Rocky Mountain Steps-up Search for Missing Man in Bear Lake area

Search efforts began again early this morning, Saturday, February 2nd, for a missing man from San Antonio, Texas. Troy Green was reported missing Friday afternoon. Yesterday, fourteen searchers including two dog teams from Larimer County Search and Rescue searched the Bear Lake area. Due to extremely cold temperatures, wind and darkness, searchers were brought out of the backcountry last night. Through the evening, park rangers planned for today's search efforts.

Today, there are thirty-five searchers involved with this incident. Park rangers are being assisted by Larimer County Search and Rescue and Rocky Mountain Rescue. Since Wednesday there has been continuous winds and snowfall in the Bear Lake area. Accumulation of snow varies based on elevation. At Bear Lake, located at 9,475 feet, there has been 9 inches of new snow since Wednesday. There are numerous trailheads that leave from the Bear Lake area. It is unknown where Mr. Green's destination was or what kind of clothing he was wearing.

Mr. Green was planning to attend a conference in Denver. When his wife did not hear from him on Thursday, January 31, she contacted the Denver Police Department. He did not arrive at the conference on Friday. On Friday afternoon, an advisory was given for his rental car that matched a vehicle found early Friday morning by park rangers at the Bear Lake parking lot.

If anyone was visiting the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday, January 31st, or Friday, February 1st, park rangers would like to hear from you. Please call Rocky Mountain National Park at (970) 586-1204.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Search Underway For Missing Man in Bear Lake Area of Rocky Mountain National Park

A search is underway in Rocky Mountain National Park for a missing 39-year-old man, Troy Green, from San Antonio, Texas. The search is currently being focused in the Bear Lake area.

Mr. Green was planning to attend a conference in Denver. When his wife did not hear from him on January 31st, she contacted the Denver Police Department. He did not arrive at the conference today. This afternoon, an advisory was given for his rental car that matched a vehicle found early Friday morning by park rangers at the Bear Lake parking lot.

Fourteen searchers including two dog teams from Larimer County Search and Rescue are searching the Bear Lake area. Due to extremely cold temperatures, wind and impending darkness, searchers were brought out of the backcountry Friday night. There are numerous trailheads that leave from the Bear Lake area.

Search efforts will begin again this morning. If anyone was visiting the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday, January 31st, or Friday, February 1st, park rangers would like to hear from you. Please call Rocky Mountain National Park at (970) 586-1204.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Mountains in Motion: The Canadian Rockies

"For explorers of the past, present and future"

What can I say? This is probably the best mountain film I've ever seen. Mountains in Motion: The Canadian Rockies is an award-winning short film documenting the life of the alpine landscape through some of the best time-lapse photography I've ever seen. It was shot in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks in Canada. Enjoy:


Mountains in Motion: The Canadian Rockies from The Upthink Lab on Vimeo.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

US Forest Service closes areas in Boulder Canyon to protect wildlife

The Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests will implement its annual area closures at Security Risk, Eagle Rock, Blob Rock, and Bitty Buttress in Boulder Canyon beginning February 1st.

These areas are located along State Highway 119 approximately 1.5 miles east of Boulder Falls. Happy Hour, Bihedral, and Riviera will remain open, as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.

The closures help protect a long-established golden eagle nesting territory, including vital alternate nest sites. Undisturbed access to multiple nest sites is important for birds of prey, especially early in the nesting season, to give them a chance to visit multiple nests during courtship and to select a site for the season, free of human influence.

Signs will be posted at key access points into the closed areas. Closure information will be available online at local climbing websites and at www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/recreation (click on Boulder Canyon for more info). Closures are effective from February 1st through July 31st. Volunteers and Forest Service personnel will monitor the areas, and some areas may be reopened prior to July 31st.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Big Spring Creek Becomes Newest National Natural Landmark

NPS Digest announced yesterday that Big Spring Creek has been named as the newest National Natural Landmark. The creek runs along the western portion of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, approximately 30 miles north of Alamosa, Colorado.

Big Spring Creek was given the distinction in October for the perennial spring-fed creek that flows through the sparsely-vegetated, large sand sheets of the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Along its course, Big Spring Creek supports an aquatic dependent wetland ecosystem in an otherwise arid landscape.

Few spring-fed creeks exist in the area and Big Spring Creek is unusual in that it still maintains a natural flow pattern. The meandering creek and surrounding eolian landforms at this site provide excellent examples of natural geologic and hydrologic patterns. The new designation provides increased educational value and added consideration for these special resources during planning efforts as the National Park Service strives to achieve a model standard of excellence in natural resource stewardship.

Big Spring Creek is the 13th NNL within Colorado and brings the total number of NNLs designated nationwide over the past 50 years to 594. The NNL program was established in 1962 by Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall as a way to highlight the diversity of natural features that comprise our nation’s natural heritage. The NNL program is the only nationwide natural areas program that recognizes significant biological and geological features in both public and private ownership.

The NPS works in partnership with NNL landowners and honors the dedication of the various federal, state, county, municipal, tribal and private landowners that wisely steward their lands, which carry the NNL designation. Through advocacy and technical assistance, the NPS is pleased to be a part of supporting the conservation of these nationally significant sites for the past half-century.

For more information about recent designations and the NNL Program, please visit the NNL program website.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com