Space odyssey

Sure, there's new snow in the mountains. But that's not what I've been watching this morning. I'm checking out my favorite peak in a faraway place - Mars. The Gazette reported Sunday morning that Google has introduced its Mars mapping tool. The interactive site allows users to check out the red planet in three formats - color-coded by altitude, in black and white photos, and on an infrared map that shows temperature variations. So instead of watching our own mountains, check out Hecates Tholus, a bumpy little volcano that is about 18 kilometers high.

Division of Wildlife turns attention to gas drilling

With gas drilling popping up across Colorado on places such as the Roan Plateau (left) at a never-before-seen rate, the state Division of Wildlife has added a special liaison to deal with wildlife related energy issues.

Here's the press release:

DOW HIRES LIAISON TO ASSIST WITH ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
In the face of increasing energy development in Colorado, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) has hired an Energy Liaison to assist in outreach efforts with the energy industry and federal and state regulators.

Kim Kaal, a certified professional geologist, was hired to fill the energy liaison position and began work on Mar. 1. Kaal has served as an environmental consultant to the energy industry and was environmental coordinator for EnCana in western Colorado.

"Working for years in the energy industry, I've seen how balance can be achieved between energy development and wildlife," said Kaal. "This position gives me the opportunity to work with industry and provide methods and concepts that can be used to minimize impacts."

Kaal is stationed in the DOW Northwest Region office in Grand Junction. "Energy development in northwest Colorado is occurring in the same areas that are home to the largest migratory mule deer and elk herds in the nation," said Ron Velarde, northwest regional manager for the DOW. Velarde oversees wildlife efforts in nine counties, including Garfield County which leads the state in operating drill rigs and number of permits issued for new wells. The challenge of mitigating the impacts of energy development is not just limited to one area, which is why the energy liaison will serve as a statewide authority on the energy industry.

There has been increased natural gas exploration across western Colorado, including the HD Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Beyond the natural gas boom the state is experiencing, Kaal will assist DOW staff with preparing comments regarding efforts to mine Colorado's low-sulfur coal deposits, potential oil shale development, oil wells along the Front Range, increased emphasis on wind and alternative energy, and interest in the state's uranium deposits. "Having someone with Kim's expertise and knowledge of geology is critical for the DOW," said Velarde. "We have a great deal of biological knowledge, but industry speaks a different language. Kim gives us someone who can translate our message to industry and bring industry discussions back to our level. It's not an easy job, but it's an essential job."

The DOW has no authority over energy extraction but serves in an advisory capacity for many land use agencies and regulatory bodies. The DOW is statutorily mandated to protect and enhance Colorado's wildlife resource.

Skiing this weekend? Here's the conditions

Fortunately, this is the only green you'll see this weekend. The resorts still have great coverage. No grass sticking through in this state. Summit and Eagle counties both had more than a foot of new snow this week and cold temperatures have kept it in great conditions. All the ski areas are calling for a little snow this weekend, but not enough to make driving hairy.
The bottom line: You won't find epic powder but get out early and enjoy prime corduroy.

Spring Break breakdown

If you haven't noticed the huge number of white license plates heading up Highway 24, spring break is in full effect at the ski resorts.
That means long, sunny days, corn snow, and lots of free entertainment on the mountains.

Here's a run down:

Vail has Skiing magazine's top-rated spring break party with its "Spring back to Vail" featuring huge free concerts (last year was Snoop Dog, this year's headliner hasn't been announced), an expanded amount of open terrain and the World Pond Skimming Championships. Check www.springbacktovail.com for details.

Breckenridge has the Spring Massive, with slopestyle and rail jam competitions for jibbers, and Breckenridge Bites, a townwide festival (April 1 -23) that allows diners to sample a three-course meal at participating restaurants for $15-$25. The season ends with two local traditions: the Imperial Challenge, a bike, hike and ski race up and down Peak 8, and the Bump Buffet, a telemark bump contest with lots of attitude and canned beer.

Copper Mountain has live music every weekend in April for its Sunsation fest, including everyone from reggae party standard Toots and the Maytals to Malian fusion rocker Toubab Krewe.

Winter Park's Spring Blast (March 25-26) will feature free music by Velvet Love Box, a rail jam, and free clinics on bump and tele skiing.

Echo Mountain Park has night skiing for $10!

And of course, no special events needed, the Arapahoe Basin beach scene is in effect.

Don't forget your sunscreen.

Incline times: what means what?

Let me just throw this out there, with the understanding that the Manitou Incline lies partially on private land, and hiking it is trespassing:

How do your tresspassing times compare with others?
This is just a rough list. Please comment below and we'll adjust it:

If you can do it in...

One hour, you're slow, but deserve respect for doing it at all.

50 minutes, you probably didn't stop to rest, even though you wanted to. Good job.

40 minutes, you move slow and steady. You're probably an incline regular.

30 minutes, you probably run races on the weekend for fun.

25 minutes, you probably come close to winning races on the weekend for fun, and pass everyone else on the incline.

20 minutes, you are one of the elite athletes in the city.

18 minutes, you are Matt Carpenter (when he still did the Incline) i.e., you are the fastest hill climber in the state, if not the whole country.

Motorcycle diaries

Mike Jacobs just finished a motorcycle trip from his home in Black Forest to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of Argentina. Now he's riding back.
He's keeping a great online journal.

Some of the choice entries I found in a quick glance include this one:

Ride from Popayan to Ipicles, Colombia

Welcome to Switzerland without the snow. My partner Luis agreed the country side and the views were Switzerland. Only the buildings were Latin America.

Most of the towns were picturesque with different color row houses and shacks.

Interesting sights and events were
1. Beautiful waterfalls;
2. Riding the mountain ridge line and overlooking two deep valleys by just turning my head 180 degrees,
3. Seeing bicyclists hitching rides up the hills by hanging on the tailgates
4. Rivers far below in the valley.
5. Meeting an Italian bicyclist riding from Mexico to Peru. At the time he was repairing his inner tube.
6. Washing the bike for about on hour.
7. Finding an altitude of almost 11,000 feet where it was 62’F.
8. Changing temperature from 100° F to 53° F in Ipicles.
9. Challenging the army on a bridge! The army has soldiers stationed at most bridges in Colombia. On a very long bridge I stopped in the middle to take a photo. The soldiers at both ends started waving at me and were coming at me. I took my photo, and started rolling again and showed the camera as I blew past the guard. He waved back.

From Popayan to Ipicles, Colombia was another fabulous ride through the mountains. The road was mostly maintained but had about 100 miles of needed repair.

I bottomed out the kickstand once. Also was very careful on the mud covered spots in the road.

Guards about every twenty or more miles.
We bargained the Hotel Mayasquer ‘down from $20 pp to $ 10 pp. This hotel is 300 feet from the Ecuador border and we walked it. It is a Travelodge and we were the only guests. They locked up our bikes in a garage attached to the hotel so we could walk to them inside. Address Avenida Paramedical Km 3 Via Rumichoca,phone 7734062, http://www.klrog.com/JournalofTierraDelFuegoTrip.html

Luis found out he needs a visa to get into Ecuador. Tomorrow will find out his entry.

Note 1. Technical
Popayan has two Kawasaki dealers. I know this because stopped I stopped at the first and Asked for a speedometer cable. They called the second one and within minutes I had a replacement delivered to me. Cost $ 8. Try that in the U.S.

Note 2. Army guards and police.

I drive by all checkpoints at about 60 mph while also passing cars and trucks who slow down for them. So far all I get is a wave, thumbs up, or a whiplash head turn.

This has been my practice in all countries.

So far, no high speed chases or gunfire.

There are no speed limits for motorcycles. They figure most bikes can’t speed.

Also motorcycles do not pay tolls in Colombia. There is a special 2-foot-wide bypass with ropes at both ends.

Miles: 215
Food $1, gas $6, lodging $10

By the way, I don't have any pictures of Jacobs on his motorcycle, (the one above is an actor portraying Che Guevara) But you can see pictures of Jacobs here.

Over 1,151 miles later, Iditarod is over

Well, at least it's over for the winner, Jeff King.
Local musher Lachlan Clark, who lived for several years in Colorado Springs and now lives near Buena Vista, is in 52nd place and still has 200 miles to go, according to the Iditarod Web site.

Old skiers usually have beards

Women live longer, but men ski longer. At least, that's what studies suggest.
According to a story in the Vail Daily "Research by the National Ski Areas Association shows that women make up a declining percentage of skiers as the population ages beyond 40. At age 40, women make up just under 50 percent of skiers. At 47, women make up 40 percent of skiers and snowboarders, and by 67, just over 30 percent of skiers and snowboarders are women."

Why? The study cites possible answers, such as that women like to ski in groups, and as fewer and fewer are able to ski, they discourage women still in skiing shape. I'm sure there are a number of other factors.
I will say, though, that I know at least four women over 60 who are better skiers than I am. And I'm happy they still hit the slopes, because they're usually willing to give me some pointers.

What choo talkin 'bout

The storm has cleared in the San Juans, the sun is out, and Wolf Creek has reported 104 inches, which is exactly two Gary Colemans stacked on top of each other.

The challenge of owning Silverton Mountain

I just got off the phone with Jenn and Aaron Brill, who own Silverton Mountain. They are in the midst of getting ready to open the mountain to unguided skiing March 29.
But right now, they have a more pressing problem. One of their resident lodge dogs that lie around by the wood stove recently got a blockage in his intestine and almost died. The vet said it may be caused by stress.
Since the Brills noticed the dog trembles at the sound of avalanche blasting, they figured the blasting might be causing the blockage. Unfortunately, there's no shortage of blasting, both at Silverton Mountain, and around the town of Silverton, so the dog is wreck.
The Brill's solution? Whenever blasting is about to start, turn up the volume on the radio to drown it out.
This morning, while on the phone, I could hear the satellite radio hip hop station blasting.
Apparently, the dog finds the beats quite soothing.
Word is bond.

"Just prairie"

The Gazette business section reported today that a 1,200-acre swath of city-owned land south of the airport will soon be transformed into a business park that will bring "4,000 to 5,000 new jobs" to an area that is now "just prairie."

The story details the kinds of businesses moving in, when work will start, and what the business park means to the local economy.

But have we, as a community, examined what we'll lose?

While some people see the area as "just prairie," others have been fighting to protect this land. The dispute has pitted city residents, and even city departments, against the city-owned airport over the best way to use public land.

What's at issue? The land holds a rare concentration of native short and tall prairie grasses including blue stem, blue grama and buffalo grass. Some have said it is the highest quality swath of prairie east of Colorado Springs. It has almost no invasive species, and the diversity of local grasses, forbes and wildflowers is impressive.

According to the Trails and Open Space Coalition:
In 2002, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program released a report describing unique conservation areas in Colorado Springs. Regarding the airport prairie, it states "Very few large patches of tallgrass prairie remain in Colorado. The Colorado Springs Airport encompasses the largest known occurrence of a big bluestem - prairie sandreed tallgrass prairie in Colorado. The community is most extensive within about two square miles south of the airport between Drennan and Powers roads and occurs in small patches within surrounding areas. The TOPS Working Committee resolution passed a resolution in 2001 stating that the airport prairie "provides majestic views of the front range, Pikes Peak, and the Spanish Peaks, affording a unique sensation of spaciousness and solitude despite its proximity to its urban and airport surroundings."

The richness of the area is not lost on the local inhabitants. A herd of perhaps 20 antelope, along with foxes, badgers, coyotes, jackrabbits, hawks, falcons and other prairie creatures thrive on this patch of land, which is adjacent to the city's Bluestem Open Space.

For about 10 years a group called The Airport Open Space Advocates has been trying to convince Colorado Springs Airport officials to protect a part of the biggest open space parcel in the city of Colorado Springs. It was all part of a grand plan to make a 6,000-acre wildlife/park corridor joining the airport open space, the Bluestem Open Space across the road, Fountain Valley School's large fields, and Fountain Creek Regional Park.

What do you think is the best use for this land? Airport business park or open space and wildlife corridor?

To learn more about the open space effort, click here.

Wolf is howling

I drove over Wolf Creek Pass this afternoon on my way to Mesa Verde, and was amazed by the crowds. Drive past Wolf Creek Ski Area on any given Monday, and you might see a half-full parking lot and wide-open trails. But the Wolf just had one of its best snowfall weeks of the season, and today the parking lot was full and both overflow lots on the east side of the pass were full. It was snowing seriously (are there ever just flurries on that pass?), and the locals and spring breakers were taking full advantage of the conditions. Down here in the Four Corners area, there's a blanket of new snow on the ground, but not enough to mask the features of the Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Crowded slopes

If you've been noticing the slopes are a bit more crowded this year, you're not alone. In fact, you're not anywhere close to alone.

The lastest numbers just came up from Colorado Ski Country USA. Here's what they said: In total, Colorado resorts hosted more than 5.2 million skiers and snowboarders from Jan. 1, through Feb. 28, 2006, an increase of more than 5 percent, over the same time period last season and more than 230,000 visits ahead of its previous best period (during the 2003-04 winter season).

No more blue bus!

Breckenridge is building a new gondola (or gon-DOLE-a, for you Texans out there) that links the mountain with downtown.

According to the Rocky Mountain News: Breckenridge Ski Resort and the Town of Breckenridge announced that construction of a gondola from the town to the resort will start this spring.
The new gondola will start from the Breckenridge Transportation Center located in the parking lot right off historic Main Street and have terminals at both Peak 7 and Peak 8, providing an integral link for skiers, riders and visitors from town to the ski resort base areas.
It will allow the ski resort and the Town to upgrade the skier experience and improve the overall experience by reducing the number of people that need to be bussed to the mountain. In addition to stops at the base areas, the new gondola will include a mid-station at Shock Hill. Setting the stage for the planned developments on Peak 7 and 8, the 8-passenger gondola is expected to be completed by Christmas 2006.

OK, now the San Juans are starting to rub it in....

Silverton Mountain got about 40 inches of snow in this last storm. The area still has reservations open for next weekend. Click here to snap them up.

Does falling on your face count as a jump?

OK, if you've read the ski mags
you've seen or heard about the
larger and larger cliff jumps that
guys have been doing in the last
few years.
On the left, Jaime Pierre (red circle) is
dropping a 255-foot cliff.
He landed head-first, in a 6-foot-
deep crater.
Now here's the question: If you can't
ski away, does it count as a successful
cliff drop, or is it just falling?
Andrew Wineke, the Gazette's media
reporter and resident crank says, no way,
it doesn't count. You have to ski away. I say: The criteria for a successful cliff drop is no hospitalization.
Anyone?

It could only happen on Wolf Creek Pass

The forecast Saturday on Wolf Creek Pass called for "heavy, blowing snow. One to two feet accumulation. Three feet in places."

And the next morning when I checked the ski reports, the wolf had been hit with 30 inches. 30 inches! Unless you regularly ski the Sierra Nevada, you've probably never seen 30 inches fall in one day in your life. Not only that, but in the last four days, Wolf Creek has clocked 84 inches. That mean you could drop Shaquille O'Neal in the powder and not even see the top of his bald head.

What is it like to ski in that much snow?
Like this:

My advice: bring a snorkel.

Lost on Longs

Here are words we never like to hear: "When the two men reached this junction area, they separated." And guess what - one of them got lost. In a release from Rocky Mountain National Park sent Saturday, the news was good: "Overdue hiker found."
The release said: "A 32-year-old male from Denver was contacted by rangers at 6:50 p.m. on the east slope of Mount Lady Washington. Prior to this he was last seen near Battle Mountain Junction in the Longs Peak area this morning,... at 5:30 a.m. He and his hiking partner were planning to ice climb near Chasm Lake. When the two men reached this junction area they separated. One traveled back to the Longs Peak parking area and the other planned to continue to Chasm Lake. Their plan was to meet back at the parking lot by 8:30 a.m.

The man who went to Chasm Lake had not been seen since 5:30 a.m. Battle Mountain Junction is 2.8 miles from the Longs Peak Trailhead and is located at 10,900 feet. Chasm Lake is 4.2 miles from the Longs Peak Trailhead and is located at 11,760 feet. Rocky Mountain National Park was contacted by the hiking partner at 11 a.m. notifying park staff of the situation but not asking for assistance. The partner, who was hiking back up the trail, asked another person hiking down the trail to call the park and ask for assistance later in the morning. This call was made at 12:45. Rangers left the trailhead at 3:15 p.m. The weather conditions during the day continued to deteriorate with heavy snowfall throughout the area and white-out conditions reported above tree line (11,500 feet).

The search efforts were in the process of winding down, due to darkness, when the rangers saw a headlamp moving down Mount Lady Washington. They contacted him at 6:50 p.m. at approximately 12,000 feet. The man was in good condition. Rangers gave him water and food and are currently traveling down the trail with him and are estimated to be at the Longs Peak Trailhead at 8:30 p.m."

Headlamp: good. Food, water and proper clothing: Good. No snowshoes in an area with heavy snowfall: not so good. Separating from your hiking partner: not so good. A friend of mine took an avalanche class recently on Hoosier Pass. He was wearing snowshoes, and another guy in the class was on telemark skis. At one point, the guy nearly disappeared, after skiing over a particularly deep snow well. The snow might be dwindling in the mountains, but one visit to the high country is all it takes to remind you that there's a huge base to melt through.

Skiing tomorrow? Here's the powder breakdown:

The big snow hit the San Juans. Durango Mountain? Silverton? Telluride? All huge -- about a foot.
Summit County? Five inches in the last 24 hours, but it's still snowing. Conditions could be very good this weekend.
Vail and Monarch both have four inches, but the storms are still swirling.
Check the most recent data at www.coloradoski.com.
And happy skiing!

In the owls' nest: more on-line bird watching

Two barn owls in California have a Webcam in their nest box (what would their parents think?). It's pretty cool to check in on them from time to time. Right now the female is on the nest, which means owlets soon.
To view the latest owl cam pictures, click here.

Born to run

When I read about this year's Iditarod, taking place now in Alaska, I can remember the sounds of another sled-dog race in Alaska. I traveled there in January 2001, to cover a race that a Colorado Springs musher had entered. The Copper Basin 300 is a qualifier for the Iditarod, so most of the Iditarod racing superstars were there. But none were more memorable than the dogs themselves (shown here). In the dim light of a January morning, the dogs wanted but one thing: to run. They sang and yelped, a chorus of ear-piercing notes. They pulled at their harnesses, the straps slapping against the frozen ground. They jumped and danced, their claws kicking up little snowballs from the ground. They panted, their breath a hiss in the subzero air. But when they finally were allowed to leave the starting line and skim the trail, they were silent. Then, the only sounds were their panting and the musher's commands. Their need to run and their desire to obey were palpable. The relationship between them and their owner was obvious. That's why I wasn't surprised to read that a veteran musher nearly cried when he talked about one of his dogs who died after becoming sick on the trail Tuesday. Noah Burmeister told the Anchorage Daily News that his dog Yellowknife collapsed along the trail. The dog was hospitalized, but died later. "It's the hardest part about what we do,'' race director Mark Nordman told the ADN. "These guys spend all their time training their pups for this event, and then something like this happens. It's hard on everybody. We're racing across Alaska in a dog race. It's not a people race. Without them, none us would be here.''

Hawks on Central Park East

For those of you who have followed the saga of Pale Male, a red-tail hawk that lives on a window ledge above central park in New York City, there is news: Pale Male and his latest mate Lola (at first birders called her Lolita, because she was young, but changed her name to be more respectful.) now have a clutch of eggs. They should hatch in about six weeks, according to the New York Times

I know, I know, Colorado has lots of hawks, why do we need to talk about New York's? I briefly lived in New York, and covered Lolita's arrival after Pale Male's other mate died. And they have a special place in my heart. Besides that, they are internet celebrities with plenty of online photos and gossip that are perfect for blogging.

Out There Extra: our day on Loveland Pass

To start what I hope will be a series of "story behind the story" features on Out There's blog, here are some extra photos from shooter Christian Murdock. Below, read a bit about the scene we found on the pass.

When Chirstian and I pulled up to the top of the pass at about 10:30 on a Sunday, there wasn't a single parking spot. I had to knock on the window of a battered old Transport minivan full of snowboarders, and after the smoke cleared, get them to repark so I could squeeze in on the right. That's pretty typical for Loveland Pass. You shouldn't expect to get a parking spot. Later in the day, a regular explained that it's better to park at the bottom of the pass and hitchhike up for runs, rather than the other way around. That way, he said, you're never stuck after the last run of the day, waiting for a ride. That's pretty much what happened to us, but more on that later.

So we got to the pass and I whipped out my notebook and a freeze-proof pen (experienced snow journalist at work here) and started talking to folks as they ferried in and out of cars. Four distinct types emerged:

1: the camera tourist: a group of underdressed white people (OK, actually everyone we saw that day was white) who doublepark and briefly get out to take a snapshot in front of the sign that says "Loveland Pass," then drive away.

2. the park-and-riders: skiers and snowboarders who park and ski directly from the pass. This is easy, but not particularly good skiing, since it gets hit so often. It requires minimal effort, but offers minimal reward. These skiers tend to be either hungover, or on their way back from a full day of skiing.

3. the ambitious amateur: these are good skiers who set out for a 15-, 20-minute walk to reach some of the more spicy runs. They're from Colorado and have been to Loveland before, but aren't regular backcountry skiers. They don't carry avalanche safety gear. Surprisingly, to my knowledge, there has never been an avi fatality in this area. But with all these guys, it may only be a matter of time.

4. the backcountry local: this is a focused, skilled skier, usually 20-40 years old, with permanent raccoon eyes and and upturned nose from many seasons of looking down at the tourists. This is a ski purist who is willing to expend all kinds of energy to get the fresh turns and subsequent bragging rights of reaching distant slopes. These guys wear avalanche gear and generally hike beyond the crowds, often with their dogs, to hidden runs such as Hippy Trees and The Professor.

So anyway, we talked and shot photos for a while until we couldn't fight the urge to ski anymore. Then we hiked west up the ridge to one of the main runs and dropped in. The snow was bad - really, really bad. Wind had scoured it into a junkyard of choppy fins and dips and boilerplate faces. But that's the pass for you: no grooming.

Down below the windy area, the snow was much better, and we ran into a cool group of kids who had built an enormous jump and were pitching themselves into the air. We stopped to talk and, of course, not wanting to seem like dweebs, we had to hit the jump too. You'll notice there is no picture of me here going off the jump. That tells you how good I made it look. (crashed and burned) But we had a lot of fun.

Anyway, finally, we ended up at the bottom with about 30 other people, all waiting for a ride. And all the traffic was going the other way, since it was now late in the afternoon and the crowds were heading back to Denver. So we waited, and waited. And watched a dog run out into the highway because his dumb hippie owner had too much bong resin in his head to realize you might want to keep an animal on a leash in such a situation. And the dog got hit by a car. And the next pickup to come by took the dog and several snowboarders to the vet. And we waited. And finally a guy with a Jeep Liberty pulled up and he said, "Hey, it's a rental. Pack 'em in," and about 10 people piled in.

I have to say, I love the pass on a good snow day. If I'm driving over, it's almost impossible for me not to stop for just one run. Hopefully, we Coloradans will continue to take good care of this place, so we can continue to dash down through the powder.

Slopeside or Ringside?

A judge has criticized as too lenient the sentence suggested Wednesday in the case of Randell Berg, 52, was who arrested for allegedly punching a 16-year-old girl on the slopes at Steamboat Springs in January.

Berg pleaded guilty Wednesday to third-degree assault. Under terms of the plea bargain Berg would get one year of unsupervised probation, take anger management classes, perform 80 hours of community service and serve a two-day jail sentence.

"This is a very bizarre occurrence. No one should ever be assaulted on a ski slope. It’s outrageous a grown man would attack a woman. It’s even more outrageous for that woman to be a young girl,” Judge James Garrecht said after tentatively approving the deal.

According to the AP, Garrecht said he thought Berg’s punishment should be harsher and postponed sentencing for six weeks for a pre-sentencing investigation to obtain additional insight into the case.

Berg allegedly punched the teen snowboarder after she collided with his 8-year-old daughter on the mountain. Neither girl was seriously injured.

The deputy district attorney says the girl and her family OK'd the plea. Berg's attorney said Berg "has no hesitation admitting that what he did was wrong.”

Is this proposed sentence sufficient? Too harsh? When, if ever, did you come close to "losing it" over another's action on the slopes (or trail or river or pool)?

(I'm trying to live by Jefferson's words: "When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred." I'm searching to see if he had a guideline for outright punching.)

- Dena (adding to Deb and Dave's blog from the newsroom)

What ski resort is winning the snow race?

Silverton, right now, is tops, reporting 18 inches and it's still snowing there.
Loveland is second with 13 inches.
Monarch and Wolf Creek are third with 10 inches.
But there could be much more to come.

Here's the winter weather advisory for the central mountains:

Snow will gradually increase in intensity across the mountains this evening and then continue through Friday. A few snow showers may be heavy Friday with snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour. Total accumulations of 5 to 10 inches can be expected by late Friday afternoon.

The same advisory is calling for 8 to 10 in the San Juans.
If that much does fall, skiing could be great Saturday. Make plans. This could be the last hoorah of the season. (Not likely, but it could be. Seize the day!)

Bill Frees the Fourteener Four (and their lesser-known friends)

Gov. Owens signed House Bill 1049 Wednesday, exempting high-altitude landowners from liablility when climbers scale a 14,000-foot peak. The bill is an attempt to smooth access issues on fourteeners with privately-owned summits.
This summer four high-profile fourteeners (Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Bross, Mt. Cameron, and Mt. Democrat) were declared off limits by a group of people who own old mining claims on their slopes. Access to Wilson Peak near Telluride was already curtailed.
(For really, really cool 360-degree panoramas from the summits, click here.)
The owners' fear was that a hiker with a broken leg could easily sue them for thousands of dollars.
So they closed the peaks. Or at least, some reporters who never left the newsroom said they closed the peaks.
In fact, as I found out last summer, the peaks were open. There were "no trespassing" signs. And none of the hundreds of climbers there had been ticketed for trespassing. One of the owners, when contacted, said he had no intention of stopping hikers, but was making noise to gain himself some protection. Read the story here.

Long story short: it worked. The mine owners now have some protection. But according to The Gazette this morning, owners don't want to let hikers up on the slopes until signs about the risks of climbing mountains are posted at trailheads and trails are more clearly marked.

Once again, I would assume these demands are meaningless. People continue to climb these peaks.
Is it right to climb them without permission? You tell me.

Race across Alaska

It's day four of the Iditarod, the famous sled-dog race that covers 1,150 miles of Alaska wilderness, and Coloradans are showing strong.
- Lachlan Clarke, from Buena Vista, just moved up from 56th place to 54th, leaving Nikolai, 365 miles in (where it's 1 degree F right now). (Check it out on the map at Iditarod.com).
- Glenwood Springs musher Bill Pinkham is in 36th place, stopping at McGrath, 413 miles in.
There are 79 teams left in the race; four have already scratched. The Anchorage Daily News reported today that mushers have struggled through the tougher parts of the trail, but were rewarded Monday night with a show of neon-green Northern Lights.

Vail Mountain surpassed its 43-year historical snowfall average of 346 inches at the top of the mountain on Wednesday. It didn't take much, the mountain only got five inches last night, and (one would guess) the mountain surpasses its average about half of the time. But still, this has been a good year. Give Vail a pat on the back. In response, the mountain has decided to keep more terrain open into April. Should be great spring skiing, followed by a great spring party (see post on pond skimming below)
By the way, most of Colorado got a good dump of snow yesterday. The winners in the high country were Loveland and Monarch. Both have 10 inches. More is on the way today.

A Summit County Sick Day isn't looking good

Snow that is hammering the southern mountains has not made it up to the resorts closest to Colorado Springs yet. As of 3 p.m. the Summit and Eagle County resorts were reporting somewhere between an inch and two inches. On top of the crusty ice they have, that should make for dreadful skiing.
Maybe not worth skipping work tomorrow. But more snow is on the way for the mountains.

This is Kevin

Kevin is having a good time at Purgatory Mountain this afternoon. Durango Mountain Resort has gotten more than a foot of snow in the last 24 hours, with six inches of it dumping this morning between 5 and 9 a.m. (That must have been what got Kevin excited).
The storm is hitting right now, just as predicted, with Telluride, Powderhorn, Wolf Creek and Silverton getting a foot as well. Road trip?

A letter from the hills

Maybe you caught my story last Sunday on Citizen Chuck, a squatter who has lived in the hills above Manitou Springs for 23 years. Click here for an audio slideshow. When I was working on the story about him, I tried to track down other long-time secret residents of the hills including an intriguing figure named Poet Music Magicsong.
I knew poet had moved to Manitou Springs, but I didn't know where, and since he had no listed number or address, I canvased the town with flyers that said, basically, "Hey, Poet, I want to learn more about your time up in the mountians."
I got no response, which wasn't a huge surprise. After all, I thought, this is a guy who lived in seclusion for years. He probably doesn't want to be bothered.
I guess I was wrong. Old Poet sent me a letter this morning, full of photos of his various camps (like the one above). I was glad to have it. The few fellows who have lived like Poet for years are an overlooked part of our communal story -- a lost part of our history. It makes me feel good to know now that there is at least some record of them.

Who's got the best spring break ski scene

Skiing magazine named Vail #1 for spring break partying. Why? Rocking free concerts, tons of open terrain, and best of all, The World Pond Skimming Championship, where 125 participants attempt to ski down a hill and skim across a 100-foot, 39 degree pond. Thanks to Andrew Hecht for the great photos from the 2004 season ender. At least Santa didn't faceplant.

The first powder day in a while, maybe...

Keep watching the on-mountain cameras. The storm rolling in from the Pacific could bring serious snow to the mountains. As you can see above, it's already hitting Durango.
The town of Breckenridge is expecting 6 to 8 inches.
Pagosa Springs, just below Wolf Creek, expects 5 to 12 inches. If the storm really hits, it could be double that at the ski area. Vail expects similar amounts of snow.

Most areas have at least an 80 percent chance of snow today, followed by more snow daily into Saturday. Tomorrow could be a very good day to head to the mountains (fresh snow, no crowd) but if you can't make it, the snow should be fantastic this weekend if all the promised storms roll through.

Psst... pass it on... no bikes in Williams Canyon

That pretty much says it all.
Mountain bikers have been riding up Rampart Range Road, then bombing down Williams Canyon, which is owned by Cave of the Winds. The landowners allow hikers who have signed a current waiver form to enter the property, but bikes are not allowed, waiver or no waiver.

For an online waiver (you still have to print it out and take it to the Cave of the Winds office), click here.

Dreaming of the desert

All this warm weather has stirred up a lot of talk about mountain biking in Fruita. Is it ready yet? Is it dry and warm? We went in search of a "Fruita cam" on the Web that might give us a real time view. And we found one -sort of. This link isn't exactly a classic view of Mary's Loop, but it will give you an idea of the groundcover. And if you look in the upper portion of the frame, you'll see the cliffs of Colorado National Monument, snow-free.

e-hunting, not in this state, mister.

Thursday when the Division of Wildlife's commissioners meet, they plan to outlaw online deer shooting in Colorado. They will join a number of states banning the practice.
What? Didn't you know you can log onto some Web sites and shoot animals with a remote-controlled rifle?
Any guesses what state this industry started in?

O.K., we'll do multiple choice:
A. Delaware
B. Oregon
C. Nebraska
D. Texas

If you answered anything but "Yeeeeee-hawwwwww!" you need to study a bit more.

OK, maybe you're saying, "Dave, I really want to shoot things, but I'd rather shoot people than animals."

No problem. You can log onto www.live-paintball.com and take remote-controlled pot shots with a gas-powered paintball rifle at real people who are playing paintball. The first month's membership is only $1!

In a related note (?) - you decide - a letter to the editor in The Gazette today forecasted the fall of modern western society.

Cheap shot at Coloradans

The New York Times devoted a whole lot of space this weekend to a love poem to Taos Valley Ski Area, complete with pictures of plentiful snow.
The writer, Lisa Reed, tells us she was there last January. There must have been snow then. There isn't much now - Taos has had a tough winter...so tough that its Web site declares defiantly "Taos Ski Valley is committed to staying open through Sunday, April 2."

Still, the Times writer marched on without so much as a hint that Taos might be snowless this year. And then, she went even further, praising Taos while she made fun of Colorado.
"Other ski areas are full of bronzed ladies in fur-trimmed parkas and swaggering fat cats on cell phones, fist-pumping fraternity boys and the like. But at Taos — perhaps because it is known as a difficult mountain, or because it’s hard to get to, with the closest major airport 130 miles away — people really come to ski, not to go to spas or go out dancing all night. It’s a destination for the truly dedicated. 'No safety bars and no Botox — unlike Colorado,' as a fellow skier put it."

I've been skiing all winter and have yet to see a swaggering fat cat or a bronzed lady in a fur-trimmed parka. Of course, it's hard to see anything in all the glorious powder. - Deb

Where has all the powder gone?

Reports from the mountains: At Monarch Saturday, the snow along the sides of the runs was starting to look brown. (But the resort did a good job of keeping its race course clean for the VIBES ski-racing benefit.) At Ski Cooper Sunday, skiers skated on grooved ice. Is this the end of the season, just like that? Snow is in the forecast for Wednesday. If you don't want to put away your skis yet, you'd better hope for a really big storm to cover up all the nasty stuff. - Deb

I'm sure the Capitol will want an anti-immigration bill for this too

Wolves are sneaking down from Wyoming. According to a release from the Division of Wildlife:

Though a majority of the sightings are coyotes, dogs, or other animals, a recent report in north-central Colorado's North Park area appears to have some merit. On Feb. 16, district wildlife managers with the DOW were able to capture brief video of a suspected wolf. The DOW was able to observe the animal because a landowner quickly reported seeing it about 10 miles south of the Colorado-Wyoming border north of the community of Walden. Biologists and wolf specialists who have examined the video say the animal seen on tape looks and behaves like a wolf.

"There's really no way to be absolutely sure just by looking at an animal, and even genetic testing isn’t 100% reliable” said Gary Skiba, Senior Wildlife Conservation Biologist and DOW coordinator for the state's Wolf Management Working Group.

The animal on the video tape had no visible tags or collars. Such indicators could more easily link the animal to federal efforts to reintroduce the northern gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Many offspring wolves lack any markings, but so do wolf-dog hybrids that could also be in the wild. Reports from southern Wyoming indicate that this same animal was spotted approximately eight miles north of the border several days before and after the North Park video was filmed. It is possible that the animal is searching to establish territory or looking for a mate along the Colorado-Wyoming border.

Whether the North Park animal is a wolf or a hybrid, and whether it stayed in Colorado, doesn't affect the way the state handles wolves that migrate into Colorado. Wolves are currently managed under federal law due to their status as an endangered species. The Colorado Wildlife Commission adopted a comprehensive plan for migrating wolves in 2005, but it will only take effect when the wolf is removed from federal protection.

DOW began wolf management planning with a series of public meetings around the state in March 2004. These meetings were designed to identify issues the public felt should be addressed when developing a wolf management plan. The wolf working group was appointed in the late spring of 2004. The group (four livestock producers, four wildlife advocates, two sportsmen, two county commissioners, and two professional wildlife biologists) was given the difficult task of coming to an agreement on how the DOW should manage wolves that migrate into Colorado from recovery areas in the northern Rockies or Arizona and New Mexico. The State of Colorado has no plans to reintroduce wolves, so the plan only focuses on migratory wolves that might enter the state.

Initially the group operated under the expectation that management of migrating wolves would be turned over to the state at any time, however a federal judge ruled in January 2005 that US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) rulemaking regarding distinct population segments was in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The judge's ruling keeps management of all wolves under the control of the USFWS. Discussions continue about the possible transfer of management of wolves from federal wildlife officials to states.

When state management is approved, the Colorado Wolf Management Plan will be implemented. Highlights of the state management plan include:
• Wolves should be allowed to live without boundaries in suitable habitat in Colorado.
• Wolf populations will be carefully monitored.
• Voluntary non-lethal methods should be used to prevent wolves from causing damage.
• Livestock producers should be compensated when wolves kill or injure livestock and herding and guard dogs.
• Research will be an important component of wolf management.
• Funding for wolf management should come from sources other than hunting licenses.
• Wildlife managers may control predators if they are inhibiting management of other wildlife populations as directed by a species management plan.
• Wolf-dog hybrids should not be released into the wild.

"It's important that everyone understand that, for now, wolves remain under the protection of the Endangered Species Act," Skiba concluded. "Federal protections of all wolves continue to be in effect." To learn more about wolves in Colorado and the Wolf Working Group, click here.

Scent of the outdoors

I just walked past the coffee table in my house where I had stacked a bunch of magazines, and was struck by a strong scent. Since there wasn't a fashion magazine in the bunch - just Newsweek, Backpacker and Outside - I was curious about which one was perfumed. To my dismay, it was Outside, a magazine regularly criticized by hardcore outdoor types for its fashion spreads. There, in the March issue, I found a fragrance ad for Davidoff Cool Water. Granted, the fragrance poster boy was hunky surfer Laird Hamilton, but the overpowering scent still distracted me from the cover story on "The NEW Trips of a Lifetime," which featured such epic adventures as tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas, climbing in the Andes and hiking and rafting in a remote part of China. Thankfully, my other favorite outdoor magazine, Backpacker, hasn't started stuffing its pages with distracting and eye-watering fragrance ads yet. The closest it gets is to offer suggestions for bathing on the trail so your hiking partners will let you in the tent at night.

10th together again

I shared the mountain at Ski Cooper Friday morning with members of the 10th Mountain Division. The veterans, famous for their missions in World War II, visit Cooper every year to reminisce about their training there in the 1940s. As the locals griped about the snow conditions - hardpacked and bumpy - those from the 10th were in their element. Many of the guys, including Tiny McWade, live and ski in New England. "Heck," Tiny said, "We call this New England powder." Tiny (shown here) had just completed a run down the mountain carrying a 20-pound flag. He and his friends (now in their 80s and 90s) said they were just glad they didn't have to wear the seven-foot hickory skis that were standard equipment for the unit. (Check out the leather boots, cable bindings and canvas gaiters worn here by a reenactor on Friday.)

Another skier vs. tree. Victor: Tree -- AGAIN!

The trees are out to get the man.
Wednesday a 57-year-old from Boulder hit a tree on a blue run at Breckenridge and died.
A friend of mine on Breck's patrol called to say they've been seeing more wrecks because the lack of snow in the last few weeks has turned the once soft snow into "Vermont conditions."
Translation: fast ice.
It's easy to lose control and hit a tree and join Sonny Bono in the sky.
Five white male skiers in Colorado have already gone to join him this year after smacking trees on intermediate runs.
We can only assume that the trees are profiling and are out to get you, Whitey, for your rather abusive public land management policies in the last 2,000 years, or so.
If you fit this profile, be careful. Stay in control.

Waiting for more snow

I'm sure everyone who pays attention to their yard is noticing the same thing, but my daffodils are really kicking ass right now. The bottom photo is this morning. The top photo is Tuesday. Now I'm just waiting for the deep snow cold front that will kill them all.

Local trail conditions update

If you love the outdoors in the Pikes Peak region, it's been a great week. Not only has the weather been AWESOME for getting out on the trail, but news that Colorado Springs' open space tax has survived a court battle means there will be more trails in the future to get out on. But how are the trails? Sometimes snow can linger, especially in shadowy corners of the forest.

Here is a breakdown of what we have heard:

Cheyenne Canyon -- still spots of ice on the canyon floor, especially spots like the Seven Bridges trail. If you're looking for ice-free, go for the Buckhorn/Cap'n Jacks loop.

Stratton Open Space -- still a few patches of ice on The Chutes, riders be careful.

Waldo Canyon -- just a bit of ice along the creek at the high end of the loop.

Aiken Canyon Preserve -- snow-free and gorgeous, remember, no dogs and bikes allowed.

Monument Fire Center -- Snow-free, enjoy the riding.

Barr Trail -- snow past No Name Creek. Could be slick, especially in the morning before thaw.

Mueller Park -- conditions relatively clear -- we think -- this is based on the amount of snow in the shade in Woodland Park, which is none.

If you have trail conditions you'd like to post, leave a comment.

If you want to see many of our trail descriptions for the Colorado Springs area, click here.

Oh, for 100

This topic came up today at work, when those of us who ski were dreaming of skiing. We've all heard of people who brag about getting in 100 or more days of skiing in a season. But if you do the math, it seems nearly impossible, especially if you hold down a job or have a family. If you go twice every weekend from November through April, you still only get in 48 days of skiing. Even if you extend the season by skiing at A-Basin, that only adds 8 more days, so you're up to 56. Throw in a spring break week? 63. Even Christmas vacation? 70.
So, we're still puzzled. You members of the 100-Day Club - tell us how you do it.

Walk in the sky

Sure, you've hiked the Grand Canyon, but have you ever hung out 70 feet from the canyon wall, 4,000 feet above the canyon floor? Of course not. Well, after this summer, you can. Grand Canyon West (that's not on the south rim or the north rim, that are part of the national park) is a destination owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe at the Grand Canyon’s western rim (of course). The tribe is in the process of building something they call The Skywalk, a cantilever bridge that extends 70 feet from the canyon wall. (Vocabulary lesson: a cantilever bridge is supported by a beam anchored at one end and unsupported at the other.)
When it's finished later this year, the bridge will have glass walls and a glass floor. If you're having a hard time visualizing the bridge, check out this artist's rendition. Then decide if you will be one of the lookers or the walkers.

Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon CLOSED!!!

As of 7 a.m. this morning the last spot in the Pikes Peak Marathon was snatched up online, one day after sign-up opened. The more popular Pikes Peak Ascent filled up in 9 hours and 53 minutes. Because the race crosses National Forest Service land, the number of runners is capped at 800 for the marathon and 1,800 for the ascent by a Forest Service permit. The pack includes racers from 44 states and nine countries. But it doesn't include anyone who hesitated.
The race filled up faster than it ever has. For the past few decades, the marathon has taken five months to fill. Last year, on the 50th anniversary of the race, it took four days. There was much speculation this year that last year's rush was due to the big anniversary, but the one-day closing this year shows the sign-up frenzy is probably here to stay. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to eventually see a lottery imposed.

My wife, my best friend, and even a few of my co-workers signed up with me this year. So it looks like I'll have some company training on the trail this year.
Anyone else just barely get in or miss it entirely? Give us your goals for the race in the comments section below.

-Dave

Tripped up in Alaska

We might be experiencing spring fever here, but other parts of the world are still in winter's grip. Rosie Swale-Pope found that out on her around-the-world walk Sunday. Swale-Pope had to be rescued over the weekend from her tent on a remote Yukon River island. She was suffering from frostbite on her foot and couldn't continue. Local authorities said the weather there has been brutal, with blizzard conditions causing nighttime temperatures of minus 60 and daytime of minus 20 to minus 30 degrees. Swale-Pope started her walk around the world more than two years ago, after her husband died of prostate cancer. She has already walked across Europe and along the Trans Siberian Railway route. She flew from Russia to Alaska, where she was following the Iditarod Trail. Swale-Pope is waiting for doctors to determine the damage to her feet.

With all this sun, an umbrella helps

Ever try cougar milk? What about Aspen crud? Apparently these are time-tested backcountry cocktails that give skiers and mountaineers a refreshing dose of heat, calories, and of course, booze.
Lou Dawson details them on his blog, www.wildsnow.com today.
But jeez, with weather in the high 60s on the Front Range, I'm thinking about drinks with little paper umbrellas.
My favorite is the pina colada, which has had its reputation dragged through the mud by decades of cheap, artificially flavored mixes.

Here is a recipe for a true pina colada:
Mix equal parts light rum, pineapple juice and FRESH, from the nut, coconut milk. Serve on the rocks, in the coconut you have just hacked the top off. A paper umbrella is a must.

By the way, this is a great apres training drink for the Pikes Peak Ascent. Sign up is happening right now. Click here!