Open Space Update – August 2022

It’s the end of Summer 2022, and what a summer it’s been! So much has happened, from the last report on JCOS happenings until now. Let’s take a look and see what’s been going on at Jeffco Open Space this summer…

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

The “Know Before You Go” rule is the most basic and fundamental that any visitor to any park, not just Jeffco Open Space Parks, but to all parks along the Front Range and into the High Country, must follow.  This summer has seen multiple unfortunate incidents, including deaths, some of which were avoidable, had the victims been adequately prepared and taken precautions appropriately. When you see the sign “Open Space Park”, do not confuse it with a city park. The Jeffco Open Space Parks, Boulder Open Space, state parks, national parks – these are wild places. Visitors to these places are expected to understand how to manage their own safety…thus the admonition, “Know Before You Go”.

Know Before You Go:

Anticipate what you will need for your activity and know your limits.

Know which public lands allow dogs on trails, and which don’t. Know when leashes are required, and always pack out waste. Jeffco Open Space Parks require dogs to be leashed at all times and waste to be packed out and properly disposed of.

Know how to handle wildlife encounters.

Plan for where you will park and have alternatives. JCOS Parking information here.

Stay on the trail.

Be careful with fire. At JCOS Parks: No Fire. No Flames. No Fireworks. Cigarette butts must be properly disposed of. Gas stoves are only permitted in designated areas with hardened surfaces.

Know and follow all rules and regulations. JCOS Regulations are found here.

Recently, eight outdoor agencies* have combined forces to order to collaborate on how to address the challenges introduced by the expanding population and the increasing high visitation rates. This collaboration, known as NoCo PLACES 2050, is committed to working on sustainable solutions, equitable actions, and beneficial land management practices for the long-term conservation of public lands in Colorado and the quality of the visitor experience.  Read more about NoCo PLACES 2050 here.

* Different Areas are Managed by Different Agencies. Each jurisdiction has its own set of rules and regulations aimed at providing visitors with safe and enjoyable experiences, while protecting the environment and wildlife. Learn how you can Know Before You Go at each of the NoCo Partner’s websites:

Boulder County Parks and Open Space

Clear Creek County

Gilpin County

Jefferson County Open Space

Larimer County Natural Resources

Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Northeast Region

National Park Service: Rocky Mountain National Park

U.S. Forest Service, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland

 

WEATHER STEM

Before you begin your trek in one of our Open Space Parks, you always want to check the weather. As a Coloradan, you understand that our climate is capricious; within a matter of minutes the weather can change from warm and sunny to cold, windy, and even snow! Get ahead of this problem by downloading the new real-time weather app, http://jefferson-co.weatherstem.com/. Three stations cover weather reports from the north end of the County to the south — Coal Creek Canyon, Alderfer/Three Sisters, and Beaver Ranch, respectively.

This system collects real-time weather locally and integrates with the IBM Watson Weather Intelligence system, then integrates with national lightening detection system for highly accurate and timely forecasting. For those who plan to hike at altitude, this is one app you’ll want to have on your phone.

 

CLEAR CREEK CANYON PARK UPDATE: HUNTSMAN SEGMENT

Mid-July saw the ground-breaking of the Tunnel 1 to Huntsman Gulch segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail, as it passes through Clear Creek Canyon. The Huntsman Segment, 3 miles in length, should be completed by 2025. Planning includes two new trailheads with full amenities, parking for over 100 cares, eight new bridges, and numerous Clear Creek access points.

One of the first bridges to be installed in this segment is already in place, just to the west of Tunnel 1. The 125-foot-long steel bridge was delivered in two pieces and assembled on Hwy-6, which had been closed to the public for the night. A massive crane lifted the bridge over the oxbow of Clear Creek. One down, seven to go.

Once this segment is complete, all that’s left of the P2P Trail in Clear Creek is a 5.75 mile stretch to the Big Easy Trailhead. With the completion of this last bit, from Huntsman to the Big Easy, the 65 miles of the P2P through Jefferson County will be complete.

Note that for the foreseeable future, there will be traffic impact on Hwy-6 as it passes through the Canyon. Expect various lane closures, and be patient with the workers who will be laboring alongside the road. The project site will be closed to the public. If you need access to the work site, contact the Open Space Welcome Center at 303.271.5925, ask to speak to Project Manager Scot Grossman. Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

 CLEAR CREEK CANYON PARK: FERAL RYE REMOVAL

There’s more going on in the Huntsman Gulch area of Clear Creek Canyon than trail-building. The JCOS Natural Resources Team coordinated with the Volunteer Services Team to mechanically treat an area infested with feral rye (Secale cerale). “Mechanical treatment” is a euphemism for “pulling by hand”. Granted, this is back-breaking work, but far, far preferable to chemical spraying.  Photo courtesy of JCOS.

Feral rye is the wild relative of domestic rye, which is widely cultivated for its grain. In this country, it’s a non-native species that’s been spreading into range lands around Jeffco and the Front Range. Native to the Levant (eastern Turkey and areas adjacent), rye grows better than any other cereal crop on heavy clay or sandy, infertile, and drought-affected soils with a pH of 5.0. to 7.0 – making our Front Range a perfect place for it to thrive. Unfortunately, if left to its own devices, feral rye will displace native species to the point of monoculture (a single species in a given area), creating a hardship for animal species that have not evolved with rye and may not tolerate it in their diet. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

 

COAL CREEK: EDWARDS RANCH RUINS

The JCOS Heritage Stewardship Team is hard at work, capturing oral history from the Edwards family of Coal Creek Canyon. In 1897, Bruce Edwards purchased the land and built the home that is now in ruins.

Coal Creek Canyon is still a study area. According to the Conservation Greenprint 2020-2025 Implementation Details, a completion date for opening has not yet been determined.  Trailhead construction may begin in 2023, with a full Master Plan targeted for 2025. It will be worth the wait.  Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

DEER CREEK CANYON: UNAUTHORIZED TRAILS

Unauthorized trails in any of our Parks create a hardship for everyone. They’re created at random, with no attention paid to erosional possibilities or infringement upon protected species. They’re not maintained, so visitors are more inclined to experience accidents while trekking on an unauthorized trail. The JCOS Trails Team has closed one of the unauthorized trails on the backside of Deer Creek Canyon Park, off Deer Creek Canyon Road. In addition to grubbing up the trail and revegetating the area, they installed buck-n-rail fencing to block off the trail access and posted signs directing Park visitors to the trailhead. Be mindful and respectful, stay off unauthorized trails. Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

DECOMPOSITION IN THE PARKS

Can fungus be an assist to the breakdown of logs and slash left over from the mitigation work that was done at Meyer Ranch Park? The JCOS Natural Resources Team is trialing this idea. Injecting fungus into the logs in hopes of hastening the breakdown may result in mushroom growing from these logs, thus the signs explaining the treatment. The Team will compare reduction of biomass waste and soil quality between fungus-treated and untreated areas in these forest management locals.  Photo Courtesy of JCOS.

 

SLASH CONTINUES THROUGH NOV 6^th

It’s not too late to get rid of your slash! Remove slash, create defensible space around your home – this is the first line of defense against wildfires.  And, as recent wildfires have proved, you don’t need to live in the mountains – also referred to as the Wildland-Urban Interface, or WUI – to be concerned about wildfire.

Upcoming drop-off locations:

• Marshdale Property, Evergreen
• Tincup Ridge Park, Golden
• Rainbow Hills, Golden
• Blue Mountain Open Space, Arvada

Check out the full SLASH schedule here.

 

 

 

 

BUFFALO BILL DAY PARADE

JCOS was on parade this summer! COVID won’t keep folks down forever, and this summer’s Buffalo Bill Day parade in Golden saw JCOS Volunteer Park Hosts and Staff join in the celebration with the newly refurbished Open Space float.  Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

OSAC PARK POPUP: LET’S DOO IT

 

The JCOS Park Ranger Team has been hosting pop-up events a various trailheads in an attempt to educate visitors on dog courtesy and the importance of picking up dog waste. At one of these events (Mount Falcon West Trailhead), Park Rangers marked both bagged and unbagged dog poop with flags. They marked 45 spots in just over half a mile.

Good that you’ve bagged the poop; now do the next thing – carry it until you find a proper trash receptacle, then deposit it in the can. One bag of dog poop was left less than 100 feet from a trash can at the trailhead. There is no poop fairy; no one is going to carry the poop for you – that’s your job. “Bag it; pack it; can it.”  Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

SEARCH AND RESCUE TRAINING FOR OUR JCOS RANGERS

It’s really good to know that if you get into trouble while hiking or riding in the Parks, our JCOS Rangers are prepared. Every year they have to go through Search And Rescue (SAR) training. SAR training can be long and technically demanding, but at the foundational level, this training includes:

• Partnering with other teams, such as the Denver Mountain Parks Rangers, to develop pre-planning and incident response coordination procedures;
• Training on a new backcountry mapping app, which allows teams to create maps of an incident, enter coordinates, track movements and share locations;
• Practice with wheeled litter and first aid patient assessments.

Thank you, JCOS Park Rangers. Photo courtesy of JCOS.

 

THE WAVYLEAF THISTLE, A COLORADO NATIVE

There is such a thing as a good thistle!  Despite what you may see or hear about the evilness of thistles, there is a Colorado native called the Wavyleaf thistle (Cirsium undulatum).  It’s also called a gray thistle, native to much of Central and North America, from British Columbia east to Manitoba, Canada, and south as far as the State of Durango in Mexico. It’s a perennial, can grow up to 80 inches in height, with minimal branching toward the top. The leaves are very wavy along the edges, with a white-green or grayish coloring, which distinguish it from the non-native, noxious Canada and musk thistles. For additional information on native thistles and how to identify them, the JCOS Natural Resources Team can help you out.  Photo by Anthony Massaro

 

BURROWING OWLS AT HILDEBRAND RANCH

No one would call these little birds “night owls”, since burrowing owls are active all the time.  Burrowing owls might also be called “borrowing owls”, as they use discarded burrows created by prairie dogs (mostly) as their nest sites. Urban development, agriculture, plague, and extirpation of prairie dog colonies have resulted in a decline of burrowing owl populations. Burrowing owls are a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” in Colorado’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Species listed in this document are one step short of landing on the Endangered Species List.

The JCOS Natural Resources Team sighted this pair of adult burrowing owls and their offspring (four owlets) at Hildebrand Ranch Park. They are summer visitors; soon the entire family will be heading south for the winter. Since this breeding pair had such luck with raising their young here at Hildebrand, perhaps they’ll be back next year? Fingers crossed.  Photos courtesy of JCOS.

 

CLEAR CREEK CLEANUP DAY, Saturday 9/24/2022

 

VOLUNTEER WITH JCOS FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY!

JCOS is looking for volunteers to celebrate National Public Lands Day and help clean 22 miles of the Peaks to Plains Trail, including Clear Creek Canyon Park and portions of the US Highway 6 canyon corridor. Afterwards, celebrate at the new Gateway Trailhead with food trucks, live music, and a raffle for prizes. Registration required.

 

 

 

NEXT YEAR: NATIONAL TRAILS DAY 2023

National Trails Day is a nation-wide, annual event. Across the country there are over a million miles of scenic, recreational, and historic trails, and their care and maintenance is due in part to the efforts of thousands of volunteers who celebrate the day while they help steward the parks and trails.

The number of visitors to these trails and their parks has been on the increase since COVID. According to an article in the Washington Post, “the Outdoor Participation Trends report revealed that, in 2020, 160.7 million Americans ages 6 and over participated in at least one outdoor activity, an increase of 7.1 million over 2019.”  During the COVID lockdowns, Americans sought respite and comfort in the outdoors, and so far, the numbers are not diminishing.  The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy found that, in 2021, trail use remained 36 percent higher than in 2019, including on the 2,297 rail-trails across the country. Based on unofficial reports from our own JCOS Open Space Parks, the visitor numbers this year are as high as (or higher than) 2021.

As COVID recedes into the background of our lives, it’s even more important to realize the difference that an hour or two of volunteerism can make.  JCOS Volunteer Services Specialist Matt Martinez, who contributed to the aforementioned WaPo article, said ““Even small things can make a big difference, and these obstacles can easily be addressed for our visitors who experience disabilities.”

Make your plans now, mark your calendars. The next National Trails Day is scheduled for Saturday, June 3^rd, 2023.  Keep your eyes open for the announcement from JCOS. Sign up for JCOS notifications. Consider volunteering at JCOS. Check the JCOS Events calendar as the date nears.  It takes a village!

 

HISTORY ROCKS AT THE DOUGLAS MOUNTAIN STUDY SITE

JCOS Awarded Grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund
This grant provided funds to prepare a Historic Structure Assessment for the Centennial House (Douglas Mountain Study Area). Historic Structure Assessments include detailed documentation of materials, systems, and finishes in order to assess their condition and create a plan for preservation. An architect and structural engineer will prepare the document in partnership with the Park Construction and Heritage Stewardship Teams. The State Historical Fund has funded previous assessments for White Ranch (White Ranch Park), Blair Ranch (Alderfer-Tree Sisters), the Anderson-Michael Houses/Lookout Mountain Shops (Lookout Mountain Preserve), and Midway House (Meyer Ranch Park). This project is an exciting first step towards piloting new ideas for putting Open Space’s many historic buildings back into use. Photo courtesy of JCOS.

 

This is just a sampling of what’s been happening in our Jefferson County Open Space Parks this summer. Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly; when you encounter muddy trails, walk through the mud, not around. Even better, go back and find a dryer trail.

Know before you go, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and don’t forget to pack extra clothes for any type of weather. Carry water; at any time of year it’s easy to get dehydrated and disoriented at elevation.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say, “thank you”.

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!