18th Annual Eagle Days return to Lake Pueblo State Park

The bald eagles are back! Come celebrate this magnificent bird of prey at Colorado Parks and Wildlife's 2014 Eagle Days Festival. The event features eagle-viewing opportunities, hands-on activities for the kids, live bird programs and educational presentations by raptor experts.

This year's festival runs from January 31st thru February 2nd at the Lake Pueblo State Park Headquarters. Each year the event draws hundreds of visitors from across the state who wish to learn more about these unique birds of prey.

"Eagle Days is a great opportunity to learn about these majestic birds and get the entire family outdoors," Darcy Mount, a ranger at Lake Pueblo State Park, said.

Numerous bald eagles spend the winter at Lake Pueblo State Park and the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area. They roost in the large trees and dine on fish from the large expanse of open water.

The area around Pueblo Reservoir offers excellent opportunities to view a variety of birds of prey year-round, but during the winter months the bald eagles are the star attraction.

Programs at the Park Visitor Center and entry to the Visitor Center from Hwy. 96 are free, but vehicles are required to have a Park's Pass if they drive into other portions of the park.

The festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Lake Pueblo State Park auditorium with the announcement of the winners from this year's photo contest and a slideshow by professional wildlife photographer Debbie Barnes. Activities continue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information about Pueblo Eagle Days visit www.eagleday.org or call Colorado Parks and Wildlife at 719-561-5300 or 719-561-9320.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Royal Gorge re-opens for whitewater rafting

A section of the Arkansas River through the Royal Gorge managed by the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area will re-open for whitewater boating today.

A 10-mile stretch of the river through the Royal Gorge was closed for over a week due to the Royal Gorge fire. Following the fire, it was determined that cables and debris presented a significant safety hazard to boaters. Whitewater rafting and kayaking through the gorge was suspended until mediation measures could be completed.

Alpine Cable & Construction, Inc., the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, Rock & Rail Railroad and river rangers from the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area completed mediation measures Friday when they removed six cables that had fallen into the Arkansas River. The goal was to clear the river of boating hazards and that operation is now complete.

The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area stretches for 152-miles from just below Leadville to Lake Pueblo State Park. All portions of the river are now open for whitewater boating with blue skies, bright sunshine and warm temperatures providing the perfect setting for a family adventure!


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Opens 2013 Let’s Camp! Program for First-time Campers

Calling all new campers and those who’ve always wanted to learn to camp. Registration is now open for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2013 Let’s Camp! program. This year’s program will be held at Cheyenne Mountain State Park and Lake Pueblo State Park. Let’s Camp! covers all the fundamentals of camping, from setting up tents to smoothly taking things down in a safe and comfortable setting.

Offered in partnership with The North Face’s Explore Your Parks, the Let’s Camp! program introduces families to the great outdoors with experienced staff and volunteers who are available to answer questions and teach the basics in a relaxing and fun environment. No prior outdoor experience is required.

The overnight adventure will include all the fundamentals of camping, from set up to break down in a safe, comfortable, and relaxed setting. This program is perfect for beginners who are looking to develop confidence for rewarding outdoor experiences in the future.

All equipment except food, sleeping bags and personal utensils/dishes will be available for participants who need it. Don’t worry, the program will also provide you with a list of food you should bring and show you how to cook it, camping style!

The Let’s Camp! Program will take place from Sunday morning through Monday afternoon.

The cost is $34 per family/group at Lake Pueblo State Park, or $40 per group at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Groups can have up to six participants and a maximum of two tents. One 6-person tent will be provided.

· June 2-3: Lake Pueblo State Park ($34)
· June 30-July 1: Cheyenne Mountain State Park ($40)
· July 14-15: Cheyenne Mountain State Park ($40)
· Aug. 4-5: Lake Pueblo State Park ($34)

Space is limited to ten families per program so early registration is encouraged. For more information about the Let’s Camp! Program and to reserve your spot today, click here.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Suspects sought in park vandalism case

Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Pueblo Crime Stoppers are looking for information regarding vandalism that caused $10,000 in damages at Lake Pueblo State Park.

Sometime between 11 p.m. Thursday, April 11 and 5 a.m. Friday, April 12, multiple 9mm rounds were fired into the north and east entrance stations. An electronic message sign was also shot and two outhouse structures on park property were vandalized and damaged.

"We believe somewhere between 25 - 30 rounds were fired into the buildings," said Park Manager Brad Henley. "Luckily, no one was in them at the time."

Investigators collected shell casing and recovered multiple bullets. There was extensive damage to windows, signs, and the interior and exterior finishes of the buildings.

Initial damages estimates were $4,000 but Park officials discovered the cost to repair the electronic variable message sign was over $7,000 alone.

If you have any information about this crime, or any person(s) involved, you are urged to call Pueblo Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867 or submit a Web Tip at pueblocrimestoppers.com. You do not have to give your name. If your tip leads to a felony arrest, Pueblo Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $2,000 and you can remain anonymous.





Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Pueblo's 17th Annual 'Eagle Days'

Colorado Parks and Wildlife's 2013 "Eagle Days" festival features eagle-viewing opportunities, hands-on activities for youngsters, live bird programs and educational presentations by raptor experts.

This year's festival, Feb. 1-3, takes place at three locations: Lake Pueblo State Park, the Pueblo Nature & Raptor Center and the Pueblo Zoo. Each year the event draws hundreds of visitors from across the state to learn more about these unique birds of prey.

Numerous bald eagles spend the winter at Lake Pueblo State Park and the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area. They roost in the large trees and dine on fish from the large expanse of open water.

The area around Pueblo Reservoir offers excellent opportunities to view a variety of birds of prey year-round, but during the winter months, the bald eagles are the star attraction. The eagles tend to gather at the west end of the lake, but park employees and visitors report sighting individual eagles around the south marina, the Boggs Creek area and the river corridor below the dam.

Programs at the Park Visitor Center and entry to the Visitor Center from Hwy. 96 are free, but vehicles are required to have a Park's Pass if they enter or drive through other portions of the park.

The festival starts Friday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Pueblo State Park auditorium with the announcement of the winners from this year's photo contest and a slideshow by Colorado photographer and premiere taxidermist Todd Huffman. Activities continue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The schedule of events:

Friday, Feb. 1:
6:30 p.m. – Colorado photographer Todd Huffman will present a "Spectacular Colorado Slideshow" at the Eagle Day Photography Contest Awards Ceremony at the Park Visitor's Center Auditorium.

Saturday, Feb. 2:
Ongoing all day - "Eagle Viewing" through spotting scopes at west fishing area at Lake Pueblo State Park, and kids' activities including making owl puppets, owl cookies and badge making at the Park HQ.
9 a.m. - Live Raptors Demonstration" by Diane Miller at the Pueblo Raptor & Nature Center, next to Lake Pueblo State Park.
10 a.m. - "Scamper, Gallop and Fly: The Wildlife of Colorado," by nature author Mary Taylor Young.
11:30 a.m. – "Air Force Academy Falcons Demonstration" by USAFA Cadets.
Noon - The Pueblo Mountain Park will present a program and activities for kids of all ages.
1 p.m. - "Bird Conservation on National Forest Lands" by Richard Roth, retired U.S. Forest Service biologist.
2 p.m. - "Bald Eagles," by Bernadette Atencio of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
3 p.m. – Release of a rehabilitated raptor at the west fishing area on the north side of Lake Pueblo State Park.

Sunday, Feb. 3:
 9 a.m. - Wildlife viewing field trip meets at the north entrance to the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area, located west of the north entrance to the Park and south of Pueblo West
10:30 a.m. - Bird walk at the Pueblo Raptor & Nature Center.
11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Live birds on display at the Pueblo Raptor & Nature Center
Noon to 4 p.m. - "See the Eagles" at the Pueblo Zoo. View the Pueblo Zoo's pair of bald eagles.

For more information about Pueblo Eagle Days, visit www.eagleday.org or call Colorado Parks and Wildlife at 719-561-5300 or 719-561-9320.

More about eagles:

Eagles are the number one animal that Americans say they want to see in the wild. Colorado, in the winter offer prime viewing opportunities for both bald eagles and golden eagles.

Up to 1,200 bald eagles spend the winter in Colorado. Bald eagles are attracted here by relatively mild winters. Look for them near open water where they hunt for fish or ducks.

Most of the bald eagles leave Colorado in late February and March, heading north to nesting grounds in the northern U.S., Canada and Alaska, but a few remain year-round.

Golden eagles prefer rugged cliffs with adjacent open country where they feed on a variety of birds, reptiles and mammals, though jackrabbits are their primary prey.

Unlike bald eagles, golden eagles are common nesting birds in Colorado but they too move about during different times of the year. There are roughly 900 active golden eagle nests in Colorado. The majority of the golden eagles nest in the northwest part of the state during the summer. In wintertime, golden eagles are more broadly distributed throughout the state, but they are particularly visible on the eastern plains.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com