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=323200"},"modified":"2020-03-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-03-25T06:00:00","slug":"public-land-managers-around-aspen-say-comply-with-social-distancing-or-trails-will-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/public-land-managers-around-aspen-say-comply-with-social-distancing-or-trails-will-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Public land managers around Aspen say comply with social distancing or trails will close"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7848699763593\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-323200-857\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Pitkin County Open Space and Trails ranger Pryce Hadley puts a new social distancing sign at the trailhead of Smuggler Mountain Road on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The sign urges people to follow the social distancing guidelines to help keep access to public spaces available during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Pitkin County Open Space and Trails ranger Pryce Hadley puts a new social distancing sign at the trailhead of Smuggler Mountain Road on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The sign urges people to follow the social distancing guidelines to help keep access to public spaces available during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Pitkin County Open Space and Trails ranger Pryce Hadley puts a new social distancing sign at the trailhead of Smuggler Mountain Road on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The sign urges people to follow the social distancing guidelines to help keep access to public spaces available during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-1-1024x699.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | A woman walks on the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>A woman walks on the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-1-1024x699.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A woman walks on the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | A woman walks her dog with her mouth and nose covered on Smuggler Mountain Road in Aspen on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>A woman walks her dog with her mouth and nose covered on Smuggler Mountain Road in Aspen on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A woman walks her dog with her mouth and nose covered on Smuggler Mountain Road in Aspen on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-3-1024x701.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | People enjoy the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>People enjoy the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/coronaoutdoors-atd-032520-1-3-1024x701.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"People enjoy the Rio Grande Trail in Basalt on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/public-land-managers-around-aspen-say-comply-with-social-distancing-or-facilities-must-close\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/public-land-managers-around-aspen-say-comply-with-social-distancing-or-facilities-must-close\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Crowds won\u2019t cut it these days, even in the great outdoors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Director Gary Tennenbaum warned Tuesday that if people ignore <a id=\"N0x1c037c0N0x1c39090:N0x1c037c0N0x1decd38\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/social-distancing-on-the-trail\/\">social-distancing requirements<\/a> and hang out in crowds while recreating outside, they will leave public land managers no choice but to take drastic actions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The open space program was forced to do that Sunday when rangers called Pitkin County deputy sheriffs to disperse crowds congregating at the Penny Hot Springs in the Crystal River Valley. The hot springs have been closed until further notice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThey disregarded it because they didn\u2019t feel it was as important to practice social distancing outside,\u201d Tennenbaum said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He doesn\u2019t want to see the same action taken in other high-use areas such as Smuggler Mountain Road or the Prince Creek Trail system outside of Carbondale. Trails, parks and other public lands are vital amenities that will help people keep their sanity while contact is restricted during the health crisis, Tennenbaum said. So it is vital that people follow the guidelines so those facilities remain in use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIf we do it responsibly, we can keep it going,\u201d Tennenbaum said. \u201cClosing public access is such a big step that we don\u2019t want to take.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The open space and trails program had new, special signs printed that explain the importance of spreading apart and limiting group sizes. While the sign says limit groups to no more than 10 people, that was outdated by a new health order issued Monday night by Pitkin County. Tennenbaum said people should only recreate with their immediate family or one partner rather than groups up to 10 people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Rangers were posting the signs on open space trails and lands from Redstone to Smuggler Mountain trailhead on Tuesday. Tennenbaum said he worked on the wording with other public land management agencies for consistency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The city of Aspen and the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service will use the same signs. The Forest Service will post the signs at the Independence Pass winter closure gate, Maroon Creek Road closure gate, Castle Creek Road closure gate, Hunter Creek trailhead, Difficult Campground gate, Sunnyside Trail access points, Avalanche Creek Road kiosk, Coal Creek Road outside of Redstone, Four Mile snowmobile parking lot and Williams Peak skier parking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe understand the desire for people to exercise and seek solace in the outdoors right now,\u201d the White River National Forest posted on its Facebook page. \u201cThe White River National Forest asks the public to please recreate responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Forest Service stressed that law enforcement and search and rescue operations may be limited due to COVID-19 response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cHigh-risk activities such as backcountry skiing that increase your chance of injury should be avoided right now,\u201d the Forest Service posted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A 32-year-old Aspen-area resident had to be <a id=\"N0x1c037c0N0x1c390f0:N0x1c037c0N0x1ded3f8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local-man-rescued-after-snowmobile-accident-on-backside-of-aspen-mountain\/\">rescued Tuesday off Richmond Ridge<\/a> when his snowmobile struck a tree and he sustained head injuries. The man was transported by a Flight for Life helicopter to Aspen Valley Hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That is exactly the kind of incident local authorities want to avoid while so much focus is on the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Forest Service also stressed the importance of social distancing on national forest lands while coronavirus remains a threat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWith almost 2.3 million acres to explore across the White River National Forest, we think there\u2019s plenty of room for you to spread out responsibly while protecting yourself and your community,\u201d the White River staff posted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Tennenbaum said rangers have witnessed \u201cpretty good\u201d social distancing practices among hikers on Smuggler Mountain Road. Cross-country skiers also have kept their distance pretty well, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">His next big concern is the opening of the Prince Creek Trail network outside of Carbondale on April 16. The network is immensely popular with mountain bikers, trail runners and hikers. Most of the network is on property managed by the Bureau of Land Management. However, the large parking lot along Prince Creek Road is owned by Pitkin County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Once riders get moving, they disperse pretty effectively, Tennenbaum said. He is concerned about people congregating in the parking lot, particularly post-ride.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe really need to discourage that,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want big parties at the trailhead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">David Boyd, public information officer for the local BLM region, said the agency plans to stick to its usual spring openings. As more public lands open, it will be easier for people to spread out for their recreation pursuits, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">There is no sign the BLM or Forest Service plans to close trails or property in the Roaring Fork Valley, at least not anytime soon. However, public lands aren\u2019t immune to closure. The National Park Service closed Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Greay Smoky Mountains parks Tuesday. They join Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and many smaller parks in closure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Tuesday it is \u201cdiligently working to keep state parks open so the public can enjoy the health benefits associated with being outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">With the lifts closed at the ski areas, many Roaring Fork Valley residents are regularly skinning up the closed slopes and skiing down. Parking lots at Tiehack and Snowmass have overflowed on many days. Uphilling will remain open at the four Aspen Skiing Co. resorts as others in Colorado are shutting off access because of large crowds gathering during the state\u2019s fight against the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In a statement Monday night, Skico asked uphillers to be mindful of crowding and encouraged people to practice social distancing in all areas of the mountain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Skico vice president of media relations Jeff Hanle sent a statement urging skiers to adhere to social-distance practices of 6 feet and avoid crowds while on the mountains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt is vital that you exercise good judgment on the ski areas and not put yourself or others at risk,\u201d he said in an email. \u201cDo not gather in groups anywhere on or around the mountains. If a parking lot is full, please choose a different ascent or a different time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a id=\"N0x1c037c0N0x1c39150:N0x1c037c0N0x1dedcb0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/sunlight-resort-shuts-down-uphill-traffic-amid-health-department-advisories-deteriorating-conditions\/\">Sunlight resort near Glenwood Springs cut off uphilling<\/a> as well as Vail and other Front Range resorts because of overcrowding. Hanle said Skico will follow the guidance from the state and the White River National Forest, and that skiers should treat the mountain as they would in preseason and postseason when the ski area is closed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">There are no ski areas services, and people should treat their time on the hill \u201cwith the same thoughtfulness and care as you would if you were in the backcountry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Pitkin County, Skico and other officials have been reminding people that on-mountain incidents as well as those going into the backcountry will take away resources from the current fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Also, Hanle reminded that snowmobiles are not allowed at the four resorts, and the USFS regulation will be enforced.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cPlease do not jeopardize or risk the access for everyone through your disregard for these regulations,\u201d Hanle said in the update. \u201cWe ask the uphill community to help us in spreading the word on these regulations and to report those who continue to ignore these rules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The state\u2019s ski resorts were shut down by the governor starting March 15 and the closure has been extended until at least April 6. Skico officials said last week that if the order was lifted <a id=\"N0x1c037c0N0x1c39210:N0x1c037c0N0x1dee010\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-mountain-snowmass-tapping-out-for-the-season-outside-chance-for-highlands-if-allowed-skico-says\/\">they would consider opening Aspen Highlands for limited use<\/a>, but it would depend on mountain conditions and safety. Skico will not reopen Aspen Mountain, Snowmass or Buttermilk for skiing this year, officials stated earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\">Aspen Times editor David Krause contributed to this report. <a href=\"mailto:scondon@aspentimes.com\">scondon@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/public-land-managers-around-aspen-say-comply-with-social-distancing-or-facilities-must-close\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pitkin County Open Space and Trails ranger Pryce Hadley puts a new social distancing sign at the trailhead of Smuggler Mountain Road on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The sign urges people to follow the social distancing guidelines to help keep access to public spaces available during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2456267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 08:15:25","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2456267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2456267\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2456267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2456267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2456267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}