Arapaho Glacier Access

Has anyone approached Boulder City re. opening up the Silver Lake Watershed (Arapaho Glacier) to the public? I don't buy their rationale for keeping it locked up. Protecting water quality. Isn't the water treated at Betasso? The other points offered as reasons for closure also seem weak. It looks like a fantastic place to visit and could be opened up even at a restricted level if there was the will.

Oy! Don't get me started about the Watershed Gestapo. It has been challenged a number of times over the years and has lost every time. The Precious Bodily Fluids argument is a complete crock. Boulder gets only about 1/3 of it's water from the watershed. The other portions come from Barker Reservoir in Nederland where people regularly boat, swim, and launch fireworks over. That's Boulder for you. It's Our Land, but not our land.

My theory as to why it's so zealously guarded is that they're hiding a UFO crash site.

Here's Gerry Roach's summary of the access status on peaks in and near the watershed.

climb.mountains.com/Project…

4. The City of Boulder grants public access to 5 of the summits on this list, but denies public access to the other 4. The 5 summits that the public can travel to are North and South Arapaho, “Old Baldy”, Caribou BM and Niwot Ridge. The watershed boundary does not follow the ridge line surrounding the large cirque formed by the broad ridge running east from the Arapahos to the south and Niwot Ridge to the north, but rather takes a convoluted stair-step path along these ridges and along the Continental Divide in between them. The city’s logic to determine access also takes a convoluted path that follows neither the ridge line nor the actual stair-step boundary. The city grants access to some summits in the watershed and not others. This Byzantine blundering has confused hikers for more than a century. In an effort to help climbers unravel the mysteries of the city’s ponderous pontifications about their private preserve, I offer the following observations on each of the summits in or near the Boulder Watershed. I’m not as wise as those lawyer guys, and none of this is legal advice. Nothing on this page constitues a recommendation, it is just a recounting of my understanding of the city’s policy, which can change at any moment.
* South Arapaho - Access Allowed - The summit of this peak is on a north-south portion of the stair-step boundary, but the normal route to the summit via Arapaho Saddle enters the watershed. The city has always granted public access to the Arapaho Saddle from the south, and once ran an annual city-sponsored hike there. The city allows the hike from Arapaho Saddle to the top of South Arapaho.
* North Arapaho - Access Allowed - The summit of this peak is on the same north-south portion of stair-step boundary that holds the summit of South Arapaho. The famous ridge between South and North Arapaho is out of the watershed, and the traverse between these two summits is not controlled by the City of Boulder.
* “Old Baldy” - Access Allowed - The summit of this ranked Thirteener is 0.35 mile east of Arapaho Saddle, and both the summit and the route from the Arapaho Saddle to the summit are in the watershed. Nevertheless, the city allows this hike.
* Caribou BM - Access Allowed - This minor summit is 1.5 miles east of “Old Baldy” on the border of the watershed. A direct approach to Caribou BM from the south is outside of the watershed, but a hike up the Arapaho Saddle Trail from the Rainbow Lakes Trailhead enters the watershed. Nevertheless, the city allows this hike.
* Navajo Peak - Access Allowed - The summit of this peak is just outside the watershed near the westernmost of the watershed’s two northwest corners. The normal route climbs from the saddle at the top of Airplane Gully to the summit on the south side of the ridge, and this route touches the watershed boundary at one point. Although they only control one point on it, and a single step to the north would remove the hiker from even this one point, the city graciously “allows” this hike.
* Niwot Ridge - Access Allowed - The summit of Niwot Ridge is PT 13,023, which is 0.4 mile east of the saddle at the top of Airplane Gully. The summit is just within the watershed. The city allows the hike to this summit when approached from the north via Airplane Gully, and the ridge traverse from the saddle at the top of Airplane Gully.
* “Deshawa” - Access Not Allowed - This summit is 0.7 mile northeast of North Arapaho on the Continental Divide, and due to the vagaries of the stair-step boundary, this summit is just within the watershed. An approach from the west via Wheeler Basin to the 12,340-foot saddle just north of “Deshawa” would be a legal hike, but the last 105 yards of the ridge traverse from there to the summit is a trespass. Why much greater transgressions into the watershed are allowed elsewhere, but that this 105 yards is off limits is one of the City’s secrets.
* Arikaree - Access Not Allowed - This summit is 0.6 mile southeast of Navajo on the Continental Divide, and due to the vagaries of the stair-step boundary, this summit is just within the watershed. An approach from the west via Wheeler Basin to the 12,780-foot saddle just south of Arikaree would be a legal hike, but the last 130 yards of the ridge traverse from there to the summit is a trespass. Why much greater transgressions into the watershed are allowed elsewhere, but that this 130 yards is off limits is one of the City’s darkest secrets.
* Kiowa - Access Not Allowed - This ranked Thirteener is 0.75 mile east of Arikaree, and is well within the watershed. Any approach to this summit is a trespass.
* Albion - Access Not Allowed - This ranked Twelver is 0.75 mile southeast of Kiowa, and is near the center of the watershed. Any approach to this summit is a trespass.

Charles Danforth wrote:Oy! The Precious Bodily Fluids argument is a complete crock. Boulder gets only about 1/3 of it's water from the watershed. The other portions come from Barker Reservoir in Nederland where people regularly boat, swim, and launch fireworks over. That's Boulder for you.

just fyi, the city of boulder prohibits boating, swimming, etc. in barker reservoir. nothing is allowed there. sure, a few stray folks may sneak out in a canoe on a dark night... but that's it - nobody's in that water.

Charles Danforth wrote:Oy! Don't get me started about the Watershed Gestapo. It has been challenged a number of times over the years and has lost every time. The Precious Bodily Fluids argument is a complete crock.

Oh yeah? That's the way your hard core Commie thinks. Mandrake, have you ever wondered why I only drink distilled water and pure grain alcohol?

tiffany fourment wrote: just fyi, the city of boulder prohibits boating, swimming, etc. in barker reservoir. nothing is allowed there. sure, a few stray folks may sneak out in a canoe on a dark night... but that's it - nobody's in that water.

I swear I've seen boats out there in broad daylight. Isn't there even a boat launch on the western end? In any case, access isn't prohibited in Boulder Creek either upstream or downstream of the reservoir. The excuse that the Watershed is closed to protect our drinking water just doesn't, well, hold water. I suspect it's a matter of "a power once given, is impossible to take away".

i lived up in ned for 5 years and have hung out there for 8 or 9, and i've never seen a thing on the water (except those sneaky 4th of july boaters, of whom i will say no more). i see the City of Boulder Watershed truck there more than anything. they're on top of it. BOB (boating on barker) is some random little group organized around just that, they've been there for longer than i've been around, but they haven't made much progress.
regardless, as for the issue of whether or not the city water folks are just senseless government bastards who deprive us of access to any and every inch of property that we pay taxes for is not such a simple issue. when i think about the issue reasonably, i imagine that they didn't just arbitrarily decide to allow people in SOME water and not OTHER water, just because they're bored and would get a chuckle out of it. usually there's something behind decisions like that... whether or not everyone agrees with that something, people should at least know the reasons, if they want their gripes to be heard.
i haven't yet seen any stabs at coming up with reasons WHY the policy might be so, so i'll take a stab at a partially-educated guess:

the treatment processes at the 2 treatment plants (betasso and boulder reservoir) are different. while i don't know the exact specifications of HOW they are different, i do know that they are, which leads me to a reasonable guess that human activity in the two reservoirs (or the watersheds that feed them) is allowable at different levels because the treatment plants themselves function at different levels - maybe one is designed to filter out much more than the other is, due to historical uses.

just a crazy thought. it's generally more fun to just give the finger to the man for cheating us out of... ________ (fill in the blank)

:)

Rumor has it the summit register for Kiowa is a legal summons for trespassing! Just add your name to the end of the list -- if you dare.

A friend of mine walked right through the closed area with no problems. The reason? He had broken his ankle (although he didn't know it at the time, just figured a painful sprain) on the north side of North Arapaho and it was the fastest way out. He figured a medical emergency justified the trespass, although since he was coming out and left no vehicle it was easy to pass undetected. And no he did not stop to bag Kiowa. But he did say it was a long, painful walk out.

George Bell wrote:Rumor has it the summit register for Kiowa is a legal summons for trespassing! Just add your name to the end of the list -- if you dare.

Cute! This is one of the reasons I don't carry ID in the mountains and will swear on anything that's holy that my legal name is Ratchet Thunderstud IV.

Two months ago, I watched a guy climb South Arapaho via the normal route and proceed to traverse along the Divide all the way to Ward. It looks like a very cool route and I'd love to try it some time.

Tiffany, it may have been 4th of July when I saw the boats on Barker. That's the only time I've spent significant time there. You're probably right that different treatment plants handle different drainages and life is easier for them if the water coming in is clean. But any treatment plant worth running should be able to handle the level of added pollution from a couple thousand hikers a year.

I'm sure it's easier, and cheaper, for Boulder to maintain the status quo but it seems to me that access could be granted while still protecting the water. For example, camping could be prohibited and WAG bags for human waste could be required. They could limit numbers with a permit system and perhaps only allow certain routes to the off limits summits. Unfortunately, its probably easier for them to keep things as is.

THUNDERSTUD!!! That's awesome and far better than Brigitte VonHurtenpickle.

Why would the government want to share one of the nicest places in the area? I think that the fine for trespassing in the water shed is about $2000. Pricey summit that Kiowa is and they will chase you if you try.

Tiffany have you ever heard any stories about the BOB club catching lake trout? I have always thought that if you could fish those deep spots there would be a 50 lbs monster waiting to gobble whatever crosses his path.

Tiffany,

I live in Nederland also. Does anyone actually do anything in this town? Seriously, you need to hook me up and change my view.

It is getting so lame that the Nederland Elementary school would not allow the kids outside for days because somewhat thought they heard a mountain lion scream 1-mile away but it turned into a red fox.

And when I ride my road bike or mountain bike without a helmet .... geez I am committing a mortal sin. I don't tell people I do Alpine routes because .....

Tiffany, help me out! Show me these hardcore people I hear so much about.

:) heh heh,
i've got nothin' on giant lake trout, but i bet they're there. kind of like ned's own loch ness monster...
kevin, well, how long have you lived up there? i moved back down to boulder about a year ago, and you know, really, ned is mostly full of the same ol' boulder folks - we just trade back and forth between there and boulder depending on the mood - hermit or socialite. most of my friends up there are mountain bikers, and they love it, but i never found many of them to climb with. then we all switch to skiing and nordic in the winter (and whenever i can find one that will go climb ice) but i really don't know that many climbers or mountaineers up there - most of the folks i climb with live down here, and the ones up there sort of keep to themselves.

it's just like boulder, only a little, um, quirkier... ;)

Sounds like the best deal is to get a job as a patroller and you can wander the closed area at will! The downside is, all outdoor users will hate you.

"Sounds like the best deal is to get a job as a patroller and you can wander the closed area at will!"

To all you people looking for a job, I would suggest becoming a Boulder County worker. It is like winning the lottery it seems, free quads, satelite phone, snowmobiles .... and you just have to go and give people tickets for having dogs off leashes!!!

I am not trying to be hard here but seriously if you are looking for a job, consider being a Boulder County worker.

I'm gonna look into this a little more with the City and see what kind of response I get. I do know there are other issues other than water quality that are used to justify the closure e.g. research. But it also seems that there is more to this thing than meets the eye.

Wow. First, I find it pretty funny that you all get so worked up about your limited access to 3 basins in the state. If you want to go up in the IP you have an almost unlimited choice. I understand your reasoning, I would love to ski the Arapahoe Glacier as much or more than anyone else, but I can also see why they keep it closed. I look at it all winter, everyday.

The Green Lakes Valley and Goose Lakes Valley have been research sites in association with the Niwot Ridge Biosphere and CU Mountain Research Station for nearly 40 years. One of the reasons that these basins are closed is to promote an undisturbed setting where Hydrologists, Glaciologists, and Ecologists from the University, City, and Feds can study the Alpine Tundra, Lakes and Valleys. Just take a look at the Brainard Lake basin. Long Lake, Lake Isabel, Mitchell, Blue Lake. All those basins are trashed. And why...because of the unlimited access that is provided. Opening up the Green Lakes and Goose Lakes Valleys would have the same effect. How many pristine basins do you think we have in the Front Range, I can tell you, not many.

Im not trying to go off on a rant here, and I want to ski and climb in those valleys as much as you do. I just try to keep in mind that there have to be some places that are kept untouched. Just my thoughts.

Yeah, that's probably the best argument that the City has. Maybe that cinches it. I will say that the Arapaho area is hardly pristine. The lake system in the valley has been significantly modified, there are roads linking the lakes, fences, officals cruising around in vehicles including snowmobiles, and other human activities. I agree 100% that there should be true wilderness areas but I don't think that the Arapaho Glacier area qualifies because of the already heavy human impact.

Luke Zuke wrote:All those basins are trashed. And why...because of the unlimited access that is provided. Opening up the Green Lakes and Goose Lakes Valleys would have the same effect. How many pristine basins do you think we have in the Front Range, I can tell you, not many.

Sorry, no dice there. I can name a couple of (basically) untouched basins in the Front Range and it's not because they are off-limits to the public. Furthermore, as has been pointed out already, the Watershed is *far* from untrammeled. People that I know who have been in there (don't ask) say it's actually pretty disgusting in places.

I think I'll sign the Kiowa register as either Pumples Velvet or Piney Bill.