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RMNP Guide
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Written by Aaron
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Monday, 29 March 2010 12:27 |
Rocky Mountain National Park Announces Plans for Prescribed Burning Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the South Lateral Moraine area. This area is located south of Eagle Cliff Mountain and adjacent to Bear Lake Road. Burning will only occur if favorable weather and fuel conditions permit. The South Lateral Moraine burn is approximately 135 acres of open ponderosa. Ignition will likely occur in five adjacent areas on five different days 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 in the project area.
Prescribed burning operations are targeted to occur shortly after snow melt and prior to grasses becoming green, this may occur in April or early May depending on when weather and fuel conditions are appropriate. Ignitions will likely occur on a weekdays with smoldering and smoke emissions lasting for an additional 3-10 days. Smoke will be visible from Highways 66 and Bear Lake 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 Mill Creek and Big
Thompson River corridors and into the Town of Estes Park in the morning hours. No trail closures are anticipated but visitors hiking past actively burning areas may be escorted by fire personnel to ensure their safety.
Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any 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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Saturday, 20 March 2010 13:46 |
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 As of 4:00 p.m. on March 19, Rocky Mountain National Park had received a total of 16 inches of new snow at Bear Lake, elevation 9.475 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park from this recent storm. Kawuneeche Visitor Center (8,720 feet) on the west side of the park received about 4 new inches of snow as of that morning. Snowshoe conditions and backcountry ski conditions are excellent, and sledding conditions at Hidden Valley are good. Be prepared for winter driving conditions.
Photo of backcounty skier in the Glacier Gorge area courtesy National Park Service. |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 20 March 2010 13:49 |
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Written by DeeCeeM
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Friday, 19 March 2010 13:13 |
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As of 8:00 am this morning there was 10 inches of new snow at Bear Lake, elevation 9,475 feet, in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's been snowing steadily this morning. We hope to have another snow measurement at Bear Lake at the end of the day to pass along. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 March 2010 16:53 |
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Written by Aaron
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:35 |
Rocky Mountain National Park’s 2010 Biennial Research Conference will be held on March 30, and 31, in the Estes Park Town Board Room. The park hosts one of the largest research programs in the National Park System, with more than 100 research permits active each year. Park partners in research come from other federal agencies, the State of Colorado, and universities around the world. Last year, citizen scientists volunteered just over 7,000 hours to research projects. In addition, hundreds of students participate in field data collections and lab analysis. More than one-hundred scientists, social scientists, and historians are expected to attend this two-day meeting to discuss a variety of research projects.
Researchers will present for 20 minutes each. Talks are organized into sessions covering related subjects. Tuesday’s sessions will focus on Social Science, Forest Health, Water and Air. Morning sessions in social science will include melting glaciers and bison bones, human connections to Longs Peak, and the history of the Little Buckaroo Ranch barn in the Kawuneeche Valley. Morning forest health presentations will explore
conserving the genetic diversity of limber pines, forest regeneration in beetle disturbed areas, the fungus among us and the implication of managing natural disturbances in Rocky Mountain National Park’s sister park, Tatra National Park. Tuesday afternoon will focus on water and air topics including nitrogen deposition and ozone health warnings. A highlight of this session will be results of the annual park wide water quality snapshot
survey, dubbed the waterblitz.
Wednesday will include an all day session on wildlife research, including research on butterflies, bighorn sheep, pika, beaver, amphibians and elk. One project focuses on the family relationships among migrating
broad-tailed hummingbirds. Another will feature the anatomy of elk bugling. Wednesday morning’s vegetation topics will cover the invasion and expansion of cheatgrass, restoring the Lulu City wetland, and vital sign monitoring of the park’s wetlands and alpine tundra.
In addition to presentations, twenty posters will be presented during lunch on Wednesday. A multi-disciplinary study of the park’s shuttle bus system along the Bear lake corridor will be presented on Wednesday afternoon. The study looked at noise levels, visitor impacts to vegetation and timing of the buses.
The conference is free and open to all interested members of the community. No registration is required. The conference begins on Tuesday, March 30, at 8:00 a.m. Sessions will end by 4:00 p.m. each day. A complete schedule is available at: www.nps.gov/romo/parkmgmt/research_conference.htm
The Town Board Room is in the Estes Park Municipal Building, 170 MacGregor Avenue. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park’s information office at (970) 586-1206. |
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Written by Aaron
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:31 |
Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge and SheepMountain areas of the park. To ensure that raptors can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season and monitored by wildlife managers. All closures went in to effect on March 1 and will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.
Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations as well as areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. The perimeter around Alligator Rock extends for 200 yards in all directions. Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations. Check the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm for updated information on raptor closures.
The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that are critical for raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals is essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park. |
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