Friday, October 23, 2026

Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails damaged and destroyed by flooding

Heavy rain throughout Southwest Colorado in the past two days caused extremely dangerous conditions on the San Juan National Forest. These ongoing conditions include widespread flooding, road, trail, and infrastructure damage, and downed trees. As of Friday, October 23, field crews are assessing conditions across the Forest and locating campers and visitors trapped on storm-damaged roads that have become impassable. Additional rain is expected in coming days. Many roads are closed, and more are expected as conditions are assessed. All roadways are expected to be saturated and a potential threat for getting stuck or sliding off.

We encourage the public to avoid venturing out to the Forest when possible. Local emergency responders and search and rescue teams are being inundated with calls, and rescue or help may not be immediately possible for Forest visitors.

Currently, the Pagosa Ranger District is experiencing the most severe impacts, with Columbine also reporting significant damage. The process to fully assess infrastructure damage with engineers will extend into summer 2027 due to the extent of the flooding on millions of acres of Forest. Multiple major roads have suffered complete washouts and landslides, and some vehicle bridges were damaged.

Please visit the San Juan National Forest Conditions page for the most up-to-date information on road conditions. Please note, this list changes frequently as engineers and crews carefully assess conditions. Trails conditions will be assessed as staffing levels permit. Individual trails and campgrounds will be updated on the San Juan National Forest Recreation website.

Critical safety reminders:

* It is imperative that visitors do not try to ford water crossings on roads and trails, a practice that can easily prove deadly.

* If infrastructure such as bridges or culverts appear damaged and are not noted on the Conditions or Recreation webpages, please report it to the information line voicemail at (970) 501-5830 and do not attempt to cross.

* Do not try to drive around damaged areas, a practice that is illegal, destructive, and dangerous.

* Please respect closure signage to reduce the need for rescue and to reduce additional damage when resources are extremely limited.

Additional details, maps, and updates will be forthcoming as capacity allows. Please be patient, as this is a dynamic event during changing conditions. Life safety remains our number one priority both for the public and our employees.



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Monday, October 19, 2026

On this date in hiking history: The first climbing death in America

The following is an excerpt from Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

During an extended tour of America, an Englishman named Frederick Strickland arrived at the Notch House on October 18, 1849, with the sole intention of standing atop Mount Washington. Strickland, a 29-year-old graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, was the second son of Sir George Strickland, a baron and long-time member of the British Parliament. Fatefully, just days before his arrival, an early-season snowstorm slammed into the White Mountains. A local newspaper reported that three feet of snow had fallen in the higher elevations during the storm. Despite stern warnings from Thomas Crawford and others, Strickland remained adamant about climbing the mountain. He purportedly told Crawford, the manager of the Notch House, that “I can walk where no horse could go.” He was also confident that he could make the entire round trip in just one day, and therefore took very few provisions with him. Although Crawford relented, he told Strickland that he wouldn’t risk the lives of his guide or his horses, and that they would turn around once they reached deep snow.
With that stipulation made clear, Strickland, his English companion and a guide set out on horseback from the Notch House on the following morning. As predicted, the group began to encounter deep snow as they proceeded above the treeline. By the time they arrived at Mount Pleasant (now Mount Eisenhower), the guide refused to proceed any further. Despite fresh warnings and further pleading from the guide and his traveling companion, Strickland chose to continue alone, on foot. His plan was to summit the mountain and then return to the Mount Washington House using the second Crawford Path, by then known as the Fabyan Path. Strickland was able to reach the summit, but became lost during his descent, likely after passing below the timberline. His frozen body was found two days later near the Ammonoosuc River. After failing to arrive at the Mount Washington House on the night of October 19th, Crawford organized search parties to ascend both trails. They easily found Strickland’s tracks in the snow and were able to follow them to his final resting place. It’s speculated that Strickland had fallen into the river at some point, as he had removed some of his clothes in a desperate attempt to keep from freezing. Strickland became the first person on record to perish on Mount Washington, and is quite likely the first climbing death in America.



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.


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Friday, October 16, 2026

Winter makes its first appearance in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Following recent winter storms, trail conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park are beginning to change as the season transitions from fall toward winter. Be prepared for some ice and snow on trails when hiking in areas above 9,000 feet in elevation.

🥾It's a great time to dig out your traction devices. Traction devices and hiking poles are recommended when traveling on high elevation trails.

When hiking in lower elevation areas of the park, trails may be dry, wet, or muddy.

For the latest weather forecast specific to Rocky Mountain National Park, visit https://www.weather.gov/bou/rmnp

See the latest trail conditions report at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm.




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Saturday, October 10, 2026

Work on Bowen Gulch Trail completed

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media earlier this week:
As part of Rocky's National Public Lands Day celebration, on Saturday, September 26, an incredible group of 14 volunteers came out and worked side by side with NPS trail crew members on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. They installed three new log foot bridges on a section of the Bowen Gulch Continental Divide Trail (CDT) Connector.

This was a project supported by the Headwaters Trails Alliance and the CDT Coalition. Thank you to everyone for sharing your time and helping to make a real difference out on the trail!

This important project will help future hikers experience an easier stream crossing during the high-water season in spring and early summer. Way to go!




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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Glacier Gorge Trailhead has reopened

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Crew staff have completed a project at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. The Glacier Gorge parking area and trailhead have reopened, and shuttle bus operations have resumed at this location.

Thank you to all crew members for their hard work this week and for accomplishing this project ahead of schedule!

Visitors interested in hiking to destinations like Alberta Falls, Mills Lake, and The Loch can start their hike from either Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake Trailheads.




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