Not a problem, Chris -- I was already upset before your post... the Spider Lake closure just absolutely pisses me off. Nothing personal....

The only potential gain out of this, IMHO, is awareness. There was an emergency cleanup less than a month after the closure, and the resource currently stands closed, today... fully clean, but with no admittance. And again, I'll point to the water samples, which showed no significant amounts of fecal coliform... so IMHO, the closure was poorly conceived, pporly substantiated, and poorly executed.

I just hope recreational access is restored at the end of the 120 days. It wouldn't be a big stretch for them to continue the closure 'for the winter' or continue it pending completion of an environmental assessment.

I hope you enjoy your time on the trail -- and please be prepared to pack out *ALL* of what you pack in... even the unmentionable squishies. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" /> The true challenge up there is education and enforcement -- and instituting more rules, restrictions, or closures lightens the load in some cases, and exponentially increases it in others. IMHO, USFS and Eldo County don't stand a chance of protecting the resources without cooperative volunteers, and their closure strikes close against our well-established working relationship between FOTR/ROC and Forestry and the County.


I'll drink to that! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Randii