Tag Archive for: PLAN Jeffco

Spring has sprung – finally! It’s been a delicious mixture of warm, dry spring days and a retreat back into wintery weather, but neither rain nor snow nor dead of night (?) will stop our courageous Open Space Teams.  It’s been a busy couple of months, so let’s see what they’ve been up to…

Beaver Ranch Park Welcomes New, Full-time Park Manager

Beaver Ranch has a full-time Park Manager! Ted Greene is his name, and he will be in residence as he helps to oversee the improvements to the Park and raise awareness about the park and its amenities. The Beaver Ranch Board and JCOS both agreed that Ted is an ideal person to help fulfill the mission of Beaver Ranch

Park as a community asset, while also protecting the natural resources and recreational opportunities that make Beaver Ranch Park unique. Next time you’re at Beaver Ranch and you see Ted, say “howdy!”. Photo by JCOS.

 

Clear Creek Canyon Park Water Access

The JCOS Trails Team has been working on a stone stair project for creek access at the Cannonball Flats Trailhead in Clear Creek Canyon Park. In addition to the Cannonball Flats Trailhead, there will be two additional stone stair access routes to the Creek along the Peaks to Plains Trail. Work should be winding up time for the summer season. Photos by Kaleb Anzick.

 

Meyer Ranch Planting & Restoration Project

Not all planting/restoration projects are open to the public. This spring, the JCOS Natural Resources Team had an internal planting project at Meyer Ranch, in the wetlands complex adjacent to US-285, where they planted Nebraska sedge (Carex nebrascensis) in an attempt to control Canada thistle. This wetland complex is high in biodiversity and is a critical component of the hydrology and function of the Turkey Creek riparian corridor. Nebraska sedge is a rhizomatous graminoid that will compete with and limit physical space for Canada thistle. The purpose is to reduce Canada thistle density and the need to use herbicide applications in the future. Photo by BLM/Wikipedia & JCOS.

 

South Table Unauthorized Trail Closure – late March, early April ‘22

Unauthorized trails are scattered throughout the JCOS park system. Sometimes, when too many people use them, they become de facto in the minds of Park visitors. That doesn’t mean that they’re right, or good. Unauthorized trails often ignore the slope of the land and the potential for erosion, or the intrusion into areas where endangered species live. That’s why, earlier this spring, the JCOS Trails Team obliterated an unauthorized trail on the northeast corner of South Table Mountain Park (STM). The Trails Team used boulders to redefine the area and as retaining walls on the Croc Tooth Trail. They revegetated with grass seed and used erosion matting to help with the revegetation. The Croc Tooth Trail runs through the same area and allows visitors access to the top of South Table. Photo by JCOS.

 

South Table – Trail Runner Volunteers Continue to Get Dirty

Volunteers and volunteer groups are critical to JCOS’ trail management program. One of the groups, the Trail Runner Volunteers (TRV), has been working on the Serpentine Trail. They’ve made good progress in hardening the trail surface with rocks, a plentiful natural resource on South Table. Congratulations to them for their persistence and hard work! Photo by JCOS.

 

South Table – Lubahn Trail Update

The Lubahn Trail may be one of the best-known trails on South Table. The single-track hiker-only trail, that starts at 18^th and Belvedere Streets in Golden, was build some 50 years ago. It leads visitors to private property, it’s subject to severe erosion, and lends itself to short-cutting and the development of unauthorized trails. The Lubahn is currently being repaired, and while the contract company is on-site during the week, the Lubahn is closed to visitors. If you want to hike South Table during the week, you’re encouraged  to use the main trailhead at Camp George West, 1219 Kilmer Street, Golden. Work on the trail should be completed by early June. Photos by Anne Friant.

 

South Table Mountain Power Line Replacements

It’s been a busy couple of months on South Table. In April, Xcel Energy contractors replaced power line poles, using helicopters to ferry in the replacement poles. Power equipment upgrades should help mitigate potential wildfires in this area. The old poles were cut down and walked out. Check out the linemen working on the poles in the photo above. Photo by JCOS.

 

Earth Day – North Table Cleanup

The JCOS Park Services Team did a mass clean-up at North Table and along Hwy-93, which is always in need of litter cleanup due to the winds that blow trash into the area. Photo by Matt Martinez & Anne Friant.

 

Earth Day – Van Bibber

Seventy-five volunteers gathered at Van Bibber Park on Earth Day. They planted over 1,000 marsh sunflower, milkweed and cottonwood trees on that day. These plants will support pollinators and wildlife in this critical riparian area, while deterring invasive species.  Photo by Matt Martinez & Anne Friant.

 

Earth Day – South Valley

Thirty-six students from Columbine High School joined JCOS at South Valley on Earth Day to move 120+ tons of crusher fines (tiny particles of crushed rock) onto existing trails, and raked 700+ feet of new tread in just a few hours. Photo by Matt Martinez & Anne Friant.

 

Earth Day – Clear Creek/Peaks to Plains Trail in Golden

On Earth Day, University of Denver students, faculty and staff participated in a cleanup effort in Golden, along Clear Creek. They gathered 36 bags of trash, assorted car parts and lumber – a total of 450 pounds of waste – and finished the day by planting six New Mexican locust – small, flowering trees that are native to the Southwest US. Photo by Matt Martinez & Anne Friant.

 

Earth Day – Welchester Tree Grant Park

JCOS Park Rangers led students, teachers, aids and volunteers from Welchester Elementary on a nature-based scavenger hunt on Earth Day at Welchester Tree Grant Park. They helped the kids plant 14 native shrubs and worked with them to remove invasive species and install seven new trail name signs. Photo by Matt Martinez & Anne Friant.

 

Boettcher Mansion Makeover

The Boettcher Mansion has had a make-over. In previous months, the interior has been repainted, and new furniture has been secured for the Lobby and Pine Room. The Lobby has a new rug, a donation from the estate of Deb Coogan, a former Boettcher Mansion employee. An original bench has been installed in the Forest Room so visitors can read about Charles Boettcher and the rich history of the Mansion. The hallways and breakout rooms contain new canvas artwork by John James Audubon and Paul Cezanne, which reflect the rich landscapes and wildlife found on the Nature Preserve. Boettcher is ready to host weddings, events and meetings in the updated historic Mansion. Photo by JCOS.

 

Lookout Mountain Nature Center Reopens to The Public

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center opened to the public on March 18 with new hours:

Monday–Thursday: CLOSED

Friday: Open 11a.m.-3p.m.

Saturday & Sunday: Open 11a.m.-4p.m.

 

Speaking of Raptors…

Twenty-five Raptor Monitoring volunteers have completed their training with the JCOS Natural Resources Team. They’ve been learning to identify raptors, as well as what their duties will be as they get acquainted with their nest monitoring teams. As a visitor to our Open Space Parks, pay attention and respect the “Closed Area” signs. Raptors (hawks, eagles, owls) are actively nesting and don’t appreciate inquisitive humans. This great horned owl nest in the photo has been under JCOS observation since 2002. The dark stain on the rock (blue arrow) is the spot where adult owls like to wipe their bills clean. Photo by JCOS.

 

Spring Salamander Migration

It’s salamander season – actually, this happens in the springtime, when local amphibians begin to emerge from their winter retreats. If you see a salamander, JCOS’ Senior Natural Resources Specialist Andrew DuBois would like to hear from you. Send Andrew an email and include a photo/audio/video report, GPS coordinates (approximate location is good enough), and the date/time of the observation.

What to look out for? The Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium) may be the most-often sighted. There are three subspecies of this critter: the Arizona Tiger Salamander (olive green to dark grey background with a pattern of small black dots, generally found in montane environments); the Blotched Tiger Salamander (mottled with irregular dirty yellow and blackish blotches, generally occurs in the Colorado Plateau & Wyoming Basin); the Barred Tiger Salamander (black background color with a pattern of broad, bold, vertical yellow bars, generally occurs in the Great Plains). If you find a salamander that sort of looks like an Arizona Tiger but has characteristics of the Barred Tiger, you may be looking at a hybrid, since these two subspecies inhabit the same ecosystems along the Colorado Front Range. Photos by Andrew DuBois.

 

AllTrails Application Partnership

There’s an app for that, and it’s called AllTrails. This mobile app, installed on more than 35 million mobile devices, is used for way-finding and trail rating. It’s not always been accurate, so JCOS’ GIS and Communications Teams have been partnering with AllTrails to remedy the inaccuracies. In coming months, the goal is to update current Open Space park & trail closures, provide accurate trail routing & navigation, and obtain data from users about their experiences. You can find AllTrails at www.AllTrails.com or at your favorite PlayStore.

 

Mutant Columbine

Colorado’s state flower is the Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea). The breathtaking sky blue of the sepals and white of the petals, combined with the long spurs, the delicate appearance and brief bloom time, make it a flower worth searching for. However, as in all things related to Mother Nature, there’s an oddball variant of Aquilegia coerulea, and it’s found in Reynolds Park. This mutation doesn’t have white petals; instead, it has a second set of blue sepals, and no spurs. It doesn’t produce nectar, which is why hawkmoths love Columbines. This mutant is being studied by folks at U.C. Santa Barbara to see if it will have any staying power, since the hawkmoth, one of the primary pollinators of the Columbine, tends to avoid it, though bumblebees seem to have no problems with it (perhaps they’re after the pollen). Aphids and deer seem to avoid eating the mutant blooms; this curious behaviour has resulted in a Reynolds population where about 25% of the Columbine blooms are mutant.   Photo by Zac Cabin, UCSB

 

Wildflower of the Month (May 2022) – Anemone patens var. multifida (pasque flower) 

The pasque flower is an early-spring blooming perennial, one of the first flower to make an appearance in our Parks. Given our penchant toward late-spring snow storms, you can even find them popping out from under the snow. They flower from April through July. The stems are covered with long, soft hairs with a single lavender or blue-purple flower arising from each stem. Plants have basal leaves and a whorl of leaves on the stem below the flower. Individuals can grow to be 5-50 cm tall and are typically found in forests, meadows, and open hillsides. This species is found at elevations that range from 5,400-13,000 ft. The JCOS Natural Resources Team has seen A. patens in various habitats such as the forests in Alderfer/Three Sisters Park and the grasslands at the Ranson Edwards Homestead (Coal Creek Canyon Study Area).  Photo by JCOS.

 

What is SLASH?

SLASH = Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. The SLASH program allows residents to dispose of branches, tree limbs, evergreen needles, pine cones and grass clippings to create a defensible space around their homes.  This woody debris contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jeffco. Make your property safer, check the Jeffco SLASH website for dates and locations for 2022.  The 2022 SLASH program will run from June until the beginning of November this year.

 

Mary Ann Bonnell Makes News for Muddy Trails

Mary Ann Bonnell, Ranger One, is once again reminding visitors to walk (and ride) through the mud, not around!  “Once you add moisture into the equation, any trail that’s on a natural surface becomes much more fragile,” Mary Ann Bonnell with Jefferson County Open Space said.    >> Watch the Full Video

 

Gnome Man’s Land – It Looks Cute But…

The world is full of rules and regulations, and even though something might look cute, it’s up to us to realize that a cavity in a tree could be put to better use by local wildlife. Leave the gnomes for your home garden, I’m sure they’ll feel more comfortable there. Also, a reminder – something like this can fall under numerous Park regulations (the baby gnomes, or gnomelets, were attached to the tree using wood screws.):

C.14. Litter: It shall be unlawful to deposit or leave any refuse, trash or litter in or on Open Space Lands except by depositing such refuse, trash or litter in designated waste receptacles. Fine: $100.00
– OR –
C.6. Destruction of Natural/Cultural Resources: 
C.6.a. It shall be unlawful to deface, damage or in any other way vandalize any vegetation, rock or any object of archaeological, biological, geological or historical interest on Open Space Lands. Fine: $200.00. Photo and find by Brock Messner

 

Mountain Native Plant Master Courses

Registration is open for 2022 Metro to Mountain Native Plant Master Courses. Discover more about the offerings and register here today.

 

Conservation Awards

Every year, JCOS hosts the Conservation Awards, an event that pays homage to the numerous volunteers and partners who contribute thousands of hours to help JCOS accomplish its mission. This year, the 2021 awards were held at the Lakewood Cultural Center, the evening of April 19^th. Over 275 individuals attended, the first in-person celebration in nearly 2 years. View the nominees and the award winners here.

 

JCOS 50th Anniversary Fun Fact

In 1975, $4,186,000 in sales tax revenue was generated for Open Space. In 2021, $61,610,999 was generated.

 

Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly; when you encounter muddy trails, walk through the mud, not around. Even better, go back and find a dryer trail.

Know before you go, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and don’t forget to pack extra clothes for any type of weather. Carry water; at any time of year it’s easy to get dehydrated and disoriented at elevation.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say, “thank you”.

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!

 

What has Jeffco Open Space been up to since we saw them last?

2022 Seasonal Wildlife Closures In Effect As Of February 1

Each year Jeffco Open Space uses seasonal wildlife closures at the parks to protect species at sensitive times in their life cycles. This year’s seasonal wildlife closures affect numerous Jeffco Open Space parks and trails. Protect the wildlife you love. Respect seasonal wildlife closures. Parks affected, either in whole or in part: Centennial Cone, Clear Creek Canyon, Deer Creek Canyon, North Table Mountain, South Table Mountain, Cathedral Spires, and Crown Hill. For a full list of affected parks/trails and additional details, please read the JCOS News Flash.  For additional details, check out this video.    Photo by JCOS Volunteer Steve Holmes

 

Snow Removal On the Trails – It’s a Big Deal!

Ranger Justin caught snow removal off the Tough Cuss Bridge in Clear Creek Canyon Park on Groundhog’s Day. Multiple storms in February each brought 4 to 10 inches of the heavy white stuff to the Parks, necessitating trail-clearing so that everyone could enjoy the fine weather in the following days.

 

Centennial Cone Hunting Season Wraps Up

The deer and elk hunting late season hunting has wrapped up at Centennial Cone. During the 2021-2022 Hunt, a total of 120 hunters signed in; roughly half of the hunters had a companion with them. Total animals harvested were eight deer, mostly near the western trailhead or southwest of Evening Sun Loop. No elk were taken. JCOS receives Chronic Wasting Disease test results from the hunt, which help determine the health of the animals in the park. By the end of February, only one mature buck had tested positive.

 

Dakota Ridge Trail Rebuild

Mountain bikers take note: the Open Space Trails Team rebuilt an approved alternate line on Dakota Ridge in February. The alt line had been requested by COMBA years ago, and it worked really well once built. But since then, some of the large boulders had fractured and shifted. The Jefferson County Geologist inspected the area and recommended that major boulders be removed, thus closing the line. The alt line has been closed for quite some time now, but after a lot of heavy-lifting and rock-moving, the line is safe once more and open again.

 

Meyer Ranch Forest Management

Meyer Ranch visitors, be prepared for more forest management this year. Open Space will treat approximately 37 acres of ponderosa, aspen, mixed conifer, and lodgepole forest. This work will focus on healthy forest structure, aspen enhancement, and wildfire risk reduction. Work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022 and will contribute to the Open Space Conservation Greenprint goal for improving forest health on 1,000 acres of JCOS lands by the year 2025. There’s a video you can check out for more details.

 

South Table Mountain Trail Maintenance

The Trails Team will be performing restoration work on South Table Mountain Park, near Croc Tooth Trail, beginning March 14. Advisory signs have been installed, informing the public that work will begin soon to remove and restore a heavily used Unauthorized Trail (UT) on the northeast side of Basalt Cap Loop. This UT has been the topic of great debate over the years and the addition of Croc Tooth Trail makes it completely unnecessary now. The Trails Team will have a mini-excavator running from Basalt Cap Loop, down to Ancient Palms, for about a week and then seed and shrub plantings will begin.

Additionally, a contractor with Trails Team direction will be performing work on Lubahn Trail. The Lubahn Trail will be closed for construction Monday–Thursday starting approximately March 14 through June 1. Olivine Trail will be open for visitors to access the park. Scheduled maintenance will improve trail conditions, visitor safety, and resource protection on this 50-year-old trail.   Photos by Eric Fields.

 

Say No to Mud

It’s the season — some call it Springtime in the Rockies, others call it Mud Season! As a result of the freezing and thawing,  our Open Space Parks and trails will continue to shut down and reopen, depending on the weather events. If you encounter mud, walk through not around. Walking around causes trail expansion, braiding, ruts, erosion, and vegetation loss. We don’t want to ruin our trails, now do we? And don’t forget to check Alerts and Closures, #KnowBeforeYouGo!

 

Adaptive Bike Program

JCOS staff recently met with their counterparts at City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) to learn about their adaptive bike share program, and how JCOS might be able to adopt a similar program. These adaptive bikes are class 2 e-mountain bikes that are pedaled by hand and available on loan to visitors experiencing disabilities.

Boulder OSMP currently has five adaptive bikes in their program and were able to provide over 150 visitors an opportunity to ride them in 2021. Visitors are always accompanied by a staff member and a volunteer on rides which vary from two to 20 miles, from easy to difficult terrain. The primary goal of the program is to show riders that their disability doesn’t have to stop them from accessing natural places inaccessible to traditional wheelchairs. The program also removes an economic barrier of riding an adaptive bike, which can be cost-prohibitive since only a handful of companies currently make them.

 

Dinosaur Ridge Signage Facelift

Thanks to Open Space GIS, Sign, and Park Services Teams, Dinosaur Ridge has been getting a sign facelift. The above kiosk is the latest install at the Visitor Center, complete with Rules & Regs and their very own teal color name plates. Look for more wayfinding to be installed in the coming months.   Photo by Kelly Bowser

 

Heritage Stewardship at Hildebrand & Mount Glennon

Jeffco Open Space has a Heritage Stewardship Team; they’ve been working over-winter to research and document some of the less well-known cultural resources, like the water control structures at Hildebrand Ranch and the Adkins Residence at Mount Glennon. Research and documentation are critical for understanding how a site may be historically significant, which helps guide planning for future use or removal. All documentation is given to the State Historic Preservation Office where it will be maintained in perpetuity.  Photos by Erica Duvic.

 

The Mysterious Mustard

It’s a beauty, and it may be unique to Jefferson County! This summer the Open Space Natural Resources Team will collaborate with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP), Denver Botanic Gardens, and the University of Northern Colorado to understand if a mustard in the genus Physaria (bladderpod) is a distinct species only known to Jefferson County. This group of collaborators are seeking to answer a question that has been pondered by botanists for many years – are populations of a misidentified mustard in the genus Physaria an undescribed species? The primary objectives of this study are to: 1) Clarify the relationships among Physaria bellii (Front Range twinpod), Physaria vitulifera (fiddleleaf twinpod), and the mystery Physaria. Genetic sampling will be performed on all three species to understand relationships and to determine if the undescribed Physaria warrants recognition as a distinct species. Sampling will be completed in 2022 with results following in early 2023.  Photo by Pam Smith from CNHP .

 

Tall Thimbleweed at Meyer Ranch

The Botany and Forestry specialists of The Natural Resources Team have been working together to protect a rare plant population within an active forestry project at Meyer Ranch Park. The plant in question is called Tall Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana); it’s a member of the buttercup family.

Tall Thimbleweed is widespread in the Eastern United States and Canada, but had not been recorded anywhere in Colorado prior to 2017. That’s when when Audrey Boag, a JCOS small grant recipient, discovered a few small patches in Deer Creek Park.

Thanks to her research, the Natural Resources team located a significant patch at Meyer Ranch Park in 2019. The area surrounding this patch has now been flagged off to ensure its protection from heavy forestry machinery that could disturb the plants and negatively impact their habitat.

This is a great example of multiple Open Space programs and groups collaborating to protect and preserve sensitive resources that we’re all so fortunate to serve as stewards of.  Photos by Audrey Boag & Jesse Wooten.

 

Rare Apple Tree at Centennial House

Along Golden Gate Road sits one of Jefferson County’s historic sites, Centennial House. Nearby stands an apple tree, a bit of a mystery. Fruit trees can help to tell the story of a place. They were sometimes planted by homesteaders in the west to prove they were cultivating the land as required under the Homestead Act of 1862.  In 2020, the Heritage Stewardship Team wondered what we could learn from this tree. Was it planted in the 1870s, when the house was built? Is it an heirloom variety? How can we learn more about the site from the tree and teach visitors about its history? They recently sent in a sample for DNA testing, and the results are interesting:

Clues and Fun Facts

• The Natural Resources Team cored the tree. They estimate that it is about 50 years old. Hence, this tree was not planted in 1876, but it may be a descendant of one that was. There is a second apple tree on the property, as well as a stump near this one.
• The tree is a Whitney Crab, one of few crab apples sweet enough to eat fresh from the branch. (A crab apple is simply an apple under 2” in diameter.)
• The Whitney Crab is an heirloom variety that originated in Illinois in 1869, so former residents may have planted one on their homestead in the 1870s.
• It is self-pollinating, so it does not need another apple tree nearby like some varieties do.
• According to the University of Colorado, of all apple trees DNA tested in Boulder County in 2018, just 1% were Whitney Crab trees, making this variety relatively rare in the area.
• In 2020, we sought a sample apple for DNA testing. Suddenly all the apples were gone. So, mysteries do remain, including: Who were those apple bandits?

Photos by Erica Duvic and Jennee Hancock

 

Save the Dates – It’s Time To Help Out In the Parks!

Mark your calendars and get ready for the Open Space main volunteer projects of 2022. These are large group projects, so if you’re interested in participating, contact Matt Martinez, mrmartin@co.jefferson.co.us, for more information.

Earth Day – April 16 at Van Bibber Park 75 – 100 volunteers. Volunteers will help close undesignated trails and plant native species.

National Trails Day – June 4 at Elk Meadow Park – 100+ volunteers. Volunteers will be working on making Painters Pause, Founders, and Noble Meadows trails more accessible while also removing noxious weeds.

Summer Solstice – June 25 at Matthews/Winters Park – 75 volunteers. Volunteers will help restore the banks of the creek, perform light trail maintenance along Village Walk and Village Ride trails, and clean up the creek just off of Hwy 93.

Colorado Day – August 6 at Beaver Ranch Park – 25 volunteers. Volunteers will build a continuation of new trail in the northwest portion of the park.

National Public Lands Day – September 24 along Clear Creek – 500 volunteers. Multi-agency effort with JCOS hosting volunteers in Clear Creek Canyon Park along with The City of Golden and the City of Wheat Ridge hosting multiple project sites focusing on cleanup habitat restoration.

 

The seasons are turning. Based on the recent number of Parks/trails closed due to muddy conditions, we’re fast approaching Mud Season.  Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly; when you encounter muddy trails, walk through the mud, not around. Even better, go back and find a dryer trail.

Know before you go, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and don’t forget to pack extra clothes for any type of weather. Carry water; at any time of year it’s easy to get dehydrated and disoriented at elevation.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say, “thank you”.

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!

 

It’s a new year,  with all manner of new adventures waiting for us at our Open Space Parks. Let’s see what JCOS has been up to over our mid-winter holidays…

 

BOETTCHER MANSION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

The loading dock at Boettcher Mansion underwent an infrastructure improvement during the month of December. The 14-year-old pergola was showing signs of wood rot in the overhead beams. Since it was a safety hazard, it had to be removed. The pergola was not an original part of the building, so the decision was made to remove rather than repair/rebuild. Instead of using outside contractors for this task, Boettcher Mansion partnered with the Open Space Park Construction Team and saved nearly $7,000 in cost, according to Jeffco Open Space & Parks. Photo by Boettcher Mansion Supervisor, Megan Kreutzer.

 

CATHEDRAL SPIRES PARK GETS SOME ROCK WORK

Cathedral Spires Park got a facelift, thanks to the Front Range climbing Stewards and the Boulder Climbing Community. The two groups improved 2800 feet of trail and built multiple sculpted and shaped rock staircases to enhance the hiking experience.  Reminder: Cathedral Spires closes on March 1^st to protect nesting raptors. The seasonal closure will be lifted at the beginning of August.

 

COAL CREEK CANYON BIGHORN SHEEP COUNT

The Open Space Natural Resources team assisted Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in their Winter Bighorn Sheep Count on December 16^th of last year. This part of the count was in Clear Creek Canyon, and it yielded very interesting results – 25 bighorn sheep in total. The largest group, 14 in size, was a mix of rams, ewes and yearlings, browsing and sunning near Tunnel 3. The CPW annual count provides valuable information on the extent of the bighorns’ winter range and population demographics. Thanks to Pepper Canterbury and Bryan Posthumus from CPW for the wrap up and photos.

 

COAL CREEK CANYON HUNTING MENTOR PROGRAM

The Coal Creek Canyon Study Area is still under study and development, but JCOS does host a game management mentor hunt each year. This program teaches proper hunter stewardship to mentees, one of whom had this to say:

“I am really appreciative and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the mentored hunt program. I was interested in hunting but was really overwhelmed with how to get started and what to do on my first hunt. The mentored hunt program was a chance of a lifetime and I learned so much from my mentors. Not only did I learn about hunting, but some of the most important lessons were about ethics and what it means to be a responsible and safe hunter. I have shared my experience with many people and have encouraged the new hunters who are interested to look for similar programs. I plan to continue hunting and hope to pass on the lessons I learned to other new hunters. I think this program is really important especially [sic] to ensure that new hunters are safe and ethical. Really appreciate the folks at Jeffco for allowing us to hunt on the public space.”

 

ELK MEADOW – STAGECOACH TRAILHEAD IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEGINNNG

The Stagecoach Trailhead at Elk Meadow Park is finally getting an upgrade. Improvements will include increased parking, a new restroom, and a safe road crossing to connect to the (future) trails at Jenkins Peak. The project is in design mode right now, with construction beginning as soon as possible. The expected completion date will be the end of 2023.

 

PINE VALLEY RANCH HOSTS ICE RESCUE CERTIFICATION FOR JCOS RANGERS

Our JCOS Rangers are not just a group of good-looking faces, they work hard, and they have special skills. Here at Pine Lake, at the Pine Valley Ranch Park, Rangers are in the final phases of their initial Ice Rescue Certification training.

We highly recommend that you do not test these Rangers’ new skills. As per the posting at https://www.jeffco.us/1428/Pine-Valley-Ranch-Park

“As of 1/7/22 winter activities (skating and fishing) are allowed on Pine Valley Lake until the ice melts to less than 8″ thickness at any of the 14 tests sites. Ice is never safe, recreate at your own risk.”

 

JCOS AND SCHOOL OF MINES ARE BUILDING BRIDGES

For a few years now, JCOS has been sponsoring a Senior Capstone Project at the Colorado School of Mines. It’s not unusual for a corporate or governmental organization to partner with educational institutions this way – the students get to engage in real-life problem-solving, while the partner organization can reap the benefits of the students’ work.

This year the CSM students were tasked with designing a modular trail bridge, light enough to be backpacked, expandable enough to span 40 feet, and strong enough to support 1700 pounds.

The students produced a lightweight bridge made of multiple 4-foot-long, 45-pound segments. The photo above is a 16-foot-long prototype that was assembled at the December OSAC meeting. The bridge will be deployed and tested in the parks as soon as weather permits.

 

LEAVE NO TRACE – A REMINDER

Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics created by the Leave No Trace Center of Outdoor Ethics promoting conservation in the outdoors. It consists of seven principles:

• plan ahead and prepare,
• travel and camp on durable surfaces,
• dispose of waste properly,
• leave what you find,
• minimize campfire impacts,
• respect wildlife,
• be considerate of other visitors.

These principles have been adapted to different activities, ecosystems and environments. https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

When you see signs like the one above in our Open Space Parks, be respectful. If the trail is closed, don’t walk it. There’s a reason the trail is closed, so stay out of the area. When you’re hiking on open trails, stay on the trails, even if they’re muddy. Staying on designated trails will avoid damage to the vegetation and will reduce fragmentation of habitat.

 

VIRTUAL LAND STEWARDSHIP SPEAKER SERIES

Each month, on the evening of the 3^rd Wednesday of the month, JCOS hosts a Land Stewardship speaker, who talks about something pertinent to the Open Space parks. This year, in 2022, the speaker series is going virtual.

The series will open on February 16, 6:00-7:30 PM, with Mary Ann Bonnell, Jeffco Open Space Visitor Services Director, who will provide information, data-driven tips, tricks, and trends that will help you minimize the impact of your next park visit.

For information about upcoming events go to https://www.jeffco.us/1986/Land-Stewardship-Series.

 

TOILET PAPER FUN FACTS

If you’ve done any hiking or biking or riding in our Open Space Parks, you know how welcome those restrooms can be.  Do you have any idea how much toilet paper is used in a year? Here’s a fun fact…in 2021, the Park Services Team, with an assist from the Ranger Team, supplied over 300 miles of TP to the Parks facilities.

Next time you encounter a Park Services Team member, or a Ranger who is servicing the rest rooms at a park, say thank you for a job well done!

It’s definitely winter in the Parks. Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly. Be prepared. Wintertime weather can be fickle. It can be sunny and dry at the trailhead while the trails at altitude can be icy and treacherous, with mud in between. Know before you go, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and pack for any type of weather. Don’t forget water; even in the winter it’s easy to get dehydrated and disoriented at elevation.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say, “thank you”.

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!

 

As 2021 winds to an end, it’s time to check in on Jeffco Open Space and see what they’ve been up to. This autumn has delivered exceptionally fine weather, and JCOS has been taking advantage of it…

Centennial Cone Park is closed for hunting 12/1-1/31

The late-season hunting access at Centennial Cone Park began December 1, closing the park to all other uses through the end of January. Mayhem Gulch parking lot along US Hwy 6 will remain open this year for access to the Peaks to Plains Trail and Clear Creek Canyon Park.

Hunting is allowed during a seasonal closure at Centennial Cone Park, and by permit only. The late season hunting access occurs December 1 through January 31 of each year. The Park is closed to all other use during this season. Permit applicants must hold a valid late season antler-less elk, female or either sex deer license issued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the Jefferson County portion of Game Management Unit 38. Private Land Only licenses are not valid at Centennial Cone Park. Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides a list of eligible hunters for this area to Jeffco Open Space. Jeffco Open Space will then notify these eligible hunters about applying for a Centennial Cone Park hunting access permit. Permits are not available to hunters that have not qualified through the appropriate licensing process.

• Centennial Cone Park Hunting Application Process
• State Hunting License Application
• Centennial Cone Hunting Access Permit 

 

Coal Creek Study Area Deer Hunt Ends

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) hosted guided youth and novice adult hunting in the Coal Creek Study Area over the past couple months. CPW Youth and Novice Adult Hunting Programs offer safe, educational, and ethical guided hunting with experienced CPW hunters. This year’s program had a 50% harvest rate, one hunter per group actually. All had samples taken to test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) but none of the deer showed clinical signs of being sick. The group saw more bucks in that area than does and the does they did see were often accompanied by small fawns. They also spotted several small groups of bachelor bulls and four moose! Thanks to Pepper Canterbury and Bryan Posthumus from CPW for the wrap up and photos.

 

Elk Meadow Park Usability Project

Twenty volunteers helped remove noxious weeds and improve the usability of Painters Pause Trail at Elk Meadow Park on October 9. Participants spread four tons of road base material which will harden sections of the trail tread, making it more passable for visitors using mobility devices; which directly supports Goal 8 of the JCOS Conservation Greenprint – Easy and Equitable Access. Following a National Trails Day event in 2022, this effort will create a three-mile loop at Elk Meadow Park for visitors with mobility devices. A big thanks goes out to our Trails and Natural Resources Teams for leading our volunteers on project today.

 

Forest Restoration and Wildfire Mitigation at Meyer Ranch Park Begins This Winter

Starting this month (December), JCOS will treat approximately 37 acres of ponderosa, aspen, mixed conifer, and lodgepole forests in Meyer Ranch Park. This work will focus on healthy forest structure, aspen enhancement, and wildfire risk reduction. Work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022 and will contribute to our Conservation Greenprint goal for improving forest health on 1,000 acres of JCOS lands by the year 2025.

Visitors should expect brief and rolling trail closures, loud equipment, and temporary impacts such as rutting on the south half of the park. Please give crews space, be aware of signs, and respect closures! Large trees will be removed in some areas to create healthy, natural forest conditions; mimicking natural events and creating valuable habitat for many important wildlife and plant communities. For more information: Meyer Ranch Park Forest Restoration Fact Sheet (PDF)

 

Hiwan Fall Program Season Short but Sweet

Volunteers and staff at Hiwan Museum welcomed over 300 students and teachers this fall for nine COVID-adjusted Pioneer History and custom programs. This included making 18 journey cakes (that’s 27 sticks of butter!) and some chilly mornings in the replica 1876 school room and 1895 mercantile. Though limited in number, these programs were meaningful, as evidenced by many behind-the-mask smiles and one teacher nearly in tears with joy about bringing her students once again.

 

GOCO Tests Trash Tactics

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has been testing a fun decal/sound combo that encourages folks to put trash in the trash can at five different trailheads, Meyer Ranch, Flying J, Lair O’ the Bear, west Mount Falcon Parks, and Dinosaur Ridge. Each can will be outfitted with decals that will give the can monster teeth and a motion-triggered sound device, so it makes a noise any time someone throws trash in it. We are a test lab for GOCO’s innovative “get trash in the can” initiative. If you are out at any of these parks, be sure to check out these fun, new stewardship additions!

 

Volunteer visit to bird banding station

Volunteers and Natural Resources staff recently visited the Barr Lake State Park bird banding station that is run by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR). Between two visits, they saw seven different species of migrating song birds. BCR manages over 20 mist nets at this location to capture and survey birds as they move through the area during their migration. Each bird receives a custom fitted identifying leg band and undergoes some body measurements.

 

Seed Collection at Coal Creek Canyon Study Area

The Natural Resources Team held a seed collection event to collect stiff sunflower (Helianthus rigidus) at Ranson Edwards in Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, with the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) student chapter from CSU. This collection was a good educational event for these students to learn about the intricacies and nuances of collecting native ecotypic seed while learning about what the JCOS Natural Resources Team does on a day-to-day basis. Seed will be used in seed mixes to help revegetate and restore areas of disturbance.

 

Wildfire Season Is Now Year-round: Mitigation and Safety Reminders

With record low snowfall this year, fire danger remains a major concern across Jefferson County. As of November 19, the Jefferson County Sheriff implemented temporary Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for all lands in unincorporated Jefferson County. This means the use of fireworks, fire outside of a permanent fire grate, bonfires, certain types of shooting, and smoking outside of a vehicle, building, or barren area are all strictly prohibited. As always, Jeffco Open Space (JCOS) parks remain under a permanent, year-round fire ban.

You can reduce the risk of wildfire in the County by reporting fire restriction violations or suspected wildfire smoke, and by mitigating your own property by disposing of woody debris. Thank you to all Jeffco residents who mitigated their property and participated in the 2021 SLASH program. This year, nearly 28,000 cubic yards of woody material was removed from the land thanks to your hard work! Stay tuned for an upcoming schedule of 2022 SLASH collections.

Holiday Closures

Please know before you go as many of our facilities will be closed throughout the next couple of months.

Jeffco Open Space Headquarters, Lookout Mountain Nature Center, and Hiwan Museum Closed: December 24-25

Hiwan Museum Closed for Cleaning: January 1-21

Balloons & Parks Don’t Mix – So Don’t!

Did you know that when released balloons have been known to travel over 1000 miles? Or that latex balloons advertised as biodegradable can still take years to decompose due to chemicals added in the manufacturing process? Both latex and mylar balloons are often eaten by wildlife that mistake them for food, or break down into microplastics, which pollute our waterways and eventually make it into our food.  The next time you’re thinking of a celebratory or memorial balloon release consider some eco-friendly options like blowing bubbles, planting a tree or flowers, or flying a kite.

 

Now that autumn is upon us, Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly. Be prepared. At any time, snow can fly and the trails can get icy, especially at the higher elevations. Make sure you check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and pack for any type of weather. Don’t forget water; it’s easy to get dehydrated and disoriented at elevation.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say, “thank you”.

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!

 

Miss Mountain Manners here. THE SECRET IS OUT. Everyone seems to know that the place to be is outside in our Open Space parks. How did that happen, and how do we deal with the fact that there are toooo many people out there: hikers, bikers, riders, runners – you name it. Can we live with each other? What about 50 years from now?? (The open space program will be 50 years young in 2022.) What are the alternatives???

We aren’t alone. The national parks are being overrun. National Park attendance has spiked since 2019 (327 million visitors) with usage of many parks doubling (2020 use was down due to COVID and park closures). Rocky Mountain National Park was one of the parks to have been heavily impacted.*

Almost 5 million people entered RMNP in 2019. In a 5280 article, September 2020, Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan listed “8 Ways To Ease Overcrowding At Our National Parks”.

 

1) Shut the Gates – require advanced reservations; a timed-entry permit system.

2) Ditch the Cars – off park parking/shuttles. (Build more parking lots? – but, if you build them, they will come)

3) Alter Pricing – charge more at high demand times: but this raises the issues of fairness and equity.

4) Point out the Road Less Traveled – direct visitors to our less-crowded areas.

5) Manage the Ick – modernized toilets can reduce waste build-up by 40%.

6) Ask People Not to Do It for the ‘Glam – omit the specific location details of your photos.

7) Spread the Love – e.g. Black Canyon of the Gunnison ranks 45th out of 62 national park units in recreation visits.

8) Do Your Part – don’t be part of the traffic. Follow solutions 2, 4, and 7.

While not as overwhelmed as our National Parks, Jeffco Open Space saw more than 8 million visitors in 2020. Will heavy traffic and overuse force us to try some of these tactics at our Jeffco Open Space Parks? We now have 28 Open Space Parks spread out over 55,000+ acres. Acquisition is still a high priority, with many additional acres preserved in 2020 and 2021 (with more coming in 2022). Many of these additions will not be open to public for quite a while (and in some cases never, in order to protect sensitive flora and fauna), so it will be hard to develop or “buy” our way out of the overuse dilemma.

Miss Mountain Manners wants you to “Do Your Part” – Be a wise and considerate user of Open Space. Follow the rules: Leave no Trace – pack out all trash and dog waste, and place in the proper receptacles at the trailheads; Be courteous and inclusive – slow down and announce your presence when passing other visitors on the trail; Don’t park illegally – use shuttles, Lot Spot or Lyft; Stay home if sick, Keep your distance, Carry a mask – just in case you get too close to strangers; Stay on the trail – avoid vegetation if you need to step off-trail.

Understand that Natural Areas have a maximum carrying capacity; do your part to protect our Open Space Parks!

 

*Update: Rocky Mountain National Park will be resuming its reservation system in 2022. “Rocky Mountain National Park was the third-most visited national park in the country in 2019, with over 4.6 million visitors. Visitors experience a high level of congestion in many areas of the park from late May through early October.” For more information on the RMNP reservation system go here.