Open Space Update – January 2022

It’s a new year,  with all manner of new adventures waiting for us at our Open Space Parks. Let’s see what JCOS has been up to over our mid-winter holidays…

BOETTCHER MANSION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

The loading dock at Boettcher Mansion underwent an infrastructure improvement during the month of December. The 14-year-old pergola was showing signs of wood rot in the overhead beams. Since it was a safety hazard, it had to be removed. The pergola was not an original part of the building, so the decision was made to remove rather than repair/rebuild. Instead of using outside contractors for this task, Boettcher Mansion partnered with the Open Space Park Construction Team and saved nearly $7,000 in cost, according to Jeffco Open Space & Parks. Photo by Boettcher Mansion Supervisor, Megan Kreutzer.

CATHEDRAL SPIRES PARK GETS SOME ROCK WORK

Cathedral Spires Park got a facelift, thanks to the Front Range climbing Stewards and the Boulder Climbing Community. The two groups improved 2800 feet of trail and built multiple sculpted and shaped rock staircases to enhance the hiking experience.  Reminder: Cathedral Spires closes on March 1^st to protect nesting raptors. The seasonal closure will be lifted at the beginning of August.

COAL CREEK CANYON BIGHORN SHEEP COUNT

The Open Space Natural Resources team assisted Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in their Winter Bighorn Sheep Count on December 16^th of last year. This part of the count was in Clear Creek Canyon, and it yielded very interesting results – 25 bighorn sheep in total. The largest group, 14 in size, was a mix of rams, ewes and yearlings, browsing and sunning near Tunnel 3. The CPW annual count provides valuable information on the extent of the bighorns’ winter range and population demographics. Thanks to Pepper Canterbury and Bryan Posthumus from CPW for the wrap up and photos.

COAL CREEK CANYON HUNTING MENTOR PROGRAM

The Coal Creek Canyon Study Area is still under study and development, but JCOS does host a game management mentor hunt each year. This program teaches proper hunter stewardship to mentees, one of whom had this to say:

“I am really appreciative and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the mentored hunt program. I was interested in hunting but was really overwhelmed with how to get started and what to do on my first hunt. The mentored hunt program was a chance of a lifetime and I learned so much from my mentors. Not only did I learn about hunting, but some of the most important lessons were about ethics and what it means to be a responsible and safe hunter. I have shared my experience with many people and have encouraged the new hunters who are interested to look for similar programs. I plan to continue hunting and hope to pass on the lessons I learned to other new hunters. I think this program is really important especially [sic] to ensure that new hunters are safe and ethical. Really appreciate the folks at Jeffco for allowing us to hunt on the public space.”

ELK MEADOW – STAGECOACH TRAILHEAD IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEGINNNG

The Stagecoach Trailhead at Elk Meadow Park is finally getting an upgrade. Improvements will include increased parking, a new restroom, and a safe road crossing to connect to the (future) trails at Jenkins Peak. The project is in design mode right now, with construction beginning as soon as possible. The expected completion date will be the end of 2023.

PINE VALLEY RANCH HOSTS ICE RESCUE CERTIFICATION FOR JCOS RANGERS

Our JCOS Rangers are not just a group of good-looking faces, they work hard, and they have special skills. Here at Pine Lake, at the Pine Valley Ranch Park, Rangers are in the final phases of their initial Ice Rescue Certification training.

We highly recommend that you do not test these Rangers’ new skills. As per the posting at https://www.jeffco.us/1428/Pine-Valley-Ranch-Park

“As of 1/7/22 winter activities (skating and fishing) are allowed on Pine Valley Lake until the ice melts to less than 8″ thickness at any of the 14 tests sites. Ice is never safe, recreate at your own risk.”

JCOS AND SCHOOL OF MINES ARE BUILDING BRIDGES

For a few years now, JCOS has been sponsoring a Senior Capstone Project at the Colorado School of Mines. It’s not unusual for a corporate or governmental organization to partner with educational institutions this way – the students get to engage in real-life problem-solving, while the partner organization can reap the benefits of the students’ work.

This year the CSM students were tasked with designing a modular trail bridge, light enough to be backpacked, expandable enough to span 40 feet, and strong enough to support 1700 pounds.

The students produced a lightweight bridge made of multiple 4-foot-long, 45-pound segments. The photo above is a 16-foot-long prototype that was assembled at the December OSAC meeting. The bridge will be deployed and tested in the parks as soon as weather permits.

LEAVE NO TRACE – A REMINDER

Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics created by the Leave No Trace Center of Outdoor Ethics promoting conservation in the outdoors. It consists of seven principles:

• plan ahead and prepare,
• travel and camp on durable surfaces,
• dispose of waste properly,
• leave what you find,
• minimize campfire impacts,
• respect wildlife,
• be considerate of other visitors.

These principles have been adapted to different activities, ecosystems and environments. https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

When you see signs like the one above in our Open Space Parks, be respectful. If the trail is closed, don’t walk it. There’s a reason the trail is closed, so stay out of the area. When you’re hiking on open trails, stay on the trails, even if they’re muddy. Staying on designated trails will avoid damage to the vegetation and will reduce fragmentation of habitat.

VIRTUAL LAND STEWARDSHIP SPEAKER SERIES

Each month, on the evening of the 3^rd Wednesday of the month, JCOS hosts a Land Stewardship speaker, who talks about something pertinent to the Open Space parks. This year, in 2022, the speaker series is going virtual.

The series will open on February 16, 6:00-7:30 PM, with Mary Ann Bonnell, Jeffco Open Space Visitor Services Director, who will provide information, data-driven tips, tricks, and trends that will help you minimize the impact of your next park visit.

For information about upcoming events go to https://www.jeffco.us/1986/Land-Stewardship-Series.

TOILET PAPER FUN FACTS

If you’ve done any hiking or biking or riding in our Open Space Parks, you know how welcome those restrooms can be.  Do you have any idea how much toilet paper is used in a year? Here’s a fun fact…in 2021, the Park Services Team, with an assist from the Ranger Team, supplied over 300 miles of TP to the Parks facilities.

Next time you encounter a Park Services Team member, or a Ranger who is servicing the rest rooms at a park, say thank you for a job well done!

It’s definitely winter in the Parks. Miss Mountain Manners wants to remind all Park Visitors to recreate responsibly. Be prepared. Wintertime weather can be fickle. It can be sunny and dry at the trailhead while the trails at altitude can be icy and treacherous, with mud in between. Know before you go, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out, and pack for any type of weather. Don’t forget water; even in the winter 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”.

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