On Jan. 1, 2024, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) invites you to participate in a First Day Hike at a Colorado state park.
First Day Hikes offers a chance to start 2024 off on the right foot by exercising in nature. Each participating state park provides a unique opportunity to enjoy self-guided hikes, scavenger hunts or guided hikes.
About First Day Hikes:
Hikes are free, but park visitors must possess a valid state park pass (this includes a Keep Colorado Wild Pass purchased through the DMV during a vehicle registration). Hikes will vary in skill level and length depending on location and weather conditions. Participating parks may require a reservation before the hike; check the park’s webpage for details. For a list of the first day hikes being offered, please click here.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Pear Lake
A bluebird day at Pear Lake in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park:
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Colorado Parks and Wildlife successfully releases gray wolves on Colorado’s Western Slope
Yesterday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) experts released five gray wolves onto public land in Grand County in a historic effort to create a permanent, self-sustaining wolf population and fulfill voter approval to re-establish gray wolves in Colorado.
The gray wolves were captured in Oregon where CPW veterinarians and biologists evaluated them to determine if they were fit for relocation to Colorado. Criteria for release included the age, sex, health and body condition of each animal.
Each gray wolf was weighed and measured. Staff collected genetic material – tissue and blood samples – before fitting each with a GPS satellite collar for tracking upon release by CPW staff. Then, the wolves were given vaccines and were placed in crates and flown to Colorado for release back into the wild.
Meet Colorado’s new wolves:
2302-OR: Juvenile female, black color, 68 lbs., Five Points Pack
2303-OR: Juvenile male, gray color, 76 lbs. Five Points Pack
2304-OR: Juvenile female, gray color, 76 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2305-OR: Juvenile male, black color, 93 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2307-OR: Adult male, gray color, 108 lbs., Wenaha Pack
Note: All wolves captured, collared and released in Colorado will use the same naming convention: The first two numbers (23) will indicate the year the animal was captured. The second set of numbers informs biologists of the wolf’s gender (males will have odd numbers, females will have even) and the order in which it was collared. *The “OR” suffix indicates the wolves came from Oregon.
CPW will repeat the process until at least 10 - 15 wolves have been reintroduced in Colorado by mid-March 2024. As outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, CPW hopes to release 30 to 50 wolves over the next 3 - 5 years using wolves captured from nearby northern Rockies states from several different packs by trapping and darting them in the winter.
This project marks another milestone in the long CPW tradition of species recovery in Colorado. These include the black-footed ferret, one of North America's rarest mammals, the 1999 effort to reintroduce the lynx, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, the greenback cutthroat trout, and many more.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
The gray wolves were captured in Oregon where CPW veterinarians and biologists evaluated them to determine if they were fit for relocation to Colorado. Criteria for release included the age, sex, health and body condition of each animal.
Each gray wolf was weighed and measured. Staff collected genetic material – tissue and blood samples – before fitting each with a GPS satellite collar for tracking upon release by CPW staff. Then, the wolves were given vaccines and were placed in crates and flown to Colorado for release back into the wild.
2302-OR: Juvenile female, black color, 68 lbs., Five Points Pack
2303-OR: Juvenile male, gray color, 76 lbs. Five Points Pack
2304-OR: Juvenile female, gray color, 76 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2305-OR: Juvenile male, black color, 93 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2307-OR: Adult male, gray color, 108 lbs., Wenaha Pack
Note: All wolves captured, collared and released in Colorado will use the same naming convention: The first two numbers (23) will indicate the year the animal was captured. The second set of numbers informs biologists of the wolf’s gender (males will have odd numbers, females will have even) and the order in which it was collared. *The “OR” suffix indicates the wolves came from Oregon.
CPW will repeat the process until at least 10 - 15 wolves have been reintroduced in Colorado by mid-March 2024. As outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, CPW hopes to release 30 to 50 wolves over the next 3 - 5 years using wolves captured from nearby northern Rockies states from several different packs by trapping and darting them in the winter.
This project marks another milestone in the long CPW tradition of species recovery in Colorado. These include the black-footed ferret, one of North America's rarest mammals, the 1999 effort to reintroduce the lynx, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, the greenback cutthroat trout, and many more.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Monday, December 18, 2023
USDA Forest Service acquires strategic property providing public access to Mount Democrat
The long-standing logistical challenges stemming from limited access through private land to one of Colorado’s most majestic “Fourteeners”– a peak that rises above 14,000 feet has been resolved. In partnership with The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit conservation organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service acquired nearly 300 acres leading to Mount Democrat in Colorado’s Mosquito Range.
The Conservation Fund stepped in earlier this year to buy the property from Earth Energy Resources LLC, represented by John Reiber, and worked with the Forest Service to convey the property into public ownership and management by the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands.
The purchase adds to the majestic beauty of the South Park Ranger District based in Fairplay, Colorado. Along with eliminating liability concerns, it will expand outdoor recreational opportunities considerably. Encompassing the headwaters for the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers, the Kite Lake Trailhead, key trail segments, and the entire Mount Democrat summit, the acquisition is part of the popular DeCaLiBron hiking loop. The loop includes Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln and Mount Bross, and provides outdoor enthusiasts a unique opportunity to hike several “Fourteener” peaks in one day.
“We are excited about this land acquisition, and honored to add Mount Democrat to the Colorado Fourteeners that we manage on behalf of the American public,” said Regional Forester Frank Beum. “This opportunity would never have been possible without support from The Conservation Fund and numerous partners, and we cannot express enough appreciation to them for securing this property.” “Protecting one of America’s tallest mountains and its headwaters for all to enjoy is an honor of a lifetime for us,” said Kelly Ingebritson, Colorado project manager at The Conservation Fund. “We are thrilled to celebrate this achievement – which was made possible by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund – alongside the Forest Service, Colorado’s congressional delegation and our community partners.”
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
The Conservation Fund stepped in earlier this year to buy the property from Earth Energy Resources LLC, represented by John Reiber, and worked with the Forest Service to convey the property into public ownership and management by the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands.
The purchase adds to the majestic beauty of the South Park Ranger District based in Fairplay, Colorado. Along with eliminating liability concerns, it will expand outdoor recreational opportunities considerably. Encompassing the headwaters for the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers, the Kite Lake Trailhead, key trail segments, and the entire Mount Democrat summit, the acquisition is part of the popular DeCaLiBron hiking loop. The loop includes Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln and Mount Bross, and provides outdoor enthusiasts a unique opportunity to hike several “Fourteener” peaks in one day.
“We are excited about this land acquisition, and honored to add Mount Democrat to the Colorado Fourteeners that we manage on behalf of the American public,” said Regional Forester Frank Beum. “This opportunity would never have been possible without support from The Conservation Fund and numerous partners, and we cannot express enough appreciation to them for securing this property.” “Protecting one of America’s tallest mountains and its headwaters for all to enjoy is an honor of a lifetime for us,” said Kelly Ingebritson, Colorado project manager at The Conservation Fund. “We are thrilled to celebrate this achievement – which was made possible by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund – alongside the Forest Service, Colorado’s congressional delegation and our community partners.”
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
CPW to use low-flying helicopters to assess deer, elk and bighorn sheep in southeast Colorado
Beginning Dec. 15, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists will assess deer and bighorn sheep populations on the southeastern plains of Colorado, east of Interstate 25, by conducting low-altitude helicopter flights.
The CPW staff will conduct similar flights west of I-25, doing surveys and capture work in South Park, the Upper Arkansas Valley, the Pikes Peak Region, the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Wet Mountain Valley and over Fishers Peak State Park in Trinidad.
“The helicopters will spend a brief amount of time in a specific area to count and categorize individual herds and then move on, searching for more deer, elk or bighorn sheep,” said Julie Stiver, senior wildlife biologist for CPW’s Southeast Region, based in Colorado Springs.
“Each year, CPW biologists inventory thousands of animals statewide to develop a picture of the productivity and composition of big game in Colorado. The data is critical to our work of forming population models, management strategies and to set future hunting license numbers.”
Disturbances by the flights typically only last a few minutes in any one area.
The southeastern plains flight plan calls for helicopters to start flying in the South Republican River drainage from Flagler to the Kansas state line. The helicopter will then be in Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties followed by tours of Kiowa, Prowers and Baca counties.
From there, the helicopter surveys will fly along the Arkansas River from the Kansas state line to Pueblo and southwest along the Purgatoire River.
On the flights west of I-25, biologists intend to survey and classify deer, elk and bighorn sheep.
Capture work will occur in the Upper Arkansas Valley from Cañon City to Leadville. CPW staff will be trying to catch 60 mule deer fawns to fit them with radio-collars so that biologists can study their survival rates. This work is for a 25-year project that started in 1999 to collect data and monitor survival in the deer herd. v More capture work is planned in South Park and the Upper Arkansas Valley where CPW biologists hope to catch 65 cow elk and 60 calf elk. Each will be fitted with a radio collar so biologists can study their survival rates and movement patterns.
CPW biologists hope to conclude their herd assessment and capture operation flights by late January.
For more information on CPW’s wildlife population objectives, visit: cpw.state.co.us/ThingsToDo/pages/HerdManagementPlans.aspx
For information about the policies CPW uses to guide its decisions to collar animals for movement studies, visit: cpw.state.co.us/conservation/Pages/CON-Transport-Corridors.aspx
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
The CPW staff will conduct similar flights west of I-25, doing surveys and capture work in South Park, the Upper Arkansas Valley, the Pikes Peak Region, the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Wet Mountain Valley and over Fishers Peak State Park in Trinidad.
“The helicopters will spend a brief amount of time in a specific area to count and categorize individual herds and then move on, searching for more deer, elk or bighorn sheep,” said Julie Stiver, senior wildlife biologist for CPW’s Southeast Region, based in Colorado Springs.
“Each year, CPW biologists inventory thousands of animals statewide to develop a picture of the productivity and composition of big game in Colorado. The data is critical to our work of forming population models, management strategies and to set future hunting license numbers.”
Disturbances by the flights typically only last a few minutes in any one area.
The southeastern plains flight plan calls for helicopters to start flying in the South Republican River drainage from Flagler to the Kansas state line. The helicopter will then be in Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties followed by tours of Kiowa, Prowers and Baca counties.
From there, the helicopter surveys will fly along the Arkansas River from the Kansas state line to Pueblo and southwest along the Purgatoire River.
On the flights west of I-25, biologists intend to survey and classify deer, elk and bighorn sheep.
Capture work will occur in the Upper Arkansas Valley from Cañon City to Leadville. CPW staff will be trying to catch 60 mule deer fawns to fit them with radio-collars so that biologists can study their survival rates. This work is for a 25-year project that started in 1999 to collect data and monitor survival in the deer herd. v More capture work is planned in South Park and the Upper Arkansas Valley where CPW biologists hope to catch 65 cow elk and 60 calf elk. Each will be fitted with a radio collar so biologists can study their survival rates and movement patterns.
CPW biologists hope to conclude their herd assessment and capture operation flights by late January.
For more information on CPW’s wildlife population objectives, visit: cpw.state.co.us/ThingsToDo/pages/HerdManagementPlans.aspx
For information about the policies CPW uses to guide its decisions to collar animals for movement studies, visit: cpw.state.co.us/conservation/Pages/CON-Transport-Corridors.aspx
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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