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See the most recent blog entry.Ski Season is Here!
Ski Season is here! Downhill skiers check the Skier Subgroups!Avalanche Season!
Winter Outings Avalanche Precautions Snow has arrived, along with attendant avalanche dangers. SO! recommends that all participants in backcountry winter outings educate themselves about avalanche risks, and carry rescue gear when appropriate. See Avalanche Precautions.SO! General Meeting
SO! Monthly Meeting: Fire History and historic patterns in pinon- juniper woodlands across Mesa Verde National Park and southwest Colorado
Tuesday, February 11
Speaker: Lisa Floyd-Hanna
While much is known about historical fire patterns in montane forests, relatively little attention has been paid to the ancient pinon-juniper woodlands. At Mesa Verde National Park, our research team developed methods to reconstruct historical fire and disturbance patterns, with work beginning in 1990. Our results were surprising initially because they show that fire patterns in these woodlands are very different from adjacent shrublands or ponderosa pine/mixed conifer forests which had frequent surface fires in the past. Rather, piñon -juniper woodlands have stand replacing crown fires, but with centuries separating these events. This allowed for the development of old-growth conditions; pinons of up to 600 years and much older junipers support hundreds of birds and mammals and many thousand insects, as well as a rich diversity of native plant species. Mesa Verde National Park has lost nearly half of these old-growth woodlands since the late 1980’s. We project that similar “persistent” pinon-juniper woodlands of the Colorado Plateau are especially imperiled by increasing drought and temperature conditions.
Lisa Floyd-Hanna is a plant ecologist and Professor Emeritus at Prescott College in Prescott, AZ. She has BS, MS And PhD degrees in biology and her research focuses on fire history and fire effects in piñon-juniper and other arid southwestern ecosystems. She also studies the effects of disturbances such as climate-driven insect infestation on plant communities and threatened plant populations. Lisa is involved in many National Park Service and Forest Service projects in Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monument and other locations across the Colorado Plateau.
Schedule Changes:
4-day X-C Ski Trip to Ward’s Cabin
Monday, January 20
Date Changed
SO! Avalanche Awareness Clinic
Monday, February 3
Avalanche Training
Upcoming Events:
Saturday Snowshoe
Saturday, January 18RC 9:00 am
Purg 9:30 am
At the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety.
4-day X-C Ski Trip to Ward’s Cabin
January 20 - January 23SR 9:00 am
Date Changed
Day 1: Ski 9 miles to the Ward cabin in the aspens north of Mancos. It’s a gradual climb of 1,000 ft. mostly on Forest Service roads. Days 2 and 3: Ski around through the woods and meadows. Day 4: Depart by noon to return to vehicles. Note: Mattress and kitchen stuff provided. More details upon sign up.
Limit 8, No Dogs, 4WD if roads are snowy, carpool fee $5.
RSVP Travis Ward, tlward@frontier.net or 970-247-1310. Co-Leader Will Rietveld, willjanet@bresnan.net, 970-422-5233.
Snowshoe south of Andrews Lake
Wednesday, January 22 ACP 9:00 amConditions permitting, we will do a loop south of Andrews Lake, heading south first, then north on top of a ridge. Expect to spend about four hours on the trail. With deep snow, this trip will be classified as hard. Carpool $5 4WD if Hwy 550 is snowy.Limit 10 No dogs.This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (beacon, shovel and probe) and educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety.
RSVP: Charles Berglund 247-9747 chasberglund@msn.com
WW hike
Animas River Trail
Wednesday, January 22 SRP 9:30 am Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or pahlkee@aol.com
Saturday Snowshoe
Saturday, January 25RC 9:00 am
Purg 9:30 am
At the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety.