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

The CMC visits Como Lake

by Steve Bonowski

The notorious Como Lake jeep road in southern Colorado has long been considered one of the toughest jeep roads in the state and has gained national and international attention. The road is also the prime access route for persons climbing Little Bear, Blanca, and Elling wood, three of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks.

Several years ago, the Forest Service undertook a review to determine if the road should be closed either entirely or at some point along its length due to increasing use and damage to the basin ecosystem.

In a 1996 Record of Decision (ROD) supported by the CMC, the Forest Service recommended that the road be closed at the west end of Como Lake. This would keep the bulk of the challenging road open to jeepers, but it would better protect the area around and above the lake. However, various off-road vehicle groups appealed the ROD to the Forest Service supervisor, and the Alamosa county commissioners became involved.

Subsequently, the Forest Service supervisor attempted to turn the road over to the county under part of the old mining law that allows such a transference if historic use can be shown. The turnover was voided, however, by the Forest Service regional office, which recommended that the road be managed as it always had been.

The CMC then began to investigate if the regional office’s decision meant that no action could be taken to protect the ecosystem, or alternately, if it meant that the 1996 ROD could be implemented. In order to develop a position to take to the Forest Service, a process not yet complete, several CMC staff and volunteers visited the lake on June 30, 1999, to assess the area’s current status.

The review group found continuing signs of severe damage at the east side of Como Lake. Of particular interest was a “dredge and fill” operation ORV users undertook over last Labor Day weekend to fill in part of the bog at the lake’s east end. Such an action could be a violation of one or more federal laws and regulations. In addition, small all-terrain vehicles had gone through the woods around the large lingering snow bank that was preventing much use above the lake. Above treeline, the road is in better condition, but there is noticeable severe damage at the turnaround point above Blue Lakes, where jeeps have made wide turns out on the tundra.

We took pictures and forwarded them to the Forest Service. Members wishing to have input in this review process are encouraged to contact Vera Smith or this writer at the CMC office.

Expanding the vision of the CMC

by Vera Smith, Public Lands Policy Director

“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land,” wrote Aldo Leopold in 1936 in his famous essay on the land ethic. Sixty-three years after Leopold wrote these words, I still cannot think of a more elegant, simple, and compelling definition of conservation or a better vision by which to guide the CMC in its conservation efforts.

When people think of the Colorado Mountain Club, they think of the recreational opportunities that the CMC offers. However, the club is also involved in conservation. The founders of the CMC envisioned an organization that would share its passion of the mountain environment through conservation as well as recreation. They expressed this vision in their mission statement that calls on us “to encourage the preservation of forest, fauna, and the natural scenery, and to collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains in behalf of science and recreation.”

Two decades after the CMC’s creation, Leopold wrote his essay on the land ethic. He urged us to regard the land (the water, soil, plants, and wildlife) as an extension of community instead of as a commodity. He suggested that the enjoyment we derive from the land is commensurate with the care that we bestow on it. In true Leopoldian spirit, the CMC over the years has stood up and fought repeatedly for the rights of the land. As the new Public Lands Policy Director, I hope to work with members to continue and build on this legacy.

The new millennium brings a host of exciting opportunities for the CMC. Major changes in the conservation field are enabling conservation groups and land managers to be increasingly effective. Scientists, using landscape ecological principles, have developed radically new approaches to land protection and land use planning. Concepts such as core habitats, buffer zones, migratory corridors, fragmentation, and resource capacity limits are becoming more commonplace in the vocabulary of land users and conservationists alike. Secondly, people are realizing that land controversies are often resolved more quickly and equitably around a table in a local diner than in a courtroom. Increasingly, land managers, environmentalists, user groups, and industrial interests are finding common ground and forging compromises. Lastly, in the last several years, land management agencies have begun changing the way they do business by expanding opportunities for public involvement. Conservation groups now have a much better chance of having their concerns heard and integrated into land management decisions.

Additionally, the CMC is in a great position to affect the future of Colorado’s lands. We have an established reputation as a concerned and involved outdoor organization. We have a dedicated and active volunteer membership who know and care about the lands in this state. We are respected by land managers and are considered to be the pre-eminent voice for the Colorado hiking community. On top of it all, we have a history of “giving back” to the lands of our state through field stewardship projects such as wilderness inventories and trail maintenance efforts.

Despite the propitious conditions, we have our work cut out for us. The current state administration and congressional delegations (with the exceptions of Representatives Udall and DeGette) are not inclined environmentally and generally strongly oppose legislation and policies that further conservation in this state. Moreover, the astounding recent increases in Colorado’s population are placing extreme recreational and environmental demands on our open spaces. Campgrounds are often full, with reservations required; user conflicts on trails are increasing; wildlife are running out of places to hide; surface and ground waters are increasingly polluted; quiet areas are harder to come by; and species are disappearing.

The CMC also has internal challenges. As with all non-profits, resources are always an issue. In the past, we have made impressive accomplishments with the work of a few hard-working volunteers. To insure our effectiveness in the future, we need to change that small group into a large cadre. We need to integrate conservation into the culture of CMC. Moreover, we need to make information on land issues easily available, which will enable CMC members and citizens alike to make informed decisions about the future of the natural resources and lands of this state.

From my second-floor office in the American Mountaineering Center, I can see into the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon towards the tall peaks beyond. If I walk to the other side of the building, I look out on the Denver basin where, in the distance, the ubiquitous sprawl and brown cloud merge into one. The western view gives me inspiration; the eastern view instills caution. The potential for the CMC to make a difference in the future of the Rocky Mountains is huge. With lots of inspiration and a dose of caution, let’s work together to keep these mountains beautiful and healthy, to achieve “a state of harmony between men and land.”

I am always interested in hearing members’ views on conservation issues. Feel free to contact me at my office at 303-279-3080 x 106 or at smithv@cmc.org .

Wild Colorado features:

CMC visits Como Lake

The vision of the CMC: a commentary by Vera Smith, public lands policy director for the club.

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