The Rangers that manage Ruby-Horsethief recently went on Mountain Buzz for a Questions and Answers session. Those questions and answers are formatted below from their original forum post.
Has the Colorado BLM office had any discussions with the Utah BLM office about combining the permit issuing websites for RHT and Westwater? It would be lovely to be able to book a full trip without having to “apply” for permits twice. Right now, to do a westwater trip after a RHT trip, you must first win a permit for RHT, and then win a separate Westwater permit a few days later when it becomes available. At a minimum it would be nice to be able to add westwater to a RHT permit. Even better, I would like to see permits for both released on Wednesday for Wednesday through Tuesday 60 days out. This would even the playing field for weekend campsites which currently are prioritized towards people who launch mid week and thus get prime spots on the weekend.
Rangers response: At the moment there have not been discussions regarding “linking up” those permits, but that is an intriguing idea. One concern may be the number of Ruby permits available vs. the amount of permits available for Westwater. It is possible that single-day or one night trips on Westwater would no longer be readily available. Regarding your second point- the ability to book multiple days at a time allows for efficient trip planning for those looking to spend a longer period of time on the water.
Checking in when launching at Fruita SP. What’s the process if when I float down to the Loma ramp no one is there? Some clarification on how to be compliant with this process would be helpful.
Rangers response: Great question! The process is very simple. Whether a ranger is present at Loma or not, boaters need to pull over. If no ranger is available just sign your permit information in at the “River Register” located at the kiosk in the back, and continue your trip.
It would be nice to see some trees planted at the cotton wood sites so there would be shade and protection by the river.
Rangers response: Appreciate the feedback. We have been actively planting locally sourced cottonwoods for years throughout the campsites. Our supplier sadly lost the next slated crop recently due to unfavorable conditions. When the new batch reaches a maturity that allows for successful transplanting we expect to get out there and put more in the ground. We will keep those Cottonwood sites in mind.
Are BLM rangers/volunteers doing camp or permit checks during the busy season, especially on weekends?
Rangers response: We try to have an on-river presence on most weekends when we are in our busy season, as well as at Loma as aforementioned. Staffing considerations and other work priorities sometimes mean we are not out as much as we would prefer. But, in short, yes we are out there on the water.
Do rafters have any recourse if they find their assigned campsites taken?
Rangers response: At times unfortunately there are mix-ups where a party may be at the wrong site, whether by a lack of situational awareness or missing their camp due to high water. Sometimes parties neglect to sign in to our register, have their permits cancelled, and then another party may book that site once it repopulates. Both groups are then sitting there with what each considers to be valid permits. Luckily this tends to be an increasingly rare occurrence. While this can be less than ideal for all involved, some suggestions would be to A. if it is later in the day and cell service is available, check and see if any other sites nearby are open and a party can move downstream or B. enjoy in the opportunity to make some new friends for the evening. Grace and courteousness goes a long way in the river community. Please feel free to reach out to the BLM office in Grand Junction after getting off the water to perhaps find recourse for knowingly bad actors.
Any opportunities to include LNT principles on the permit?
Rangers response: We try to keep the information on the permit as concise as possible. Additional LNT information is a good suggestion, and one that will be considered if we choose to edit that wording in the future. As said above, rangers work hard at the launch to make sure boaters are aware of proper ethics on their public lands. The vast and overwhelming number of boaters we see are treating their lands and waters with the appropriate respect.
How well are folks following the dog policy?
Rangers response: We find very rare occurrences of people bringing more than the allowed number of dogs. It can be hard to monitor just how well folks are controlling their animals in camp, and cleaning up after them, but the sense is that compliance is good there as well.
Is a sealed(screw top) PVC diy “poop tube” an acceptable substitute for a full groover on RHT? I have a small boat and don’t yet own a groover. Thanks for taking our questions!
Rangers response: A “poop tube” is absolutely acceptable. We ask for a hard sided and waterproof container to contain waste. For wag bags an easy, cheap, and packable solution for small crafts is also the type of plastic container that pretzels or cheese puffs come in from your local supermarket. If you are a solo boater on a one-night trip we would also allow a sacrificial Nalgene style water bottle combined with a wag bag system.
While I find most of the jet boats are courteous, there is always one or two out there who think it’s cool to accelerate and make an intentional maneuver that creates a big wake, jostling boats on shore and sometimes it’s pretty severe. How are you handling complaints on this behavior?
Rangers response: Jet boaters must remain on plane at speed in the river channel, and that may affect how they maneuver. We welcome the opportunities for a variety of river users to recreate on their public lands. Please feel free to always call the BLM field office in Grand Junction with concerns if someone is operating recklessly.