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Approximate opening costs of both Trail Ridge and Old Fall River Roads is $58,000. Trail Ridge, alone, can cost >$36,000.
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RMNP Guide
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Written by Aaron
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Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:04 |
This summer, if conditions allow, fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the South Lateral Moraine, North Lateral Moraine, and Deer Ridge Junction areas. The South Lateral Moraine burn area is 115 acres of open ponderosa located south of Eagle Cliff Mountain and adjacent to Bear Lake Road. The North Lateral Moraine burn area is 140 acres north of the Moraine Park Visitor Center and south of the junction of Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake Road. The Deer Ridge Junction burn area is 70 acres northeast of the junction of Trail Ridge Road and Fall River Road. One burn in the South Lateral Moraine area was successfully completed this spring and burning will likely resume within the three adjacent units before moving on to the other areas. Burning will only occur if weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Multiple days of ignition will likely occur in each area to limit daily smoke production. The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and park infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuel available for wildfires in the project areas.
Favorable conditions for burning are anticipated to occur periodically July 26 through August 31. Ignitions will only occur on weekdays with smoldering and smoke emissions lasting for an additional 3-10 days. Smoke may be visible from Highways 66, Bear Lake Road, Trail Ridge Road, and Fall River Road as well as other locations in the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts to visitors and the adjacent community; however some smoke is anticipated to flow down the Fall River and Big Thompson River corridors and into the Town of Estes Park during the early morning hours. No trail closures are anticipated but visitors hiking past active burn areas may be escorted by fire personnel through the area.
Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, available personnel, fire danger, ongoing wildfires, and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any prescribed fire management operation. For more information please contact the park’s information office at (970) 586-1206. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Sunday, 18 July 2010 16:26 |
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 At 2:23 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, park rangers were notified of an incident on Stettner's Ledges near Mills Glacier on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. William Esposito, 27, from Boulder, Colorado, was on a technical climb and took a 20 foot lead fall. He seriously injured both ankles. Two park rangers were on a backcountry patrol near the summit of Longs Peak. They reached the man at 4:53 p.m.
Rangers picked up search and rescue gear nearby at the Chasm Shelter. Esposito's climbing partner had safely lowered him an additional three pitches making it easier for rangers to assist him. Although Esposito could not put weight on his feet he and his climbing partner also tried to move as far down on the snowfield as possible. The two rangers, assisted by 8 other climbers who were in the area, carried gear and the litter with Esposito, to a helicopter landing zone near Chasm Lake (see photo). Flight for Life, from St. Anthony's Hospital, flew Esposito to Boulder Community Hospital at 6:37 p.m.
Park rangers were grateful for the assistance of the climbers in the area. Although all of the climbers happened to be from Boulder, they were all in different groups. The rescue efforts made for a long day for the climbers as they had all left the Longs Peak Trailhead before dawn. Their assistance to park rangers in carrying Esposito to the landing zone enabled the helicopter to be able to fly during daylight. Because of their assistance, additional park staff did not have to hike to the area; allowing them to focus on other operations on a busy Saturday in July at Rocky Mountain National Park. |
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Written by Aaron
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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 22:08 |
 At around 5:00 p.m. today, July 14, park rangers received a call from International Emergency Response Coordination Center, indicating they had received an emergency activation from a SPOT device in Rocky Mountain National Park. Park rangers determined from the latitude and longitude coordinates that it had been activated near Lost Lake in the northeast section of the park.
At 6:50 p.m. two park rangers, including one parkmedic, flew with the pilot and helicopter crew member from the Grand Teton National Park helicopter staged in the area for the Cow Creek Fire, to the general area where the SPOT had been activated. The crew was able to see people on the ground needing assistance. At 7:15 p.m. park rangers reached a 27-year-old man who had slid 30 yards on a snowfield to the west above Lost Lake. The man had suffered a broken leg.
At 8:45 p.m. the patient and parkmedic flew with the pilot back to a helispot in the park near Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. The man was taken by ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center. Due to nightfall, the other ranger and helicopter crew member will remain overnight at a backcountry patrol cabin in the northern part of the park. The 27-year-old man was camping with another person who will remain overnight at their backcountry site.
The man’s name and hometown will not be released until family members are notified. |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Friday, 16 July 2010 16:00 |
Early this morning, Friday, July 16, a twenty-nine year old man’s body was discovered by a hiker on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Rhode Island man’s body was found along the Keyhole Route by “The Trough” and on “The Ledges” at roughly 13,000 feet in elevation. It is believed he fell roughly 250 to 300 feet.
Park rangers were notified this morning at 5:30 a.m. by a hiker who found the man’s body. It is believed the man fell sometime after 7:15 p.m. yesterday. A park trail crew, who were camping near the Boulderfield, were the first park staff on scene at 9:30 a.m.
Park rangers were flown to the Boulderfield by the interagency United States Forest Service/National Park Service helicopter from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park, staged in the park for the Cow Creek Fire. They hiked to the scene and reached the man at 11:02 a.m. The victim’s body was flown to a helispot in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of the park at 1:30 p.m. His body was then transferred to the Boulder County Coroner.
The victim was in a hiking party with three others, who had stayed behind at their backcountry camping site at the Boulderfield, and were not with him at the time of the accident. The victim’s name will not be released until next of kin are notified. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 16 July 2010 21:36 |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 09 July 2010 12:13 |
At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, park rangers received a call from the Civil Air Patrol that they had received an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) at 12:30 p.m. and another one at 4:24 p.m. potentially from a downed plane within the park near Milner Pass. Park rangers glassed the area from multiple locations on Trail Ridge Road and did not see any sign of an airplane or smoke.
Around 8:00 p.m. two Civil Air Patrol fixed wings were dispatched to the area and they confirmed the ELT beacon in upper Forest Canyon. They also reported seeing two points of light, possibly fire, in the same general area. Last night, park rangers began hiking in to this remote area from Gore Range Overlook off Trail Ridge Road. Rangers searched until 2:00 a.m. and resumed searching at 5:00 am. They reached the two victims at 6:40 a.m. this morning.
The pilot was Jim Michaels, 54, and one passenger, his daughter Tonie, 18. They walked away from the crash with just minor injuries. The plane was a single engine fixed wing American Champion Aircraft manufactured in 2009, and owned by Michaels Air Service, LLC of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The owner of the aircraft is Jim Michaels. Mr. Michaels is an experience pilot flying since age 16. His daughter, Tonie, is also a pilot and has just gotten her license.
The crash site is in heavy timber. The plane’s wings were folded back and the plane came to rest against a large fir tree. The cockpit was intact but the canopy was sheared off. The plane did not catch fire. The Michaels did not lose consciousness and got out of the plane because of concern the plane might catch on fire. They built a shelter from plane debris and trees and waited out a passing storm. They built two signal fires. Then they saw a plane overhead and added airplane fuel and a tire to one of the fires to create black smoke.
They left Oconomowoc Wednesday and stayed in Greeley that night. The flight plan called for them to continue to Aspen, Telluride, Leadville and back to Oconomowoc.
A helicopter from Grand Teton National Park stationed here to assist with the Cow Creek Fire, was staged at the Alpine Visitor Center early this morning. A landing zone was selected about a mile from the crash site and the survivors were walked to the landing zone where they were flown out to Alpine Visitor Center arriving at 9:23 a.m. No ambulance was requested. Rangers are assisting the victims and at this time, the Michaels’ do not want to speak with the media.
Park officials are in contact with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board and will be cooperating on an investigation of the cause of the crash.
To the best of our knowledge, there have been seven aircraft crashes with eleven fatalities since 1948, the last being in 2000 near Comanche Peak with two fatalities. There have been five aircraft crashes with fifteen survivors since 1945, the last being in 1994 near Hallett Peak with three survivors.
There is no imminent threat of the signal fires spreading but we have firefighters on scene to put out the fires. |
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