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Legal or Illegal closure of lost canyon road (FSR 398)

Shuksan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
906
Location
Denver
Went on an overnight camping trip on friday night (10/9). Found a great camping spot off the road. In the morning we were going to drive up to the top of lost canyon (only to the end of the MVUM). However well before we got there we saw a couple of odd signs saying the road was closed, private property patented mining claim. There does appear to be private property/mining claim up there, but the MVUM (https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd681154.pdf) passes through this. The road was even blocked off with a chain between a concrete block and a tree. I am a bit suspicious of this being someone trying to close a road that is supposed to be open or protecting their "private" hunting grounds.
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Is this something where I should make an inquiry to the local ranger station?
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,941
Location
Grand Junction
It's not an official USFS sign.

Since the gate sounds ramshackle and the phone number points to a non-fixed VoIP number (probably a Google Voice number) with a Florida area code I'd say it's not really a legitimately placed warning sign in the middle of a FS road. The no trespassing should be respected and AFAIK they'd have to post contact information and probably stake the claim, though.

The MVUM was updated October of 2019 and is generally the authority, so you'd probably be in the right if you took bolt cutters next time. If nothing else you want to protect the tree which isn't supposed to stand in for a properly set post after all.

It's ironic, though, most times it's the miner who complains that that USFS or BLM will close a road and shut them from accessing their claim.
 
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Stuckinthe80s

Rising Sun Member
Staff member
Joined
Dec 29, 2017
Messages
2,326
Location
Lakewood, CO
I would definitely reach out to the local ranger station.
 

rover67

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
9,291
Location
Boulder, Co
Reach out to the area ranger station. Let them know where it is and send photos. I recently had to do this on a local road here and they were happy to help. I emailed them a mvum map with the location of the closure located on a mapped open road and a few photos. They emailed right back letting. Me know they’d work with the sheriff to figure it out
 
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