5 Mile Pass - Proposed BLM Fee Area

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
Over the years I've become a convert to the idea of requiring permits, and preferably with a reasonable cost to them and a limit on the numbers issued. As Utah becomes more and more crowded, more people are using the land and for the most part, they are not using it well. Permits will help the land management agencies recoup some costs for having to maintain the areas (rangers, trash cleanup, damage mitigation, etc.) and hopefully if people have some skin in the game, they won't treat the areas like garbage.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
Over the years I've become a convert to the idea of requiring permits, and preferably with a reasonable cost to them and a limit on the numbers issued. As Utah becomes more and more crowded, more people are using the land and for the most part, they are not using it well. Permits will help the land management agencies recoup some costs for having to maintain the areas (rangers, trash cleanup, damage mitigation, etc.) and hopefully if people have some skin in the game, they won't treat the areas like garbage.


I hate to agree with Stephen twice in an hour but I'm with him for the most part. "Reasonable" fee is kind of subjective though. $10 per day seems a bit steep to me, but I already don't go out there very often (maybe every 2-3 years?).
 

Jinx

when in doubt, upgrade!
Location
So Jordan, Utah
I was out there this weekend with my family as part of the Clean Up Day that was going on at the snakes and I was surprised at the "use"🙄 that was out there...

The Boar guys did a good job at having the areas divided up and a dumpster there to put everything in, plus there was representatives from both the DNR and the BLM. (I don't think I have ever seen either let alone both at this kind of event, kudos to them and the organizers)

The Snakes really looked good on the way out.

All this being said, I haven't been out there in years, but it was nice to go somewhere close. In addition, I would rather pay some money to be able to use it and hopefully provide some land use education than have it closed...
 

moab_cj5

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Based on experience in AFC, I don't see it changing anything except generating income for the government, especially if there isn't a LEO presence. I am not a fan of paid permit use for public land, and not really a fan of even free permits, but I don't have a better solution to offer.

I hope people comply and take better care of the area, or at a minimum spread out to other areas and lessen the concentration of users and damage.
 

RockChucker

Well-Known Member
Location
Highland
It's been 18 months since I've been out to 5MP (in the snow) and close to 3 years since I've run rattlesnake, constrictor or the sidewinder exit out there. I've pretty much decided to avoid AF canyon because #10millionpeople and 5MP isn't much better. The caliber of trails out there isn't anything I'm willing to pay $10/day for. You might be able to talk me into it if they start allowing new trails to be cut in up many of the other canyons. There are plenty of canyons that would make for some great trails. But I agree with Dan, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

In all my years going out there I have seen exactly zero BLM/DNR/LEO to "patrol" the place and make sure that people aren't abusing the land or leaving trash everywhere. I don't see that happening now either. In my opinion, the state sees $$$$ when they estimate 65000 visitors annually. It has nothing to do with improving the experience of those recreating but further lining the government coffers. Just one more "tax" that we get to pay.

Honestly this is probably enough of an impetus to push my day trip distance a little further out to explore the trails around Price and Delta.
 

xjtony

Well-Known Member
Location
Grantsville, Ut
This will be interesting. I did some work with the Tooele county GIS guy before my neck surgery last year. Of our three snakes trails
1. Rattle snake runs on the border of private land almost the whole way (including the right side of Waynes World)
2. Constrictor is entirely on private land owned by a mining company, though the GIS wont say who it is.
3. Sidewinder is almost entirely on BLM land. The entrance to the trail may be on private land (the Tooele GIS and Utah GIS differ by a few hundred feet on this.
There was some talk about developing the area at the top of Sidewinder into an obstacle course or even a comp course. I think

At one time these trails were recognized by the BLM as trails/unmaintained roads, but with the current relationship with those folks I have no idea what the status is now. Maybe this is an opening to try to cultivate a better relationship between the offroad clubs and the BLM, maybe even make some new trails out there. It would be cool to see some more miles of moderate trails as well as some more hardcore options.
 

J-mobzz

Well-Known Member
I’ve been out to 5 mile pass twice this year for the first time in a few years. As someone that has owned sxs’s I hate to say it but damn those people are trashing that place. The problem is I don’t see a $10 fee stopping all those dudes rolling coal in the stance game trucks towing $50k toy haulers with $50k sxs with no mufflers throwing the michelob ultra lite cans and bottles everywhere with fingerless gloves on from showing up.

if anything they will assume the fee is to clean up after them and just be bigger dicks.

*edit* I forgot to add the silly skull face or similar dust mask to go with fingerless gloves.
 

xjtony

Well-Known Member
Location
Grantsville, Ut
I imagine that most of the fee money will go to the east side of 5 mile and all of the go fast folks (reasonable since that's the major portion of the users), but if the BLM is willing to work, I think some good could come of it. One thing that I've felt is direly needed is more signage. Clearly mark the way to the trails and obstacles, and more importantly where the trails interface with private land. BOAR seems to be pretty active with the 5 mile stuff. It would be really cool to see a combined effort from several clubs.
 

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
Should be absolutelyittle/no surprise as it's been floated as an idea during all the RMP talks and discussed heavily in the 2019 project scoping docs, discussion on ExpeditionUtah for example. The surprising part is that they are moving forward with a new RMP for the area, 20 years later.

Screenshot_20200728-091604_Chrome.jpg
 

Kevin B.

Big hippy
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
Really against the idea of equestrian facilities. Horses don't mix well with motorized/mechanized recreation, and you can't have horses without a ton of horseback riders demanding concessions for their safety and leaving their horse shit all over the trails.

There is no shortage of places for horseback riders to recreate. There is a serious shortage of places appropriate for 4WD/ATV/Moto play, and I don't know why you'd deliberately bring horses into the middle of one of those places.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
Really against the idea of equestrian facilities. Horses don't mix well with motorized/mechanized recreation, and you can't have horses without a ton of horseback riders demanding concessions for their safety and leaving their horse shit all over the trails.

There is no shortage of places for horseback riders to recreate. There is a serious shortage of places appropriate for 4WD/ATV/Moto play, and I don't know why you'd deliberately bring horses into the middle of one of those places.



Yeah, why the equestrian? They can go ANYWHERE a hiker can go. Horses aren't exactly delighted with screaming 4 strokes and such
 
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N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
Some years ago we did a Snakes cleanup and after finishing we just stopped near the trailhead to BS for a bit. Some equestrians came riding over and started lecturing us about how we're not supposed to be shooting there and how it scares the horses. We were like uh we weren't shooting. Well they didn't believe us and continued to berate us from atop their literal high horses. It was neat.

That's the only interaction I've ever had with equestrians and it was plenty.
 

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
Some years ago we did a Snakes cleanup and after finishing we just stopped near the trailhead to BS for a bit. Some equestrians came riding over and started lecturing us about how we're not supposed to be shooting there and how it scares the horses. We were like uh we weren't shooting. Well they didn't believe us and continued to berate us from atop their literal high horses. It was neat.

That's the only interaction I've ever had with equestrians and it was plenty.
Get this, it's technically a "No Target Shooting" zone. The fine print on those signs allows for legal hunts with firearms. You can legally rabbit hunt there. I wouldn't suggest doing that, but it is legally allowed.
 
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