Former pro-skier David Lesh, 35, will no longer be allowed to enter the millions of acres of US Forest Service lands thanks to the Instagram picture of himself defecating into the iconic Maroon Bells Lake near Aspen, CO he shared last month.
US Magistrate Gordon Gallagher issued the ruling on Friday after Lesh failed to keep to a previous ruling that allowed him onto the lands as long as he abides by the rules. Those rules were broken with the Maroon Bells picture.
The ruling also prevents Lesh from posting any picture or video on any social media platform of himself or anyone else violating state or federal laws on any federal lands. The ruling will last while the federal case is ongoing. The federal case relates back to when Lesh posted images of himself snowmobiling in a closed Keystone Resort.
On the US Forest Service website, the regulations at Maroon Bells Wilderness for human waste read as follows:
You must have a plan for human waste. Human waste bags (WAG) bags are highly recommended and are available free of charge at the Conundrum Creek and Snowmass Lake trailheads. WAG bags must be packed out. Learn more about how to use a WAG bag. If a WAG bag is not used, visitors are required to deposit solid human waste in holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet (70 paces) from water, camp, and trails.
In April Lesh posted images on Instagram of him riding a snowmobile in a terrain park at Keystone Resort. The resort had been closed to the public since March 15th when the Colorado Governor ordered all ski areas closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The incident was one count of the allegations.
A further five counts were tied to Lesh’s alleged entry of Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon on June 10, an incident again documented on Instagram.
The Hanging Lake charges included:
- Entering an area closed for the protection of threatened, endangered, rare, unique, or vanishing plants, animals, or fish when entering the Hanging Lake National Natural Landmark Area
- Entering an area closed for the protection of special biological communities
- Entering an area closed for the protection of property
- Entering an area closed for the protection of historical, archeological, geological, or paleontological interest
- Entering a prohibited body of water
- Each charge holds a potential penalty of not more than six months imprisonment, not more than a $5,000 fine, or both, according to the document that was filed. The U.S Attorney’s Office indicated it would not seek imprisonment
Each charge holds a potential penalty of not more than six months imprisonment, not more than a $5,000 fine, or both, according to the document that was filed.
Back in June, Lesh was fined $500 and ordered to perform 50 hours of public service this summer for illegally riding his snowmobile near the summit of a snowless Independence Pass near Aspen, CO in summer 2019.
Lesh is no stranger to ‘bad publicity’, often engaging in stunts that garner public attention. In August 2019 he crash-landed his plane into Half Moon Bay off the California Coast, live streaming the plane sinking and the whole rescue operation.
- Related: VIDEO: Former Pro-Skier David Lesh Crashed His Plane into Half Moon Bay Off California on Tuesday
Back in July 2014, Lesh was arrested and charged with arson, following a fire at the Virtika warehouse in Boulder, caused during the filming of a promotional video.
Lesh, a Denver, CO resident, posted pictures on Instagram in April of himself snowmobiling in a terrain park at Keystone, with the caption “solid park sesh, no lift ticket needed.”
#NEW Excuse the language, BUT moments before this video was taken, these two went down with their plane. Incredible!
No injuries, other than a few jellyfish stings.
Details 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼https://t.co/du3ta4kICe #abc7now pic.twitter.com/gChI2Mv68O
— Amanda del Castillo (@AmandaABC7) August 21, 2019
Delete David lesh.
This person is not a man but a boy. He only cares about himself & he, obviously, needs attention from others in order to have “fun with his life.”
I believe the best punishment for him would be to take his name off of all public media articles & apps published about him. Ban him from instagram, etc. As well as the fines.
Much like the some of the terrible mass shooters. Never mention his name because he is a terrible person with no respect for the other inhabitants of Our planet. He has no “Snow brains.”
I agree with Think about it, all the tourists who come to the mountains and dump trash on the ground would be very upset if I came into their backyard and took a dump !! Pack it in , pack it out . Putting trash in a garbage can requires so little effort yet somehow it is the most foreign thing to visitors in my town.
What a disgusting pig. His mother must be so proud.
Pack it in, pack it out. Remember the rules leave “No Trace”…..
I like this guy. He is having fun with his life…. the punishment is way too strict.
K o send us your address and we’ll let him come take a s*** in your backyard see how you like it, remember he’s just having fun with his life.
What a turd! Good that he can’t stink up more of the outdoors.
Hopefully this guy gets the karma he deserves
Agreed im a native of colorado and sick of people moving here then trashing everything.