winter closure of public land

[joe johnson]

Just for a little background I have lived in alaska, idaho(outside yellowstone), Ga. Fl. Al. Md. and now here in Az. This is the only state that I have lived in that requires permits to park on the shoulder of the road; as seen in Sedona and outside of Tuscon. This is also the only state that I have been in that closes all unpaved roads in the mtns as soon as the snow falls. Is this because the people of this state, as a whole, dont have the ability to take responsibility for staying alive off of paved roads? I really cant see the reason for closing all the high country as soon as the weather gets nice.
Someone please explain this to me.

[jeepsonly]

Welcome to AZ. I didn't know there was mass road closure when a little snow dust falls but I can tell you the wacko extreme environmentalists are pretty serious about closing giant pieces of land to ALL access to "protect" things like the Brown Lipped Dervish Ant and the Creeping Five Legged Dung Roach. Maybe it's our proximity to the center of the mystical universe (Sedona, don't ya know). I don't know how it was in Alaska but I'd recommend you (and alll of us of course) get involved in land use issues in your new home because we're losing trails permanently for no good reason.

[Sedona Jeep School]

Many trails in this area have only seen winter closures in the last few years. Before that, it was "enter at your own risk." I have seen the same things in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, too. I think it may be more of a blanket policy "to protect us from ourselves".

Being a Sedonan, this really disturbs my wah. :D

[Antman]

The main reason the high country roads are closed is there are no longer any logging companies to maintain them. When the Rim country was logged, the companies had to maintain the roads, ditches and culverts to keep up their end of the bargin. With logging forbidden in the Ponderosa forest, the FS can't maintain the ruts left by winter travel, so they close them down.
Part of it stems from a couple of young lady doppers who drove up a forest road to smoke a joint and got snowed in for a week and lost a bunch of toes to frostbite. I dont know if ADOT and the FS got sued over that one or not.
And yes, there are lots of idiots who come up here in the winter wearing a lite jacket and have no provisions with them and get stuck on the back roads. I usually pull a few out every winter.
These are a few of my pet peeves about the subject. :rolleyes:

[Hackle]

BTW yes they did get sued and paid a large settlement. It pays in AZ to be stupid.
Jim F.

[T.C.'S TOY]

At That Time I Was A Member Of Search And Rescue For The Gila County Sheriffs Office And What Bill Witt(antman) Is Talkin About Is These Stupid People Who Go Way Beyond What They Can't Control Are Being Rescued At Unforgiving Numbers And Such A High Rate Of Cost To Gila County Is Why There Shutting Down The Roads At The Sign Of First Snow............Thom ..........(T.C.'s Toy)

[Qman]

THIS is how i look at it..... NORTH COUNTRY summer Wheeling. :cool: Rest of AZ we Wheel the other 9 months of the year..... :p there is just to much to worry about the couple clousers up north in the Winter. And they are usually only closed when there is snow on them... which usually doesn't last long...

[joe johnson]

i have notice a rather large concentration of really stupid people here in phoenix. I have formulated the theory that they thrive here because the gov't keeps them alive through road closures and other aspects and that the weather is so hot and lacking any real precipitation that they can't kill themselves driving to walmart.
My wife and I love to laugh at the hummer drivers that swerve into on coming traffic to avoid a 1/2 inch water puddle.

[Antman]

i have notice a rather large concentration of really stupid people here in phoenix. I have formulated the theory that they thrive here because the gov't keeps them alive through road closures and other aspects and that the weather is so hot and lacking any real precipitation that they can't kill themselves driving to walmart.
My wife and I love to laugh at the hummer drivers that swerve into on coming traffic to avoid a 1/2 inch water puddle.


ROTFLMAO! :D

[azdesertrhino]

i have notice a rather large concentration of really stupid people here in phoenix. I have formulated the theory that they thrive here because the gov't keeps them alive through road closures and other aspects and that the weather is so hot and lacking any real precipitation that they can't kill themselves driving to walmart.
My wife and I love to laugh at the hummer drivers that swerve into on coming traffic to avoid a 1/2 inch water puddle.

Somewhere I read a question regarding the difference between Genius and stupidity.

The answer was there is a limit to genius. :eek:

I don't think Phoenix has the corner on stupid people, maybe just more of them due to a larger population. :D