Two Search And Rescue Incidents Conducted In Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members responded to two separate incidents on Sunday, June 28th.

At 9:30 a.m. rangers were notified by cell phone that Chris LeGault, 48, from Lyons, Colorado, had taken a reported 50 foot fall while backcountry skiing on Sundance Mountain. LeGault had landed in rocks suffering numerous injuries. Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue personnel reached him at 11:45 a.m. They performed a technical evacuation lowering LeGault through snow, rocks and dense brush eventually reaching Old Fall River Road at 7:30 p.m. He was taken by ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center. Twenty personnel were involved in this rescue. Park search and rescue team members were assisted by two members of Douglas County Search and Rescue.

At noon, park rangers were notified by cell phone that Jesse Keller, 24, from Fort Collins, Colorado, had taken a reported 150 foot tumbling fall down The Homestretch on the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak. Rangers were able to speak with Keller and he indicated he had suffered injuries but would attempt to continue down on his own. Rangers left the Longs Peak Trailhead with the intent to assist Keller on the way down. Their efforts were hampered by severe weather and lightning. Rangers reached Keller at 8:30 p.m. at the Keyhole. They assisted him through The Boulder Field and spent the night in the Boulder Field with him. At 8:00 a.m. yesterday morning Fuller was flown by Lifeguard One to Medical Center of the Rockies. Park Search and Rescue Team members reached the trailhead at 11:00 a.m. yesterday morning where they were assisted by four members of Larimer County Search and Rescue.



Jeff
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Exotic Weed Pull Event Scheduled For Saturday In Rocky

On Saturday June 27, join Rocky Mountain National Park staff and Estes Land Stewardship Association (ELSA) from 8 a.m. to noon to help pull exotic plants and learn more about noxious weeds. Meet at the corner of High Drive and Columbine Drive to sign in and test your skills in weed identification. Tools and water will be provided. Last year almost thirty people participated to tackle, dig, and pull noxious weeds!

One of the many challenges land managers face is the threat that invasive exotic plants or noxious weeds present. Invasive exotic plants can upset natural processes and often use that "strategy" to spread. Exotic weeds are not native to the area they are invading. As a result, they frequently have few effective predators, competitors, parasites, or diseases. They can spread across a landscape quickly and replace native species that have important functions in the ecosystem.

Exotic weeds upset natural processes in a variety of ways. Some are poisonous if consumed by wildlife. Some release compounds into the soil to prevent the seeds of other plants from germinating. Some produce such thick aggregations of plants, they shade out native plants. This can disrupt other native species such as butterflies and other pollinators.

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please contact the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.



Jeff
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Higher Prices and Limited Access Coming to a Park Near You

Perhaps the title to this blog might be construed as being highly provocative, but reality tells me that many of the trends I'm seeing are already pointing in these directions. Please note that I'm in no way advocating for either of these as possible solutions to perceived problems, but rather simply pointing out where I believe our national parks are headed.

The perceived problem among many within and outside of our national park system is that our parks and recreational areas have become overcrowded. One only has to look at the almost constant gridlock in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains, or the over-crowded parking at the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain, or the congestion on Yellowstone's roads throughout the summer, to see that the pundits and park managers may have a point. As further evidence, you may also recall that our national parks saw record breaking crowds in 2014.

As a result of many factors, including increased visitation, almost every major national park has raised entrance fees over the last several months. Other parks and national forest lands, such as the Great Smoky Mountains, have instituted, or have increased backcountry camping fees.

This past May Glacier National Park announced a public comment period for a series of alternatives they're proposing to manage the Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor. Included among those proposals to manage congestion on the road are to "utilize a timed entry system or reservation system during peak season" and "require day hike permits on some trails during peak season".

It's pretty clear to me that the wheels are already in motion for raising fees and limiting access to high traffic areas.

What prompted this blog posting was an interview I heard the other night on the nationally syndicated John Batchelor Show. The host interviewed Terry Anderson from the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Montana, who has put forth several possible solutions to overcrowding in our parks and recreational areas. The 10 minute segment starts at roughly the 19:25 mark in this podcast if you wish to listen to the interview. You can also read the original article, which sparked the interview, as published in the Montana Standard.



Jeff
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5 Tips on Solo Hiking

Have you ever considered solo hiking? If so, you may want to consider these five tips from Backpacker Magazine before hitting the trail:








Jeff
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Gov. Hickenlooper Announces Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Map Initiative

Last week Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper outlined significant next steps in the Colorado Beautiful initiative to both link outdoor spaces and connect more people to those places.

Hickenlooper also announced Colorado would build the most comprehensive outdoor recreation map ever created in the state, to include all trails, open spaces, parks and protected lands, with publication planned in 2016.

He also announced that the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, in coordination with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), nonprofit organizations and state agencies, would by 2016 identify the 16 most important trail gaps, missing trail segments and un-built trails across the state and elevate them to priority projects.

“Colorado Beautiful, we believe, is not only about connecting our parks, trails and scenic lands, but about connecting people to the outdoor delights that set Colorado apart as a special place,” Hickenlooper said. “It’s important to bring our newest generations outside, away from electronic distractions and into the splendor of our waterways, forests, wildlife, grasslands, mountains and canyons.”

Hickenlooper outlined the steps in comments at The Outdoors Summit in downtown Denver where leaders in outdoor recreation, youth programs, health and urban planning gathered to focus on efforts to get Coloradans, particularly children, teens and minority youth, to develop deeper connections with the natural environment that sets Colorado apart as a special place.

Hickenlooper noted that these steps will move the state toward a key, unifying vision underlying the Colorado Beautiful initiative: That within one generation, every Coloradan will live within a 10 minute walk of a park, trail or open space area.

The creation of a comprehensive trail and recreational lands map is already underway, as dozens of local governments and organizations have already responded to a state call for data. The map project will mark a major step forward as even navigating various trails in the Denver metro area often requires a piecemeal approach with maps from different jurisdictions.

Identification of the 16 highest priority trail projects is also already in its early stages as some mapping of critical gaps has begun as part of the Colorado Beautiful initiative. On-the-ground work to move these projects forward would begin next year.

These specific steps are the first of several anticipated as part of the Colorado Beautiful initiative, first announced by Hickenlooper in his 2015 State of the State address.



Jeff
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Hiker Rescued In Steep Terrain Near Fern Lake Trail

On Monday afternoon, June 8, at approximately 12:45, Rocky Mountain National Park's dispatch center received a call that Rick Grigsby, 62, from Estes Park had fallen in a steep off-trail area between Arch Rock and The Pool on the lower Fern Lake Trail.

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members searched for four hours in a number of off-trail areas. From the reported description of the location, it was difficult to find him. Grigsby was eventually located at 5:45 p.m. when rangers heard his yells for help. Grigsby had been exploring an extremely steep, mud and rock slide area when he fell on rocks and suffered a leg injury.

Park Search and Rescue Team members described the area as hazardous with steep terrain, loose rock, unstable footing with burned and downed wood from the 2012 Fern Lake Fire. This land slide area had occurred in the spring of 2013. Park team members had difficulty finding stable locations to place anchors to perform the technical lowering of Grigsby down the steep gully.

Grigsby was initially lowered more than 1,000 feet to a high marshy meadow. The second technical lowering took place over an additional 800 feet steep scree area. He was then carried down the trail in a wheeled litter to the Fern Lake Trailhead, reaching the trailhead at 2:30 a.m.

Grigsby was travelling alone and was fortunate to have cell phone coverage in the area he fell. Over 40 Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members were involved in this incident.



Jeff
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How To Use Bear Spray

While hiking in a wilderness area that has bears, your best line of defense in the unlikely event of an attack is bear spray. Perhaps counter-intuitively, bear spray is actually more effective than a gun. According to one study, bear spray is 95% effective in stopping a bear attack, while firearms are only 55% effective. Bear spray is also effective against black bears, and is something you may want to consider while hiking in black bear country.

The key to defending yourself against a charge is deploying the bear spray correctly. Below is a demonstration by Backpacker Magazine on how to properly use bear spray:



In a January 2012 Backpacker Magazine article, Dave Parker, a certified bear spray safety trainer, is quoted as saying that:

"If an animal comes within 50 feet, use your spray. If the bear isn’t running, point the nozzle about 30 feet away, and fire a series of one-to-two-second bursts. If it’s charging, point the spray at the bear’s chest and hold the trigger until the can is fully discharged. Out of spray and the grizzly is still charging? Don’t run, lay on your stomach, cover your head, and play dead."

Jamie Jonkel, a bear management specialist with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, offers some additional advice:

"If a bear charges from a distance, spray a two to three second burst in the direction of the bear. Experts recommend bear spray with a minimum spray distance of 25 feet.

Point the canister slightly down and spray with a slight side-to-side motion. This distributes an expanding cloud of spray that the bear must pass through before it gets close to you. Spray additional bursts if the bear continues toward you.

Sometimes just the noise of the spray and the appearance of the spray cloud is enough to deter a bear from continuing its charge. Spray additional bursts if the bear makes additional charges.

If you have a sudden close encounter with a bear, spray at the front of the bear. Continue spraying until the bear either breaks off its charge or is going to make contact."

For more information on hiking in bear country, including how to avoid a surprise encounter, please click here.

If you need to purchase bear spray for an upcoming hiking trip, please click here.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Elk Shot Near Mills Lake In Rocky Mountain National Park

Park rangers were notified yesterday afternoon that an elk had been shot by a park visitor near Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The cow elk was later found dead. The incident is under investigation.

The park has stated that no further information will be released at this time.If more information does become available, it will be posted here.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Join Rocky Mountain National Park in Celebration of International Migratory Bird Day

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) in Rocky Mountain National Park by participating in this weekend's event. On Saturday, June 6, the park will offer a bird walk in various field locations in the park. Learn more about migratory birds while exploring the park with experienced bird watchers. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. After a short introduction, visitors and bird walk leaders will caravan into the park to view birds in a variety of habitats. The activity is free of charge, but park entrance fees will apply. This guided walk will feature naturalists and expert birders to help beginners identify birds; all ages and abilities are welcomed. Bring warm clothes, water, good walking shoes, binoculars and a snack. The event will end at noon, but visitors are encouraged to continue their birding adventures throughout the day.

International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated each spring across the United States and Canada. This special event recognizes the movement of nearly 350 species of birds from their wintering grounds in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean to nesting habitats in North America. This year marks the 23rd anniversary of IMDB with the theme of "Restore Habitats, Restore Birds."

This year IMBD participants at over 700 locations from Canada to Argentina will learn how restoring local habitats can benefit migratory birds, the symbolic harbingers of the seasons. Many of these events will include habitat restoration activities like clean-ups and planting native species, as well as educational presentations, bird walks, and creative art activities.

Bring your family and friends and join Rocky Mountain National Park in raising awareness of birds and why they matter through International Migratory Bird Day.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Eight Reasons to Start Your Hike in the Early Morning

Like many people, I really hate getting up early in the morning. As a teenager it wasn’t uncommon for me to sleep-in until 10, 11 or even high noon on some weekends. However, over the years, as I’ve become a more active participant in hiking, I’ve come to realize that it’s best to begin your hike as early in the morning as possible. Depending on the length of the hike, we usually try to get to the trailhead within an hour of sunrise. There are several great reasons for this, including the following:

1) Starting early in the morning allows you plenty of time to beat road traffic, and find a parking spot at the trailhead. Many of the parking areas in our most popular national parks (and elsewhere) are small and fill-up fairly early during the peak tourist season.

2) Starting early also allows you to beat the crowds along the trail and at your destination. There’s nothing worse than hiking five miles to a beautiful overlook or meadow, and running into a bunch of loud and obnoxious people spoiling the peace and quiet.

3) One of the best times to see wildlife is during the early morning hours. Moreover, when there are people around, it’s more likely that wildlife will be scared away from the trail.

4) The dawn hours provide some of the best light for photography.

5) The morning usually allows you to beat the heat, especially if there’s any climbing involved to reach your destination.

6) Starting early allows more time to return to the trailhead in the event of an emergency. If you’re five miles from the trailhead and you sprain an ankle, or worse, and there’s only an hour or two of day light left, you may be limping back to the trailhead in the dark, or you may even have to bivouac on the side of the trail.

7) In many parts of the country, especially in the Rocky Mountains, thunderstorms tend to roll into the mountains during the early or mid-afternoons. Starting early allows plenty of time to reach your destination and return without getting soaked. More importantly, if you’re walking over open terrain, you’ll reduce your chances of being exposed to lightning.

8) Finally, if you’re on vacation, starting early allows you plenty of time to return back to your hotel or cabin, get cleaned up, and go to your favorite restaurant before the crowds arrive.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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