closing Black bear pass again??

[IOPort51]

Sheriff Calls for the Closure of Black Bear Pass to Motor Vehicles | Expedition Portal


OK kids time for discussion, I know how I feel about this in as much as someone trying to turn around on Black Bear would have to be NOT the sharpest knife in the drawer and the San Juan sheriff should not have a lot of say in the matter.

 

[hagar]

I agree 100%....

as long as they shut down all the Telluride ski areas during the winter due to the many injuries and fatalities suffered on the ski slopes.

 

[Torxhead]

Thanks for posting that IO. There is another posting here from that forum of an incident on a trail that I recently did with a pic of the vehicle on the second page:Laurel Lakes- Mammoth CA Roll Over - Page 2 - Expedition Portal. My only comment is that they are both beautiful trails.

 

[Bill D]

As one that did Black Bear Pass in the past week, I think I'm qualified to say that Black Bear will eat your lunch if you do something stupid. While I was on the pass near the top, I witnessed a gentleman in a late model Wrangler hug the wall on the inside. His left front tire began to climb the wall and was over three feet in the air when several of us shouted for him to stop and back down. If he had gone forward another six inches to a foot, he would have rolled it over the edge. At the point he was at, he would have been a fatality.

Having said all that, I am of the opinion that there are much more dangerous trails than Black Bear Pass. If one keeps one's head and refrains from doing something grossly stupid, Black Bear is only mildly challenging. Every five years or so, someone gets killed on the pass but in reality, they are either very incompetent or inebriated or both. It would be a shame to have the trail closed because one Floridian decided to turn around on the steps.

JMHO

 

[Posi]

^^ agree

I have no doubt a group of CJ forum members on Black Bear pass last Tuesday saved the lives of two older folks in a red rubicon.


The driver accidentally climbed the wall with his left front tire. The Jeep was in a near roll when all the CJ forum members began yelling STOP! and BACKUP! He came very close to ending his life along with is partner. The yelling broke his panic.


Once he backed down the wall I could tell he was an inexperience driver and panicked when the front end started climbing. Once down he told me he was worried about the edge and tried to stay close to the wall. I told him he had more room then he thought and not to be too concerned with the edge, stay away from the wall and have fun. He did make it down safety.


We also helped a man riding a motorcycle that dumped his bike on the steps. Dave and I helped get the bike upright and back onto the trail.


It's not like BB is open year round, and for the months it is open it should stay that way. In New England, if hikers get themselves lost in the woods and the cause is poor preparation the State will bill them for search and rescue man hours and equipment used. If they don't already maybe it's something they should look into.

 

[fishnchips]

A couple of weeks ago I led two jeeps down bb and up imagene, both had never been here before. When we got to the steps, I got out and told them to stay back enough so they could see the tires of the jeep in front of them, this was so they could see how much room was left on each side of my jeep. Long story, but we had no problem, both had no issues, one was a four door. Going up imagene on the shelf road with two way traffic is far worse.

 

[mriplaybass]

Last week was my second time wheeling in the area (or anywhere else). We came with a jeep that we built in the past 3 1/2 months. I knew my steering still needed some "tweeking", I also recognized my inexperience. We went off on an easier trail apart from the group the day they did BB rather than risk disaster. People need to evaluate themselves as to their abilities and their equipment. No need to close trails due to a few idiots.

 

[007]

ATVs are a FAR bigger problem than the occasional Jeep. Especially those who go up the wrong way kicking out rocks and making it slick.


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