Hello from Miss Mountain Manners!

Today we have a little history lesson plus a talk about proper trail etiquette. I want to show you what happens when visitors to the parks fail to #StayOnTrail.

Rarely do we post about parks or trails that are not part of Open Space, but this trail deserves special attention. The Jack D. Lubahn Trail, a trail that belongs to the City of Golden, snakes up South Table Mountain from the eastern terminus of 18^th Street in Golden.

The Lubahn Trail has a long history. It was begun by Jack Lubahn in 1965, shortly after he and his family moved into a house at the corner of 19^th Street and Table Drive. This was a labor of love; each morning Jack would work on trail building for an hour before heading to his day job at the School of Mines.

The trail took six years to finish; it was completed in 1971. To build the switchbacks, Jack had to move boulders that weighed up to two tons with just his block and tackle – truly a labor of love! The rock retaining walls on the trail stand as a tribute to his efforts.

https://stewardsofgolden.org/lubahn-trail%2Fsouth-table

The trail tracks through land that belongs to the City of Golden. In 1995 and 1996 Jeffco Open Space paid 70% of the cost of 7.5 acres on the western slope of South Table Mountain, which the County then deeded back to the City of Golden with a reverter clause – typical of JCOS investments that partner with a city or rec district. The reverter clause ensures that the land will be used for recreation; otherwise, the property will revert back to Open Space.

According to Colorado Lifestyle: “No one ever hikes the Lubahn Trail by itself. Instead they use it as the primary way to get part way up South Table Mountain in Golden and then use one of the many unofficial (social) trails to the top of Castle Rock (formally known as Table Rock). According to the city, this additional excursion is illegal because it traverses private property.”

http://colorado-lifestyle.blogspot.com/2009/05/lubahn-trail.html

 

These photos show what can (and does) happen to a trail when it’s abused. Over its lifetime, trekkers and hill climbers, on foot and mountain bike, have short-cut the switchbacks, causing damage – in some places, significant damage – to the original rock work that forms the walls that line the trail. As a knowledgeable Park Visitor, I’m sure you would never do something like this, because if you did, then you would be adding to the damage on the trail.

Hiking the Lubahn can be challenging. The base of the trail is 5676 feet in elevation. By the time you get to the top of the official trail, you’ve gained 400 feet, and if you persist in trespassing and climb to the top of the castle rock (a total of 643 feet from base to top of the castle rock), you’ll encounter multiple social trails and the crumbing Lubahn itself. But, Dear Visitor, I’m sure you would never knowingly trespass on private land.

As you can see from these photos, the Lubahn Trail can be narrow in parts. Social distancing in this age of Covid is not possible when encountering others coming in the opposite direction, so have your mask ready and put it on.

Note: stepping off the trail is not a good idea, since South Table is known rattlesnake territory. Even though a rattlesnake cannot lunge much beyond 1/2 to 1/3 of its length, an encounter with a rattlesnake that results in a bite is not something that you want to experience.

The Lubahn trail emerges on top of the mesa on private land; it’s the most obvious route up to the castle rock, which is where most visitors want to go.  The castle rock itself is on private land. Continued and ongoing short-cutting, perhaps because of the steepness of the grade, has continued to tear up the trail, causing loss of the rock walls’ integrity and serious erosion of the slope.

There is no clear boundary between the private and JCOS land, although there are some recently installed posts on the JCOS border along the new JCOS trail, saying that it is private land behind the posts.  None of these posts are visible from where one attains the mesa top via the Lubahn trail, and no one taking the Lubahn would have any way of knowing they were on private land.  It’s also not clear where the border is between city of Golden and private land.

Today there are two trailheads within 1/2 block of each other, on a neighborhood street, both very visible.  The Lubahn trail has a sign and a trashcan at the entrance plus an information board on local geology. The plaque in the top photo is a short distance up the trail.

A half-block away is the new JCOS trail. It has a COVID signboard plus a newly installed map of South Table Mountain open space.  There is no official parking or public restrooms. The neighborhood street is almost always packed with parked cars.  Any park visitor would assume both trails are sanctioned for use.  A very common hike is to go up one trail and come down the other.

The new trail construction on South Table Mountain is beautiful.  Many people are excited about it.  The field patroller who provided the information for this article has talked to many visitors who are really excited about the new trail, and two equestrians who were making their way up to the mesa top – something that was not previously possible for a horse.

The Lubahn trail has done well for being over 50 years old and not having had a dedicated maintenance program. Mike Foster, JCOS Stewardship Manager, has been in conversation with Golden about building an alternate to the Lubahn that would require less rock work and would integrate more closely with the contours of the land. At this time it’s not clear what will happen to the Lubahn.

Many thanks to our PLAN Jeffco Board Member and JCOS Field Patroller Lydia Andrews-Jones for providing these captioned photos on the historic Lubahn Trail. So remember, Dear Visitor, when you’re hiking South Table, Lydia will be watching and welcoming, and can tell you the story of the Lubahn trail.

Like us at www.facebook.com/PLANJeffco                   Follow us @PLANJeffco  and @MountainManners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Highway 6 through Clear Creek Canyon is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Monday, August 3^rd for a period of about 12 hours while a bridge is set in place east of Tunnel 1 over Clear Creek. This is about 1 mile west of the Colorado Highways 93/58 intersection in Golden. Highway 6 will be closed from this intersection to Colorado Highway 119 at the top of the canyon. Drivers will need to take Interstate I-70 to Highway 6 to detour around this closure.

While the highway is closed, a 163-foot-long bridge will be delivered in three sections for onsite assembly. The structure is designed to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists on the Gateway segment of the P2P Clear Creek Canyon Park trail.

The 450 and 500-ton cranes that will lift the bridge will also be erected during this closure.  It will take an estimated two hours to place the bridge east of Tunnel 1.  Once this is done, the cranes will be removed, the site cleaned up and then Highway 6 can reopen for travel Tuesday morning Aug. 4.

If weather conditions Monday night aren’t conducive, the work it will be rescheduled for Tuesday night.

For additional information about this project, visit the project website at Jeffco.us/p2p.

You can also reach the project team at peaks2plains@gmail.com or 720-893-1313. Please share this information with anyone who might need to know about it.

—  By Jefferson County Open Space

Miss Mountain Manners is pleased to bring you the correct way for a cyclist to approach an equestrian, whether on the road or on the trail in the Parks. Thanks to Mr. Goodman (on his recumbent bicycle) for showing us how to interact with both horse and rider.

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