Working in Colorado

One of the best things about being on detail on another Forest is the ability to focus on just one project. Like most folks, I am faced at work with constantly shifting priorities & often left juggling several projects at one time. While I was working on the Arapahoe - Roosevelt I only had one responsibility: ensure contractor compliance with the construction drawings & specifications. 

Sounds pretty black & white, right? 

Then you have obviously not dealt with a Gov't contract before!

First, a little more background on the contract: As I mentioned in a  previous post, the original construction was scheduled for September of 2012. After delays due to wildfires, floods & the government shutdown of 2013, the contractor was more than ready to get this project started when I arrived in September 2014. 

The primary purpose of the project was to replace two small culverts located on Sheep Creek with larger bottomless arches to remove barriers for fish passage, specifically native greenback cutthroat trout. When fish cannot migrate up or down a stream the populations tend to get fragmented & isolated, which can imperil the genetic diversity & continuity of the species. 

Sheep Creek

This project had other complications besides just schedule delays. Located at 10,000 feet elevation, Sheep Creek is a sub alpine stream adjacent to the Comanche Peak Wilderness. Colorado Fish & Wildlife regulations restricted any stream disturbance activities to the months of September & October only. And did I forget to mention that muzzleloader season for deer/elk/moose begins September 11th? And that the road I was going to close provided the only access to the wilderness? Makes you wonder why I signed up for this!

Good thing I like a challenge.

The subcontractor for the job was a real cowboy contractor. And I mean that in the true western sense, not that they wore cowboy hats & line danced. They brought one of the oldest excavators I have ever seen in working condition to this job. It reminded me of the old steam shovels for some reason. Maybe because the bucket was so big.

 Or maybe it has something to do with the way they kept repairing it with bungee cords & baling wire.

It got the job done though! Excavation to remove the old culvert & construct the footings for the new steel arch was completed very quickly. Which was a good thing, because these guys did nothing else the easy way. As a matter of fact, if there was a more difficult way to take on a task, they somehow managed to find it.

Luckily the weather held pretty good & they were soon placing the concrete footings that would support the steel arch.

Since the primary purpose of this project was to eliminate barriers to fish passage, the next step was to "construct" a more natural stream bed under the culvert. I found this to be almost a bit more of an art than a science! But with the help of the local fish biologist, I think we got pretty good results:

The actually assembly of the steel arch was not complicated at all & now the project was starting to really show some progress.

After a good bit of backfilling & compacting of material, but within 3 weeks of my arrival, we had a completed project at the West Fork of Sheep Creek. One down, one to go!

Now it was time to start on the East Fork project & this is where I really had fun! As part of the project we needed to move any existing trout below the construction site to a reach above the site so they would not be impacted by any potential sedimentation. A small net stretched across the stream would ensure that they did not enter the construction area either. The method to do this involves electrofishing, which is a commonly used method for sampling fish populations. The fish are briefly stunned by electricity, but are unharmed & return to their normal activities pretty quickly.

I assisted the fish biologist by basically carrying a 5 gallon bucket & walking along the bank while watching for fish. You can only imaging my excitement when we found one. And it even turned out to be a greenback cutthroat trout!

What a beautiful fish!

Poor little guy was pretty stunned for a little while, so we kept him in the running stream for a time to keep water flowing through his gills. Then we measured him (by his size he was about 3 years old) & took him upstream to his new home in a nice little pool with lots of woody debris & shadows. He immediately took off to hide under a small log across the channel, so I knew he was fully recovered!

A little more on the native greenback cutthroat trout of Colorado: By 1937 they were thought to be extinct until a population was discovered in the South Platte basin in the 50's. This started an aggressive conservation/recovery plan & they were eventually moved from the Endangered list to Threatened Species. In 1996 they were designated as the official State fish of Colorado. Pretty cool, huh?


Is it any wonder that I love my job?

Week #2-1/2 in Colorado!

Survived (ENJOYED!) another week here!

And it has been a busy one....the project is going really well (hope I didn't just jinx it!) & we have even had a little snow! I also felt acclimated enough to take on some trails at Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend. I won't post too many of those photos here - I think the Park deserves a blog post of it's own. Mainly because I took so many photos I need to take some time to sort them all out.....

So, as a continuation of last weeks post of things I have missed here in Colorado:

#6 = Sunshine & blue skies!

No matter how cold it seems to get here, it's a good bet that the sun is still shining. Perhaps it is the lack of humidity, but even on a "hazy" day here the air is clear. My moods are very susceptible to the weather & too many days of rain do have an effect. Same way all these days of sunshine seem to make me very happy!

#7 = Wildlife!

So far I have seen the largest variety of animals I can remember, some for the first time ever. A few of the notable firsts......

A moose! I never realized how big they really are....

My first pika! These guys are just too cute
Looks like a cross between a mouse & a rabbit?

Marmot!

#8 = Wildflowers & trees!

It's a good change of pace to be back in Doug Fir & Lodegepole/Ponderosa Pine country. I left my Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains book back in TN, so I have not been able to figure out all the summer wildflowers, but I still enjoy seeing them. And the ASPENS! I am here at the perfect time to watch them change.

  

#9 = BEER!


I know I already mentioned beer in my last post, but really, there are just too many cool breweries located in Fort Collins for it to not get mentioned twice. 

Of course New Belgium was my favorite - so much that I took the brewery tour twice! I learned to play Rolle Bolle & got my first taste of 'sour' beer - another new favorite for me.

Loved the artwork & Space Ghost IPA at Equinox Brewing

 

Checking out the tanks at

Fort Collins Brewing

Really liked O'Dells IPA

Really really really wish they distributed to east coast!

Busted!

Now, just so you don't think I have been out here the past few weeks just playing, next post will be about some actual work being done!

Week #1 in Colorado!

I realize it has been wayyyyyyy too long since I have posted anything here, but in my defense I have several drafts just taking up space in the draft folder & I have been pretty busy! Now that I am in Colorado for a 3 week detail, I find I have extra time on my hands so I hope to get back in the routine of writing some of the fun stuff I do down.

This detail came together right at the last minute - right until I booked my flights I was unsure it would really happen. It turns out the Arapahoe - Roosevelt Nat'l Forest has an outstanding contract to install 2 large bottomless arch culverts to allow fish passage for native cutthroat trout on Sheep Creek near Fort Collins, CO. The contract was delayed in 2012 by the High Park Fire, which also was the 3rd largest wildfire in Colorado history at +87k acres burned. Then the floods of 2013 stopped the project again right at the time we (as gov't employees) were furloughed.

So what's up this year? Locusts? Frogs?

Regardless, the forest has had several retirements & has a lack of folks available to administer the contract. And that's where I come in.

I have to say it's really nice to only be working on one project!

So, I flew out here to Fort Collins last Wednesday & have been acclimating ever since. I lived in southern Colorado 6 years ago and it's been really great coming back. So in the past few days,  here's a few things I have found that I truly missed about being out west:


#1 = Hatch green chiles! 

I really think I could eat my weight in these little green bites of goodness. And if there is any smell more heavenly than a box of these in a big propane fired roaster, I don't want to know what it is.

I am still trying to figure out a way to freeze some & send them back home to TN. Think I can smuggle a few bags in my carry on?




#2 = Wide open spaces!

I know some folks struggle with being able to see so far, but I like the clarity of the air that allows me views like this. Plus the smells! I can't remember if it's sweetgrass or sage, but its almost as good as roasted Hatch chiles.....

#3 = Bike friendly!

I can't help but be surprised at the number of bike lanes here in Fort Collins. The Forest Service office even has a "bike shed" to store your bike in while at work (plus a loaner bike for us visitors!).

All the local stores have bike racks & you can take your bike on the bus or other forms of public transport. There are enough bike trails to successfully navigate across town in any direction without even having to get on a  public street. And if that's not enough, they even have a bike library where you can "check out" a bike for the day! How cool is that?

And here in Fort Collins I actually saw a car making a right turn wait for a bicyclist to pass through the intersection before proceeding. Huh?

#4 = Good beer!

So many choices, so little time.....

#5 = Sunflowers

These flowers have always been my favorite & I always loved how they popped up everywhere when I lived here. Warning: Lots of photos!

There's so much more I could go into but I will save a little for week #2. I will say I remember it's dry out here but I cannot keep enough lotion & eye drops at hand! Plus, SPF 30 sunblock doesn't even begin to keep the sun off. I am just hoping I don't look or feel like beef jerky by the time I get back!

I'll close out with a few of my favorite photos  from the Fort Collins area.....Enjoy!

Cache la Poudre River

Dixon Reservoir in Pineridge Natural Area

Prairie Dogs!

Pineridge Natural Area

Foothills Trail

Goats do roam!

"The life of a goat herder is easy, the goats take care of themselves."

Eddie Murphy, Coming to America, 1988

Although 2014 is the 7th year the goats have been on the Roan Highlands, it was only my second time being lucky enough to assist in "herding" them to their summer home. And, for the record, it is alot easier than herding cats!

2014 - And they're off!

I am not a botanist, so I cannot explain the purpose & science behind this endeavor as well as the people who developed it, but in a few words, here goes: This volunteer based project was basically created to try to help preserve the grassy balds of the Roan Highlands here in TN/NC. While there are many theories concerning the development and age of these balds, the fact is that this area remains an important habitat for many rare species of plants such as the Grays Lily and  Bent & Spreading Avens. The purpose of this project is to attempt to restore the diversity & growth of these plants through use of grazing animals. One of the primary invasive plants on the balds is blackberry, which also happens to be a favorite food of goats.

And did I mention that the "kids" are crazy cute?

2013 - Taking a break on the climb up

The majority of the goats used for this project are Angoras, which are known for their fiber. You can even purchase yarn spun with their mohair! 

2013 - Baxter at Round Bald

The "lead" goat herder (Jamey) camps out with the goats during the season - although they do ask for volunteers to help out on the weekends. The other protectors of the goats have been a series of very large dogs of the Pyrenees persuasion. The original dogs were littermates Bean & Baxter. I never met Bean, but I was introduced to Baxter last year as he was mentoring the new dog. Unfortunately, this year Bigdog will be on his own as Baxter was hit by a car the week before we took the goats up. Sigh...... He will be missed.

2014 - Lyndsey gets to meet Bigdog

Truth be said, there is really not much to "herding" the goats to the top - they pretty much know the way! Since they are put on a grain diet to prevent any invasive plant seeds from reaching the fragile balds, they are quite starved for greens & sometimes have to be encouraged to keep moving. The hardest part for the goats & the herders is heading straight up the side of Round Bald. Between the steepness & the tall grass, this is typically where we get stragglers of both kinds!

2014 - Heading up to Round Bald

Once we hit the top we then follow the AT - trail north. The goats are typically  kept in temporary movable paddocks at Janes Bald & along Grassy Ridge. We stayed back with this mama & her kid, who were struggling coming up though the tall wet grass. Once they hit the trail, though, they kicked it into high gear to try to catch the rest of the flock.

2014 - The last stragglers

2014 - Everyone present & accounted for!

While the weather was a little bit cool, misty & rainy this year, there was still a good turnout of volunteers & no goats were left behind!

Overall I feel like this is a very worthwhile endeavor & hope it continues in the future. The Baatany Project is always in need of assistance & support can be provided in a variety of ways: You can "adopt" a goat for a month or a summer, help pay Bigdog's kibble & vet bill, help carry food and/or water up, or even purchase a hand knitted hat made from the hair of the Roan Goats!

Check out www.baatany.org to get the whole story. 

Now I just can't help myself - gotta end this with some of my favorite goat photos!

2013 - Not a bad place to spend the summer

2014 - My buddy Harold finally gets to check "goat herding" off his bucket list

2014 - Lyndsey really enjoyed it as well

2014 - Mama! Wait up!

2013 - Hiding in the paddock

26.2 Miles Through History...and 3 states!

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

Not sure who to attribute this quote to. After extensive research (i.e. I Googled it), I discovered it may be anything from a Buddhist proverb to a quote by Haruki Murakami in one of my favorite books, "What I talk about when I talk about Running." Regardless, it crossed my mind a few times this past weekend while I was 'running' marathon #27 - the inaugural Cumberland Gap Ridge Trail Marathon. 

I went back & forth about signing up for this race. I get a little nervous thinking about any first-time run after the challenges of my first 50 miler when the incompetent race director left us few participants out on the course without any aid. But the race was fairly close & the venue - Cumberland Gap National Historic Park - was a site I had not been to yet. Plus, based on the course description, how hard could it be?

Course Description 
               This challenging first time event will start at the Civic Park in Ewing, VA with participants running up Ewing/White Rocks Trail to the Ridge gaining 1500ft of elevation in the first 3 miles. Runners then connect and continue on the entire Ridge Trail running the length of the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. While on the Ridge Trail runners will pass by Historic Hensley Settlement and have several spectacular views looking off the ridge. The trail along the ridge does have constant "rolling hills" with an overall elevation drop of 1100 Ft over the 16.5 mile length of the Ridge Trail. Once at the Pinnacle Parking lot runners will head down the trail losing 800 Ft in just 2 miles. Towards the bottom of these downhill miles runners will pass over the Historic Cumberland Gap and continue on off the Iron Furnace trail into the town of Cumberland Gap. Once in town runners will get a brief view of the finish line as they run to connect to the Lincoln Memorial University campus trails located on the edge of Cumberland Gap. This trail will have a steady 1 mile climb up to the main connection of trails behind LMU campus. Once on the main trail runners will have a nice descent coming off the trail and connecting to the final 2 miles of running to the finish along the Harrogate City Greenway back to the Town of Cumberland Gap.

Maybe my first warning this was going to be a tough day was when I was riding in the shuttle to the start. We all were watching the ridge to our north. Hmmm....that doesn't look very "rolling" to me! Maybe I should have studied that profile a little better? Nah! I am a runner! And I am a strong hiker! Little did I know how much that would come into play later in the day....



Here's how I broke the course up in my mind: First 3 miles - uphill all the way = high suck factor. Next 16.5 miles on the Ridge Trail - rolling hills = coast. Next 1 mile downhill - painful, but gravity is my friend! Last 6.5 miles - asphalt & a hill = moderate suck factor. My plan was to suck it up for the first 3 miles & then pretty much enjoy the rest of the run.

I quietly took my place at the back of the pack - it was rather funny as several of us were jockeying for the DFL position. Lots of nervous chatter & gossip. "I hiked this last week with my wife & she dropped from the race because there was no way she wanted to run 23 miles after this first 3." "I'm starting here in the back because no way am I gonna run any of this uphill because it's so steep."

Uh oh

Did I mention I did not really study the elevation profile?

The race directors did not exaggerate. The first 3 miles were tough! All of us back of the packers started out at a fast trot but after a couple of minutes we were all forced to stop as we funneled onto the trail. Not that I heard anyone complain! Now's when all my hikes chasing after Brian (I truly believe he has no idea how fast he hikes) really paid off. I wasn't pushing myself but I was passing people! Younger, skinnier, fitter looking people!

Hmmm....maybe this won't be that bad. I will say I was suprised at how many people were so negative about the hill. It was deceptive in that it did not look that steep but it was unrelenting. I trudged to the top in a blazing time of 50 minutes, but wasn't too worried as now my reward was the 16.5 miles of "rolling" hills.

And it was amazingly awesome! Long gentle downhill....not too rocky for a horse trail & nice views off the ridge. I can almost hear Chariots of Fire playing in the background as I float along....a cool breeze blowing through my hair..... Then....what's this? Another  #$%@! steep ass hill?!? As I begin my trudge up the hill I catch up with a runner who lives nearby & trains here. He cheerfully tells me he is taking it easy because there are alot more of these steep climbs before we hit the end.

Guess it's time to revise my definition of "rolling".

By the time I hit the 2nd aid station at mile 7.5 I am just a little under 2 hours. WTF? 4.5 miles in a hour?

Guess it's time to revise my goal of under 6 hours 

to "Hope I don't need the whole 8 hours."

There were other things I underestimated besides just the difficulty of the course. The bugs were awful! Not just gnats but giant mosquitoes that sounded like hummingbirds when they buzzed you! They did provide great motivation to keep moving. And the heat was a big factor, especially at the end. Despite this, I found I really enjoyed what the ridge trail threw at me. Just when I thought I could not stand another hill I would get a great half mile descent on pine needle surfaced paths. Or running the few rolling hills that did exist only to hit such a steep rocky plunge that you had to walk it or go careening off the ridge. It was never boring! 




Eventually I reached the last aid station on the Ridge Trail at Pinnacle parking area. Here I was finally able to get a good photo from the overlook:

Okay, now it's all downhill from here! And it was - steep downhill in full sun! Luckily it was not too far as my ankles were really feeling the rocks from the trail. And I felt like I really couldn't complain when the volunteers, including some local National Guard folks, were having to sit out in the sun all day just so we runners would know what way to go. Hit the bottom at just a little over 5 hours.Only 5 miles left.... I got this! Hmmm...maybe I can get close to 6 hours? Obviously the heat was making me delirious!

A little asphalt & then we dive into the woods on a nice little singletrack. Unfortunately the trail is so outsloped it is difficult to run on.And then I hit the last hill. Remember from the course description the gradual 1 mile climb? And did I say hill? NO, it was surely a mountain. And here's where my wheels fell off. There had been some severe storms the week before & numerous trees had fallen, many across the trail. Now, not only am I climbing uphill but I am also climbing over & around blowdowns. I also got to see my only snake on the trail. I was so tired I didn't even care!

Finally I "summitted" the "mountain" & started my slow descent back to town. Really couldn't complain too much. I caught up with a young guy from Blacksburg who was not having a good day. His friend had convinced him to do this run as his first marathon. Some friend, right?

I hit the last aid station & was so disappointed to hear I still had 2 miles to go. In full sun. On asphalt & concrete sidewalks. Woohoo.  There was one highlight along the way - along the greenway we went through a pretty cool tunnel. Literally a 60 degree tunnel! It was hard to leave but now I could see the light at the end of the tunnel:

Once out the tunnel it was a short uphill through town to the finish. I was so glad to see that banner! I think I even managed to still look like I was running? My finish time was a slow 6:35:57. Not my worst marathon but well slower than I anticipated. I was surprised to find I finished #54 out of 81 finishers (102 originally signed up). And I was really surprised to place 3rd in my age group! 


Overall I feel pretty good about the run - the course was extremely challenging but the race directors & volunteers did an outstanding job. From coordinating the shuttle to providing exceptional aid stations to cool North Face wicking shirts to the local handmade pottery awards, I can not praise this event enough.


So where do I sign up for next year?