Thank you for participating in this winter backcountry travel survey!

The Center for Public Lands at Western Colorado University seeks your feedback on winter backcountry recreation around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region. This survey has 20 questions and is a part of a larger data collection initiative on winter backcountry use. Your responses will be compiled, anonymized, and analyzed, then made available to the public, backcountry winter user groups and land managers in the region. For this survey, winter backcountry recreation is defined as any recreation that does not use ski lifts at any of the ski areas, does not occur on maintained and groomed Nordic trails, but does occur on publicly accessible lands from November - May. The survey focuses on recreation around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region, and feedback is appreciated from all community members, visitors and backcountry recreationists. If you are interested in learning more about this data collection project, please contact Research Lead Jennifer Gerard or Paul Rivera at jennifer.gerard@western.edu/paul.rivera@western.edu. Thank you!

Survey Participant Information Form

The purpose of this survey is to gain baseline data on winter backcountry recreation. Your participation in completing this survey is voluntary and you may decide to stop at any time for any reason with no penalty, or you may choose not to answer any of the survey questions. All responses will be kept anonymous and will not be linked to you in any way. You will be asked to complete 20 questions regarding winter backcountry recreation; this process should not take more than 20 minutes. Your participation will help land managers, local winter user groups and the community become more informed regarding trends in winter backcountry recreation.

If you have any questions or concerns about the nature of this research or the survey please contact Paul Rivera or Jennifer Gerard.

By continuing to the survey, I acknowledge that I have read the above information, and provide my consent to participate under the terms above.

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* 1. Where are your favorite locations to recreate and/or access the backcountry around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region during the winter?

For each location listed, please select the appropriate category that represents the number of times you typically visit that area for recreation during a winter season (from November - May). If you recreate at another location not listed, please indicate that area in the "other" section.

  Never 1-4 times per season 5-10 times per season 11-19 times per season 20+ times per season
Kebler Pass Winter Trailhead
Slate River Winter Trailhead
Washington Gulch Winter Trailhead
Gothic Drainage Winter Trailhead
Snodgrass Trail/Mountain
Brush Creek Winter Trailhead
Cement Creek Winter Trailhead
Uphill Travel (no ski lift access) at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Mill Creek area
Taylor Park/ Canyon area
Hartman Rocks
Monarch Pass
Peanut Lake Road

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* 2. What activities do you participate in while in the backcountry around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region during the winter (not via lift access at any of the ski areas)?

Please select the appropriate category that indicates the approximate number of times you generally participate in each recreational activity during a winter season (November - May). If a recreational activity is not listed that you typically engage in, please indicate that activity in the "other" section.

  Never 1-4 times per season 5-10 times per season 11-19 times per season 20+ times per season
Ski touring (includes Alpine Touring, Telemarking, Split-boarding or other touring access without the use of any motorized vehicles)
Hybrid use (Any non-motorized travel in the backcountry with access via a snowmobile, snow bike or other winter off-road motorized vehicle.)
Snowshoeing
Nordic Skiing
Hiking/ walking
Dog walking
Fat-Biking
Snowmobiling
Motorized Snow Biking or any other winter motorized activity
Ice Fishing
Winter Camping
Ice Climbing
Backcountry Hut Trips

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* 3. On average, how many days of the week do you recreate in the backcountry during the winter season (November - May)? This does not include taking the lifts at any of the ski areas in the region. The backcountry is defined by all options listed in question 1.  Please check one of the following answers.

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* 4. On average, how often do you do you recreate in the backcountry per season? The season is defined from November – May and again, the backcountry is defined by all options listed in question 1 and does not include ski lift access at any of the ski areas in the region. Please check one of the following answers.

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* 5. Have you lived in and/or recreated in Gunnison County for at least 2 winter seasons? If so, please compare your winter use of the backcountry in the Crested Butte and Gunnison region this season with previous seasons. If not, please skip to question 7. This question is not intended to derive precise numbers of use in the backcountry, rather to identify possible macro-scale trends.

On the sliding bar below, please indicate if your use in the backcountry during this winter season has increased, decreased or remained similar to past seasons. Answers to the left of the center indicate a decrease in use, while answers to the right indicate and increase. Answers towards the center designate no change in use.

0, Significant decrease in use this season 5, About the same use as previous seasons 10, Significant increase in use this season
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 6. Please indicate if any of the following factors contributed to an increase or decrease in your use of the backcountry around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region this season. Mark the middle column if the listed factor had no influence on your backcountry use. In the "other" section, please list any further factors that may have influenced your backcountry use. Additionally, indicate if your listed reasons led to an increase or a decrease in your winter backcountry use this season.

  This contributed to an increase in use This did not influence my use This contributed to a decrease in use
Unsafe avalanche conditions
Busy with work, school, life and other responsibilities
Gear troubles (broken backcountry gear)
Purchased new backcountry gear this season
General snow conditions, either good or bad

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* 7. Do any of the following characteristics and attributes draw you to the backcountry during the winter? Please check all that apply and add any characteristics not listed in the "other" section below.

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* 8. While recreating in the backcountry around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region during the winter, have any of the following detracted from your backcountry experience? Please check all that apply, and if any issues that are not listed have detracted from your experience, please list those in the "other" section. If no issues have detracted from your backcountry experience, please check "No concerns."

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* 9. Would you like to see more of any of the following implemented at winter backcountry trailheads around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region?

  Yes, this would help improve my experience Neutral, I do not have a strong opinion either way No, this would detract from my experience
Improved and/ or more parking
More trash cans
Bags available to clean up after pets
Trailhead restrooms
Improved signage and user information
Increased access to backcountry yurts and huts
More access to Nordic groomed trails
Availability of transportation via snow cats in the major drainages around Crested Butte
More drainages encouraging motorized access
More drainages encouraging human powered access

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* 10. Typically, how do you get to the trailheads during the winter to access winter backcountry opportunities? Please check all that apply and provide further alternatives in the "other" section if another option applies.

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* 11. Would you use public transportation if it was available and free to access winter trailheads around the Crested Butte and Gunnison region? Please select one answer.

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* 12. If you did not answer “Yes, I definitely would,” to question 11 above, please indicate the answer(s) below as to why you would not use public transportation. If none of the answers below are applicable to you or if you have another answer to provide, please comment in the “other” section. Please check all that apply and skip to question 14 when you are finished.

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* 13. If you answered “Yes, I definitely would,” to question 11, please indicate the reasons you would be interested in supporting increased public transportation to trailheads around the Crested Butte area. Please check all that apply, and if you have a reason not listed, you can provide it in the "other" section below.

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* 14. How familiar are you with the current winter travel management plan user designations in the Gunnison National Forest surrounding Crested Butte? Please mark your answer on a scale of 0-10, 0 being "not familiar at all" with the user designations and 10 being "very familiar." A 5 indicates you've heard of the designations, but are not familiar with the specifics

0, Not familiar at all 5, Somewhat familiar 10, Very familiar
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 15. If you are familiar with the current winter travel management plan user designations, what resource(s) helped you become aware of the designations in the Gunnison National Forest? Please check all that apply, and provide more resources in the "other" section if they apply to you.

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* 16. To what extent do you agree with the following statement:

The current winter travel management plan user designations in the Gunnison National Forest surrounding Crested Butte is meeting the needs of the backcountry users in Gunnison County.

In the comment section below, please provide a brief explanation for the answer you choose.

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* 17. How familiar are you with safe backcountry travel techniques, identifying avalanche terrain and understanding avalanche advisory reports?

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* 18. What is your highest level of avalanche education? Please only check 1, and if none of the following answers are applicable to you, please leave a comment in the "other" section.

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* 19. The following information is only collected to help identify any trends from this survey. If you are uncomfortable providing an answers, please leave it blank.

What is your age?

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* 20. The following information is only collected to help identify any trends from this survey. If you are uncomfortable providing any answers, please leave them blank.

Which of the following statements do you most closely identify with? If none of the following are applicable to you, please provide an answer in the "other" section. Further, if you are not a full time resident in the valley, please indicate your primary location in the "other"section below.

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