Most egregious behavior seen on Colorado trails? (Colorado Springs: vehicle registration, home owners insurance)

[LHS79]

State Parks, City Parks.

We were at Cheyenne Mountain State Park on Saturday last weekend.

All of the trails are "No Dogs Allowed" and very clearly marked. In the parking lot several cars had numerous dogs that were getting ready to walk with the owners, and only a few were on-leash (required at most parks). It is actually easier to see un-leashed dogs vs. leashed dogs on trails.

Also have seen numerous "bags of poop" hanging on tree branches or tossed off the trails- if you are bagging it why are you leaving it? And don't give me the excuse of "I'm going to pick it up on the way down!" excuse- we know that never happens.

Kleenex and other trash etc...on trails also. And if the dog poops in the middle of the trail why not at least try and get it off to the side?

I'm worried with the State Park passes being included with vehicle registrations starting next year this will definitely get worse. Usually city parks are worse since they are free, but now State Parks seem to be getting trashed.

Share your stories!

[otowi]

There are some dog trails at CMSP but not from that main lot - they're up by the campgrounds.

The whole entitled dog owner thing is an ongoing problem - dogs off leash where they shouldn't be, poop left all over where it shouldn't be - gets old for sure. And it isn't a matter of everyone else not loving dogs or not being a 'dog' person like these folks seem to think - they're just being jerks and irresponsible dog owners and think it is someone else's dog that is the problem, never theirs - and now and then it costs their poor dog its life when it ends up going over a cliff or falling through the ice or attacked by a wild animal, etc.

Littering - especially when you get in national forest you'll come across the road-side dumping along trails, the shooters who bring in things to shoot and leave everything in pieces and even their shells, etc., or people hiking in and leaving their lunch litter like water bottles and wrappers, etc.

Trail damage in muddy areas is another, along with creation and use of social trails in excess, leading to erosion problems, loss of habitat and space for wildlife, etc.

The loud music people - dude, no one wants to be subjected to your blaring workout music in the middle of nature. I think people should put an earphone in one ear (for safety, not both) and not make everyone else listen to your stuff.

People being stupid or disrespectful around flora and fauna - the people who pick all the wildflowers right along the trail, who try to walk right up on the deer, etc.

In this day and age when there are so many of us, we have to realize that the time is gone when you could do something in nature and think 'It is just me, it won't hurt anything.' - because it is no longer just you, and the cumulative effect of person after person picking that one flower, throwing that one rock, making that one social trail, leaving that one piece of trash, etc., is absolutely destructive not only for the wild place but for other recreationists, as well.

[COcheesehead]

When we lived on the front range we noticed an inordinate amount of trash, fireworks, dog stuff on the trails just west of Colorado Springs. Sad.

[Good Red Road]

We back up to Aldefer Three Sisters Park. I watched three hikers follow a herd of Elk into my yard just to get some pictures. They were literally leaning on my kids swingset hanging out in my backyard. It was a little creepy.

[Elmwood307]

The little hike we have here on Casper mt. gets completely covered in dog poop. I thought it was a Casper problem, but it's nationwide. My thought is that because people don't have their dogs on a leash, the owners are less likely to pick it up. It's really infuriating how inconsiderate and disgusting this problem is. Mostly younger people and dudes running with their dogs unleashed in my opinion.

People suck; I wish they would follow the city ordinances and not only keep their dogs on a leash but pick up after them. I really, really, hate dog crap!

[jim9251]

I always carry a couple of Walmart plastic bags with me to pick up trash. People are absolute slobs and care nothing about our wild lands. On some of the most pristine trails around the Grand Mesa or in the San Juans I've seen tons of beer cans, bottles, a few syringes, a diaper, a breast pump, car oil filter shot up (at 11,000 feet seriously), sonic cups, fast food bags...

[Jame22]

A little off topic, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while now- there is nothing special about mountains. They are the last frontiers of the natural world in a way because they are so harsh and difficult to live in. For example, I think the Ohio valley would have be even more beautiful and vibrant than Colorado if humans hadn’t completely raped the landscape and took it for all that it’s worth.

I’m not trying to justify ****ty behavior in the wildernesses, just a random thought I often have. I think we should be more aware about preserving or maintaining natural environments everywhere, not just in the spaces they currently reside.

To answer the question, definitely poop bags. I really don’t understand how so many people can be that selfish. There are an incredible amount of people in this state that just shouldn’t own dogs. I don’t own a dog or an SUV so naturally that breed of people really get on my nerves.

[Good Red Road]

Originally Posted by Jame22

A little off topic, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while now- there is nothing special about mountains. They are the last frontiers of the natural world in a way because they are so harsh and difficult to live in. For example, I think the Ohio valley would have be even more beautiful and vibrant than Colorado if humans hadn’t completely raped the landscape and took it for all that it’s worth.

I’m not trying to justify ****ty behavior in the wildernesses, just a random thought I often have. I think we should be more aware about preserving or maintaining natural environments everywhere, not just in the spaces they currently reside.

To answer the question, definitely poop bags. I really don’t understand how so many people can be that selfish. There are an incredible amount of people in this state that just shouldn’t own dogs. I don’t own a dog or an SUV so naturally that breed of people really get on my nerves.

Blasphemy.

[Techy02]

In my experience Dogs are rarely on leashes. I've encountered a few that were not friendly toward me and my family with owner not in sight down the trail.

I've come across several people engaging in reproductive behavior. Especially locations like 14ers and remote hot springs.

Trail damage from cutting switchbacks

Lots of trash

That's some of my experiences. I haven't hiked many of the more popular trails in a while. Too crowded. Any trail in the San Juan's that is worth a hoot looks like a Walmart parking lot at the trailhead.

[waltcolorado]

This is somewhat of a question..

Example.. someone has a dog off the leash and they are on a trail that is legally used by both bicycles and pedestrians. Dog (friendly or not) but illegally not on a leash darts out in front of someone on a bicycle and causes the bicycle to crash injuring the person on the bicycle

If the dog owner had the dog legally on a leash and was sued by the injured bicyclist, I believe the dog owners home owner insurance would come into play.

But if the dog was illegally off the leash, it seems to me that the home owners insurance company now has no responsibility for the accident and the dog owner would have total out of pocket responsibility for whatever happens if sued.

Personal experience..

My wife had a dog on a leash walking on the side of the road in Arizona. Another walker was passing from the other direction at the same time a car came by and it startled the dog who nipped the other person. Nip did break the skin of the other person but barely. This is not at all an aggressive dog but skittish. Other person saw an opportunity for $$ and did sue us. Our home owners insurance did take care of this (dog was on a leash and everything was legal including vaccinations).

Recently in Colorado, we were riding bikes on a path legal for both pedestrians and bicycles. Area is clearly marked that dogs must be on a leash. Dude has ear phones on and dog off the leash. Dog darts in front of my wife and did cause her to crash. No serious injury, just a rip in her pants. We did not sue.

I personally think anyone who lets a dog illegally run off the leash in an even remotely used area is crazy because of liability. But Im not sure about the home owner insurance not helping out if the dog is illegally off the leash.