Lion's Back Closed?

[Willman]

Update

Just got an return email from one of the members of the Redrock 4wheeler's club:

"Lions back is NOT a trail. it is a short sectiion of steep slickrock with a turnaround at the top requiring coming back down the same slickrock fin. "They" are the people who own the lease on the property where the fin is located and for liability purposes have chosen to close the fin to just open use. It is possible to try this fin by paying a per vehicle use fee."

I wonder how much the toll would be to drive up???? I'll get back to you all on that one....

:bigbossHL:

 

[paulj]

This picture that I took in the fall 2004 may give a better overview of the settiong for the Lions Back. If I recall correctly I'm on the switchback that leads up to the Sandflats trail area. I think you had to go through the property in the foreground to get to the base of fin. There may have also been space to camp.

In the Google Earth image, Lions Back is on the left center edge, just beyond the switchback. The road climbs up the cliff. Parking and some of the trails of Sandflats are visible on the upper right.

paulj

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Just got an return email from one of the members of the Redrock 4wheeler's club:

"Lions back is NOT a trail. it is a short sectiion of steep slickrock with a turnaround at the top requiring coming back down the same slickrock fin. "They" are the people who own the lease on the property where the fin is located and for liability purposes have chosen to close the fin to just open use. It is possible to try this fin by paying a per vehicle use fee."

I wonder how much the toll would be to drive up???? I'll get back to you all on that one....

:bigbossHL:

Hmmm, as I recall there has been a toll for the last 5+ years to drive the fin... Its possible whomever wrote that might be a bit behind the latest news.

Here is a quote from another RR4W member:

I can't confirm that it has actually been closed, but I am working near there tomorrow, and I'll drive up and take a look. The condo / subdivision has been rumored for quite a while, and if I remember correctly, a preliminary plan was proposed. I'm pretty sure that nothing has been approved yet. The developers will face some tough hurdles, but it seems like money talks here in Moab when it comes to new developments, so I have no doubt that big changes are on the way.

His reply yesterday:

I drove by Lion's Back this morning, and there are "No Trespassing" signs posted all over the place.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

that's what we saw Sunday. it looked very, very closed. could just be the season...

but yes, the fee thing has been the case for years and years...pushing a decade. it's always been on private property...but it's also always been accessable as long as people were good about it, or so i heard.

 

[XJINTX]

Sure am glad I did it last year The year before we could not find the owners to pay them so we did not go.

Here is a video of me going down LION'S BACK. Eric in the truck behind me had a camera. I forgot last one up... is the first one back down

 

[Ursidae69]

It doesn't surprise me that it is now closed. Even with waivers, there are liability concerns I'm sure. The TTORA "situation" that happened a few months ago likely exacerbated the situation as well.

 

[kcowyo]

I generally wait for Kurt/cruiseroutfit's contributions, for getting reliable and accurate information regarding trail use and landownership in Utah. There are tons of rumors and speculation online this week about Lion's Back. I'm not one to believe everything I read, but when it comes to 4x4 use in Utah, I do believe it when Kurt says it.


Just an fyi for those scanning this thread, unfamiliar with our membership but looking for a reliable and accurate source of information.

 

[upcruiser]

It doesn't surprise me that it is now closed. Even with waivers, there are liability concerns I'm sure. The TTORA "situation" that happened a few months ago likely exacerbated the situation as well.

I'm out of the loop, but what happened?

 

[Willman]

The TTORA "situation" that happened a few months ago likely exacerbated the situation as well.

Would you care to explain this one.....just wondering???

 

[Brian894x4]

Must be this one:

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52950

Also there's that couple that lost their brakes a couple of years ago and rode that thing all way down with no brakes. It was all over the TV on a few "wildest videos" type shows.

 

[Wanderlusty]

Must be this one:

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52950

Also there's that couple that lost their brakes a couple of years ago and rode that thing all way down with no brakes. It was all over the TV on a few "wildest videos" type shows.

Yikes.

Was that a TTORA sanctioned ride, or just friends who happened to be members?

Not that it matters.

I can totally understand the liability angle of it, though, in this litigation obsessed society.

 

[Ursidae69]

Yikes.

Was that a TTORA sanctioned ride, or just friends who happened to be members?

Not that it matters.

I can totally understand the liability angle of it, though, in this litigation obsessed society.

It was a ttora event and the NorCal chapter president has since stepped down. You can find closed threads on the main ttora site detailing it unless they have been deleted.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I honeslty don't think the liability of the obstacle had anything to do with it... especially the recent TTORA situation as the developer was already making plans long before that happened. IMHO this has very little to do with liability, land use, WAG's, etc... it has to do with SITLA selling their land and a developer looking to build a condo community on the property.

Just yesterday I received a letter from SITLA on other properties they will be auctioning off May 11th... a couple thousand acres in 20+ lots. At times property sells VERY cheap... We (Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association and our member clubs, ie. RR4W, Wasatch Cruisers, etc) try and monitor the upcoming auctions to make sure trails of "significant" value arn't comprimised... however we are all volunteers and finding time to actively track and recon these parcels is quite the feat.

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Hasn't there been a "For Sale" sign at that little set of buildings for the past several years?

I seem to recall an asking price of something like $2M ... only makes sense - for that knd of price - to develop the property.

Having said that, I can't imagine anyone paying big $$ for a condo there. Its in kind of a little hole and the views of the area stink from ground level.

 

[Willman]

Must be this one:

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52950

Also there's that couple that lost their brakes a couple of years ago and rode that thing all way down with no brakes. It was all over the TV on a few "wildest videos" type shows.

Thanks for clearing this up!!!