Posts tagged Flagstaff Fire
Trail to Bear Peak opens
Aug 14th
OSMP opens Fern Canyon Trail to Bear Peak
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department announces that Fern Canyon Trail to the summit of Bear Peak is now open to hiking. Users are reminded that they must remain on trail at all times. South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak West Ridge and the upper portion of Shadow Canyon remain closed due to hazards and trail damage related to the Flagstaff Fire.
Bear Peak is a popular hiking destination, according to Eric Stone, Division Manager for OSMP. “We wanted to get that opened as soon as possible. Fern Canyon was the least affected trail,” said Stone. “There is still a lot of work to do on the other trails, but our crews are engaged in projects they can’t just walk away from. As soon as those projects are completed, we will start working on the trails in the burn area. It is common practice among land management agencies to allow burned areas to recover naturally. It may be several months before we can have all of the trails opened.”
The Trail & Area Closures Web page has detailed info and a link to a photo gallery from the fire and inside the burn area as it looks today:http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1158&Itemid=2552#trail
Direct link to the gallery page: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16949&Itemid=4235
For trail updates and questions about closures on OSMP properties, please call 303-441-3440 or visit www.osmp.org.
City opens some trail segments and climbing access previously closed due to fire
Jul 24th
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department has re-opened the lower portions of Fern and Shadow Canyon trails to hiking and access to several popular climbing areas on the west side of Mesa Trail. The area had been closed as a result of the June 26 Flagstaff Fire.
“With the lifting of closures in this particular area, the public can hike the loop near Fern Canyon and have access to climbing routes in the area such as The Slab, Fern Canyon Boulders, and The Maiden,” said Eric Stone, division manager for OSMP.
Top of the Maiden rock formation is accessible nor
Some closures remain in effect. The boundary on the west is now points on both Fern and Shadow Canyon trails that are still marked with closure signs. On Fern Canyon, a new closure boundary will be placed at a point approximately 0.25 mile west of the junction with The Mesa Trail where an access to Fern Canyon Boulders exists. The closure boundary on Shadow Canyon Trail is now approximately 0.4 mile west of the junction with Shadow Canyon North to provide access to a climbing area known as The Maiden. The summits of both Bear and South Boulder Peaks will remain closed as will the upper portions of Shadow and Fern Canyons and Bear Peak West Ridge Trail until staff has the opportunity to conduct a complete assessment of this area in regard to visitor safety and resource protection. This area will reopen to on-trail travel only once it is determined to be safe for visitor access.
For questions about closures on OSMP properties, please call 303-441-3440 or visit www.OSMP.org
Bear Canyon Trail re-opens; other Flagstaff Fire closures remain
Jul 7th
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks officials today announced the re-opening of the Bear Canyon Trail following last week’s fire closure. Bear Canyon Trail above west of the Mesa Trail will be open, effective immediately, up to where hikers can connect to Green Mountain via the Green-Bear Trail. Travel is limited to on-trail only. Fern Canyon, Bear Peak West Ridge and Shadow Canyon trails remain closed.
Because much of the area that burned is on very steep slopes, contained very large trees, and was largely inaccessible to fire crews, some areas of active fire may continue to smolder for some time. Dangerous conditions continue to exist, especially along the eastern edge of the fire and in Fern and Shadow canyons.
“We had a spot fire in upper Shadow Canyon,” Stone said, “and smoldering trees can topple over and ignite at any time. Burning logs and debris can roll downhill on such steep slopes and start new fires. So we still have to be somewhat cautious about opening all of the area around the fire even though these areas may not actually have burned.”
Open Space and Fire Department staff will continue to assess the fire potential and risks to the public over the next few weeks. The city will strive to strike a reasonable balance between risk and access to these popular natural areas.
A map of the continued closures is attached to this release.
For information, visit www.osmp.org or call 303-441-3440.
