Outdoors: Forest Service adds ‘new’ trails in Summit County

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Some of the "new" trails on national forest lands in Summit County lead to hidden coves along the shore of Dillon Reservoir.

Some of the “new” trails on national forest lands in Summit County lead to hidden coves along the shore of Dillon Reservoir.

Travel management plan update results in some user-created trails becoming an official part of the trail network

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — If you’ve never heard of the Hippo Trail or the Bodhi Trail, don’t feel too bad. Both are newly named trail segments in Summit County that have just recently been formally added to the national forest trail system managed by the U.S. Forest Service’s Dillon Ranger District.

Many of the user-created have been popular with locals for years, but now they’re officially on the map, said Ken Waugh, recreation staff officer for the district.

“Many of these have never been maintained and have not been on District maps,” Waugh said, adding that the Forest Service is making an outreach effort to let hikers and cyclists know about the new trails.

As part of that effort, the Dillon District is preparing Recreation Opportunity Guides for these new trails. The one-page sheets  have a map on one side and information about the trails on the other. When they’re done, they’ll be posted online at this White River National Forest website. Some of the guides are already posted at www.dillonrangerdistrict.com. The guides include directions to the trailhead, mileage, range in elevation, difficulty, and trail highlights. They’re also avaiable at the USFS visitor center in Silverthorne. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado, recreation, Frisco, US Forest Service, White River National Forest, Summit County news, Dillon Ranger District, Dillon Reservoir, Dillon, Colorado, hiking, biking | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: Forest Service revamps fees for bikepath events

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Policy change enables agency to charge per-person fees

The 2012 Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle, a cycling tour in Lake, Summit, and Eagle Counties, and based in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. Photo Steve Peterson

Cyclists cruise the Summit County recpath on Forest Service land during the 2012 Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle, a cycling tour in Lake, Summit, and Eagle Counties based at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Photo courtesy Steve Peterson/Copper Triangle.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — The White River National Forest has revamped its fee structure for special events using local bike paths that cross national forest lands. Under the changes, organizers of cycling events like the Copper Triangle will pay a graduated per-person fee ranging from $1 per person, up to $2 per person for larger events.

The new fees, authorized under a local special use amendment, will affect special events using three specific bike paths: Vail Pass, Glenwood Canyon and the recpath system around Dillon Reservoir in Summit County, according to WRNF supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams. (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado, recreation, economy, US Forest Service, White River National Forest, Summit County news, Colorado, biking, events | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: USA Pro Challenge route announced

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

7-day stage race set for late August

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Stage 2 of the USA Pro Challenge leads from Aspen over Independence Pass to Breckenridge.

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USA Pro Challenge racers will once again visit Breckenridge as part of the seven-day stage race through Colorado.

By Summit Voice

The 2013 USA Pro Challenge features two new host cities and the return of the popular Vail time trial, race organizers said this week, announcing details of seven-day stage race through Colorado (Aug. 19-25).

“The most important thing to us in creating the route for the 2013 USA Pro Challenge was to find a course that would be safe and challenging for the riders, while providing ideal viewing locations for the crowds of spectators,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge.

The two new cities, Loveland and Fort Collins, will be featured in the penultimate stage of the race on Aug. 24, when contenders will have to make a move before the final time trial stage in Denver. Stage 6 will start on the plains, but aggressive climbers will have a chance to amp it up when the race heads up Big Thompson Canyon and into Devils Gulch before hitting Estes Park. (more…)

Filed under: biking, Breckenridge, Colorado, recreation, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Best of 2012, summer

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Sunny scenes

Colorado wildflowers

Wild iris blooming in June, 2012.

FRISCO — A few summer scenes in pictures that don’t really need a lot of words. Despite a summer-long drought, we enjoyed some stunning days and escaped the worst of the wildfire season with a strong surge of monsoon moisture in July that also helped spur a decent wildflower season. On top of that, there was a solar eclipse early in the season, along with a lunar eclipse. All in all, not a bad summer! (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado, photography, Frisco, seasons, Dillon Reservoir, Breckenridge, Morning photo, Colorado, biking, events, Drought | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: Arapahoe & Roosevelt NF to close 29,000 acres for hazard tree work after visitors ignore earlier restrictions

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Grand County hunters to affected by forest closures

A large chunk of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest will be closed for several weeks in late summer and fall.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The U.S. Forest Service and local authorities in Grand County will be closing 29,000 acres of Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forest lands for several weeks starting in early September to cut beetle-killed hazard trees from along roads and trails in the area. The closure is expected to run from Sept. 4 to Nov. 15, affecting hunters, hikers, cyclists and other forest visitors.

The widepsread restrictions are being implemented after locals and visitors ignored earlier closures for smaller projects in the area, forcing the Forest Service to shut down summer logging operations for safety reasons. In one of the areas hit hardest by pine beetles, the Forest Service wants to remove dead and dying trees from along more than 150 miles of  high-use, forest service roads and trails over a several year period.

Along with local community leaders, special interest groups and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials, the agency decided a larger, more enforceable closure area was necessary, both for public safety and to complete the work efficiently.

Winter Park, Fraser and Grand County community leaders have re-affirmed their support for these projects and offered assistance in both law enforcement patrols and working with the public. Information will be posted at all the major entries to the closure areas as well as at the Winter Park Visitor’s Center, Fraser Visitor’s Center, Winter Park Resort and through local businesses and lodging companies. (more…)

Filed under: biking, Colorado, hiking, hunting, recreation, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Park Service: No bike race in Colorado National Monument

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Grand Junction group seeks to host USA Pro Cycling Challenge stage

The National Park Service won’t allow the USA Pro Cycling Challenge to hold part of a stage in Colorado National Monument.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The USA Pro Cycling Challenge won’t be going through Colorado National Monument in 2013, as the National Park Service once again denied a request by a local organizing committee to use the monument for part of a stage in popular race.

According to a post on the Grand Junction local organizing committee’s Facebook page, the group submitted a third request to use four miles of road in the monument — from the Glade Park turnoff to the east entrance — as part of a Grand Junction-based stage.

Local organizers persisted in their efforts to route at least part of stage through the monument for several reasons — the monument has a legacy of cycling from the Coors Classic days, said John Hopkins, co-chair of the local organizing committee.

“We tried very hard to meet their concerns,” Hopkins said, explaining that latest application focused on a short stretch of road through the monument considered to be a public right-of-way.

Organizers believed the route could be used without harming park resources or the visitor experience, but, in the end, couldn’t convince the park service.

Hopkins said the group will now prepare a bid that showcases some of the other highlights of the Grand Valley area, perhaps included a route that would take cyclists over the Grand Mesa, a spectacular flat-top mountain that towers over the Colorado River Valley.

Some of the area’s famed orchards and vineyards could also serve as a backdrop to a stage that would showcase sprinters in a time trial, he said. (more…)

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Breckenridge: Local USA Pro Cycling Challenge organizers host community info meeting for this year’s race

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Forest Service details camping rules for Independence Pass spectators

The highest elevations of Independence Pass will be closed to camping, but the U.S. Forest Service will allow roadside camping in other areas along the road for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The Olympics are winding down,but local sports enthusiasts are gearing up for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, which returns to Breckenridge for the second year with an Aug. 24 stage start that will see riders heading up over Hoosier Pass and down the Front Range of the Rockies to Colorado Springs.

The local organizing committee for the race is hosting an Aug. 15 informational meeting to give detailed information on community impacts, including road closures, parking, transportation and a detailed event schedule. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Breckenridge Town Hall, 150 Ski Hill Road. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Meanwhile, fans hoping to get a close look at the racers as they traverse Independence Pass won’t be able to camp at the top of the pass like last year. U.S. Forest Service rangers say that last year’s crowd was rough on the fragile tundra in the area, leaving behind piles of human waste. As a result, they closed the area to campers for this year’s race, to the dismay of some fans who said the area was well policed and cleaned up after last year’s race. (more…)

Filed under: biking, Colorado, recreation, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Summit County: Get your trail-building groove on

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Volunteers on a previous project work on a Golden Horseshoe Trail. Photo courtesy Chris Bales.

Volunteers wanted to help complete key trail connection in the Golden Horseshoe

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — After years of planning, the shovels and picks will hit the dirt this summer to build a key trail connection in the 9,000-acre Golden Horseshoe area, just outside Breckenridge.

On the weekend of Aug. 4 – 5, hundreds of volunteers, coordinated by Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado, will gather to refurbish the Galena Ditch, built more than 100 years ago to convey water to area mines. When finished, the new trail segment will give hikers and mountain bikers a connection between the popular Horseshoe Dredge Trailhead, the three forks of the Swan River and the Colorado Trail.

The effort is being coordinated by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado in partnership with Breckenridge and Summit County and a few more volunteers are needed. (more…)

Filed under: biking, Colorado, hiking, recreation, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

National parks to expand mountain bike access

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Bike touring along Hermit Road, Grand Canyon National Park. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Rule change could help expand trail networks

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — In a long overdue update of national park rules, the National Park Service said last week  it will expand bicycle access in parks nationwide, while preserving the agency’s responsibility to prohibit bikes in wilderness and other areas where they would have significant impact on the environment or visitor safety.

“Bikes are a great way to exercise, get healthy, and experience the great outdoors,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “This new rule gives park superintendents greater flexibility to determine where bikes can be allowed in a park and additional authority to shut areas where cycling is jeopardizing visitors or park resources.”

The rule is available online at www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx#reg_N. It gives park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on roads that are closed to the motoring public — like fire roads and roads used by park maintenance vehicles. Bikes are already allowed on park roads that are open to vehicles. (more…)

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Passive outdoor recreation grows, skiing, hunting decline

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

New Forest Service study analyzes outdoor recreation trends.

Forest Service study takes big picture look at outdoor recreation trends

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Outdoor recreation in the U.S. is shifting toward more passive activities, with the biggest growth seen in areas like wildlife watching and photography, according to a new study published by the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station.

Traditional activities, including hunting and fishing, were flat, while various forms of skiing, including snowboarding, declined during the 10-year study period from 2000 to 2009.

“Our research shows that, not only are more Americans participating in outdoor recreation, but the number of times they participated in many of the outdoor activities surveyed has grown,” said author and lead researcher Ken Cordell, considered an authority on recreational trends in the United States. (more…)

Filed under: biking, camping, Colorado, fishing, hiking, public lands, recreation, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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