One Colorado Sheriff took to social media to call out the “complete ass clowns” who put themselves and rescue workers in a dangerous spot. A group of off-road enthusiasts allegedly dug out snow to drive up the notoriously deadly and currently closed Black Bear Pass. The authorities explained how driving up such a pass is both risky and potentially illegal.
If the name Black Bear Pass sounds familiar it’s probably because it’s the site where numerous off-roaders have fallen to serious injury or worse. It’s an incredibly tight trail with steep drop-offs and no way to turn around and go back down if one becomes uncomfortable.
According to the San Miguel County Sheriff, these off-roaders went up Black Bear Pass on or before August 14. To do so, they evidently dug out deep snow on the road and drove around other natural barriers. Then, one vehicle in the group, a Toyota 4Runner, got into a sticky situation.
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Sitting on a section of the trail called “the stairs”, the Toyota lost some of its footings and appears close to slipping off of the mountain in photos taken by the police. Rescue efforts to ensure the safety of the party and recover the vehicle led to the Sheriff’s spicy post. “Some who venture up there are complete ass clowns,” says a part of the statement.
The Sheriff’s office highlighted how making the pass safe required mitigation work to reduce the risk of injury or death. It also said that one vehicle unrelated to the first group was stuck on the stairs with a 1,500-foot drop below and no assurance that it could be recovered safely. It’s unclear if any of the individuals mentioned ended up with citations but the Sheriff did point out that what they’re doing might be illegal.
There’s no question that passes like these should only be traveled when deemed safe to do so and one has the appropriate level of experience and equipment to do so.