HIKE ROCKY Stepping in from my morning walk, I hear birds singing! Juncos and sparrows are hopping around on bare ground and I think, “It’s spring!”
But this is the Rockies and as I write, we are wai ng for one of our signature spring me snowfalls. These big snow storms are so cri cal for a heathy summer. So Spring, you will have to wait a li le longer. And while we wait, we are super excited to bring you our fourth issue, we’re on a roll now! In this issue, we celebrate of the mountain bluebird of spring. Our avian ace, Sco Rashid, gives us the skinny on these harbingers of spring, including why they look so marvelously blue (hint, it’s not because they are blue)! And speaking of skinny, we have two stories about skinny skiing up the west and east side of Trail Ridge Road. Murray Selleck bring us his chilling account of approaching from the west side, while I tell my east side tale, both on the same day, both arduous journeys (oh, and there’s a video! You won’t see that in any print magazine!). Meanwhile, managing editor Barb Boyer Buck offers us a rather incredulous Trail Ridge saga while giving you general informa on on Trail Ridge Road. Barb keeps the skiing theme going with a fun look back at Rocky’s one me downhill ski resort, complete with ski li s and an ice ska ng rink. These days, if you want to ski Hidden Valley, you have to earn it! Also in this issue, we highlight Lily Lake as our Trail of the Month, including informa on on how you can be a ci zen scien st for the Park all year long. Hey, it’s easy, all you have to do is walk around the lake. Everybody should be doing it!
Above, a male mountain bluebird on Trail Ridge Road Cover Photo: a male mountain bluebird at Forest Canyon Pass. Both photos by Pamela Johnson, March’s front cover photo contest winner. Her statement: “ I am a third genera on Colorado na ve living in Westminster. Living so close to Rocky is truly a blessing and great therapy for the mind, body and soul. I enjoy wildlife and nature photography and Rocky gives me the opportunity to learn all about the flora and fauna of this magnificent park. I have been coming up to Rocky since the 1970's and no ma er how many mes I hike a certain trail or drive Trail Ridge Road - every day is a new adventure where I'm always discovering new things.”
Finally, Marlene Borneman rounds out our March issue with what signs to watch for as spring in the high country begins to arrive, just like the arrival of those beau ful bluebirds. Oh! And don’t forget to play another addi on of our wildflower quiz! Spring me is an exci ng me in Rocky, and we’re happy to bring it all to you, right here in HIKE ROCKY online magazine! Enjoy!! Dave Rusk, Publisher
HIKE ROCKY Magazine is a publication of Barefoot Enterprises, LLC, and RockyMountainDayHikes.com, Estes Park, Colorado. HikeRockyMagazine@gmail.com Volume 1, Issue 4, March 15, 2021 Copyright 2021, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Publisher: Dave Rusk Managing Editor: Barb Boyer Buck Copy Editor: Sybil Barnes Contributors to the January, 2021 edition: Scott Rashid, Marlene M. Borneman, Barb Boyer Buck, Dave Rusk, Murray Selleck, Rio Roman, Brian Brown, and Pamela Johnson
a note from the managing editor Welcome to a new edi on of HIKE ROCKY online magazine! Spring is slowly becoming evident in RMNP, and a big part of March and April is spring snow! Rocky was recently hammered with several feet of snow in our latest storm, bringing needed moisture to the budding vegeta on. My favorite part of Spring is the re-appearance of the Rocky Mountain bluebird and in this issue, this bird is a star! Watch for bluebirds sprinkled throughout this issue. We are now including videos! An online magazine is perfect for mutli-media and in this issue, you can watch the full-length documentary by Brian Brown, “Ski Hidden Valley” (2013) and a video-diary of skiing up the east side of Trail Ridge Road!
call for submissions Here at HIKE ROCKY, we welcome (and pay for) quality content from contribu ng writers and photographers!
cover photo contest Each month, we will feature a cover photo from a photographer who lives and breathes Rocky Mountain Na onal Park. Photo submissions must be received by the end of the month to be considered for the following month’s cover. The photo must have been taken in Rocky, not previously published (except for social media), and be seasonal. The winner will receive a cash prize, free access to the edi on that features his or her photo, and online promo on. A hint about what we are looking for to grace our cover every month is included in our weekly email blast. To sign up for no fica ons, visit: h p://rockymountaindayhikes.com/hike-rocky-emailno fica on-page.html Barb Boyer Buck, managing editor HikeRockyMagazine@gmail.com
Each month, we will feature armchair travel, historical , and ecological pieces, stunning photographs, news, analysis and hiking advice for beginners and the more advanced hiker. Anyone who is interested in submi ng may send a story idea and three wri ng samples and/or photographs to:
HikeRockyMagazine@gmail.com to be considered for publica on. These pieces must feature Rocky Mountain Na onal Park in some way, be previously unpublished, and be designed to further the understanding and/or apprecia on of this amazing na onal park. HIKE ROCKY seeks to provide seasonal and per nent informa on for those who love Rocky as much as we do. Publica on date is on the 15th of each month, and to be considered for inclusion, submissions must be received by the end of the previous month. We see this magazine as an online community endeavor and seek engagement from those who truly appreciate and understand Rocky. Mountain bluebird, photo by Sco Rashid.
table of contents
click on any of the links below to be taken straight to the story
Life stages of RMNP wildowers, a quiz by Marlene M. Borneman
RMNP UPDATES
Technical difculties hinder wilderness camping permits and historic storm causes closures, compiled by Barb Boyer Buck
COVER STORY
Bluebirds return from their wintering grounds by Scott Rashid
HIKING in ROCKY Trail of the Month: Phenology at Lily Lake SPECIAL SECTION ON SKIING TRAIL RIDGE ROAD Trail Ridge Road by Barb Boyer Buck
West Side Story by Murray Selleck East Side Story (with video!) by Dave Rusk
FEATURES Feature Photo: a mountain bluebird’s view of Longs Peak by Rio Roman Hidden Valley: then and now, including the full-length video, “Ski Hidden Valley” by Brian Brown! by Barb Boyer Buck Signs of change by Marlene Borneman Coming next month in HIKE ROCKY
Life stages: stages: match the ower a quiz by Marlene Borneman
ower
Match the Rocky Mountain Na onal Park wildflower(A-F) with EITHER the fruit they produce or the seeds they come from! Answers and specifics about each plant are sprinkled throughout this issue of HIKE ROCKY online magazine. Inspired by the Colorado Na ve Plants Society.
A
B
C
D
E
F
seeds
2
4
3
5
fruit
1
6
Spring snow hits RMNP Snowplow opera ons near Deer Ridge Junc on on March 14. RMNP photo
RMNP UPDATES complied by Managing Editor Barb Boyer Buck
There’s nothing new or remarkable about spring snow in Colorado, but the storm that hit from March 13-15 was historic, dropping feet of heavy, wet snow on the states of Colorado and Wyoming. By Sunday, March 14 at 11 p.m., 25 inches of new snow had fallen at Bear Lake, located on the east side of Rocky Mountain Na onal Park. Snow totals in Grand Lake, the gateway to the west entrance of Rocky Mountain Na onal Park, were just 5.8 inches, illustra ng the difference between the two sides of the Con nental Divide and the effects of this upslope storm. As of this wri ng, Park snowplow operators have been tackling snow and high wind gusts on the east side of the park causing major dri ing on roadways.
open March 1, and then March 8 have been delayed again due to technical difficul es. To stay on top of breaking news for Rocky Mountain Na onal Park, follow Rocky Mountain Day Hikes on Facebook and check h ps://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/index.htm before you visit.
Beaver Meadows Entrance Sta on on Saturday, March 13, 2021. RMNP photo
US Highway 36 at the Beaver Meadows Entrance and US Highway 34 at the Fall River Entrance have reopened on the east side. US 34 at the Grand Lake Entrance has reopened on the west side. Beaver Meadows Visitor Center will reopen this a ernoon. US 34 remains closed at Deer Ridge Junc on to Many Parks Curve. Bear Lake Road, Wild Basin Road, Longs Peak Trailhead Parking area, and Moraine Park Campground remains closed. Fall River Visitor Center remains closed. Park visitors should prepare for winter driving condi ons including ice, dri ing snow and possible low visibility. All wheel drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles are advised.roads on the east side of RMNP were s ll closed, as were the visitor centers. Technical difficul es hinder wilderness camping reserva ons Backcountry camping permits, originally slated to be
Snowplow opera ons near the Fall River Entrance Sta on on March 13. RMNP photo