Archive for year: 2020

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: When I got to my favorite Jeffco Open Space Park for a hike, the parking lot was full. What should I do? Feeling Shutout

Dear Shutout: You could walk close to home instead of driving to a park. Do not park on the road shoulder leading to the park. Download, sign up, then check the LotSpot parking lot app to find a park not currently overcrowded.  Come at a time when the park is less crowded such as weekdays, before 9 am or after 3 pm.

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: My friends and I (there are 10 of us) want to go for a hike in a JCOS park. Where should we go? Friendly

Dear Friendly: Keep the number of friends in your group to four – in total, or split into smaller well-spaced groups.  Walk single file when passing others, and wear your masks. You may need to step off the trail momentarily to maintain social distancing, being careful not to step on any emerging flowers or grass shoots.

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: I am an expert mountain bike rider – how do I get around slow hikers, horses, and other bikers? The Expert

Dear The Expert: JCOS Park trails are, for the most part, open to all users. There are a few trails in the parks that alternate users on certain days—refer to the website maps at Jeffco’s Parks & Trails web page.  Pedestrians and equestrians have the right-of-way. Slow down and stop if you have to. Announce your presence loud enough for them to hear (there are older, hard of hearing persons on the trail or runners and hikers with earbuds) and, as a courtesy, alert them with sufficient time for them to find a safe place to get off the trail. Use your face mask when approaching other trail users. With horses, move extra slowly or stop, use a calm voice so that you don’t scare the horses, and listen to the rider – they know their horse best and not all horses react the same way. If you want to ride fast, use designated biker-only trails or biker-only days.

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: I usually pass a lot of other hikers on the trails. What are the proper passing procedures? Faster than you

Dear Faster than you: Wear your mask when approaching other trail users. Clearly and politely announce your presence with enough time and space for them to react. Stay as far to your side of the trail as possible for social distancing.

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: My dog is really well trained and will stay with me.  Why do I have to keep him on leash? Dog Trainer

Dear Dog Trainer: Not all dogs are as well trained as yours.  When others see your dog off leash, they think it’s OK for their dog to be off leash also.  The leash is safer for your dog and the environment.  In an instant, a dog can suddenly get bitten by a concealed rattlesnake (this has happened very recently, resulting in the first canine death of the season). The nest of a ground-nesting bird could also be at risk.  There are many documented cases of dogs chasing after wildlife, which is illegal.  Finally, there are trail users who are afraid of dogs.  It is improper for you to negatively impact their enjoyment of the park by having your dog off leash. You love your dog? Stay connected!

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: If my dog poops at the beginning of a hike, I don’t want to carry the poop bag on the entire hike, so I leave it beside the trail to pick up on the way back.  Is this OK?  Dog Lover

Dear Dog Lover: Many people leave poop bags beside the trail and never pick them up.  Even if you do intend to pick it up when you return, this gives others the message that leaving bags full of dog poop beside the trail is the acceptable and proper behavior.  Many people never return for those poop bags or forget about them.  If you are close to the trailhead, you need to backtrack and dispose of the poop bag before commencing your hike.  You are out there for fresh air and exercise, right?

 

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: Why do dog owners have to pick up their poop but equestrians don’t?  Sensitive Nose

Dear Sensitive Nose: Horses are grass eaters, so their poop is grass and water and will quickly dissolve into the environment without harming it.  Dog poop comes from a diet consisting of many environmentally unfriendly ingredients, and does not readily decompose.  Furthermore, mounting and dismounting is one of the most unsafe times for equestrians.  If the horse is frightened (by a hiker, a runner, a biker, dogs, wildlife, wind and many other things) while the person is trying to mount or dismount, this can result in serious injuries or even death to the rider, and/or a loose frightened horse which can result in injuries to the horse or to others.  Therefore, the risk involved with the rider getting on and off to move the poop is not worth any benefit from removing the poop from the trail.  Horses do not warn their riders when they are going to poop – they just “doo” it without stopping, and often the rider isn’t aware of it.   Just step around the horse poop and be on your way.  Chances are the next time you venture along that trail, the poop will already be visibly decomposing.

 

Almost every group of people have some unwritten rules to help govern their activity and make things more pleasant for everyone. With COVID-19 we must fully observe the written as well as the unwritten rules for trail use. Bottom line: Courtesy and communication are essential at all times.

 

We look forward to your questions.

Miss Mountain Manners

From Matt Robbins, Community Connections Manager, Jefferson County Open Space:

Due to high park visitation, Jeffco Open Space will be suspending all camping reservations until further notice. The increased visitation has demanded staff resources, as well as campground management taking Park Rangers away from other essential duties of managing visitor safety and resource protection during peak times. All existing camping reservations will be honored, but no new camping reservations will be accepted.

Some background leading us to this decision:

• Park visitation is at an all-time high. While high use is concentrated on weekends and holidays, we are also seeing record use on weekdays.
• With park visitation so high, park maintenance needs have increased by 66%. We have gone from an average of three service trucks to average five daily.
• With park maintenance stretched thin, park rangers have taken over basic maintenance including restrooms and trash at all parks with resident rangers.
• With added park maintenance duties, campground management and maintenance are taking park rangers away from essential duties managing visitor safety and resource protection during peak visitation times.

For these reasons, JCOS will stop taking new campground reservations effective Friday, May 15. We will honor all current reservations.

For additional information, please contact Matt Robbins, Jeffco Community Connections Manager

303.271.5902, 303.522.6218 (cell), https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures

Today, Jefferson County Open Space Parks are being overwhelmed by all of us seeking respite from the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and seeking exercise and relief from restrictive directives. People are being turned away from full parking lots while our government leaders urge us to remain close to home.  With so many people passing each other on narrow sections of the trails, our required social distancing is being compromised.  This suggests maybe we should leave the car in the driveway (save gas), and just walk out the front door to streets that are wider than trails, making social distancing easier. Remember that even out in the “fresh air,” pathogens can infect when in close proximity to others. Moreover, heavy park use also presents a strong likelihood of resource damage, particularly in this transitional “mud” season. We could give our open space parks a break.

With the need for social distancing, and heavily-used parks, do you wish there was MORE open space to go around now?? Forget the current health crisis and think ahead just 10 years when projections add another 600,000 people to the current 3 million metro population. Will the current amount of open space meet our needs or will we feel as restricted and crowded as we feel now with the COVID-19 situation?  The present realities highlight the importance of open space for our physical and mental well-being. We need to encourage Jefferson County Open Space to be proactive in the promotion and financing of additional open space acquisitions to meet future needs.

For safety reasons there are no park volunteers to remind us of proper behaviors, leaving the staff rangers the near impossible task of trying to cover 56,000 acres, and 244 miles of trails by themselves. We must each take on the responsibility of honoring the rules.  PLAN Jeffco respectfully offers these guidelines and thanks everyone, not only for following them but also for your support via the ½ cent sales tax collected for Open Space at Jeffco businesses:

• Walk close to home.
• If you find the JCOS parking lot full, please move on to another park.
• Wear a mask.
• Stay on the trail whenever possible, while honoring social distances. Be careful where you step as there may be delicate new plant growth this time of the year, even snakes!
•  Observe park, trail or area closures.
• Take note of and avoid early plant growth.
• Visit at non-peak hours, such as before 9:00 AM and after 2:00 PM.
•  Follow guidelines posted at trailheads.

In general, practice the kindergarten rules: Be nice to others – and respect the land you are enjoying.

Jefferson County Open Space Parks are open and free to all. Even though they were already extremely popular prior to the CCOVD 19 crisis, they are now being overwhelmed on a daily basis by all of us seeking respite from our stay-at-home orders and seeking exercise and relief from restrictive directives. Children love the freedom that the parks provide, tending to frolic and rough-house in groups.  Furthermore, with so many people passing each other on narrow sections of the

trails, our required social distancing is being compromised.  Remember that even out in the “fresh air,” pathogens can infect when in close proximity to others.  Finally, the park parking lots are overflowing—every day!

This presents a strong likelihood of resource damage: How to enjoy our open spaces, yet give the wild denizens space, and preserve it all for those to who will come in the future.

For safety reasons there are no park volunteers to remind us of proper behaviors, leaving the staff rangers the near impossible task of trying to cover 56,000 acres, and 244 miles of trails by themselves. We must each take on the responsibility of honoring the rules.  PLAN Jeffco respectfully offers these guidelines and thanks everyone, not only for following them but also for your support via the ½ cent sales tax collected for Open Space at Jeffco businesses:

*If you find the parking lot overflowing onto the neighborhood streets, please move on to another park.

*Stay on the trail whenever possible, while honoring social distances. Be careful where you step as there may be delicate new plant growth this time of the year, even snakes!

* Observe park, trail or area closures.

* Uphill foot traffic has the right-of-way, although they may step aside, since it gives them a chance to rest.

* Take note of and avoid early plant growth.

* Visit at non-peak hours, such as before 11:00 AM and after 3:00 PM.

* Observe social distancing and follow guidelines posted at trailheads.

In general, practice the kindergarten rules: Be nice to others – and respect the land you are enjoying.