The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
A can of worms?
Could the streets of Crested Butte be filled with packs of snowcats next winter? The Town Council has directed the town staff to investigate how to best govern “snow track vehicles” in town.
Currently, the only such vehicle allowed is the snowcat used by the Nordic Center for trail grooming. But the town has received two requests from people hoping to drive their snowcats from the Irwin area west of Crested Butte to the gas pumps located on the east side of Crested Butte near Highway 135.
Irwin property owner Corey Bryndal and Irwin Backcountry Guides both submitted official requests to the town. IBG hopes to have a backcountry ski operation this winter in the Irwin basin. That ski operation request is currently under U.S. Forest Service consideration. If approved, IBG would like to run their cat through town to fuel up as well as to pick up clients staying in Crested Butte and shuttle them up to Irwin. Bryndal would like the convenience of running his snowcat to the gas pumps and grocery store.
Crested Butte mayor Alan Bernholtz, councilman Billy Rankin and town attorney John Belkin all stepped down from the discussion since they either work for or have done work for IBG.
IBG transportation director Dan Lochnikar said the 16,000-pound snowcat IBG plans to purchase has rubber tracks, weighs less than a Mountain Express bus and would be street legal.
“This vehicle is allowed to go on the tundra in Alaska,” Lochnikar said. “It will be about the same as a vehicle with tires on the road. It has an engine from a Dodge pick-up. It is probably quieter than a bus. We want to run it in town four to six times a day at the most.”
Lochnikar said the snowcat could haul up to 14 passengers. He requested it be allowed to operate in town between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Town manager Susan Parker said the current code regulating such vehicles is very narrow and only allows the Nordic Center snowcat to drive on roads.
“We would like you to direct the staff to look at all the implications of this,” she told the council. “Perhaps we need to require a bond for protection. Perhaps we limit the number that is allowed through a permitting process. We would like it to ultimately be an administrative matter.”
Councilperson Skip Berkshire said he felt the council should at least have an initial say in allowing individual permits. “It could come before us like a liquor license,” he suggested. He also expressed some trepidation about opening up a can of worms.
Lochnikar said having IBG using a snowcat in town would eliminate traffic to the trailhead for both guests and employees. Bryndal told the council there was a good chance other Irwin residents would be asking for similar permission.
Resident Phoebe Wilson said she felt putting a cap on the number of snowcats allowed in town would be a good idea.
Parker said the staff would discuss the issue and come up with recommendations for the council at the first meeting in October.
