Open Space Update 11/22/2020

Let’s see what’s happening during the month of November at Jeffco Open Space:

Clear Creek Canyon Park – Stair Construction

Timber stair and retaining wall construction continues on the east side of the wooden flume leading up from the P2P Trail.  This is going to be an amazing trail experience for our visitors.

Matthews/Winters Park – Fire

At approximately 5:50 a.m. on Monday, November 9^th, Jeffco Sheriff’s Office reported Golden Fire was on scene for a small fire in the area of Dakota Ridge Trail north of the intersection with Zorro Trail.  It appears the fire was wind and utility structure related as the top of one of the transmission poles was snapped.  For visitor safety reasons, the trail was closed north of Zorro Trail through the day and night to allow Xcel Energy access to the area for repairs.  The trail re-opened on Tuesday the 10^th at noon.

COVID-19 – Jefferson County Dial Status, Moves to Level Red

Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) has been notified by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) that Jefferson County is among the counties that will be moved to Level Red on the state’s Dial Framework, effective Friday, November 20^th at 5:00PM.  As Governor Polis announced, the state has made some adjustments to the Dial and Level Red, especially as it relates to gatherings and spaces where people congregate. We are awaiting final details on those changes, as well as an associated public health order, and will share more information when available.

Major changes include:

o   The Dial adds a sixth level, Purple, and revises Level Red accordingly.

o   Individuals at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 remain advised to stay in their residence at all levels of the Dial.

o   Remote working is strongly encouraged.

What is not changing:

o   Our parks and restrooms will remain open.

o   Our group size will remain at 10 and we will continue to monitor JCPH for the current information.

Camping Relaunch – Reservations Live in CivicRec

After a hiatus due to COVID-19, we are excited to bring back camping to our visitors.  A diverse team of staff came together to figure out how to best provide camping again.  In conjunction with only allowing 4 campers per site, the team decided that providing parking hang tags on site in a lock box was the best option over having visitors trying to print and bring them to their site (as too often they forget).  Thank you to Parks Services, OSIT, Rangers, Community Connections and others for your hard work and contributions to the re-launching of camping permits.  The first reservable date for White Ranch (Sawmill) and Reynolds Park campsites is November 27, 2020.

Mount Falcon Morrison Trailhead – Temporary Parking Expansion

Things are wrapping up at Mount Falcon Morrison Trailhead this week and we are planning on opening the new, temporary lot to the public this Friday, November 13. We will have 56 more spots to offer visitors and the entry road will no longer allow parking on either side.  Big thanks to Road and Bridge, T&E, Scott Timmons and Park Services for making this a reality!

South Table Mountain Park – Carl’s Point

Who is Carl of Carl’s Point? If you’ve visited the scenic overlook on the east side of Basalt Cap Loop, you may already know.  The trail sign includes a QR code that transports you to Carl’s story.  In short, Carl F. Eiberger helped preserve South Table Mountain (STM) and at least 11 other parks in the Golden/Applewood/Prospect area by donating expert legal services.  The point of Carl’s Point is to encourage our visitors to pause and think about what they can do to help preserve places and experiences like Basalt Cap Loop on STM.  Mary Eiberger, daughter of Carl Eiberger, visited the site for the first time on Saturday, November 7^th.  She was accompanied by her husband Tito and their two rescue dogs, Lucky and Shadow.

South Table Mountain Park – Trail Construction

Trail construction on Croc Tooth Trail is in the final stages and will be complete before the end of November.  This trail will help connect Carl’s Point to Ancient Palms Trail.

Hildebrand Ranch Park – Water Monitor

New water monitoring devices, called stilling wells, are being installed to keep us in compliance with State of Colorado Water Commission requirements.  These new monitoring units will more accurately record water flow and use.

Miss Mountain Manners thanks all the staff and volunteers at JeffCo Open Space for the wonderful work that they do and are continuing to do during this time of COVID.  Happy Thanksgiving to all!