Out and About!

Its early in the season but CFI Peak Stewards are out and about!! Here's a brief recap of the last few days...

Field Trainings are underway! In order to boost the numbers of participants in the Peak Steward Program we had to break away from the traditional 2-day training that would take place on the second weekend of June. So, as mentioned in previous posts, I've been hard at work recruiting and training Peak Stewards throughout the winter months. Then, last Thursday (6/10), last Monday (6/21...not a bad way to spend the solstice), and today I met with some of them on Mount Evans to complete their second day of training in the field. Three really great groups came out in order to identify some alpine plants and the differences in their integrity, check out some braided areas of trail and how to identify areas where people may want to leave it, and obtain a further understanding of how to educate and interact with visitors and hikers on the 14ers.

It was WINDY last Thursday and there was a lot of snow left from the previous weekends storm. In the photo above you can see Steve and Chris (both new recruits this year) flashing their 14er specific LNT cards with Bierstadt in the background. We were right to the west of Spaulding's summit at around 13,700 ft. As you can see, it was difficult to find some tundra to look at but we managed to check some out lower down.

Over the course of the last week the snow has melted considerably. Over the course of the weeks time frame that I was up there, more and more blooms were visible (Sky Pilots, Alpine Phlox, Alpine Avens and Spring Blossom just to name a few) today we were even able to identify some alpine Forget-Me-Nots!! (I think the smell like scratch and sniff Blueberries!) The blooms seem to be blooming slightly late this year in this part of the high-country but with these warm temps, they will all be out in no time. Stay tuned for more Peak Steward Updates!!

-BW

A Classic Weather Weekend in the High-Country but None-the-Less...the Season Begins!

About half way through last week I started watching the weather forecasts for the weekend. The Final Peak Steward Training was scheduled to take place on Saturday in Alma and on Sunday on Mounts Lincoln, Democrat, and at the base of Bross. Sure enough, following our brutally and uncharacteristically hot weather last week, came a cold front that dropped quite a few inches of snow in the high-country (and even a funnel cloud in "Cloud City").

Forecast for Saturday: 40's in Alma with consistent rain and snow in the mix...Forecast for Sunday: snow all day in town (10,800 feet) and highs in the 30's; not to mention the fact that the training on Sunday would have started at the Kite Lake trailhead and most of it would have taken place around 12,500 feet.

Needless to say, I became anxious that part of this training could potentially be weathered out. But then I started thinking: I have basically conducted the 7 previous trainings this year with the intent of meeting up with the new recruits toward the end of this month in the field to cover alpine ecology, erosion identification, and reiterate important criteria from the first day of training. So if the new recruits from this weekend had to do the same...so be it. The Peak Steward Training in Alma was designed to be similar to our traditional 2-day training with the field day on Sunday immediately following Saturday's classroom sessions. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we did cancel Sunday's sessions and those new recruits will now have to make up that field day in the next couple weeks.

26 folks total showed up for the training on Saturday. 15 of these individuals were completely new to CFI's Peak Steward Program (bringing our total number of NEW recruits to 79 for 2010), 4 were CFI crew members that will be acting as education specialists and 7 were returning Peak Stewards - An outstanding and very fun group to interact with!!

Besides the typical portions of the training such as reviewing the history of outdoor recreation and adventure tourism, teaching 14er specific Leave No Trace, and learning how to use the "Authority of the Resource", representatives were also present from the Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety to cover mine hazards and terminology and the United States Forest Service to talk about land management and the relationship between non-profits like CFI and the Federal Agency. We were very luck to have Craig (mining) and Kim (USFS) attend and share their knowledge to the Peak Stewards. We also had members from MRHI (Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative) to chat with us about specific private property issues concerning Alma's local peaks (Lincoln Democrat Bross and Cameron).

Today also marks our first official Peak Steward day for 2010. Dan Haskell drove out the Maroon Bells this morning and will be camped out through Saturday counting and educating visitors on LNT and informing them on CFI and ways that they can become involved!

- BW

2010 Season's Start

Yep...Its going to be another record breaking year for Peak Steward activity on Colorado's 14ers!!

Brian Wallace here - Education and Outreach Coordinator for CFI - I've been hard at work recruiting and training a whole new wave of Peak Stewards that are getting really excited for this season. Let me bring you up to speed: I have conducted 7 trainings so far this winter and spring. They began in January with a training in Lakewood, there were two trainings in March (one in Boulder and one in Golden), 3 trainings in April (Fort Collins, Leadville, and Salida) and i just had one last Saturday in Glenwood.

Just for a little perspective, a typical Peak Steward Season consists of one 2-day training in the middle of June that, last year, maxed out at around 35 participants (almost doubling the size of ANY previous training). Those individuals proved to be incredibly dedicated volunteers who gave 140 collective volunteer days on the 14ers, counting visitors and advocating for ethical travel on the delicate alpine ecosystems (more than doubling any of the biggest prior years activity!!) The majority of those volunteers have already expressed their excitement to be involved again CFI is totally appreciative of their commitment!

So back to this season...throughout the 7 trainings so far I have managed to recruit and train 64 NEW Peak Stewards and still have the big training in Alma to go. If all goes as planned, we could have around 100 committed individuals volunteering as Peak Stewards this summer!! If everyone volunteers their requested 4 days, we could be looking at 400 volunteer Peak Steward days by the end of the season.

The really important thing to consider here is that we could be tripling (or more) CFI's presence on the mountains...we'll be able to get a more accurate account of visitor use, help educate many more visitors on alpine LNT practices, and hopefully turn more folks on to ways they can become involved with CFI!

The next training is in Alma and Mounts Lincoln, Democrat, and Bross (not on the summit though) on June 12-13. Contact me for details and to register!

Throughout the season there will be multiple contributors to this blog. They will be the dedicated Peak Steward volunteers mentioned above as well as myself...stay tuned for our stories, experiences, and the "ART" of 14er education!

-BW
brian@14ers.org

When is 151 guests intimate?

Sunday, 7:00 am., Buckskin Gulch- -Saturday I visited with over 200 trail users in my 6-1/2-hours at the trail-head of LCD (Lincoln, Cameron, Democrat- -I’ve purposely omitted Bross). That number of guests has become the norm at Kite Lake on weekends.

It had snowed on Friday night. Yesterday 5 people turned back because of the hazardous conditions. This morning it was clear and all but the most tenacious of the previous days snow clung to the peak of Mt. Democrat as it came into view. What a perfect day to summit.

As I rounded the now familiar lower switchback, before the trail-head at Kite Lake, I was awe struck. I was doing my beginning car count of the overflow parking when I saw something I hadn’t seen since I began stewarding here. There were no vehicles parked there!!!

As I neared the Fee Zone I could see that there were open parking spaces, another first! Typically when I arrive at 7:00 am I have to unload my stuff and then find a place to park. Several times I’ve had to double-park. Then when the driver of the other vehicle shows up I trade places with them. I won’t be having to do that today.

Yesterday the atmosphere at the trail-head was almost frantic; work crews gearing up for the trail restoration project, dogs off leash, hikers looking at the snow covered peaks wondering if today was the right day, well prepared hard-core hikers pushing past those that were hesitant to get to the goods. Today the air was calm- -almost mellow.

Everyone that stopped by the information table today didn’t seem to be in a hurry like yesterday. Not everyone ascending stopped, but those that did stop seemed to have a little more time today than the folks yesterday. There didn’t seem to be one great wave of hikers all leaving at once. Folks leaving this morning seemed to space themselves out more evenly.

As I did my end of day car count the number of cars had increased from when I arrived this morning. That too was odd, typically when I leave there are fewer cars than when I arrive. When recording the number I had to remember there weren’t any vehicles this morning at the lower switchbacks.

When I got home I added up the number of hikers I had recorded. I knew there weren’t as many as yesterday. Yesterday I had used three log sheets and today I hadn’t even completed two. I figured that there were probably 75 to 100 folks that I had recorded today. When I did the math I got 151 guests!

Who knew that 151 trail users over 5-hours would feel like a mellow pace, allowing people to have a more intimate experience with nature. The difference between yesterday and today was less than 50 users over almost the same amount of time. Imagine how much better the experience would be with even fewer users.

Realistically the numbers aren’t going to decrease. But after yesterday 151 almost seemed intimate.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

SNOW!!! or Sorry, Summer was last weekend

August 1, 2009...
SNOW! As a ski instructor it’s what I live for. As a hiker it has meant unfulfilled attempts at a summits for me personally.

When driving up Buckskin Gulch there is a point in the road where Mt. Democrat comes into view. When I reached that point this morning I looked up and saw the peak blanketed in the white fluffy stuff I crave. The whole range had been hit last night and covered in snow.

I set up my information table and began to count the folks braving the conditions. As folks stopped by I told them to be careful. With the snow covering the scree there was a serious danger of slipping and falling.

Most people were prepared for the arctic conditions that awaited them at the summits. Some were not. The folks that I visited with and advised them of the frigid conditions for the most part heeded my advice. But like everything else in life some just thanked me for my concern and naively trundled off.

After about an hour the first of the people that I talked to about being unprepared began to file back to the trail-head. The first folks back I had not talked to as they went up but they decided that today was not the day to bag these peaks.

As I was talking with the folks that turned back on their own another group of unprepared folks came up to the table. I asked the folks that had returned to explain to the folks that were about to ascent what the conditions were like when they turned around.

“Slippery, cold and dangerous” was their reply. The folks that were about to ascend took stock of what they had, listened to the folks that came back and decided that maybe today was not the day to summit these peaks.

At that same time another couple came by and told the same story of harsh conditions on the ascent to the saddle. The guy, of the two that just returned said that the rocks were glazed and that he fell four times before deciding to turnaround.

The peer to peer encounter was more effective than my explanation of the conditions they were about to encounter.

Luckily, just behind the pit toilets is the trail to Emma Lake. I pointed out this option and many of the people that weren’t willing to brave the conditions to summit took this option and still enjoyed their outdoor experience.

Along with the usual crush of hikers and dogs the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) was continuing the trail restoration project on the skirt of Mt. Bross. It was great to be able to show the trail users how much time and effort is going into the maintenance of the trails.

More than a few folks wanted to know how to volunteer not only at LCD (Lincoln, Cameron, Democrat) but other trail projects around the state. I gave them LNT cards with CFI info and told them about the links to other sites.

Again, the overall response from the hikers, both ascending and descending was of surprise over the private ownership of these peaks. Today I encountered more people than usual that when informed that the summit of Mt. Bross was officially closed responded by saying, “Well I summited Bross anyway, what are you going to do about it?”

My response was of congratulations on completing the loop and letting them know that more than anywhere else in Colorado their actions are being scrutinized and have a direct effect on the access of these peaks.

I used the analogy of when you get your drivers license you are told to come to a complete stop at all stop signs but that people blow through them all the time. What is being asked of the users is to do the right thing and stop at all the stop signs or please respect the land owners wishes and not summit Mt. Bross this season and if all goes right with the land owners Mt. Bross will be officially open next season.

When presented with this line of reasoning almost all people understood and were left to decide for themselves. Hopefully when presented with the stop sign they would do the right thing. There were a few that tried to justify their "running the stop sign” by saying that no one was going to keep them from summiting. Giving the impression that it was their right to trespass.

When confronted with the “it’s my right” argument I turned the discussion to the fact that there is still gold and sliver ore located in these mining claims. I explained that if the price of those commodities rises to the point of being profitable the mine owners can begin extraction and then these peaks might be fenced off and patrolled.

When presented with a realistic mining scenario of closure those that previously asserted their right to summit had a better understanding of the fragility not only of the ecological climate but of the political climate.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

Lots ‘O cars, people and dogs

Went up to Kite Lake on both Saturday and Sunday, July 25 & 26.

I set up an information table at the north-west corner of the parking lot where the trail exits toward Democrat. Had LNT cards, info signs (thanks Byron and Saya), and maps that did and didn’t show the mining claims.

Lots ‘O cars, people and dogs; both on and off leash. I visited with the owners of the off leash dogs and let them know that the reason the CFI supports the USFS regulation that dogs be on a leash is because there are several open mine shafts less than 50’ off the trail. It would be terrible to go up with your dog and come back with an empty leash. That’s why the CFI also asks folks to not wander off the trail. The dogs were leashed and some folks asked more questions.

The biggest surprise to folks was to find out that these peaks: Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron and Bross are all privately held mining claims and that they’ll be hiking on private property.

The most FAQ was: “How do you own a fourteener?”

I answered that back in the 1860’s - 1870’s these were mining claims to be exploited for profit. The concept of recreational use was not considered. These were mining claims that happened to be at 14,000-feet. Because they are Patented mining claims, if the price of gold or silver goes up enough, these claims could be reactivate and mining resume. The CFI is currently working with the other mine owners to officially allow people to summit Cameron and Bross. Leting them know that their actions today have a direct impact on the future access to these peaks.

I found out that there is a lot of conflicting informat out there regarding the access of Cameron and Bross. Many people came up to the table with guide books, maps and descriptions from the internet. Few, if any, of these sources mentioned the current closure of the summits of Cameron and Bross, or showed the boundaries of the mining claims. All of the people that stopped by the table walked away with a greater understanding of the current situation.

On Saturday I recorded 102 vehicles both in and outside of the fee zone when I arrived at 7:00 am.On Sunday there were 71. There were at least a dozen tents set up on the tundra adjacent to the trail-head on both mornings with more tents set up below the fee zone.

Several people commented on the volume of users. I responded by saying that the perception of the ascent of Democrat is it’s the easy fourteener. One of the guide books shown to me characterized the ascent of Democrat as a “training fourteener.” One web page said it was a “...‘beginner’ fourteener. In addition to the perception of being an easy fourteener all of the sources sited the fact that you can bag four in one day, further complicating the land access issue.

The volume of users is bordering on the ridiculous. On Saturday there was a group of 18. They split up into three groups. On Sunday there was an organization called The Band Of Brothers with 80 members on the trail. They did follow LNT principles and break up into groups of 6 or less. But that was in addition to the other more than 110 users I had documented.

These peaks are now seeing more use than ever. It feels great to get out and spread the word through direct contact and education to let folks know how fragile the access and the environment are at 14,000-feet.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

Windy Day on LDB

Murray and I were up on LDB Saturday July 18, 2009. Very windy which made contacts difficult. Arrived at the TH at 5:20am. There were 55 cars and 14 tents!! I personally counted 169 people between the TH and after I descended Democrat to the saddle. At that point I stopped counting because I couldn't tell who I had already counted after heading towards Lincoln.

I met a father and son on Unicycles! on the summit of Democrat. Talked with the father about staying on the trail to avoid damage. However, I don't think they were actually able to use them much. Too rocky and windy. Also saw but did not contact two guys with Mountain bikes. Similar story, too rocky and windy to use them much from what I could see.

I counted 18 dogs and was pleasantly surprised that the majority were leashed. Murray had some great contacts on Bross and many diverted from the summit in response to the information he provided about the current circumstances with the summit being closed. CFI was doing trailwork on the Bross trail. There were approximately 60 volunteers doing the trail work. Murray and I left at 12:15pm. There were over 150 cars parked from the TH down the road. With the trail maintenance going on Bross it made for an exceptional number of cars.

Randy Martin

Picture from Summit of Lincoln


Picture of Unicyclist on Democrat Summit