Area near Telluride closed to skiers
- Details
- Created on Thursday, 09 December 2010 13:35
- Written by Dena Rosenberry
By Matthew Beaudin
Editor of the Telluride Daily Planet
The United States Forest Service has closed skiing in Upper Bear Creek accessed via the gates off Gold Hill at Telluride Ski Area.
The USFS closed three gates on Wednesday that spill skiers into the Upper Bear Creek basin amid concerns over private property rights, which have become increasingly tense in the basin after Thomas Chapman bought claims in the high country last year. Lower Bear Creek will remain open for skiing.
Chapman’s Gold Hill Development Co. and Irene West formally requested that the Forest Service remove the access points on the Gold Hill Ridge because they believe that skiers entering Bear Creek from these points trespass on their private properties, according to a release from the USFS.
"We want to be good neighbors and discourage trespass," said Judy Schutza, the district forest ranger. Skiers can reach national forest lands from the ski area by using other access points, Schutza said. Last spring, Chapman bought about 100 acres of mining claims near the ski area and closed the land to skiers and hikers. The Telluride Daily Planet said Chapman declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday.
Read the full story about land owners vs. skiers and snowboarders at the Daily Planet website.
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