Trail & Timberline On-line - September/October 1999: Club News

Trail & Timberline On-line — September-October, 1999

Return to the CMC home page.

Trail & Timberline features

Love in the CMC: how members of the Colorado Mountain Club found love and each other (tho' not in that order!)

Europe on a bicycle built for two

T&T departments:

CMC gains SCFD Tier II status

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District has certified the Colorado Mountain Club for Tier II Formula Funds, according to Alice White, chair of the State Funds Development Committee. SCFD took the action at its July board of directors meeting. The CMC is one of seventeen qualifying organizations.

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District was established in 1988 by the voters in metropolitan Denver to distribute funds generated by a sales tax, equaling one penny on a $10 purchase, within the six metro counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. SCFD tax moneys are available to support non-profit organizations and agencies of local government whose primary purpose is to provide for the enlightenment and entertainment of the public through production, exhibition, advancement, or preservation of art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history, or cultural history. In the last ten years, 330 non-profit organizations have received funding from SCFD, supporting thousands of programs and events that have been enjoyed by millions of people.

The CMC will receive $131,000 in Formula Funds from the district this year. White told club members that Tier II status brings with it benefits in addition to financial support. “By becoming a Tier II organization,” White says, “the club increases its stature and visibility in the community and will have significant collaborative and other opportunities.”

The infusion of money will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the club. The state council meeting in the spring of 1999 identified a number of objectives club leaders hope to attain. The additional money means they will become reality more quickly.

Look for more news about the SCFD grant in upcoming issues of Trail & Timberline.

Conservation pizza
and planning party

Employing the philosophy that if the mysterious allure of land management planning won’t get volunteers to show up, the pizza will, the Denver Conservation Committee hosted a pizza party this past July. The committee hoped to collect a number of trip leaders in a room to talk about the roads and trails in the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest. The Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest extends from Evergreen to the Eisenhower Tunnel in the east/west direction and from the Mt. Evans Wilderness to the Byers Peak Wilderness in the north/south direction.

The ranger district is soliciting comments from the public on issues relating to access—e.g., which roads and trails should be obliterated? Where should roads and trails be added to the system? Should timber roads automatically become off-highway vehicle (OHV) roads? Should snowmobiles be allowed to go anywhere they want whenever they want? Should certain areas be designated off limits to motorized travel or any type of travel?

Although, at first blush, this may not seem to be the most interesting stuff in the world, it really is important, especially to an organization like the CMC. The decisions that are made through this planning process will be in effect for the next ten to fifteen years. Moreover, travel management decisions affect not only recreationalists but also wildlife and plants. It is well documented that wildlife is impacted by all types of recreation, although the motorized variety is significantly more impacting than the non-motorized variety. For instance, snowmobiles compact air pockets in the snow that provide much-needed oxygen for small mammals. In addition, they increase the carbon monoxide levels below the snow, causing stress and, potentially, death to these animals. Recreationalists also impact vegetation since humans, whether hiking or on a vehicle, invariably import seeds of non-native plants in their clothes or on their vehicles. The non-native plants germinate along roads and trails and then spread, often wildly (see the July issue of Trail & Timberline for an in-depth discussion). As these weeds spread away from the roads, they compete with and sometimes overwhelm native plants. This may deprive wildlife, who often will only eat native plants, of their food sources.

With the assistance of the sixteen volunteers who generously offered their time (and their appetites), the CMC submitted comments to the Clear Creek Ranger District. This ad hoc CMC committee recommended that areas should be designated as non-motorized so that wildlife can have some peace and quiet. These areas should be, at a minimum, roadless areas, large and undisturbed tracts of intact habitat, migratory corridors, fragile tundra areas, and riparian zones. In addition, the CMC strongly suggested that the slated forty-nine per cent increase in OHV travelway miles should be reconsidered, given that only ten percent or so of all land users have at some point participated in motorized activities. Lastly, the CMC stressed the importance of planning a travel system instead of retrofitting a random selection of roads and trails that were often forged decades ago by miners or loggers.

The ranger district is also contemplating increasing the amount of motorized travel in the Henderson Mine area. As front range backcountry skiers know, this area is one of the best, easy-to-reach telemark areas in the state. The club suggested that the district designate the entire Henderson Mine area as non-motorized recreation (with the exception of Jones Pass) and instead increase motorized use in the Georgetown area (Waldorf and Argentine Pass areas). This area is full of old mining roads and is ideal for motorized recreation.

In the next year, several Forest Service Districts will be preparing travel management plans. The CMC, as a major user of federal lands and an organization dedicated to protecting Colorado’s natural resources, should be an active participant in the planning process. The CMC state office will contact Groups with the travel management planning schedules when they become available. Hopefully, Groups will host their own pizza parties so that their members, too, can have the opportunity to affect how their national forests are managed.

The District’s travel management process will continue through the next two years. A draft plan should be released for public comment in the summer or fall of 2000. When it is, CMC will be there to advocate for habitat protection, responsible recreation in appropriate locations, and more opportunities for non-motorized recreation. If you are interested in submitting comments as an individual, contact the Recreation Planner on Clear Creek Ranger District (303-567-2901). CMC’s comments are posted on the web at http://www.cmc.org/cmc/ conserve/tmp_7_99.html.

Comments sought regarding development of new state park

Colorado State Parks is in the initial stages of developing a master plan for Staunton State Park, a 3,500-acre park that will be developed near Conifer, off of U.S. Highway 285.

The park area features open meadows; forests of pine, spruce and fir; and massive rock formations. Water resources include tumbling creeks, the spectacular Elk Falls, and several small ponds. The area was first inhabited by ranchers and loggers in the Elk Creek Valley in the late 1800s.

Colorado Mountain Club members are encouraged to identify potential recreational activities and visitor needs as well as recommendations for resource protection.

“This is an opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to be part of the ground floor in designing a park,” Laurie Mathews, Colorado State Parks Director, said. “Are there certain outdoor recreation needs along the Front Range that this park might meet? Are there resource protection issues that you want our design team to consider?”

Comments may be directed to the Staunton Project Team at Colorado State Parks at 13787 South Highway 85, Littleton, Colorado 80125.

CMC Press looking for volunteers

Do you work in the publications field or have knowledge about the book business or simply have a love for outdoor books? The State Publications Committee will be starting up several publications projects next year and is looking for volunteers to help on their steering committee. This committee will monitor the progress on three ongoing projects and develop plans to start new projects for CMC’s new book publishing program, the CMC Press.

Anticipated start-ups include hiking and climbing guides, educational books on ecology and conservation and a calendar. In addition, CMC Press is completing two book projects for publication next year, including a brand new edition of the CMC’s venerable Guide to the Colorado Mountains. For information, contact state publications chair Terry Root.

“Golden Performance” arts series
to debut at CMC

Beginning in September, the Colorado Mountain Club will begin hosting programs in music, dance, and theater in the Foss Auditorium at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden.

The series, which will feature instrumental and choral music groups as well as drama and dance companies, is an effort to fulfill a part of the mission of the Colorado Mountain Club, according to Kristy Judd, executive director. “The dissemination of art and literature have been part of our purpose since the mission statement was written in the early days of the Club,” she notes. “Because of the generous support of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, we have an opportunity to highlight local performing groups. This is a novel opportunity to introduce the Colorado Mountain Club to people in the community who otherwise wouldn’t know about us.”

The series begins with performances on September 17 and 18 by the Morrison Theater Company of Over the Rainbow, a tribute to the music of Harold Arlen. The show is a music and dance review showcasing numbers from The Wizard of Oz, A Star is Born, Kismet, Star Spangled Rhythm, Casbah, and many other Arlen productions.

October 22, the CMC will host a dual concert by the Orion Winds and the Evergreen Children’s Chorale. The Orion Winds will present a concert of popular music consisting of special arrangements for double woodwind quintet. The award winning Evergreen Children’s Chorale, under the direction of Elaine Sohrweid, will offer choral arrangements.

On October 23, another double bill will welcome the Singers Master Choral, which will present “Impressions” celebrating the visual art of the Impressionist era through the music of Debussy, Ravel, Delius, and Boulanger. The performance coincides with an exhibition of Impres sionist paintings at the Denver Art Museum. The second half of the program will feature impressions of a different sort, as the Alan Fred erick son Jazz Ensemble takes the stage to honor early jazz classics.

The Kim Robards Dance Company comes to the Foss Auditorium on November 19 and 20 to perform Mountain Paradise, an original musical and dance number depicting the Colorado Rockies. This collaborative effort melds alp horns with a slide presentation and narration about our treasured mountains.

On December 10 and 11, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra presents Holiday Treasures, a collection of popular music and traditional holiday songs. Critically acclaimed, the orchestra under the baton of William Morse will help us celebrate the holiday season at the CMC.

Performances are general admission seating. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For ticket prices and additional information, call the CMC at (303) 279-3080, or visit the club on the WorldWideWeb at http://www.cmc.org/cmc/.

Walk-ins are welcome—and bring your friends.

Author! Author!

Nadia Brelje, El Pueblo group, has published her Southern Front Range Trail Guide. The book details more than 225 miles of forty nine trails in Beulah, Cañon City, Colorado Springs, Florence, Ophir Creek, Bigelow Divide, Penrose, Pueblo, Rye, San Isabel, Walsenburg, and Wetmore. It was featured in a full-page article in the Pueblo Chieftan in July. In addition to distribution in book stores in southern Colorado, members can also obtain a copy through the CMC bookstore (303) 279-3080.

Member wins Banff photo contest

Nelson Chenkin, Fort Collins Group, won Best Photo—Mountain Culture in the Banff Centre for Mountain Culture’s 1999 photography contest. Nelson’s photo captures a Buddhist monk in the Langtang Valley of Nepal. The photo is featured on the group’s website at http://members. aol.com/fortcmc and click on “pictures.”

New cabin meister appointed

Todd Greinke has assumed the responsibility for managing the Brainard Cabin for the Boulder Group. He succeeds Bob Luhr, who retired from the position after five years of service. Members interested in reserving the cabin can call Todd.