Letter: Parking woes at Strawberry Pass
By Contributor
How fortunate we are to have so much snow so early in the season. Rosslanders, being the avid out doors people that we are, were out in droves, cross-country skiing, touring, and snow shoeing.
On Friday we headed up to Strawberry Pass, to the Rossland Range Recreation Site, for our first turns on Lepsoe and we were delighted to see a large new parking lot, big enough to allow probably up to 40 vehicles if people parked respectfully.
On Sunday we once again headed up there to enjoy another tour on Lepsoe, but we were surprised to see the parking lot over-flowing and cars parked on the highway. We turned to go into the new parking lot, only to see a small red car completely blocking the entrance.
Fortunately (we thought) the middle-aged man and his young daughter were just leaving their vehicle. We rolled down our window and politely asked him if he could please move his vehicle as he was blocking access to the new parking lot.
First he argued that there was no parking lot. However it was very obvious that there was a road and that no one else had parked in front it, even though the rest of the parking lot was full. Even when he agreed that there was a parking lot he continued to refuse to move and argued that if he moved he had no where to park and would have to park on the highway. We said park in the new parking lot. He said he might get stuck.
So this guy inconvenienced up to 40 other vehicles that could have parked in the new lot, and he may have blocked people who had parked in there from getting out again. After 10 minutes of arguing with this guy whose only response was, "If I move I'll have no where to park," we left and went touring somewhere else.
99 percent of the population sensibly and considerately would not have parked there. But for the one percent of others, perhaps some signage is necessary. (Great example for your young daughter buddy!)
Tracy McCallum
Editor's Note: Friends of the Rossland Range Society (FORRS) notes that signage is in the works, and that the entrance to the new parking lot must be kept clear even when it has not yet been plowed and seems unusable at the moment, so that snowplows can go in and clear the lot and its access road.
FORRS is aware that parking along the highway is a serious safety concern. That's why the new parking lot was funded and built. FORRS is working to obtain plowing services for the new lot on a more regular basis.
