G.A.P. application deadline is July 15

Grand Foundation’s G.A.P. Fund supports Grand County Youth by providing financial assistance with participation fees for non academic activities. Applicants can request assistance with Camp Fees, Sports Club dues, participation dues, Rec. District programs, etc. Must be a full-time resident Grand County youth between the ages of birth and 18 years of age to apply. Head to https://buff.ly/2NEgqwc to fill out an application.

Join HTA this weekend and stay at the Hi-Lonesome Hut for FREE!

Headwaters Trails Alliance will be working on the Strawberry Trail, adjacent to the hut. This will be a fun backcountry experience with living comforts of the hut (solar generated electricity, a stove, hot and cold running water, and indoor toilet). There is also camping available at the hut, if preferred.

There will be several different trail improvement opportunities for volunteers to work on including a turnpike installment, vegetation removal along the trail, and trail tread improvements on a new constructed stretch of trail near the hut.

We will arrive to the hut on Friday afternoon for project prep and set-up (tools and equipment will be staged at the work site. Bring your bike to bike to the hut and to check out the trails near the project! We will be carpooling people to the hut between 4 and 6pm on Friday July 13th. Please contact HTA to coordinate a pick-up. We will start work at 8am from the hut on Saturday and work until about 4pm (weather depending). Sunday we will work from 8am until about 3pm.

Bring your meals and personal gear for 2 days. There is running potable water and flushable toilets available. Tools, hard hats, and gloves are available and coffee, and limited refreshments for after will be provided by HTA. Please be ready with eye protection (sunglasses or glasses are fine), closed toe working shoes, and long pants for the each work day.

For further details, directions and to sign up, contact HTA by email: gcadoptatrail@gmail.com or call (970) 726-1013.

Trout Unlimited needs help with stocking

Volunteers are needed to help release native Greenback Trout on July 16 & July 18. Sign up for one or both days here: https://coloradotu.org/volunteer

Grand Nordic receives grant funds

Exciting News! Grand Nordic’s effort to support and grow opportunities for young Nordic skiers in Grand County received a significant boost this month, thanks to a $3,000 grant from The Grand Foundation. The grant will help fund new equipment for preschool and elementary school “Learn to Ski” programs, much-needed upgrades for the East Grand Middle School ski inventory, and additional high school uniforms to support a growing team. In addition, Grand Foundation’s support will provide more scholarship funds for local high school Nordic athletes to assist with costs of program fees, racing fees and equipment. Visit grandnordic.org to learn more.

Granby’s Shorefox fishing permits available online

The Town of Granby has permits for fishing the Colorado River on the Granby Trails parcel available online. Note that each individual angler must secure and pay for their own reservation.  Violators may be ticketed. To reserve your permit and for more information, visit: activityreg.com.

Vendor spaces available for FREE at Fraser MTB Festival

Any creative types interested in FREE exhibit space in the artist village during the Fraser MTB Festival, July 27-29, can contact the Town of Fraser to reserve a free space. The Town seeks to feature as many Grand County local artisans as possible. FREE space, bring your own pop-up tent and your art! Call (970) 726-5491 to reserve your space.

CPW investigates the poaching of two mountain goats on Quandary Peak; up to $5,000 reward offered for information
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is asking for the public’s help in collecting information related to two mountain goats that were shot and found dead on July 3, approximately 2.8 miles up the Quandary Peak Trail.

On July 3 at approximately 3:30 p.m., two young male “billy” mountain goats, estimated to be between 1-2 years old, were shot and killed just over a half mile from the summit of Quandary Peak. The mountain goats were shot in the head with a pistol at close range. Wildlife Officers ask anyone that was hiking to or from the summit on Tuesday afternoon to report any suspicious activity.

“We ask that anyone who was near the summit of Quandary Peak Tuesday help us locate those responsible for this egregious poaching,” said Tom Davies, District Wildlife Manager with CPW. “Killing a mountain goat in this manner is a felony, and these poachers can face jail time, license suspensions and fines that can reach over $20,000 per animal.”

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest or citation in this case. Anyone with information can call or email Operation Game Thief at 1-877-COLO-OGT or email: game.thief@state.co.us to report any information.  Callers or emailers may remain anonymous if they choose.
“Quandary Peak is a well-traveled, popular 14er, and we hope someone active on the trail during a busy holiday week can help us find the party or parties responsible,” said Davies.  

Penalties for this crime are covered under C.R.S. 33-6-109, Wildlife–illegal possession. For more information on CPW regulations or stopping poachers, visit cpw.state.co.us.

BLM lands in Jackson County enter Stage 2 fire restrictions

Stage 2 fire restrictions began for Bureau of Land Management lands in Jackson County July 11. All BLM lands in Eagle, Grand and Summit counties are also under Stage 2 restrictions.

Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit:

Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, charcoal grill, coal, wood burning stove or sheepherders stove, including in developed camping and picnic grounds. Devices using pressurized liquid or gas are exempted;

Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer, building or tent;

Using an explosive requiring fuse or blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets and tracers or incendiary ammunition;

Operating a chainsaw without an approved spark arrestor, and without a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher and a round-point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches that is readily available for use;

Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame except with a current permit, contract or letter of authorization.

The use of fireworks, flares or other incendiary devices is always prohibited on federal lands.  

Fire restrictions will be in place until further notice. Those found responsible for starting wildfires will also face restitution costs of suppressing the fire.

Many other areas in Colorado are also under fire restrictions. For more information about fire restrictions, go to http://www.coemergency.com/p/fire-bans-danger.html.

Fire officials with the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit are urging the public to continue to be cautious as conditions continue to dry in northwestern Colorado.

Precautions people should take include avoiding parking in tall dry grass, or driving OHVs in areas where dry grass can be ignited by hot exhaust. It only takes one spark to start a wildfire – equipment should have working spark arresters and trailers should be inspected to ensure chains are not dragging.

Sugarloaf Fire Update

The Sugarloaf Fire started on Thursday, June 28, 2018 from a lightning strike near the South Fork of Darling Creek, just south of Byers Peak Wilderness. The area is rugged and steep, remote with no roads and no safety zones for firefighters. It is part of the Mountain Pine Beetle “bug kill” that devastated lodgepole pine forests 20 years ago in various parts of the Forest. The numerous dead trees still standing now present a particularly dangerous condition from extreme overhead hazards and high potential for sudden and unexpected tree fall. And lightning.

The fire is being managed by a Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Eric Stuart, and using a suppression strategy. The number one goal is to protect the public and firefighters, followed by protection of private and public property and infrastructure. The size of the fire is currently at 1,280 acres, with 86 personnel; 4 Engines; 1 Type-3 Helicopter; 1 Type-1 Helicopter assigned to the incident.

New crews arrived to start working on Thursday on the Sugarloaf Fire. A Type-1 hand crew, the Flathead Hotshots, will be working with the seven-person Black Hills Wildland Fire Module to start securing the northeast corner of the fires edge adjacent to Darling Creek. The Hotshot crew has 23 firefighters and, like the Black Hills crew, is experienced in fireline work in rugged terrain at higher altitudes.

All structure protection for the homes and mine infrastructure has been completed. Crews continue to patrol and test hoselays. Over 6,000 feet of hoselay is in place, and will remain so until the Sugarloaf Fire is no longer a threat.  20% of the perimeter of the Sugarloaf Fire is now contained. The fire is not immediately threatening homes or businesses.