Can anyone tell me when Barbour Forks gets closed?

[CMass]

Hi Guys,

My name is Chris and I just registered today. I was googling to get some information about Barbour Fork and came across your site. I've been up there a few times and really appreciate the work you guys have done there- I'll definitely be down to help next time.

Question - Does anyone know when they close the gate for the winter? I found a few sites that say "late fall" but I was planning on heading up there on Saturday and wanted to double check with the experts before i made the drive for nothing.

Any help is very much appreciated!

Chris

[Chris]

Hi Chris, welcome to Front Range 4x4!

I'm not sure when the gate is closed but do know the reason is that it's mating/birthing area for elk IIRC and is closed to prevent disturbing the area during that period. I'm sure it's open this weekend.

We're proud of the work we did and am sure you'll see it's much better now, especially since the abandoned Bronco is no longer the eyesore it was for the past years.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself here: http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=58

:welcome:

[Patrolman]

I would contact the FS Office in Idaho Springs. IF I remember right, he said December through May. I couldn't figure out why it was so late in the winter and again so late into spring, but makes sense now.

[Chris]

I was a bit wrong now that I recall why it's closed - it's calving ground so the closure relates to birthing not mating which would account for the timing.

[CMass]

Great. I figured it would be open but wasn't sure - didn't know if it was a Memorial Day through Labor Day thing like some other things in the Front Range.

Thanks guys!

Chris

[Brody]

FYI

Bren and a friend went up to Echo Lake last weekend and had to bust through 3' drifts, so snow might close the trail before anything else does.

[SCRubicon]

The trail is closed from December 2nd through June 14th every year. The people from Traildamage.com ran it on Saturday the 15th. There are patches of snow in the treed in shady areas.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/Random%20Junk/seasonal_gate_sign_1.jpg

And, our "Stay The Trail" kiosk/sign still looks to be in great shape - no damage :)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/Random%20Junk/stay_the_trail.jpg

[Jimmy]

And, our "Stay The Trail" kiosk/sign still looks to be in great shape - no damage :)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/Random%20Junk/stay_the_trail.jpg

Bets on how soon before one of the shooters that frequent the area (I presume from the tales of spent casing left on the ground) makes it a target?

Quick question from those who've been on the trail: The place where it's obvious people are using firearms, does it have an adequate backstop (large hill/pile of dirt/something)? One of the topics that appears from time-to-time on 4x4 boards is where are places that are decent for offroading and provide a legal place to shoot. One day, I'm gonna get around to figuring out a few so that I can get outdoors and shoot vice be at the local indoor range. I have no desire to get into trouble for shooting illegally, so I've been slow on the uptake on this.

[Chris]

The Forest Service shut down an area on Barbour Fork that was heavily used for shooting because a pedestrian trail was at the top of the hill. I was told we could spend a year cleaning up that area BTW. The area now used does have a hill behind it but IIRC also has the trail we use not too far away but I could be mistaken about its twists and turns.

Note that only motorized traffic is excluded now, not foot traffic.

Bets on the sign? None from me but I think it already probably holds a FS record for the longest unmolested sign.

Oops, just jinxed that!

[Pathrat]

The Forest Service shut down an area on Barbour Fork that was heavily used for shooting because a pedestrian trail was at the top of the hill. I was told we could spend a year cleaning up that area BTW. The area now used does have a hill behind it but IIRC also has the trail we use not too far away but I could be mistaken about its twists and turns.

Note that only motorized traffic is excluded now, not foot traffic.

Bets on the sign? None from me but I think it already probably holds a FS record for the longest unmolested sign.

Oops, just jinxed that!

Where that bunch of rocks lies, where we picked up all the shot-up bottles, is there a slight hillside behind it? Near where we at lunch, where I put up the sign that said "Pick up your Brass" (that was blasted into splinters by the next time we showed up) does not have a berm like area IIRC. I am sure the FS guys can tell us if that area is legal.

And Chris, if some wingnut shoots my picture up it will incur my wrath. Maybe the word already got about about that and they fear the Wrath. :D

[Chris]

Where that bunch of rocks lies, where we picked up all the shot-up bottles, is there a slight hillside behind it? Near where we at lunch, where I put up the sign that said "Pick up your Brass" (that was blasted into splinters by the next time we showed up) does not have a berm like area IIRC. I am sure the FS guys can tell us if that area is legal.

That's the place that people appear to be shooting. I recall some kind of hill but trusting my memory isn't always a good idea. ;)


And Chris, if some wingnut shoots my picture up it will incur my wrath. Maybe the word already got about about that and they fear the Wrath. :D

Fear the woman who makes a living cutting human parts. :lol:

[Pathrat]

That's the place that people appear to be shooting. I recall some kind of hill but trusting my memory isn't always a good idea. ;)



Fear the woman who makes a living cutting human parts. :lol:

Only if I am holding a sharp, shiny metal object. Ok, a rusty one will do in a pinch too. :)

[Jimmy]

where I put up the sign that said "Pick up your Brass" (that was blasted into splinters by the next time we showed up)

Now you know why you see signs on the trails made of plate steel with the necessary words blasted into it with a torch or plasma cutter. :) You'd need something pretty big to hurt one of them.

[Chris]

When I was a sheet metal fabricator I got to build a small bulletproof electrical box for a customer who was tired of it getting destroyed by hunters. I asked if he had any other requests to consider and he said "Just make it bulletproof!"

I did and when he picked it up he said "How the hell am I going to get this to the top of the pole, it must weigh 100 lbs!"

My reply: "Yeah but it's bulletproof."

:lol:

[Jimmy]

When I was a sheet metal fabricator I got to build a small bulletproof electrical box for a customer who was tired of it getting destroyed by hunters. I asked if he had any other requests to consider and he said "Just make it bulletproof!"

I did and when he picked it up he said "How the hell am I going to get this to the top of the pole, it must weigh 100 lbs!"

My reply: "Yeah but it's bulletproof."

:lol:

Along those lines, when I was a kid my dad got tired of people running over our mailbox. So, the next time it had to be replaced, he cut down a length of telephone pole for the post and welded up some 3/16" steel plate into a simple house-style mailbox.

It's never been hit since then. :LOL: