More information will be coming in the next few days and weeks!
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
My New Book Has a Title!
So some of you may have noticed my lack of activity on social media over the last several months. Truth be told, I’ve been working on a super-secret project! However, today, I wanted to let you all know that I've been working on my new book for almost a year now, and right now I'm in the process of putting the finishing touches on it. In the meantime, I thought I would “reveal” the title of the book: “Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World”
More information will be coming in the next few days and weeks!
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
More information will be coming in the next few days and weeks!
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Friday, November 25, 2022
Opportunity for Continued Public Involvement in Long-Range Visitor Use Management Planning for Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) staff are seeking the public’s continued engagement and input on the park’s long-range Day Use Visitor Access Strategy. For 107 years, Rocky Mountain National Park has been a place of inspiration, reflection, wonder, history, and wilderness adventure. Park visitors across the United States and the world continue to come to Rocky Mountain National Park to discover a wide variety of experiences found only in this incredible place.
“In the summer of 2021, we invited you to join us in envisioning the future of Day Use Visitor Access at RMNP. Your feedback was instrumental in helping National Park Service (NPS) staff develop preliminary management strategies. We are now working to outline ideas for management strategies to help the NPS to both protect park resources and values while also providing for high-quality visitor experiences for today's visitors and for future generations,” said Park Superintendent, Darla Sidles.
Park staff are eager to continue engaging with stakeholders and connect with park visitors from near and far, to help identify ideas and strategies to assist the park prepare for long-term day use. We hope to hear from members of the public who have recently visited the park, as well as those who have told us they no longer visit Rocky Mountain National Park because of crowding and congestion. Park staff invite members of the public to submit their comments via the park’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS beginning December 12, 2022, through February 1, 2023.
Rocky Mountain National Park has experienced a 44 percent increase in visitation since 2012. Rapid growth in day use visitation and changing use patterns in the park have degraded natural and cultural resources, diminished quality of the visitor experience, increased visitor and staff safety concerns, and created a heavy strain on the park’s facilities and ability to perform daily operations. The purpose of the Rocky Mountain National Park Day Use Visitor Access Strategy is to provide visitor access in a way that enhances the protection of the fundamental resources and values for which the park was created. The goal of the process is to identify strategies that will help protect park resources, offer varied opportunities for high quality visitor experiences, enhance visitor and staff safety, and coincide with the park's operational capacity.
The park is hosting a public open house on Tuesday, December 6, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Estes Park Museum in Estes Park, CO. This open house will provide an opportunity to drop in, meet with NPS staff, and learn more about the potential ideas and strategies to address long term day use at RMNP. There will not be any formal presentations scheduled during this time. Please feel free to drop in at any time.
The park is also hosting a virtual public meeting on Thursday, December 15, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The intent of the webinar is to provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the purpose of the project, key ideas, issues of concern, desired conditions for the park’s long-term day use visitor access, potential management strategies, ask questions of NPS staff and get information on how to provide formal written comments through the Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website. The webinar will open with a presentation, followed by a question and answer session.
To participate in the virtual meeting, please register at the following link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Teams Webinar. It is recommended to join the webinar via computer to have full use of the webinar tools that Teams provides.
Registration URL: https://forms.office.com/g/UiRnA5kZsb
Unable to attend the virtual meeting? A recording of the meeting will be posted on the park planning link below. The park will provide live captioning of the meetings. Park staff encourage public participation throughout the planning process. Public comments for this stage are invited beginning December 12, 2022, through February 1, 2023. Comments can be submitted online beginning December 12, by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS click on ‘Open for Comment’ on the left side of page to submit a comment.
Comments may also be sent to the following mailing address:
Superintendent
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 US Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.
There will be additional opportunities to comment formally on the project during the future NEPA process in 2023. If you have questions about the project or would like more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
“In the summer of 2021, we invited you to join us in envisioning the future of Day Use Visitor Access at RMNP. Your feedback was instrumental in helping National Park Service (NPS) staff develop preliminary management strategies. We are now working to outline ideas for management strategies to help the NPS to both protect park resources and values while also providing for high-quality visitor experiences for today's visitors and for future generations,” said Park Superintendent, Darla Sidles.
Park staff are eager to continue engaging with stakeholders and connect with park visitors from near and far, to help identify ideas and strategies to assist the park prepare for long-term day use. We hope to hear from members of the public who have recently visited the park, as well as those who have told us they no longer visit Rocky Mountain National Park because of crowding and congestion. Park staff invite members of the public to submit their comments via the park’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS beginning December 12, 2022, through February 1, 2023.
Rocky Mountain National Park has experienced a 44 percent increase in visitation since 2012. Rapid growth in day use visitation and changing use patterns in the park have degraded natural and cultural resources, diminished quality of the visitor experience, increased visitor and staff safety concerns, and created a heavy strain on the park’s facilities and ability to perform daily operations. The purpose of the Rocky Mountain National Park Day Use Visitor Access Strategy is to provide visitor access in a way that enhances the protection of the fundamental resources and values for which the park was created. The goal of the process is to identify strategies that will help protect park resources, offer varied opportunities for high quality visitor experiences, enhance visitor and staff safety, and coincide with the park's operational capacity.
The park is hosting a public open house on Tuesday, December 6, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Estes Park Museum in Estes Park, CO. This open house will provide an opportunity to drop in, meet with NPS staff, and learn more about the potential ideas and strategies to address long term day use at RMNP. There will not be any formal presentations scheduled during this time. Please feel free to drop in at any time.
The park is also hosting a virtual public meeting on Thursday, December 15, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The intent of the webinar is to provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the purpose of the project, key ideas, issues of concern, desired conditions for the park’s long-term day use visitor access, potential management strategies, ask questions of NPS staff and get information on how to provide formal written comments through the Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website. The webinar will open with a presentation, followed by a question and answer session.
To participate in the virtual meeting, please register at the following link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Teams Webinar. It is recommended to join the webinar via computer to have full use of the webinar tools that Teams provides.
Registration URL: https://forms.office.com/g/UiRnA5kZsb
Unable to attend the virtual meeting? A recording of the meeting will be posted on the park planning link below. The park will provide live captioning of the meetings. Park staff encourage public participation throughout the planning process. Public comments for this stage are invited beginning December 12, 2022, through February 1, 2023. Comments can be submitted online beginning December 12, by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROMO_DUVAS click on ‘Open for Comment’ on the left side of page to submit a comment.
Comments may also be sent to the following mailing address:
Superintendent
Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 US Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.
There will be additional opportunities to comment formally on the project during the future NEPA process in 2023. If you have questions about the project or would like more information about Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Monday, November 21, 2022
Fresh Air Friday: Free entry to all Colorado state parks
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the busy winter holiday season, so Colorado Parks and Wildlife invites people to spend time outdoors this Friday. On Nov. 25, CPW is pleased to offer free entry to all Colorado state parks on Fresh Air Friday.
This year marks the 8th annual Fresh Air Friday event that encourages people to take some time over Thanksgiving weekend to create new outdoor memories and live life outside. A Fresh Air Friday celebration can be as big or as small of an outdoor adventure as you choose. To begin planning your outdoor experience, visit the Colorado state park finder or use the free Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) mobile app to discover local parks, trail systems and open spaces.
Visitors should be aware that Friday, Nov. 25 is a state holiday and some park visitor centers may not be open or fully staffed. Enforcement personnel will be patrolling the parks but some visitor services may be limited.
Throughout the year, CPW offers family friendly activities, fun-filled adventures and opportunities to learn and try new things at all of our state parks. Visit the CPW Event Calendar to find a Fresh Air Friday activity near you. Please call the park visitor center ahead of your visit for hours, closures or other information.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
This year marks the 8th annual Fresh Air Friday event that encourages people to take some time over Thanksgiving weekend to create new outdoor memories and live life outside. A Fresh Air Friday celebration can be as big or as small of an outdoor adventure as you choose. To begin planning your outdoor experience, visit the Colorado state park finder or use the free Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) mobile app to discover local parks, trail systems and open spaces.
Visitors should be aware that Friday, Nov. 25 is a state holiday and some park visitor centers may not be open or fully staffed. Enforcement personnel will be patrolling the parks but some visitor services may be limited.
Throughout the year, CPW offers family friendly activities, fun-filled adventures and opportunities to learn and try new things at all of our state parks. Visit the CPW Event Calendar to find a Fresh Air Friday activity near you. Please call the park visitor center ahead of your visit for hours, closures or other information.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Friday, November 18, 2022
Rocky Mountain National Park is Looking for Winter Preventive Search and Rescue Volunteers
Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media yesterday:
You may also want to note:
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Looking to get outside this winter and give back to your parks? Rocky Mountain National Park is now accepting applications on Volunteer.gov for Winter Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) Volunteers.
Winter PSAR volunteers will participate in backcountry patrols, provide winter weather and avalanche information to visitors travelling into the backcountry, and assist the Search and Rescue team when necessary. Volunteers are required to serve a minimum of 30 hours/week to qualify for park housing.
Backcountry skiing or splitboarding experience and previous formal avalanche education is preferred. A gear and training stipend is available.
To learn more and to apply, visit www.volunteer.gov and search for "Rocky Mountain National Park!"
All trails in Rocky Mountain National Park are snow covered and icy. When coming to the park, be prepared for winter conditions.
Traction devices for the bottom of your boots and hiking poles are strongly recommended. At higher elevations, the snow may be deep enough that snowshoes are advised.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
New lifetime pass available for Military Veterans and Gold Star Families to access public lands
This should've happened a long time ago:
The Whitehouse announced that starting on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold Star Families can obtain a free lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.
“We have a sacred obligation to America’s veterans. This new lifetime pass is a small demonstration of our nation’s gratitude and support for those who have selflessly served in the U.S. Armed Forces,” said Secretary Deb Haaland, whose father served during the Vietnam War. “I’m proud the Department of the Interior can provide veterans and Gold Star Families opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment from our country’s treasured lands.”
Each lifetime pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle (or passholder and up to three adults at sites that charge per person) at national parks and national wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Veterans can present one of the four forms of acceptable ID (Department of Defense ID Card, Veteran Health ID (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veteran’s designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or ID card) at participating federal recreation areas that normally charge an entrance fee. Gold Star Families obtain information, self-certify they qualify and download a voucher on NPS.gov.
The Alexander Lofgran Veterans in Parks Act, passed in December 2021, authorized free lifetime access to federal lands to veterans and Gold Star Families. The new lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star Families is in addition to the free annual Military Pass, which has been available to active duty servicemembers and their families since Armed Forces Day, May 19, 2012.
Federal recreational land management agencies offer additional lifetime passes, including a Senior Pass for US citizens or permanent residents over age 62 and an Access Pass for US citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. More information is available on NPS.gov.
The Interior Department and other federal land agencies also offer fee-free entrance days for everyone throughout the year to mark days of celebration and commemoration, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., National Public Lands Day, and Veterans Day.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
The Whitehouse announced that starting on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold Star Families can obtain a free lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.
“We have a sacred obligation to America’s veterans. This new lifetime pass is a small demonstration of our nation’s gratitude and support for those who have selflessly served in the U.S. Armed Forces,” said Secretary Deb Haaland, whose father served during the Vietnam War. “I’m proud the Department of the Interior can provide veterans and Gold Star Families opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment from our country’s treasured lands.”
Each lifetime pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle (or passholder and up to three adults at sites that charge per person) at national parks and national wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Veterans can present one of the four forms of acceptable ID (Department of Defense ID Card, Veteran Health ID (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veteran’s designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or ID card) at participating federal recreation areas that normally charge an entrance fee. Gold Star Families obtain information, self-certify they qualify and download a voucher on NPS.gov.
The Alexander Lofgran Veterans in Parks Act, passed in December 2021, authorized free lifetime access to federal lands to veterans and Gold Star Families. The new lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star Families is in addition to the free annual Military Pass, which has been available to active duty servicemembers and their families since Armed Forces Day, May 19, 2012.
Federal recreational land management agencies offer additional lifetime passes, including a Senior Pass for US citizens or permanent residents over age 62 and an Access Pass for US citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. More information is available on NPS.gov.
The Interior Department and other federal land agencies also offer fee-free entrance days for everyone throughout the year to mark days of celebration and commemoration, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., National Public Lands Day, and Veterans Day.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Recruiting Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers for 2022/2023 Season
The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is looking for volunteers for the Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers program to ski or snowshoe patrol this winter in the busy Cameron Pass area, where 32 miles of trail can see over 300 skiers a day on a weekend. This popular area includes trails that border Highway 14 between Chambers Lake and Cameron Pass.
Volunteers must patrol a minimum of four days during the winter season as well as attend required training. An informational meeting is November 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service Office, 2150 Centre Ave., Building E, Fort Collins, CO 80526 and will provide prospective Nordic Rangers a general introduction to the program and what Nordic Rangers do. The required training, by Zoom, is December 6, 6-8 p.m. and the required field training at Cameron Pass is December 10, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, email CameronPassNordic@gmail.com.
The Cameron Pass Nordic Ranger program began in 1992. Volunteers ski or snowshoe “with a purpose” helping the U.S. Forest Service by providing safety, trail, and low-impact backcountry use information to winter enthusiasts; by helping maintain the winter trails and trailheads for safety; and by gathering visitor use information to aid in trail system planning. Some of the Nordic Rangers work as a winter trail crew to help keep the trails cleared of downed trees and limbs, install signs, and shovel paths to the restrooms.
Many of the trails are in the Rawah and Neota Wilderness areas, where routes can be challenging. Backcountry winter recreation also includes risks inherent with winter conditions in the mountains, including extreme cold. These are some of the key reasons volunteers in the area are so valuable to its many users, especially those with little winter sports experience.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Volunteers must patrol a minimum of four days during the winter season as well as attend required training. An informational meeting is November 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service Office, 2150 Centre Ave., Building E, Fort Collins, CO 80526 and will provide prospective Nordic Rangers a general introduction to the program and what Nordic Rangers do. The required training, by Zoom, is December 6, 6-8 p.m. and the required field training at Cameron Pass is December 10, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, email CameronPassNordic@gmail.com.
The Cameron Pass Nordic Ranger program began in 1992. Volunteers ski or snowshoe “with a purpose” helping the U.S. Forest Service by providing safety, trail, and low-impact backcountry use information to winter enthusiasts; by helping maintain the winter trails and trailheads for safety; and by gathering visitor use information to aid in trail system planning. Some of the Nordic Rangers work as a winter trail crew to help keep the trails cleared of downed trees and limbs, install signs, and shovel paths to the restrooms.
Many of the trails are in the Rawah and Neota Wilderness areas, where routes can be challenging. Backcountry winter recreation also includes risks inherent with winter conditions in the mountains, including extreme cold. These are some of the key reasons volunteers in the area are so valuable to its many users, especially those with little winter sports experience.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Rocky Mountain National Park Is Hiring!
Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Looking for a fun and rewarding job? Work with us! Rocky is hiring for several positions that will begin spring and summer 2023. Positions that are currently open include:
- Park Guide
- Park Ranger - Interpretation
- Park Ranger - Protection
- Recreation Fee Clerk & Technician
- Fire Management Officer
- Visitor Services Assistant
- Information Technology Specialist
For more information on these jobs and to apply, please visit www.usajobs.gov and search for jobs located in Estes Park, Colorado or Grand Lake, Colorado.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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