Mesa Verde National Park will hold an Open House on September 13, 2016 to discuss proposed entrance fee increases in 2017. The Open House will be held at First National Bank Conference Room, 2258 E Main Street, Cortez, Colorado at 6 p.m. and will include a public comment session. If you would like to attend the Open House, please contact the park at 970-529-4682 by Monday, September 12, 2016.
Interested parties who are not able to attend the open house may also submit comments to the park at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MEVE66815. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday, September 15, 2016.
Before including your address, telephone number, electronic mail address, or other personally identifying information in your comments, you should be aware that your entire comment (including your personally identifying information) may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us to withhold your personally identifiable information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The proposed fee changes would start January 1, 2017. Fees are good for entrance to Mesa Verde National Park for up to 7 days. Entrance fees are not charged to persons under 16 years of age or holders of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, Senior, Access, Military, or Volunteer Passes or the Annual 4th Grade Pass. These passes may be obtained at the park. There will be no changes to commercial or tour fees at this time.
"We are committed to keeping the park affordable, but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience," said Mesa Verde National Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer. "The money from entrance fees is used to improve visitor facilities and amenities. The revised fees will help us offset increased costs for construction and rehabilitation that keep these facilities in good condition."
Entrance fees have previously allowed for purchasing and installing water bottle filling stations and drinking fountains; providing additional visitor educational opportunities at Wetherill Mesa; construction of new restrooms; and stabilization work at Spruce Tree House and Cliff Palace cliff dwellings. Additional revenue raised by a fee increase would help with the upcoming rehabilitation of the Morefield Amphitheater, additional stabilization work at archaeological sites throughout the park, maintaining and updating infrastructure, and continue to provide additional visitor educational opportunities.
Mesa Verde National Park is a strong economic engine for the surrounding area. In 2015, more than 547,325 park visitors contributed $55.4 million to the local economy and supported 814 jobs related to tourism.
Following the Open House, feedback will determine how, or if, a fee increase would be implemented.
Jeff
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Saturday, August 20, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
Highest Point East of Rockies Gets New Name
Last week the U.S. Geological Survey announced that Harney Peak in South Dakota will now officially be called Black Elk Peak on all federal maps. This unanimous decision was made on August 11th by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The mountain is not only the highest point in the state, but is the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains.
The summit had been labeled Harney Peak on all federal maps since 1896. The feature is located in the Black Elk Wilderness of Black Hills National Forest in Pennington County in southwestern South Dakota.
The name Black Elk Peak was formally proposed to the BGN in October 2014. The BGN sought opinions from the U.S. Forest Service and the South Dakota Board on Geographic Names (SDBGN), which in turn sought opinions from the county government, numerous local, State, and Tribal organizations, and the general public.
In making the decision, the federal BGN acknowledged the recommendations by the SDBGN and a number of state legislators to retain the name Harney Peak. However, the BGN also recognized the wishes of native peoples and many non-native South Dakotans that a new geographic name should be given to this feature that is regarded as a sacred site by several Tribes.
U.S. General William S. Harney (1800-1889) fought against native peoples in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and in the Seminole Wars in Florida. Black Elk or Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) was a revered Oglala Lakota (Sioux) holy man.
One of the guiding principles for the BGN is to adopt for official federal use the names found in present-day local usage. However, an exception to this principle occurs when a name is shown to be highly offensive or derogatory to a particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group.
"The Board’s understanding was that the name Harney Peak for a traditional sacred site was distressing to Tribal people. For that reason, there was a unanimous decision to change the name of the peak to Black Elk Peak," said Lou Yost, executive secretary of the BGN.
The new name is now considered official for use in federal maps and publications. State and local governments as well as commercial entities generally follow the federal use of geographic names as a matter of efficiency, although there is no law requiring this.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is the geographic names authority for the Nation. It is a coordinating body made up of representatives from federal departments, agencies, and organizations who receive no additional compensation for this specialized work. The BGN standardizes and approves geographic names so that geographic references can be used consistently in federal publications and communications.
President Benjamin Harrison established the BGN by Executive Order in 1890 to resolve conflicts in geographic names. In 1947 Congress re-established the BGN in its current form by public law.
The standardization of names not only serves to preserve a record of geographic names across the Nation, but it enables the use of uniform geographic names in many digital settings — for example, it makes navigation by GPS possible by facilitating standard location references.
My wife and I hiked to the top ofHarney Peak Black Elk Peak a couple of years ago. It's a very nice hike.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
The summit had been labeled Harney Peak on all federal maps since 1896. The feature is located in the Black Elk Wilderness of Black Hills National Forest in Pennington County in southwestern South Dakota.
In making the decision, the federal BGN acknowledged the recommendations by the SDBGN and a number of state legislators to retain the name Harney Peak. However, the BGN also recognized the wishes of native peoples and many non-native South Dakotans that a new geographic name should be given to this feature that is regarded as a sacred site by several Tribes.
U.S. General William S. Harney (1800-1889) fought against native peoples in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and in the Seminole Wars in Florida. Black Elk or Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) was a revered Oglala Lakota (Sioux) holy man.
One of the guiding principles for the BGN is to adopt for official federal use the names found in present-day local usage. However, an exception to this principle occurs when a name is shown to be highly offensive or derogatory to a particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group.
"The Board’s understanding was that the name Harney Peak for a traditional sacred site was distressing to Tribal people. For that reason, there was a unanimous decision to change the name of the peak to Black Elk Peak," said Lou Yost, executive secretary of the BGN.
The new name is now considered official for use in federal maps and publications. State and local governments as well as commercial entities generally follow the federal use of geographic names as a matter of efficiency, although there is no law requiring this.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is the geographic names authority for the Nation. It is a coordinating body made up of representatives from federal departments, agencies, and organizations who receive no additional compensation for this specialized work. The BGN standardizes and approves geographic names so that geographic references can be used consistently in federal publications and communications.
President Benjamin Harrison established the BGN by Executive Order in 1890 to resolve conflicts in geographic names. In 1947 Congress re-established the BGN in its current form by public law.
The standardization of names not only serves to preserve a record of geographic names across the Nation, but it enables the use of uniform geographic names in many digital settings — for example, it makes navigation by GPS possible by facilitating standard location references.
My wife and I hiked to the top of
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Rescue Operation Conducted For Injured Man Near Lake Haiyaha
Yesterday afternoon, park staff were notified that a 45 year old man suffered a leg injury roughly 1,000 feet above Lake Haiyaha. He was scrambling on rocks, fell in a deep hole and a boulder pinned his leg. He was hiking with two other people who were able to move the boulder to free his leg. The injuries he sustained prevented him from walking.
Park rangers reached him late afternoon. Two park rangers, including a paramedic, stayed with the man overnight. This morning, members of Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue team began a low angle scree evacuation. After the teams evacuated the man down through the rocks and boulders he was transported via inflatable raft across Lake Haiyaha. Teams then brought him down the trail with a wheeled litter. He reached the trailhead at 3:30 p.m. and was taken by ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center.
Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue team members were assisted by Larimer County Search and Rescue and Rocky Mountain Rescue members. Thirty personnel were in the field for this rescue operation. The man is a U.S. Citizen currently living in Paris, France.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
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Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue team members were assisted by Larimer County Search and Rescue and Rocky Mountain Rescue members. Thirty personnel were in the field for this rescue operation. The man is a U.S. Citizen currently living in Paris, France.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Friday, August 12, 2016
Special Evening Program: Longs Peak Experience - the Keyhole Route
Do you aspire to reach the summit of Longs Peak? Are you inspired by the lofty rock faces and pinnacles of Rocky Mountain National Park's highest mountain? Join climbing rangers Everett Phillips and Mitch Musci, on a photographic journey to the top, and back down safely. This free program will be held Thursday, August 18th, and Friday, August 26th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Mitch and Everett will present aspiring mountaineers with a realistic picture of the challenges encountered on Longs' most popular adventure; the Keyhole Route. Topics covered will include a detailed description of the route, an understanding of proper preparation, and strategies for a safe ascent.
Everett Phillips has been involved in mountain rescue work for over a decade. He has performed rescues with the park service at Denali, Mount Rainier, Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Park. As a ranger on Longs Peak his interest in rescue has expanded to include risk management and accident prevention. He is inspired by the challenge of maintaining his sense of adventure while also becoming more responsible in his mountain excursions.
Mitch Musci grew up in Austin, Texas, and quickly gained an appreciation for the mountains through his family's annual summer trips to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. At the age of 12 he signed up for summer camp in Estes Park, and spent the next 6 summers hiking and backpacking throughout Rocky Mountain National Park. These experiences inspired Mitch to study Outdoor Leadership at Western State College, and after graduation he began his career as an outdoor educator and climbing guide. Years of extensive climbing experience helped steer Mitch into his current position as a Longs Peak Climbing Ranger.
This program is free and open to the public. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
For more information on the hike to the Keyhole itself, please click here.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Mitch Musci grew up in Austin, Texas, and quickly gained an appreciation for the mountains through his family's annual summer trips to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. At the age of 12 he signed up for summer camp in Estes Park, and spent the next 6 summers hiking and backpacking throughout Rocky Mountain National Park. These experiences inspired Mitch to study Outdoor Leadership at Western State College, and after graduation he began his career as an outdoor educator and climbing guide. Years of extensive climbing experience helped steer Mitch into his current position as a Longs Peak Climbing Ranger.
This program is free and open to the public. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please visit www.nps.gov/romo or call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.
For more information on the hike to the Keyhole itself, please click here.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Decision Reached on Sprague Lake Dam Repair
The Director of the Intermountain Region, National Park Service (NPS), has signed a decision document that will enable the NPS Dam Safety Program to repair the Sprague Lake Dam in Rocky Mountain National Park. Although the dam is classified as having a Low Hazard Potential by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), repairing the dam would help to protect park natural resources, cultural resources, and infrastructure such as trails, roads, and bridges in the event of a flood.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared to evaluate alternatives and the potential impacts associated with repairing the dam or maintaining the status quo.
The repairs to the Sprague Lake Dam consist of adding a seepage control berm, spillway improvements, slightly increasing the elevation of the dam crest in select locations, stump and tree removal from the dam, and construction of an inlet control structure that will limit flows into Sprague Lake to the capacity of the spillways. Flows greater than a 10-year flood will be diverted over Sprague Lake Road and conveyed via an existing drainage to Glacier Creek. The lake side of the dam will be armored with riprap to prevent erosion. Upon completion of the spillway improvements on the north side of the lake, a new pedestrian bridge will be constructed over the spillway.
A temporary access road will be constructed in the fall of 2016, to provide access to the dam. The dam repairs will be done in the fall of 2017. During the fall of 2017, portions of the accessible trail around Sprague Lake will be closed during the repair work.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
The repairs to the Sprague Lake Dam consist of adding a seepage control berm, spillway improvements, slightly increasing the elevation of the dam crest in select locations, stump and tree removal from the dam, and construction of an inlet control structure that will limit flows into Sprague Lake to the capacity of the spillways. Flows greater than a 10-year flood will be diverted over Sprague Lake Road and conveyed via an existing drainage to Glacier Creek. The lake side of the dam will be armored with riprap to prevent erosion. Upon completion of the spillway improvements on the north side of the lake, a new pedestrian bridge will be constructed over the spillway.
A temporary access road will be constructed in the fall of 2016, to provide access to the dam. The dam repairs will be done in the fall of 2017. During the fall of 2017, portions of the accessible trail around Sprague Lake will be closed during the repair work.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
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