Colorado Parks and Wildlife search for bear after aggressive confrontation with hiker and his two dogs

Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded Thursday afternoon to a report of an aggressive bear after a hiker said it confronted him on a popular trail on the west side of Colorado Springs in the Red Rock Canyon Open Space.

The hiker said he and his two dogs were just 100 yards up the trail at the start of his midday hike when the confrontation occurred.

He said one dog, a Labrador, alerted at something in the thick scrub oak brush that surrounds the trail and it bolted, pulling its leash out of the hiker's grasp, to go investigate. Soon, the hiker said he and his other dog, a Puggle mix breed, were confronted by a cinnamon-colored bear he estimated at 150 pounds.

He said the bear showed no fear of him or the dogs. In fact, he said the bear aggressively pursued the smaller dog, which was still on its leash. The hiker said he kicked the bear in the head to stop it from attacking his pet.

In the chaos, the hiker fell in gravel and suffered minor scratches on his legs. Again, he said, he kicked the bear in the head to prevent it from attacking his dog. The hiker said he was able to regain his footing and throw rocks at the bear, which turned and walked down the trail and disappeared. The bear never bit or clawed the hiker or his dogs.

The hiker was treated at the scene for minor scrapes on his legs by CPW officers, gave an account of the incident and left the scene. The City of Colorado Springs closed all nearby trails at the suggestion of CPW officers.

CPW also called in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) team, which helps CPW manage conflicts caused by wildlife for the protection of public health and safety. They intend to track the bear. If it is found, the bear will be euthanized because it poses an imminent threat to human health and safety. The public is asked to avoid the area until the search ends.

The incident is an important reminder of the need to observe Bear Aware rules, especially when hiking in bear country. It’s best not to hike alone. Keep pets leashed. Carry a “rattle can” filled with rocks, or carry a can of bear spray to use if confronted by a bear.

Research indicates that half of all bear-human conflicts involve the presence of dogs.



Jeff
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Smokey Bear turns 75 today!

Happy Birthday to Smokey Bear, the mascot of the U. S. Forest Service created to educate the public on the dangers of forest fires.

Smokey Bear's famous message "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" was created in 1944 by the Ad Council, making it the longest running Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign in U.S. history.

Smokey's correct full name is Smokey Bear. In 1952, the songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins had a hit with "Smokey the Bear". The pair said that "the" was added to Smokey's name to keep the song's rhythm. This small change has caused confusion among Smokey fans ever since.

The U.S. Forest Service authorized the creation of Smokey Bear on August 9, 1944. Smokey's debut poster (see picture above - on right) was delivered on October 10 of that year by artist Albert Staehle.

Be sure to check out the Smokey Bear website to see the history of the AD campaign. The site includes an interactive trail by decade with an extensive collection of old posters, TV/radio spots (including the famous Bambi TV spot), and other memorabilia.



Jeff
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Body of Missing Hiker Located in Mirror Lake Area of Rocky Mountain National Park

Yesterday morning, Tuesday, August 6, a body believed to be that of Aragorn Spaulding, 37, of Greeley, Colorado, was located by aerial searchers in a steep, scree area above Mirror Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Late Sunday night, August 4, park rangers were notified that Spaulding was overdue.

Search efforts began early Monday morning, August 5. Spaulding’s vehicle was located on the road near the Corral Creek Trailhead in the northwest portion of Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team members began ground search efforts and a Flight For Life Air Ambulance assisted with aerial reconnaissance. This morning, search efforts continued and Larimer County Search and Rescue assisted with SAR dog teams. A Colorado National Guard helicopter, assisting with aerial reconnaissance, located the deceased man below a large cliff band in a steep, scree area.

Rocky Mountain National Park rangers completed an on scene investigation and recovery operations took place by helicopter. His body was flown to Harbison Meadows on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and transferred to the Larimer County Coroner’s Office. Larimer County Coroner’s office will not release positive identification until completion of an autopsy.

Assisting Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members yesterday were the Colorado National Guard from Buckley Air Force Base, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group based in Boulder County and Larimer County Search and Rescue including SAR dog teams. Flight For Life has also assisted with aerial search efforts.

The cause is under investigation. No further information is available at this time.



Jeff
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Senate Committee Introduces Bill to Increase Funding for National Park Roadways

Last week the United States Senate introduced a bill that includes a 21 percent increase in funding for national parks. America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act, a surface transportation bill, would be used to repair and update roads, bridges, and transportation systems in national parks across the country. National park provisions are an important, but small portion of this nearly 500-page surface transportation bill.

“This legislation comes at a critical time for the country and our national parks,” said Emily Douce Director of Operations and Park Funding for the National Parks Conservation Association. “There are crumbling roads along the Blue Ridge Parkway, aging bridges in Great Smoky Mountains and outdated shuttle buses in Zion. Our national parks are scraping by on shoestring budgets, while facing billions of dollars in needed repairs and updates to their aging infrastructure and transportation systems. In fact, more than half of the Park Service’s $11.9 billion maintenance backlog is comprised of transportation needs. This bill is a big step in the right direction. If enacted, this would provide critical funding to repair important roads, bridges and park transit systems to ensure millions of visitors can continue to experience and enjoy national parks now and for years to come.”

The National Park System is second only to the Department of Defense in the amount of federal infrastructure it manages, including 10,000 miles of publicly accessible roads and 1,440 bridges. The America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act would authorize federal highway programs that provide $287 billion over five years.

Key park provisions included in the bill:

• Guarantees an increase in annual funding to the Park Service – an additional $310 million over the span of the five-year bill – through the Federal Lands Transportation Program, which provides funds to improve roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure in parks.

• Dedicates $50 million a year and authorizes $100 million a year for the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program designed to address exceptionally large repair projects in our parks, such as the reconstruction of the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades and a portion of the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone.

• Provides measures to improve the resiliency of roads and bridges to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

• Encourages innovative solutions to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, establishing a program that would support projects that protect motorist and wildlife through improved transportation infrastructure.

“Our park infrastructure is in bad shape, and the problem will only get worse if the chronic underfunding continues. We commend Chairman Barrasso (R-WY), Ranking Member Carper (D-DE) and the rest of the Environment and Public Works Committee for leading the effort to address the costly backlog of transportation projects throughout our country. Now, the other Senate committees and the House of Representatives must finish the work and pass final legislation to fix our country’s infrastructure, including our parks, and doing so without compromising public input and protections for our nation’s air, water and wildlife,” said Douce.



Jeff
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Special Thursday Evening Program on Climbing Longs Peak

Join Rocky Mountain National Park's Climbing Rangers on Thursday, August 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to learn about climbing Longs Peak. This presentation will discuss various climbing routes and lessons learned, with a focus on how to prepare for and manage risks for a successful ascent and descent of the classic Keyhole Route.

Day hikers may want to note that it's possible for them to hike to the Keyhole itself, before encountering more technical terrain.

The Rocky Mountain National Park Climbing Rangers are experienced climbers and search and rescue professionals who patrol technical climbing and hiking routes on Longs Peak and elsewhere throughout the park. With decades of cumulative climbing, mountaineering, guiding, and search and rescue experience between them, they are excited to share their experience and help the public learn about the high mountain environment of Rocky Mountain National Park.

At 14,259 feet, Longs Peak towers above all other summits in Rocky Mountain National Park. The flat-topped monarch is seen from almost anywhere in the park. Different angles show the great mountain's unique profiles. Changing weather reflects Longs Peak's many moods.

This program is free and open to the public. For further information on Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/romo or contact the park’s Information Office at 970-586-1206.

On a related note, several months ago I published a statistical analysis on fatalities while climbing Longs Peak, which I wrote to point out that this is no walk in the park, and is fraught with danger for anyone who lacks true mountaineering experience.



Jeff
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