USFS is Recruiting Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers for 2015 Snow Season

Are you the adventurous type who loves to be outdoors in the snow? Then have we got a volunteer opportunity for you! The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is seeking volunteers to ski or snowshoe this winter in the busy Cameron Pass area, where 32 miles of trail can see over 300 skiers a day on a weekend.

Volunteers ski or snowshoe “with a purpose,” helping the Forest Service educate winter visitors and provide winter use statistics. Last year, 88 volunteers provided more than 3,000 hours of service and contacted more than 1,100 winter visitors – an incredible accomplishment for this organization.

Nordic rangers volunteer for many reasons, but one returning member summarized his reasons this way, “The best part of being a Nordic Ranger is the bringing together of like-minded people, who in turn reach out to all National Forest users. By promoting our passion to others who visit and use our wild lands, we encourage them to want to emulate our philosophy, so that our wild lands will be here forever and for all.”

To volunteer, participants take part in a minimum of four days patrolling and attend Forest Service-provided training. The kick-off meeting is Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at 2150 Centre Ave., Building E, in Fort Collins. The required classroom training is Dec. 3, 6-9 p.m. and the required field training is Dec. 6 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, call Kristy Wumkes at 970-295-6721 or email kwumkes@fs.fed.us.

Along with a general introduction to the program, the kick-off also introduces potential new members to many of our partner-organizations, such as Jax Outdoor Gear and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and to some of the returning Nordic rangers.

The popular Cameron Pass area includes trails bordering Highway 14 between Chambers Lake and Cameron Pass. The area receives adequate snow before many others and snow often remains after other areas have melted. For this reason, the number of winter recreationists at Cameron Pass continues to grow.

Many of the trails are in the Rawah and Neota Wilderness areas, where routes can be challenging. Backcountry skiing 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.

The Cameron Pass Nordic Ranger program began in 1992. Volunteers assist the Forest Service by skiing or snowshoeing area trails to provide safety, trail, and low-impact backcountry use information to winter enthusiasts; help maintain area ski trails and trailheads for safety; and gather visitor use information to aid in Forest Service 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.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Some Flood-damaged areas on Canyon Lakes Ranger District Reopen

Some areas of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District impacted by the September 2013 Flood have re-opened as repairs have been completed.

Storm Mountain and Cedar Park Roads are now open, along with the Crosier Mountain Trail system. These are all located west of Loveland. It is important to note these areas and others damaged by the flood may not be the in the same condition as they were pre-flood. The Storm Mountain roads had to be improved more than they are historically maintained in order to accommodate the heavy equipment needed to make repairs.

The Forest continues to focus on many flood recovery efforts; however, additional rains this summer have delayed some repair work. Crews are actively working on additional road and trail repairs. As these repairs are completed more areas are anticipated to open before the field season is halted by snow.

For additional information about flood closures and recovery efforts, check the FS website.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Hewlett Gulch Trail in Canyon Lakes Reopens

The Hewlett Gulch Trail, closed following the September flood, will temporarily reopen by tomorrow. There are icy areas along the trail due to saturated soils and higher-than-average water levels. Hikers should use extra caution. The trail is expected to re-close during the spring runoff. Work on the trail will take place after that.

Much winter recreation across the Canyon Lakes Ranger District (CLRD) has been impacted due to the flood and hazardous tree removal projects. Long Draw Road remains closed; this includes closed to over-snow travel. Snowmobiling opportunities on the district are limited due to the reasons listed above and snow conditions. Many roads also seasonally close in December.

For more information on the CLRD roads and trails closed due to the flood, please click here.



Jeff
Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails

Canyon Lakes Recruiting Nordic Rangers for 2014 Season

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is looking for volunteers to ski or snowshoe 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. The area receives enough snow to ski before many others and snow often remains after other areas have lost their snow cover. For this reason, the number of winter recreationists at Cameron Pass continues to grow.

Volunteers ski or snowshoe “with a purpose,” helping the Forest Service educate winter visitors and provide winter use statistics. To volunteer, participants will take part in a minimum of four days patrolling and attend Forest Service-provided training. The kick-off meeting is Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at 2150 Centre Ave., Building E, in Fort Collins. The required classroom training is Dec. 4, 6-9 p.m. and the required field training is Dec. 7 from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, call Kristy Wumkes at 970-295-6721 or email kwumkes@fs.fed.us.

Along with a general introduction to the program, the kick-off also introduces potential new members to many of the partner-organizations, such as Jax Outdoor Gear and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and to some of the returning Nordic rangers.

The Cameron Pass Nordic Ranger program began in 1992. Volunteers assist the Forest Service by skiing or snowshoeing area trails to provide safety, trail, and low-impact backcountry use information to winter enthusiasts; help maintain area ski trails and trailheads for safety; and gather visitor use information to aid in Forest Service 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 skiing 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

Portions of Canyon Lakes Ranger District Reopen with Opening of Highway 14

Due to heavy rains and saturated soils the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland officials closed a portion of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District last week. Now that State Highway 14 within the Poudre Canyon has reopened, so too have some facilities and land.

The area that has opened up includes most lands and facilities located north of Highway 14, as well as areas within 1/2 mile south of Highway 14. Some select areas remain closed and those will be signed and/or gated. This includes the Young Gulch Trail, Stevens Gulch Day Use, and Upper Landing Day Use. Officials ask that you respect this and all signed closures. They are in place for public safety and to allow for rehabilitation efforts. For reopened campgrounds, no water is available at this time.

Additional areas not originally included in the order that are now closed due to moderate to extensive damage include 7-Mile Road (FSR 225), Kelly Flats Road (FSR 168), and Chicken Park Road (FSR 181) and spurs.

A map of the closed area, along with other flood information, is available online.

Please note that Crown Point Road is open, but nothing further south along the Pingree Park Road is.

It is expected that additional areas may open, as well as new areas added to the closure. Additional rain or snow could also impact conditions of currently opened areas.

Although these areas are open, the Forest continues to discourage all travel and activities on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. The current condition of many of the forest roads is unknown until an initial assessment is completed. Please use caution in all rain affected areas and travel only when necessary. Road status and closure information can be found here.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Canyon Lakes Postpones National Public Lands Day Until Oct. 5

Due to the recent flooding events that have impacted the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, the Canyon Lakes Ranger District has decided to postpone and scale back plans for National Public Lands Day.

Because a considerable amount of work has already been done to make this event a success, and because the work at the Bellaire Campground is still important, the decision has been made to continue with the tree and shrub planting project as a work day, while dropping some of the other events that were planned for that day.The fourth-annual National Public Lands Day event will be held Oct. 5, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year’s event takes place at the Bellaire Lake Campground south of Red Feather Lakes.

Tree and Shrub Planting: Work with professional silviculturists planting native shrubs and 1,200 ponderosa and limber pine seedlings to replace some of those lost to the current mountain pine beetle epidemic. Ages 4 and up can participate.

Every adult volunteer will receive a “free day pass” to a National Park and a commemorative cup that will also be used to help water the newly planted trees.Volunteers should wear appropriate clothes, footwear and sunscreen. Make sure to register and bring water and a camp chair for lunch. Register at http://canyonlakesnpld.eventbrite.com/.

For questions, please contact Kristy Wumkes at 970-295-6721 or kwumkes@fs.fed.us.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Thanks to Volunteers the Deadman Lookout Tower has Extended Hours

The Deadman Lookout Tower on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District is now open Thursday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July and on weekends through September, completely staffed by volunteers.

Forty - a record number - volunteer hosts trained this year to staff the Lookout to provide visitors with valuable information, ranging from where to camp and fish to tips about how to become better public land stewards. The volunteers come from all over Larimer County, with some even coming from Boulder County. All the volunteers have a keen interest in helping to preserve and share the history of the Deadman Fire Lookout with others.

Those visiting the top of the Lookout, some 55 feet high, are rewarded with amazing views of northern Colorado from its 10,700-foot elevation. On a clear day, one can see landmarks one hundred miles from the tower, including vistas into southern Wyoming and the peaks of the Rawah Wilderness to the west.

Visitors can also see and use the original fire spotting equipment at the top. Volunteers are trained in the history of the fire tower, and some even have first-hand experience with fire.

The site also has a vault toilet and picnic tables, so you can make a great day-trip out of the experience. Just be sure to pack out your trash.

To confirm the Lookout will be staffed and open the day you plan to go, please call the visitor information center at 970-295-6700. As volunteers are getting fully trained, the Lookout is anticipated to be open additional days.

The Lookout is located up the Deadman Road, northwest of Red Feather Lakes. To get there from Fort Collins, take CO State Highway 287 north to Livermore. Turn west onto County Road 74E to Red Feather Lakes. Next, turn left on County Road 86 (Deadman Road). Travel on this gravel road for about 15 miles to the turnoff for Forest Service Road 170. It is about two miles from here to the Lookout.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Tree Planting on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District

More than 5,600 ponderosa pine and limber pine trees are being planted mid-May in the Bellaire Lake, Dowdy Lake, and West Lake campgrounds on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest.

The trees being planted were grown from seeds collected within the vicinity of these recreation areas and were sown at the U.S. Forest Service’s Bessey Nursery in Nebraska. The Bessey Nursery is the oldest federal nursery and produces an average of 750,000 seedlings for vital restoration and conservation projects throughout the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service.

These trees are being planted to replace some of those lost to the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Many of these killed trees were removed from the Bellaire Lake Campground in January. At both Dowdy Lake and West Lake campgrounds, many older ponderosa pines have been preserved by spraying to avoid mountain pine beetle attacks. Planting at these sites provides a wide range of ages from young to old trees.

This planting is taking place by contractors with U.S. Forest Service oversight. Following planting, the new seedlings will be protected by fencing and netted tubes that surround each tree. An Eagle Scout project will also take place following the planting to install the protective nets, thanks to Troop 82. Forest visitors are asked to be careful to avoid these new trees to give them the best chance of survival. The trees will be watered periodically throughout the summer to assist in their success.

If the public is interested in planting trees for our future forest, then National Public Lands Day on the district is the place to be on Sept. 28, 2013. The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is currently planning the event to include more tree and shrub planting at Bellaire Lake Campground.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Canyon Lakes Ranger District’s Mountain Pine Beetle Spraying Has Begun - Expect Temporary Closures

Multiple recreation areas will be impacted due to efforts related to the mountain pine beetle epidemic, including hazard tree cutting and spraying more than 9,500 trees.

Contract crews are spraying trees in select campgrounds and day-use areas on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District this spring and summer. Contractors spray Carbaryl and U.S. Forest Service crews monitor operations and conditions. Spraying is very dependent on calm weather, which began April 29th. More than 900 trees have been sprayed to date, but spraying was put on hold today until May 10th due to the snow. Spraying is occurring at these locations:

* Bellaire Campground and Day-use
* Dowdy Campground and Day-use (temporary closure expected)
* Mountain Park Campground and Day-use
* Jacks Gulch Campground
* West Lake Campground and Day-use
* Tunnel Campground

Many of the district’s picnic areas and trailheads could have temporary closures throughout the spring, summer and fall for hazard tree cutting. The Manhattan dispersed camping area and Deadman Lookout Tower could also experience temporary impacts. Check the website or call visitor information specialists at 970-295-6700 before heading out. Also make sure to check the status of roads across the district, as hazard tree cutting activities will continue on Long Draw Road, closing it for the summer and fall, as well as other forest roads.

For the latest status of recreation areas and roads, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/arp or call our visitor information office. The Forest Service will try to keep the public updated of changes through our website and/or twitter account at twitter.com/usfsclrd.

Forest visitors should be extremely cautious when recreating in the Roosevelt National Forest. Avoid patches of dead trees, especially on windy days. Also, make sure to park vehicles and place tents in areas away from dead trees and take a saw or ax with you to remove fallen trees from roads to avoid becoming trapped. Remember, your safety is your responsibility. Dead and live trees can fall without warning. For additional safety information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/hazardtrees.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

High Park Fire BAER Activities Begin Again; Closure Area Increases

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is beginning Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) activities on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the High Park Fire burn area starting as soon as May 6.

Next week, those in the vicinity of the Poudre Canyon could see helicopters flying overhead. They are doing aerial mulching on high priority areas, where the fire burned at a high intensity potentially damaging the soil and causing run-off concerns. Last year, 881 acres were mulched with wood shreds. This spring and early summer approximately 4,700 acres will be treated with agricultural straw. Treatment is expected to continue, as conditions allow, through July 1.

Adjacent landowners are being informed of the mulching plans. There is a 300 foot buffer next to private land; however, some mulch could unintentionally land on private land.

For safety and rehabilitation reasons, the area closure currently in effect is being expanded to include areas where helicopters will be working overhead. The closure includes the burn area south of Colorado Highway 14, except the area commonly referred to as “Crystal Wall” climbing area. There is also a small area on the north side around Stevens Gulch that is closed. Except for Young Gulch Trail and the Kruetzer/Mount McConnell Trail, which remain closed; the developed recreation sites along the Poudre Canyon are open or will open as scheduled. The Old Flowers, West White Pine, and Monument Gulch roads remain closed. A closure area map will be posted online.

Along with the aerial mulching, other activities will be taking place within the burn area throughout the spring and summer. Crews are already doing preliminary work on the Young Gulch Trail, with volunteer days expected later in the summer to complete much needed work on this highly-impacted trail. Noxious weed treatment will be taking place both within the High Park and Hewlett burn areas in cooperation with Larimer County. Additional road and trail work is also expected to occur.

Falling trees are a safety concern – both in burned and unburned areas. Rolling and falling rocks can also become a hazard in these areas when the soil is less stable. Remember, your safety is your responsibility. Be sure to check the weather in case of flash floods in the burn area and to check the status of Highway 14.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

U.S. Forest Service Seeking River Ranger Volunteers

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District is seeking volunteers who love spending time on and along the Cache la Poudre River to assist the district’s river ranger.

The Cache la Poudre River is Colorado’s only Wild and Scenic River and sees an abundance of use during summer months from rafters, kayakers, anglers and others.

The volunteer is asked to assist the river ranger one to two times a month from May 1 to September 2 and have their own thermal gear, helmet and life jacket. Duties for the volunteer include river patrols with the district’s river ranger; promoting Wild and Scenic River knowledge and values; providing radio support in rescue situations; monitoring of commercial boat outfitters; shuttling boat transport vehicles to and from the river; and others as needed.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have a driver’s license. Skills required for the position include driving a manual transmission vehicle; the ability/certification to swim class 3/4 whitewater; and, if using a kayak, able to boat class 3/4 rapids. Skills recommended include swift water rescue training and first aid/CPR.

The Forest Service will provide training, including radio use and protocols, Wild and Scenic River regulations and information, a defensive driving course, and river corridor orientation.

If you are interested or have any further questions, please contact Rob Overstreet, Canyon Lakes River Ranger, at 970-295-6729 or rwoverstreet@fs.fed.us.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Canyon Lakes Ranger District Closure Updates

The Bellaire Campground, located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District south of Red Feather Lakes, remains closed for the season, but walk-in access to the lake will open Saturday.

The area has been closed since fall due to hazard tree cutting. Approximately 4,500 trees were cut to improve safety in the campground/day-use area and along the access road. Officials from the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests are warning visitors to be aware that some slash debris and stumps are present, so use caution.

The closure covered the campground, the road into the campground, the day-use area, land around the lake and an area northeast of the campground on the east side of the Manhattan Road. This area included the Manhattan dispersed campsites 1-5. These dispersed sites have also reopened.

As a reminder, there is still a closure in place for portions of the High Park Fire burn area. This closure includes Young Gulch Trail. It is important for visitors to respect these closures and obey all signs for your safety. Work on Young Gulch is expected to continue throughout the summer to address safety concerns in this burn area.

For other information regarding recreating on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District this fall, please call the Visitor Information Center at 970-295-6700.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

AmeriCorps Arrives on Canyon Lakes Ranger District

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests will be hosting an AmeriCorps crew in 2013 to help with hazardous fuels reduction work and firefighting efforts. This is the third year the district has hosted a crew.

AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage Americans in intensive service to meet the nation’s critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. This AmeriCorps Team is comprised of 12 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 and provides an enormous service to the U.S. Forest Service. Members of the team are from all across the United States, each from a different state.

The Forest Service provides necessary training and housing for the crew, as well as a liaison to assist the team lead with supervision and assignments.

The team will be in the district during late winter and then will return May through July. Work this winter will consist mostly of slash pile burning and prescribed fire preparation. In the summer the crew will help supplement the district’s firefighting resources.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com