David Lesh, founder of Virtika, sentenced for Independence Pass incident

David Lesh, the founder of a clothing company called Virtika, has been sentenced for an incident that took place on Independence Pass, putting Colorado’s natural landscape at risk. The sentencing comes days after Lesh drew widespread online criticism for publishing a photo of himself breaking rules at Hanging Lake.

Last July, Lesh illegally rode his snowmobile on a fragile wilderness area near the summit of Independence Pass in a spot that is always closed to mechanized and motorized travel. He was tracked down after posting images to social media. The executive director of the Independence Pass Foundation also captured the incident with an image that showed a snowmobiler operating the vehicle in grassy terrain.

According to reports from the scene, Lesh and another snowmobiler were observed on snowmobiles near the Upper Lost Man trailhead. Very little snow was present in the Independence Pass area at the time.

When the official sentencing was made, Lesh was given a $500 fine and ordered to perform 50 hours of “useful public service.”

Lesh’s controversial actions have resulted in a widespread public outcry against him and his company. More than 17,000 people have signed a petition titled “Revoke the business license of Virtika, who encourages destruction of protected ecosystems.” View the full petition here.

Whether or not David Lesh will face charges for violating rules at Hanging Lake or trespassing on a Keystone resort terrain park during the COVID-19 shutdown remains up in the air.

With a total of 45,000 followers on Instagram, Lesh seems to consider himself a social media influencer of sorts.