USDA Forest Service

Where to get stoned on the mountain...or not

Colorado lawmakers inclined to legalize hiking the Manitou incline

While the clock ticks away on last-minute negotiations to avoid plunging the nation's economy over the dreaded fiscal cliff, the U.S. Senate did take steps late last night to provide a path up the side of a mountain -- and in the process transform thousands of Colorado scofflaws into legal hikers. A ... More >>

Photos, videos: Waldo Canyon fire finally 100 percent contained

Update: At long last comes the announcement residents of Colorado Springs have been awaiting since June 23, when the Waldo Canyon fire flared to life. The blaze, which destroyed 346 homes and took the lives of Barbara and William Everett, age 73 and 74, respectively, is finally 100 percent containe ... More >>

Diana DeGette's push for temporary-firefighter insurance gains a big ally: The President

Wildfire season -- which has included several massive Colorado blazes already this year -- puts thousands of seasonal firefighters to work. But because many have temporary status, they aren't eligible for federal health insurance -- a concern Representative Diana DeGette hoped to address in a new bi ... More >>

Mount Evans settlement makes it free to look

"Who wants to fight government, especially over $10?" That's what David Scherer asked himself when he thought the U.S. Forest Service was incorrectly charging a $10 fee to everyone who drove up Mount Evans -- even drivers who did not stop as they took in the view. But as he looked into it, he got hi ... More >>

High Park fire update: Mishawaka Amphitheatre reopening symbol of blaze's defeat

Update: The High Park fire near Fort Collins is 100 percent contained, and while it's not officially dead yet, the blaze is no longer the threat it was to life, limb and property. A symbol of its de facto defeat? The reopening tomorrow of the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, a beloved landmark that managed ... More >>

Flagstaff fire update: Stuck at 90 percent contained, some open space areas still closed

Update: The Boulder Office of Emergency Management was so confident the Flagstaff fire outside of town was a thing of the past that a so-called "final update" was posted on Saturday afternoon. But despite predictions of 100 percent containment before the weekend was done, Flagstaff (the lesser of th ... More >>

High Park fire update: 85 percent containment, many subdivisions reopened

Update: As those living near the Waldo Canyon fire outside Colorado Springs were plunged into terror (347 homes confirmed burned, at least one death), the people who've been suffering through the High Park fire fifteen miles from Fort Collins for three long, exhausting weeks may finally be getting a ... More >>

Waldo Canyon fire update: One death, 347 homes destroyed, 20K threatened

Update:Firefighters made progress against the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs yesterday -- enough to get a better sense of the destruction that took place the previous day. The number of homes destroyed had been estimated at north of 300, and that proved all too accurate. Thus far, 347 homes ... More >>

Flagstaff fire in Boulder update: 100 percent containment by the weekend?

Update: Given the horrors inflicting on the residents of Colorado Springs by the Waldo Canyon fire, and those living in and around Fort Collins by the High Park fire, Boulderites should be counting their blessings. The Flagstaff fire near the town limits, which seemed so threatening just a few days ... More >>

High Park fire: Fort Collins mayor Karen Weitkunat on smoke, fears, hope

Since the High Park fire began raging nearly two weeks ago a mere fifteen miles or so from the city she calls home, Fort Collins Mayor Karen Weitkunat has been getting calls of fear like she's never heard before. "I've had citizens call and say, 'I've never been so scared in my life,'" she told We ... More >>

2012 Capitol Christmas Tree Campaign kicks off tonight

Every year the "people's tree" takes center stage at the various Christmas festivities in Washington, D.C., and this year that tree will be a Colorado native from the White River National Forest. Colorado was selected out of 155 national forests. A celebration starts tonight in Lakewood, with help f ... More >>

Jack-FM off the air because of High Park fire -- but hoping to return today

The still raging High Park fire near Fort Collins has wreaked plenty of havoc, what with one resident, Linda Steadman, killed in the blaze's early days and 189 homes confirmed destroyed at this writing. It's also disrupted plenty of businesses, including Jack-FM, which has been off the air for well ... More >>

Hewlett fire photos: James Weber on hook for $300 fine, $2.9 million in restitution?

At this writing, the Hewlett fire near Fort Collins is almost 90 percent contained, with the soggy weather over the weekend helping to give firefighters the upper hand. The sooner they mop up the destructive blaze, the more quickly the meter stops running for James Weber, who'll be asked to help pa ... More >>

Forest Service spends 20% of its time answering snarky questions from special interest groups

Denver blog posts are fruitful and multiply. Colorado Independent's David O. Williams shares a hilarious exchange between a critic and a U.S. Forest Service rep. WhoSaidYouSaid: Scales tip to Dems on new state legislative districts. Denver Egotist: Denver has a Wu-Tang Clan cover band -- and they ... More >>

Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads

​The Colorado Roadless Project and the Outdoor Alliance have a cool new campaign promoting their efforts to protect Colorado's 4.2 million acres of National Forest lands currently designated as "Roadless Areas" for mountain biking, hiking, climbing, paddling, backcountry skiing and snowboardin ... More >>

Today in Stoke: U.S. Forest Service supports 550-acre expansion at Breckenridge

U.S. Forest Service photo, via BreckenridgePeak6.comView of lift-served and hike-to terrain to be opened in proposed Breckenridge Peak 6 expansion ​On Friday, the U.S. Forest Service approved plans for Breckenridge Peak 6, a proposed expansion in White River National Forest that would open 550 ... More >>

Crystal fire in Larimer Cty.: 95% contained, 13 homes burned, but what was cause? (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​Update: Finally, the Crystal fire in Larimer County is just about spent. According to the most recent feds' latest report, the containment level is at 95 percent, with some crews moving on and those that remain concentrating on mop-up. More good news: the number of homes destroy ... More >>

Lefthand Canyon fire's 622 acres are 80 percent contained, human-caused (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​Given how wet our Marches tend to be, we don't expect conditions dry enough to create fire danger -- but there's concern aplenty in Lefthand Canyon, where a blaze has consumed approximately 622 acres and caused evacuations of 223 homes. At this point, with the flames 80 percent c ... More >>

UFO Phil: Forest Service not wild about his plan to build a pyramid on Pikes Peak (PHOTOS)

UFO Phil.​Last month, we told you about UFO Phil Hill's plan to build a pyramid on Pikes Peak. At the time, Hill was having trouble getting an official response to his proposal. Now, however, he's heard from the US Forest Service, whose representative isn't exactly on board, so to speak. But ... More >>

Boulder Peewink Mountain fire already contained

9News​The inclusion of the photo at right in a 9News story about a blaze that broke out overnight near Boulder raised concerns of another runaway conflagration like last year's Fourmile Canyon fire. But no: This one consumed just an acre or so before being contained. Before this status was ac ... More >>

Church's Park Fire near Fraser too risky for anyone other than Mother Nature to put out

​The Church's Park fire near Fraser has gone from 30 percent contained yesterday to 40 percent today, and the acreage remains at 530. But that doesn't mean it's on the cusp of a conclusion. Indeed, snuffing out every hot spot has been deemed more dangerous for firefighters than simply waiting ... More >>

Church's Park Fire near Fraser human caused, 30 percent contained -- and dangers remain

​Yesterday at this time, the Church's Park fire near Fraser was zero percent contained and covered approximately 450 acres. As for today's update, it's more positive in one respect, less so in another: Containment is 30 percent, but the acreage is up to 530 -- and weather conditions today ma ... More >>

Church's Park Fire near Fraser zero percent contained, expected to grow: See photo gallery

​Literally hot on the heels of the destructive Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder and the Reservoir Road blaze outside Loveland, the Church's Park fire, not far from Fraser, is the latest conflagration to threaten the region. At this writing, the fire isn't at the doorstep of any structures, bu ... More >>

Boulder Fourmile Canyon fire update: DA Stan Garnett decides against criminal charges

​The Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder was extraordinarily destructive -- yet the volunteer firefighter whose fire pit likely launched the initial spark will not be charged with a crime. That's the decision of Boulder DA Stan Garnett, who feels he couldn't prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt ... More >>

Boulder Fourmile Canyon fire cause: Was a resident's fire pit really to blame for blaze?

​Update:A few short hours ago, Boulder County Sheriff's Office spokesman Commander Rick Brough declined to comment about reports that the Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder had been caused by an improperly extinguished fire pit. Now, however, the BCSO has put out a release confirming just that.

Marijuana grow bust in Boulder County 2.0: Now 7,500 plants seized worth $1 million

A 2009 Ralston Creek haul.​An update about yesterday's Boulder County marijuana grow seizure of 3,000 plants. After a closer count, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office thinks the plant total was closer to 3,500 -- and after more inspection of the nearby area, law-enforcement types located a se ... More >>

White Nose Syndrome closes Colorado caves

​The White Nose Syndrome sounds like a relic of the Studio 54 era. But the fungus, which has been killing bats in caves in the eastern United States, has spread far enough west that as early as today, the U.S. Forest Service Region 2 office in Golden will announce that all public caves region- ... More >>

Beetle Mania: Could annoying noises help save Colorado's trees?

That sound makes me want to bite somebody's freakin' head off!​Some creative researchers at Northern Arizona University have discovered what could be a literally sound solution to saving Colorado's forests that are rapidly dying at the jaws of pine beetles. The answer could lie in the sound o ... More >>

Top 10 Colorado shmucks of decade

​It ain't easy being a shmuck. Not as mean as an asshole, not as ignorant as a shithead, a shmuck takes idiocy to an epic level, a moron whose fall from grace has far-reaching repercussions. We've been celebrating weekly shmucks for a long, long time -- but to be named one of Colorado's top 10 ... More >>

Feds put $40 million hit out on bark beetles

The $40 million bug...​Yesterday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the federal government would devote $40 million to dealing with the bark-beetle problem that's turned wooded areas in Colorado and other western states from green to brown. Governor Bill Ritter, who wrote a ... More >>

In Idaho Springs, bathing suits are no longer optional

From the week of August 13, 2009

Wake-Up Call: Good news out of a bad economy

Wolf Creek Ski Area is one of the last vestiges of old Colorado, a family-run, rustic, relaxed ski area with tons of powder and no pretense. Not surprisingly, a Texas developer took one look at the stunning spot and decided to build a massive resort village nearby -- one that could bring in as ma ... More >>

Stayin' Alive

Ruggerfest stomps back to Aspen

Best 4x4 Trail Closest to Denver

Red Cone Trail

Best Silver Lining From a Natural Disaster

Morel Mushrooms
Western Slope Burn Areas

Best Sports

REI

Best Wildflower Walk

Pawnee National Grassland

Smelter Skelter!

The lost town of Saxonia reemerges from the pages of history.

Downhill to Disneyland

The slopes are crowded, so why aren't Colorado resorts rolling in cold cash?

Best Ecosystem Trail

M. Walter Presman Trail

Timber!

Tempestuous political winds are blowing through Colorado's busiest forest.

Tree Wise Man

Christmas-tree hawker Tony Smith carries a heavy load in Boulder.

Letters

Fiddling About

The Fiddlin' Foresters are at home on the range.

Getting a Lift

Environmentalists cry foul over the new federal Ski Fee Bill.

TRANSCENDENTAL DESECRATION

IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUAL VIBES, NEW-AGERS RUN ROUGHSHOD OVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK.

THRILLS