Here's the run-down on a couple private landowners blocking off public from access to lands for decades in the Bitterroot.

Bitterroot public access issue

I can't think of anyone that has made it a point to want to travel that short section of road, unless they wanted to visit the two families living up there, and that is rare. It's a dead end road, and the only thing to see are some old tailings from a mine that petered out decades ago. I also can't think of anyone that would be out anything were the road abandoned, and the gate left standing. If you've ever been up that way, you aren't missing out on much.

As far as the road "providing legal access to public land and waters that could be used for public recreational use", that "public land" is a narrow road walled-in by a narrow canyon, and the "water" is a creek about a foot wide and about two inches deep. Like I said, I can't see very many people missing out on much by not being able to go up there.

Take your point up with Ravalli Co then since they've been fighting this issue for decades.

It really does not matter that most won't miss out on much, what matters is if every time a land owner wants to shut off access to public resources, they will have a better chance because if this one is allowed to stand, others will continue to follow.

I don't care if it is a 1 foot square piece of land in the middle of a field, if the private landowner can deny the public access then the public looses.

They were having pissing matches over Hughes Crick way back when I lived out there. Funny to hear it's still an issue. 

It's amazing how people think they have a right to close off a public road just because it crosses their property. Carol King and Weird Rick pulled that shit down near Salmon too. They couldn't wrap their hippy heads around the fact that the FS road easement was in existence long before they bought their property. 

This last Bitterroot paper had a front page article on this, and that the judge shot down the request for the county to turn over the road to those freeloaders.

Yea I remember the Carol King deal when I was living in Challis.  Her property was on the south side of the river going up Hwy 75 between Yankee Fork and Stanley.

I just looked and that square-headed bitch is still alive and likely still fucking with people. Apparently she ran Hippie Rick off in '89, so there's that.