2013 Public Programming

Book Release "Hiking and Fishing Central Colorado Alpine Lakes" Thursday, June 6

Tom Parkes, local author of the new guidebook "Hiking and Fishing Central Colorado Alpine Lakes" will present a slide show highlighting his work over a two year period writing and photographing our beautiful mountain lakes. The resource includes information on 21 alpine lakes located in a 106 mile range from Leadville to south of Crestone. Tom's presentation will share photographs, information on elevation/distance profiles and brief descriptions on the hikes featured in the book.

Tom's book will be available for sale and he will generously donate 30% of sales that evening to GARNA. It will also be available in bookstores (including GARNA outlets), fishing guide stores, as well as other popular locations throughout the Arkansas Valley around the first part of June. Tom has spent the last 10 years hiking into 40 of these pristine spots and is anxious to share his love of the area.

Location: Sangre de Cristo Electric Association meeting room, 29780 Hwy 24 North in Buena Vista
Time: 7:00 until 9:00 pm
Cost: Free for GARNA members; $5 for non-members
Registration: please contact GARNA at info@garna.org to register

Headwaters Institute Friday, June 7

On Friday, June 7 the Arkansas River Outfitters Assoc. (AROA), AHRA and GARNA are presenting the 15th Annual Headwaters Institute, an all-day workshop for first year river guides and the public. Lectures and break-out sessions will be presented by numerous local and regional experts. Topics include the history of the Arkansas Valley, water quality, the effects of global climate change on the Arkansas, wildlife and wildflowers found along the river, and local issues such as Browns Canyon Wilderness & Monument Proposal and "Over the River".

Times: 8:30 am registration; 9:00 am until 5:00 pm
Location: Salida’s Riverside Park and the Scout Hut
Cost:$20 and includes a picnic lunch and pizza and beer after party

Pay online via paypal, price includes a small paypal fee - please note: you do not need a paypal account, only a credit card

 

PAST PROGRAMMING

Cottonwood Gulch Geology Hike Saturday, February 16

Bob Hickey, volunteer geologist with the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, will lead a guided hike in Cottonwood Gulch. This is a beautiful closed and open canyon walk all the way; Pinon forested much of the way, high geological interest area, and some beautiful mountain views. The easy to moderate hike will be an out and back with a total distance of a bit over 4 miles. The beginning elevation is 7100 feet and the elevation change is 700 feet. The hike will take about 4 hours with breaks and Geology exploring along the way.

Time: depart at 10:00 am from the F Street Bridge parking lot in Salida; return about 2 pm

Hike Overview from Bob:

The first mile of the hike is through beautiful closed canyon with many rock features of much geologic interest.  We will examine the basement igneous rocks exposed by rifting through this part of the canyon (granites, metamorphics, intermediate and Mafic igneous rocks). We will also examine a lava flow as we proceed through it where it has been eroded through.  A few cottonwood groves are encountered along this part of the route. The route is in the stream-bed for this first mile.  We will explore a number of different kinds of rocks that have been brought in by stream action from above. Approximately half of the elevation gain for the hike is made in this first mile.  For the second mile, the canyon opens up into a scenic valley with vegetation transitioning to Pinon-forest. The good trail generally parallels the stream-bed on one or the other bank and makes some crossings while the elevation gain slows in this section. There is different interesting geology again through this section of the hike.  We will examine different volcanic deposits here. The hike will end where the canyon again closes in and we have many interesting rock walls with mixtures of basement igneous and volcanic rocks. The good trail moves in and out of the stream-bed in this last section. The return hike is via the same route. Along the way, we will be discussing the rifting and the volcanism of the area and how it manifests itself in our surroundings.This involves much of the lower geologic rock column.

Because this is a weather-dependent outing, we'll send out final details on Friday, February 15 via email. For more information contact GARNA at 719-539-5106 or info@garna.org.

REGISTRATION/FEES
$8 for GARNA members
$12 for non-members

Space is limited; your registration is confirmed when we receive payment.

Full Moon Snowshoe Tour Saturday, February 23

Join us for a full moon snowshoe tour of O'Haver Lake led by naturalist Maggie Gaddis. While we walk we will discuss Earth science including what the full moon is, why we have seasons and much more!

Hot chocolate will be served trailside during the snowshoe. Please bring SNOWSHOES, water, and a headlamp, although we likely won't use it.

If you need to rent snowshoes, Salida Mountain Sports and The Trailhead in Buena Vista have them.

Time: 6:00 until 8:30 pm

Meet: 5:45 pm at the Crossroads Welcome Center in Poncha Springs. The center is at the intersection of Hwys 50 and 285.

Because this is a weather-dependent outing, we'll send out final details on Friday, February 22 via email. For more information contact GARNA at 719-539-5106 or info@garna.org.

REGISTRATION/FEES
$5 for GARNA members
$7 for non-members

Space is limited; your registration is confirmed when we receive payment. Please use the paypal link below or mail a check to "GARNA" with your program choice. Mail to GARNA, PO Box 1522, Salida CO 81201.

Please note: you DO NOT need a pay pal account to use the secure online payment option below...just a credit card.

SORRY THIS CLASS IS FULL

Public Lands in the West - A User's Perspective Wednesday, March 6

A hundred years ago, Theodore Roosevelt established 234 million acres of public land including many national forests in Colorado. Will these lands always be there for us to use? Wendell Winger will discuss how hunters, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts are the key to ensuring these lands will be accessible for generations to come. Wendell has been a volunteer hunter education instructor with Colorado Parks & Wildlife for over 25 years and is also a volunteer educator for Trout Unlimited.

Time: 7:00 until 8:00 pm
Location: Salida Scout Hut
Cost: Free and open to the public but donations are appreciated. No pre-registration required.

Native Seed Collection Project Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16

Biologists Maggie Gaddis and Susan Tweit will lead volunteers in the identification and collection of native seeds from the Monarch Spur park and Susan's native landscape. This project is the first step in an innovative and comprehensive effort to eradicate state-listed noxious weeds, reduce the risk of fire and improve habitat and vegetative conditions along three sections of the Salida Trail System—the Monarch Spur, Striker and Milk Run Trails. Salida middle school students will plant the seeds later in the spring as part of GARNA’s Youth Ecological Literacy Program.

Both should meet on the Monarch Spur Trail at 3rd Street (by Safeway). Please bring work gloves and garden scissors or light pruners if you have them. We will be outside for the duration of the effort but we will not be walking far, so dress warmly. Bring a camera and a notebook and pencil if you are interested in keeping notes for your own property.

More information about the Salida Trail Restoration Plan can be found HERE.

If you would like to volunteer for this project, please register in advance by calling the GARNA office at 719-539-5106.

Vernal Equinox Seed Swap Wednesday, March 20

Join us at Salida Hydroponics Supply from 4:30 until 5:30 pm for a seed start and swap in celebration of the first day of spring. Volunteer Maggie Gaddis will talk about seed starting, when to plant what, how to maintain a germination environment, and how to set up successive plantings. We will then have a seed swap and plant some starters. Participants can bring their own soil, seeds and trays or purchase them onsite.

Afterwards, join us for the March session of the Reel to Real Film Series from 7 until 9 pm at the Methodist Church (4th and D Streets in Salida), hosted by High Altitude Permaculture. The theme for March is "Water Wisdom for Dry Lands," and will include a mix of short subjects on how to do a lot with a little, both around the home and in food production.

Ski with a Naturalist at Monarch Mountain Every Friday through March 2013

For the third year, Ski with a Naturalist tours are again being offered at Monarch Mountain. The tour is free and lasts for approximately 45 minutes. The group meets every Friday at 11:00 a.m. next to the sign in front of Ski Patrol headquarters across from Pioneer Lift and the tour follows beginner runs. Locals and guests of all ages and abilities are welcome.

Led by GARNA volunteer and former Alaskan National Parks Service Ranger Karen Fortier, the tour is a multi-agency effort to educate skiers and snowboarders about the land they are recreating on. A lot of skiers don’t even realize they’re on public land at Monarch. The tour features instruction about forest ecology, wildlife in the winter, the history of recreation on Monarch Pass, ski-area USFS partnership, Monarch Mountain’s green mission and more. 

This free tour will be offered weekly through March. Next time you’re enjoying skiing or boarding at Monarch Mountain, enhance your experience by attending a ski with a naturalist tour.

For more information about GARNA or the Ski with a Naturalist Program, please visit www.garna.org or call 719-539-5106.

"The Crater" Volcano Hike Saturday, April 13

Join Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) volunteer Bob Hickey for a geology hike to “The Crater” in the Arkansas Hills east of Salida. The hike will begin in an open meadow with nice views of the surrounding area and soon enter the forest, walking along a west facing hillside with periodic open views. The first segment of the hike is through the lower (Kerber Formation) to middle (Minturn and Sharpsdale Formations) Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks. As we drop into upper Cottonwood Gulch we enter the volcanic rock zone of the Salida Volcano Field. We will encounter a beautiful pond as we cross to the south side of the Gulch and begin our climb out beside Rick Mountain (a large volcanic deposit). The dirt road then follows the west slopes of Big Baldy Mountain (the main volcano in this area) to a saddle connecting Big Baldy with The Crater (a side vent volcano of Big Baldy) through varying kinds of volcanic deposits (some Pennsylvanian deposits do protrude the volcanic covering in spots). We will follow the trail across the saddle and up the southeast side of the cone to the top of The Crater where we will have lunch before returning via the same route. There will be time to do a little exploring along the rim and on the upper portion of the cone of the crater to enjoy some of the varied volcanic rock forms. The hike is approximately 9 miles round-trip.

Times: 8:00 am until 4:00 pm

Please bring snacks, a sack lunch, plenty of water, and sunscreen. A hiking stick or poles would be helpful on the cone of the crater.

This is a free event hosted by GARNA and AHRA. Space is limited to 12 participants and pre-registration is required. To register contact AHRA 539-7289 and meeting location and directions will be provided.

Bluebird Nesting Box Monitoring Workshop Saturday, April 13

GARNA and Colorado Parks and Wildlife partner each year to monitor nesting boxes for Bluebirds and other cavity nesters. Many volunteers help from spring thru late summer by observing the boxes and recording the nesting species, the number of eggs, fledglings and additional information that is then entered into the Cornell NestWatch website that collects reports from all over the country.

Date: Saturday April 13 in Salida
Times:
9:00 am Division of Wildlife office, 7405 Hwy 50 in Salida
1:30 pm Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, 29780 N. Hwy 24 in Buena Vista.

Questions: contact Denny Arter, 539-0787 or GARNA, 539-5106.

GARNA Sponsors April's "Reel to Real" Film WATERSHED - Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West Wednesday, April 17

Water is critical for life and the Colorado River is a major lifeline of the American West. For millenniums the River has taken water 1,450 miles from the Rocky Mountain headwaters through seven US and two Mexican states to empty into the Sea of California. Today, unfortunately, river water rarely completes its journey. Bowing to enormous demands of growing urban populations, industry, agriculture and a steady reduction in annual snowpack and rainfall, the mighty Colorado runs dry before reaching its destination. 70% of the river's water is dedicated to agriculture needs, while 30 million people (estimated to reach 50 million by 2050) depend on the reamining 30% for drinking, sanitation and energy generation. The future is grim unless something can be done.

Produced and narrated by Robert Redford, WATERSHED is a film about saving the Colorado River by exploring and developing a new water ethic for those dependent upon the river's health. The documentary examines this critical issue from many angles by interviewing users along the river corridor discussing new ideas that can lead to coexistence between rural and urban needs and bring hope to restoration efforts in the Delta. This ambitious movie strives to inspire each of us to personally participate in the solution.

Find out more and view the trailer at http://watershedmovie.com/trailer/

Date: Wednesday, April 17
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: First United Methodist Church basement, 4th and D Street, Salida
Cost: Free, donations welcome

Click here for a PDF of the details - please pass it along!

Also sponsored by: Transition Colorado, High Altitude Permaculture, Morgan Center for Earth Literacy, Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance, Guidestone, Ark Valley Permaculture, Upper Arkansas Conservancy District and Growing Connections.

Earth Day Party Saturday, April 20

Celebrate Earth Day with a citywide festival in Riverside Park. Join like-minded organizations and community members as we celebrate the natural resources of the Arkansas River Valley. This will be a fun-filled day of activities including a geology touch table, animal skins and tracks, Pueblo Raptor Center's Diana Miller and her fascinating feathered friends, games, crafts, the Salida Circus, and more.

Location: Riverside Park in Salida
Times: 10 am until 2 pm

The La Garita Caldera One of Earth's Greatest Volcanic Eruptions Lecture: Friday, May 3 Hike: Saturday, May 4

LECTURE
Scott Adams will present an evening talk on the extensive Oligocene volcanism that occurred in what is now south-central Colorado approximately 25 - 40 million years ago. The largest eruption in this area occurred about 27.6 million years ago in the area west of the town of La Garita (in the San Luis Valley) and was the 7th largest volcanic eruption in the history of Planet Earth.

Date: Friday, May 3
Times: 7:00 until 8:00 pm
Location: Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, 29780 N. Hwy 24, Buena Vista

Cost: Members $5, Non-members $8

HIKE
Scott’s evening lecture has an accompanying field trip Saturday morning at Penitente Canyon, west of La Garita, in the San Luis Valley. Scott will show examples of the volcanic rock that was left by the eruption that is the subject of his Friday evening talk and will discuss how the local landscape was created by the eruption. During the hike we will also discuss the geologic history of the San Luis Valley before and after the Oligocene volcanism, including the Ancestral Rocky Mountain Range, Oligocene volcanism, San Juan Mountains, Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Great Sand Dunes.

The hike is free but is limited to 10 participants who attend the evening lecture. To reserve a spot on the hike, email the office at info@garna.org.

Date: Saturday, May 4
Times: 8:30 am until 2:00 pm
Meet at Crossroads Welcome Center at 8:30 am for a carpool to Penitente Canyon (about a 45 minute drive)

Scott Adams attended the University of Kansas, obtaining a BS degree in geology and mathematics, and an MS degree in geophysics. He pursued a 31-year career as a petroleum geophysicist, geologist, exploration program manager and reservoir manager with Chevron Corporation, with numerous domestic and international assignments. Scott and his wife Diana, retired to Salida in 2006.

Scott’s primary interests are playing solo “finger-style” guitar, building steel-string guitars (14 to date), hiking and photography. His interest in the volcanism associated with Penitente Canyon was stimulated by hiking in and photographing the landscape of that area.

Reed Pole Cutting... part of the Salida Trail Restoration Project Friday, May 3

Join GARNA volunteer Maggie Gaddis in a project to support the re-vegetation of the Monarch Spur Trail. We will be cutting willow stems that Salida 6th grade students will plant along the trail during their service project. Please bring gloves and garden shears if you have them and dress for being outside. We will meet at Monarch Spur Park at the intersection of 3rd Street and the Monarch Spur Trail.

More information about the Salida Trail Restoration Plan can be found HERE.

If you would like to volunteer for this project, please register in advance by calling the GARNA office at 719-539-5106.

22nd Annual Clean Up Green Up Saturday, May 18

Join GARNA and AHRA for the 22nd year of this community event! Clean up along the river and uplands and enjoy a free picnic lunch.

Registration from 8:30 - 9:30 am at:
AHRA Visitor Center, 307 W. Sackett in Salida
Buena Vista Community Center parking area, East Main St in Buena Vista

Volunteer picnic:
11:30 am - 3:30 pm
Riverside Park in Salida

For more information call GARNA at 539-5106 or AHRA at 539-7289.

Water: How can we be sure we will have enough? Wednesday, May 22

After the unprecedented 2002 drought the State of Colorado undertook the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). From that initiative water gaps were identified. In the Arkansas Basin as much as 100,000 acre feet shortage was identified to meet growth in municipal and industrial uses by 2050. To meet that shortage the water community proposed three solutions: New Water Development, Additional Trans-Basin Diversions from the Colorado River, and Conservation. All of these solutions depend upon increasing water storage. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is undertaking the establishment of a Water Storage Authority. This concept and the methodologies of meeting the gap will be explored and discussed. Related to this is the increasing requirements of meeting beneficial uses of water through augmentation.

Terry Scanga, General Manager of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, will present on the advent of augmentation, what it is and why the concept was created by the legislature in the 1969 Administration and Adjudication Act.

Location: Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District offices, 339 E Hwy 50 in Salida
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: Free but donations to GARNA are encouraged and appreciated