Fee proposed for Devil's Backbone

Users may soon be paying the price for intense management

Photos by Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

A potential fee has been proposed for the Devil's Backbone Trailhead, which is the south entrance to Devil's Backbone Open Space, located off U.S. 34 west of Loveland. This trailhead has had no charge to the public historically, said Larimer County officials.
A fee is charged at the Blue Sky Trailhead, which is the north entrance to Devil's Backbone Open Space, located off County Road 38E west of Fort Collins. The department also charges entrance fees for Horsetooth Mountain Open Space and Hermit Park Open Space, which are the two other intensively managed open spaces in Larimer County's system.
"The department is funded primarily through a sales tax and user fees," said Larimer County Natural Resources Director Gary Buffington, "and we have a responsibility to maintain financial stability."
"Devil’s Backbone Trailhead is currently the only intensively managed location in Larimer County's park and open space system where we do not collect a fee," Buffington said.
 Open house presentations were held at the Larimer County Loveland Campus on Oct. 22, and a second open house took place at Larimer County Courthouse Offices in downtown Fort Collins on Nov. 8. A third meeting took place  Nov. 20 in Estes Park.
For more information on the fee study, please contact Natural Resources Director Gary Buffington at (970) 619-4560 or gbuffington@larimer.org.
View proposed fee adjustments (PDF of presentation from consultant Harvey Economics).

Stop along the river

High marks for story telling

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Rusty May is a saddle maker, and story teller, that I happened upon in recent wanderings.
His shop was almost wiped out by the September 2013 flooding along the Big Thompson River when the water rose six feet inside it.
As he showed me the high water marks and related stories, and we each reached out for common markers in our own histories, I couldn't help but feel I had known this character all my life.
"When May and his wife, Jo Ann, learned that a 20-foot wall of water was surging down the nearby Big Thompson River, they had just minutes to grab some saddles and equipment, then load their horses into a horse trailer before driving to safety," reported the Denver Post at the time.
Now, every time I drive past his shop on the river, I think to myself that I should stop by for a story, or six.

Color fall: A summary

Fast-moving color in the Estes Park area in the fall of 2018

Nothing lasts forever, including fall colors. Still moving down valley with the freeze, there is still time. But very little. Winter's coming. At some point, the candle will go out, so make use of the light.

Photos by Rob Carrigan

Tri-Lakes Independence Day

Reputation for Celebration

Photos by Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

In the Tri-Lakes area, citizens have a reputation to uphold for pulling off a grand Independence Day celebration every year. The Fourth of July has only been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

 Monument and the surrounding Tri-Lakes Community carries on the long-standing tradition, year after year.