Patrick McKay

As a high elevation trail, Lost Canyon is still impassable due to snow. However I have a couple land use updates regarding this trail. First, CORE contacted the Leadville Ranger District about the chain and no trespassing signs that were reportedly put up and blocking the trail last fall. The Ranger District verified that there is a documented public easement across that parcel of private property and ordered the landowner to take down his illegal obstruction of a public right of way. Because it is winter and we have not been able to have anyone go up there to check, we cannot verify that the chain has been taken down yet, but it should be gone by summer. If the chain is still blocking the road after the road melts out in the spring, that should be reported to the Leadville Ranger District, as the landowner does not have the right to block the road. Second, CORE's objection was affirmed regarding the Forest Service's decision to not analyze the last couple miles of the trail (and the side route to the communications site) in the Pike San Isabel travel management process. The Regional Forester ordered the Pike San Isabel Forest Supervisor to go back and analyze whether the end segment of the Lost Canyon road past the current closure point should be designated as a legal motorized route. We are hopeful that this segment will indeed be reopened in the final travel plan, so motorists can once again drive to the viewpoint of Clear Creek Reservoir at the end rather than having to turn around at an arbitrary point in the open tundra.

FYI, the Forest Service closed the road to the right at waypoint 10 in the recent Badger Flats Travel Management Project. You have turn turn left at waypoint 10 now and take Powerline Road back out to the highway.

While I have not yet had a chance to drive this trail, it is worth noting that the famous Utah Monolith that has recently been all over social media WAS just off this trail near waypoint 34, at 38.34310, -109.66624. Who knows how long it will be until the BLM removes it, so if you're driving this trail anytime soon be sure to stop by and see it. Update: The monolith was removed about a week after it was discovered.