National Recreation Trail systems grows by 650 miles

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Get out and hike!

Feds designate new trail segments in 28 states

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Along with looking forward to summer, hikers have another reason to rejoice. Top federal officials this week announced the designation of 28 new national recreation trails, adding almost 650 miles of trails to the National Trails System.

“From coast to coast, the National Trails System helps connect American families with the wonders of the great outdoors,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “These 28 new national recreation trails, established through partnerships with local communities and stakeholders, connect federal, state and local lands and waters to provide access to inexpensive, enjoyable outdoor activities for all Americans,” Jewell said.

The announcement was timed to coincide with June 1, National Trails Day, which was marked by hundreds of organized activities including hikes, educational programs, bike rides, trail rehabilitation projects, festivals, paddle trips, and trail dedications all around the country. (more…)

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Woman survives mountain lion attack in Big Bend NP

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Two mountain lions rest in a shady spot. Photo courtesy USFWS.

Part of Big Bend National Park closed

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — National Park Service officials say a woman attacked by a mountain lion in Big Bend National Park, Texas, did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Andrea Pinero Cebrian and companions were exploring the Mesa de Anguila, near Lajitas Friday, Nov. 23 when she was attacked. Cebrian was treated by Terlingua Medics.

The Mesa de Anguila has been closed to all visitors while rangers and park biologists investigate and patrol in search of the mountain lion.

“Visitor safety is our main concern here in Big Bend and we will monitor and close the Mesa until we deem it safe for visitors,” said park superintendent Cindy Ott-Jones.

Fatal mountain lion attacks are rare in the U.S. The most recent documented fatality was in June, 2008 in Pinos Altos, New Mexico. In Colorado, the most recent mountain lion fatality was in 1997, when 10-year-old Mark Miedema was killed by an adult female cougar when he hiked ahead of his family on Rocky Mountain National Park.

Wildlife experts say the best course of action if you meet a mountain lion is to stay calm and talk firmly and quietly to the animal while backing away slowly.

Other tips:

  • Do not run.
  • Raise you arms to appear larger.
  • If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches, or whatever you can get your hands on. Do not crouch down or turn your back.
  • Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back.

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Colorado: Snowmass Mountain, and our Lady of the Lake

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Kim Fenske explores one of Colorado’s most spectacular peaks

The comb of Snowmass Peak viewed from about halfway along the Snowmass Creek trail.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

As I kneeled at the side of Snowmass Creek and filtered water into my bottle, a tall, slender woman, hair flowing like golden sunlight over her shoulders and reflecting in the blue pools of her glacial eyes, rose up from the water. She was the personification of Snowmass Lake, sparkling glacial water at the base of two miles of mountain that rise above to the spiked comb that forms the summit of Snowmass Mountain.

Snowmass Mountain reflected in Snowmass Lake.

(more…)

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Colorado: Climbing Mt. Princeton

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Airy views of the Arkansas River Valley from this Collegiate Range peak

Mount Antero viewed from the ridge of Mount Princeton.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

Mount Princeton, 14,197 feet, is one of my favorite mountains to climb.  Perhaps, the symmetry of the peak appeals to me as the sun sets and casts the shadow of a magnificent pyramid across the Arkansas River Valley below.

The length of the hike from the ranch at the lower trailhead is an ideal fourteen miles. The start of the hike is a high-clearance road with a climb of 3.4 miles to 11,000 feet, where a few pads exist for dispersed camping.

Buena Vista in the Arkansas River Valley northeast of Mount Princeton.

(more…)

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Colorado: A spring jaunt on Mt. Antero

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Stunning vistas from Colorado’s 11-highest peak

Mount Princeton, 14,197 feet, lies north of Mount Antero, about twenty miles southwest of Buena Vista, above the Arkansas River Valley.

Fenske hiked three miles up Mount Antero to set base camp beside a stream at 11,000 feet and slept snug and cozy in a two-pound ultralight tent with a zero-degree rated sleeping bag.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

Mount Antero, 14,269 feet, may rank high among the ugliest Fourteeners in Colorado. The peak has been abused by mining digs and cut with four-wheel-drive vehicle pathways for decades. During peak summer season, Antero can be crowded, dusty, and noisy with heavy traffic of all-terrain-vehicles.

Despite the blemishes created by modern machinery, Antero offers spectacular views of its neighbors, Mount Shavano, 14,229 feet, and Tabeguache Peak, 14,155 feet, to the south; as well as Mount Princeton, 14,197 feet,  to the north.

Mount Antero is the 11-highest peak in Colorado, named for Chief Antero of the Uintah band of Utes. (more…)

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Colorado: Climbing La Plata Peak

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Exploring Colorado’s 14ers

Mount Elbert and Mount Massive are visible north of La Plata Peak’s summit.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

Piercing the sky like a giant sundial over the Arkansas River Valley, 14,336 -foot La Plata Peak has an impressive knife ridge pointing southward toward Mount Oxford, Mount Belford, Missouri Peak, and Huron Peak.

La Plata is the fifth highest peak in Colorado, joining its slightly taller neighbors Mount Elbert, 14,433 feet, and Mount Massive, 14,421 feet, as leading skyscrapers of the Central Mountains.

The La Plata Peak Trailhead is a few miles west of Twin Lakes on the road to Independence Pass.  The trailhead parking area is a small pad beside the highway. La Plata Gulch, the valley at the base of La Plata Peak, is accessible by a road crossing Lake Creek on the south side of Colorado Highway 82. The trail registry and entry into the forest is on the left side of the road.

A ptarmigan on La Plata Peak begins to change to summer colors.

(more…)

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Colorado: A winter climb of Huron Peak

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Try, and try again …

The Three Apostles.

Moonset over Clear Creek Valley.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

When I woke up after a night with temperatures in the teens, the sun was not yet in sight.  Despite giving myself the comfort of two down sleeping bags, I still needed a significant boost to generate enough heat for the trail. After boiling a liter of water for a giant chocolate mocha coffee, I ground my legs into low gear and hiked up the road from the mining ghost town of Winfield toward the Huron Peak trailhead two miles from my camp. After the first mile, my leg muscles were loose and sweat began to seep through my base layer.  An hour later, I arrived at the trailhead.

A lesson in patience, this was my fourth attempt to reach Huron Peak, 14,003 feet, in winter.  From Clear Creek Reservoir, Chaffee County Road 390 is maintained only eight miles to the abandoned mining community of Vicksburg, across from the trailhead to Mount Oxford, Mount Belford, and Missouri Peak.

On my first attempt, in mid-March, I parked at Vicksburg and hiked on the snow-covered road for five miles to Winfield, then busted trail through powder that was sometimes waist-deep for a mile toward the trailhead before turning back. The twelve-mile hike was primarily a scouting mission to determine how easily I could approach the trailhead with a four-foot base of snow in the forest. (more…)

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Colorado: Snowy tracks on Mt. Yale

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A winter hike in the Sawatch Range

The view southwest from Mount Yale.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

In winter, tracks in the snow tell a clear story on hiking trails. After a snowstorm, the trail is nonexistent. As days of clear, sunny weather go by, a road of footprints, ski, and snowshoe tracks form a road on the most popular trails. (more…)

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Get outside — it’s good for you!

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Exercise, spiritual rejuvenation and family fun in the great outdoors

Hiking in Colorado.

Nature is soothing.

By Erin McKinney

SUMMIT COUNTY —Whether gardening or walking through a forest, most of us love spending time in nature without really knowing why. It gives us a sense of peace and amazement. And something mysterious draws us to the great outdoors as well. One reason may be the numerous health benefits of spending time in nature, which have been proven in several scientific studies.

So what are those benefits?

Stress Reduction – Countless studies have found that spending time outdoors reduces stress. This may in part be due to the fact that it removes us from stressful environments. Taking a walk after a stressful day at work or going on a hiking trip as a weekend retreat helps us think more clearly and look at problems from a distance. Nature’s beauty can also provide a welcome distraction to staring at a computer screen or driving a car all day. Even when we are in stressful situations, a view of nature can be calming. Studies have found that a natural view out a window can improve work performance, speed up patient recovery in hospitals, and improve one’s sense of satisfaction. (more…)

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Colorado: Scary moments on Mt. Elbert

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Kim Fenske describes a winter climb of Colorado’s highest summit

Mt. Elbert view: Alpenglow — and the moon — across the Arkansas River Valley.

Story and photos by Kim Fenske

At 14,433 feet, Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in Colorado. In summer, the summit is one of the easiest Fourtenners to attain. The primary trailheads mark junctions with the Colorado Trail that passes north and south along the base of Mount Massive and Mount Elbert within sight of Leadville. Branching off of the Colorado Trail, trails to the summit rise quickly on switchbacks to gain the summit along ridges from the northeast and southeast. The summit is four miles from the north trailhead and a bit over six miles from the lower south trailhead.  From either direction, the summit can be reached in approximately six hours, with a descent of about three more hours. (more…)

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