Posts tagged trails
Boulder Rangers have a quiet week, goats to invade
Aug 9th
The goats are coming; the goats are coming!
Approximately 300 goats will move onto the Stengel l property (Tallgrass West area) sometime this weekend. The goats are part of a long term project established in 2011 looking at ways to reduce chicory, a blue flowered exotic perennial that has invaded our tallgrass communities. Staff is looking at how goats, cattle and prescribed fire when appropriate effect chicory densities and its’ spread. Thanks to Lynn, Ann Lezberg and others for making this happen.The contractor will be on site 24/7 as permitted by the City. Educational signs have been posted at all access points.
Rangers:
Rangers responded to:
• A report of an injured hiker on the Royal Arch trail. The hiker fell and injured her right ankle.Rangers worked with RMR and AMR on this call.
• A report of a lost hiker in the area of the Royal Arch.
Rangers were able to talk the person back down to the trails.
• A report of a fire in the five mile marker of Left Hand Canyon.
Rangers located three juveniles having a campfire and issued summonses for this offense.
Ranger Job Opening
The open OSMP Ranger Naturalist positions have been posted and we will be accepting applicants through 8/20. If you have any qualified seasonal staff, friends or former co-workers interested please direct them here:
https://bouldercolorado.gov/jobs-and-volunteer
Trail
On Aug 1st, members of the Mountain Bike Patrol joined OSMP staff to construct a temporary trail connection between Community Ditch and Coal Seam Trail. This temporary trail will allow visitors to make a loop on those trails, during construction of the Hwy 93 underpass. Once the underpass is complete, this trail will be closed and restored.
Xcel Energy will be starting the line / pole replacement project in the next couple days. Starting from the South, Plainview area, they will work North using Flatirons Vista access and on to Eldorado substation, their contractor will be using Greenbelt Plateau for employee parking with OSMP placards.
Community Outreach
OSMP started leading public Natural Selections programs into the Weiser property last weekend. Dave Sutherland took a large group to see the sandstone cliffs, turtle backs, rare plants and bald eagles that inhabit this special and fragile place. OSMP will continue to offer public guided hikes through August, September and October while the property is open for visitation. The area can only be visited with an OSMP guide, and the hikes are limited to 15 by reservation. At the end of October, a bald eagle nesting closure goes into effect until next August and the location will be closed once more.
Channel 8 covers the OSMP Art Show – https://vimeo.com/71605401
The art show is located in the Boulder Public Library Canyon Gallery (1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder). The show is open to the public and will run from July 20 – August 28 during normal library hours. Drop in and see how Open Space inspires local artists!
Open Space/Mountain Park news
Jul 22nd
Community Ditch Trail Closure effective July 22, 2013
Beginning today, July 22, Community Ditch Trail will be closed at State Highway 93. The closure is likely to last for most of the next year in order to facilitate the installation of an underpass that will allow trail users to cross SH 93 without mixing with highway traffic. All trails in the area will remain open for use, but may offer only an out and back experience during the closure. There will be extensive construction activity in the area of the underpass and the department asks that all users respect the closure and avoid the construction zone for their and other’s safety. Traffic on SH 93 will also be affected. However, the highway will remain open during construction with various lane restrictions.
NEWS
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Media Contacts:
Jim Reeder, Open Space and Mountain Parks, 303-413-7640
Sarah Huntley, Media Relations, 303-441-3155
Work to begin on underpass on Community Ditch Trail at State Highway 93
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department announced today that work will begin on the long-awaited underpass on Community Ditch Trail at State Highway 93 (Hwy. 93) on Monday, July 22. When completed, trail users will cross under Hwy. 93 rather than mixing with traffic on the highway.
The underpass is one part of a larger Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project. Hwy. 93, from State Highway 170 to State Highway 128, will also be widened to create wider shoulders and be overlain with new asphalt. The work will be done by a CDOT contractor.
The underpass is expected to be in use by July of next year. Vehicular traffic will be affected by the construction work with some lane closures. However, the highway will remain open for the duration of the construction work.
“OSMP has wanted to create a safer crossing of 93 for many years. Safety for our trail users is a priority, and we are excited to learn that installation will begin next week,” said Jim Reeder, OSMP division manager. “We anticipate that more users will begin to explore and enjoy the Community Ditch Trail once this project is complete.”
While the underpass is being built, however, existing users should know that the existing crossing via Hwy. 93 will be closed. This means that several trails will temporarily become out-and-back trails, starting on July 22. Individuals can check the department’s website at www.osmp.org for information about which trails are affected.
For more information, call OSMP at 303-441-3440.¡¡ Additional information can also be found on www.osmp.org.
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Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks news
Jun 7th
Rangers responded to an assault on a photographer, a wounded mountain lion, grabbed a fugitive who was illegally camping, a new coyote attack, among others.
Specifically:
• A report of a sinkhole forming in the middle of the Teller Trail. Collapsing edge was fenced off until repair could begin.
• A series of wildfires that occurred near Celestial Seasonings caused by a train creating sparks. A Ranger tied in with local crews to put out the string of small conflagrations.
Mountain lion was severely would be another big cat
• A mountain lion in a yard on a cache in the 700 block of Juniper. The lion was seen to have experienced some type of trauma. Rangers worked with CPW to tranquilize the cat in an attempt to relocate. The lion did not survive and upon examination had massive injuries consistent with a fight with another lion. Awaiting necropsy results.
• Rangers located a wanted subject camping along the S. Boulder Creek on the Van Vleet Property. His warrant was from Aurora for trespassing when he attempted to hitch a ride on a train.
• Another coyote attack on a dog. This one was on the Gunbarrel trail. RP was walking with 2 dogs one of which was attacked. The other dog attempted to help his buddy. No serious injuries.
• Injured hike in Bear Canyon. Twisted ankle. Rangers worked with AMR and Boulder Fire to evacuate the hiker from Mesa Trail at Bear Canyon.
•Two ill hikers at once. A Ranger assisted AMR and Boulder Fire evacuate an adult male who had overheated. The same ranger then assisted an 11 month old who had been hiking with his mother. No serious injuries.
•A Ranger happened upon an injured raccoon that needed to be put down.
•Rangers were called to an assault in progress on the Baseline Trail. A 67 year old male was photographing the Chautauqua meadow when an unknown subject approached him from the area of the Ski Jump Trail. The unknown subject had a 3 foot stick which he used to strike the victim on the left side of his head. The suspect struck the victim a second time but he was able to fend off that blow with his arm. The suspect then fled back up into the woods. A massive search was conducted by Rangers and the BCSO including a K-9. The suspect has not yet been located or identified. The victim did get 2 blurry photos of the suspect prior to being hit. Investigation on-going.
Towhee/Homestead
Seasonal employees have been in the area to remind people of these changes.
Outreach staff to hit the trails
As of the afternoon of 5/28/2013, the new regulations went into effect. We will be conducting outreach on the Towhee & Homestead trails. On Old Mesa we will not be conducting outreach, at least not now. We are going to break with tradition and have outreach staff hike the trails as we conduct outreach, rather than set up at the South Mesa Trailhead. The focus will be Towhee, as that’s the big change. Everything should be up to date as far as signs. Please keep me aware of contact numbers, public feedback & compliance. Here are the long awaited changes:
Towhee Trail: Will change to “NO DOGS”. There is a short section at the start of the Towhee trail that will remain voice and sight, until visitors come to the junction with the Homestead trail. That is where Towhee becomes “No Dogs”.
Homestead Trail: This trail will remain “Dogs must be under voice and sight control with a green voice and sight tag”, until you get to the bridge where it crosses the Towhee drainage. That small section (approx. 20 feet from either side of the bridge) will become “dogs must be leashed”.
If you have not been on this trail since the reroute, you should hike up there and take a look.
Old Mesa Trail: This trail (and surrounding drainage area) will now be “dogs must be leashed”, from the social trail just off the shadow canyon trail, down to our property line near Eldorado Springs. FYI there is no public access from the Eldorado Springs side as the trail leads you down to private property.
Visitors should consider this a down and back, not a destination trail.
We are now implementing regulations that were decided on during the West Trails Study Area planning process (WTSA) which included the Community Collaborative Group (CCG) which was an extended community input process. The input process began in 2009 was completed in 2011. Only recently have the regulations and signs been changed. If you would like to learn more about how that process worked, you can go to our website OSMP.org
The Towhee Trail’s new regulations help protect the riparian area it goes through. It is a heavily traveled wildlife corridor. The changes also provide a “no dog” experience for hikers. Most of the surrounding trails allow dogs.
The Homestead trail’s regulation change was made to protect the riparian area and sensitive vegetation through the Towhee drainage.
Trails news:
On Saturday, June 1st, we had 22 volunteers help construct the new trail re-route at Upper Big Bluestem as our National Trails Day project. (National Trails Day is a national trail volunteer event sponsored by the American Hiking Society.)
This year, OSMP volunteers constructed 240 feet of the new trail re-route, and installed a new pedestrian gate in the fence line. The weather was great; volunteers worked hard, and completed a lot of great work. It takes a small army to pull off these projects. Manythanks go to:
–Trails staff John Leither and Frances Boulding for project planning and logistics.
–Kristin Weinberger for promoting the project, recruiting volunteers, implementing day-of logistics (food, registration, etc), and arranging for great food from Black Cat!
–Trails crewmembers Sean Murphy, Beau Clark, Alex McClellan, and John Goepel for doing a great job of leading volunteers on crews!
–Jennelle Freeston and Lisa Dierauf for supporting project logistics and planning.
Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol is kicking off their trail work season by helping OSMP maintain the Springbrook Loop. The Bike Patrol worked on Prairie Vista Trail with us in 2011 and 2012, and is taking on a number of trail maintenance projects on Springbrook for 2013. Their goal is to do projects at least once a month, typically the last Thursday of the month during the evening hours. OSMP trails staff plan trail maintenance work, and meet up with the group to lead the project. On Thurs, May 30th, we had eight volunteers work with us for the first project of this year. They completed eight rolling drainage dips on Springbrook North to help shed water off of a roughly 500-foot section of trail that is experiencing moderate erosion issues.”
OSMP press release
