CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: The capital campaign was $750,000, not $700,000 as previously stated. Also, volunteer labor was used to install fencing, replace sign posts, and work on weed mitigation and revegetation, while the major improvements, including tree and boulder removal, were part of the capital improvements plan.
Mitigating the impacts of climate change and drought has been a continued focus for Mt. Sopris Nordic Council as cross country skiers await the first snow flakes of the season to settle on the Spring Gulch ski area west of Carbondale.
A pair of trail work days in late September and early October concentrated on weed mitigation and revegetation throughout the 28-kilometer trail network, and building new snow and parking area fencing.
Also in preparation for what will be the 39th season of skiing at Spring Gulch, numerous dead and dying trees and several large boulders have been removed as part of the Nordic Council’s capital improvements plan.
The Nordic Council is the nonprofit organization that holds the lease with the private landowners and manages the wintertime ski trails on the North Thompson Cattlemens’ Association land when the cattle are pasturing at lower elevations.
This past year, the organization successfully completed its $750,000 capital campaign aimed at completing several improvements at the ski area.
That work began two years ago with the construction of a second parking lot and trailhead on the Marion Gulch Road and several new trails in the upper reaches of the trail system that are better able to hold snow.
Work continued this fall, including the removal of several aspen trees near the trail intersection of North Star and Finlandia that had died off due to drought, explained Nordic Council Executive Director Rachel Bachman Perkins.
“This is really important for stewardship, as it promotes regeneration and rejuvenation of new vegetation,” she said. “With the aspen, and same with the oak brush that’s overgrown in places, if you cut that out, the smaller growth responds and starts to grow and thrive in its place.”
Removing the dead aspen also serves as a safety measure, so that the trees don’t fall over onto the trails when people are on them, Bachman Perkins said.
In addition, it promotes year-round health of the Spring Gulch area, which serves as grazing land for the ranchers during the warmer months. Thinning the oak brush also helps with wildfire mitigation, she noted.
“With the oak brush, we’ve been strategically cutting that back, sparking new growth where we want it so that it blocks wind and sun, and keeps the snow better,” she said.
Another big project this fall was to remove about 200 exposed boulders from just beneath the newer trails off the Marion lot. Not only can those large rocks damage grooming equipment and skis when the snow coverage is thin, they serve to speed melting when they become exposed to the sun, Bachman Perkins said.
Several of the larger boulders now line the perimeter of the Marion Gulch parking lot, which has also been filled and regraded to lessen sun exposure. The boulders also serve to block would-be vandals from driving onto the trails, she said.
A pair of vandalism incidents last season, including vehicles on the trails and portable toilets being damaged by fireworks, and one that was completely burned out, led to arrests and juvenile criminal charges. The Nordic Council worked with YouthZone on a restorative justice plan for the two perpetrators, who were each given 20 hours of community service and were put to work at Spring Gulch over the summer, Bachman Perkins said.
Security cameras have now been placed at the parking lots to guard against future vandalism.
Additional improvements Spring Gulch users will notice this coming season are new fencing, wood chips at the two trailheads to prevent muddy spots, modifications to the trail maps and new numbered markers along the trails for easier navigation, she said.
While Spring Gulch had a much-earlier-than usual Thanksgiving Day opening last season, trail managers are hoping that snow in the forecast for this weekend will help get things going. But it will likely be a few weeks before the trails are ready.
In the meantime, Bachman Perkins reminded people to refrain from using the trails before Spring Gulch is officially open.
A few other things of note in regards to the upcoming ski season:
• The Spring Gulch season kickoff and membership renewal event is set for 5-7pm Tuesday, Dec. 16 at El Dorado on Main Street in downtown Carbondale. Members receive a free drink ticket.
• Save the dates for the annual Rat Race community cross country skate ski race on Sunday, Feb. 1, and the Ski for Sisu ski-a-thon fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 8.
• Spring Gulch is partnering with the Nature Connection, an outdoor education organization working with the Delta County Schools, to provide equipment and bring groups of elementary school students out to experience cross country skiing the week of Presidents Day in February.
• Spring Gulch also partners withWilderness Workshop’s Defiende Nuestra Tierra to host a family bilingual ski day on the following Saturday: Feb. 21.
• Finally, with the Winter Olympics coming up in February in and around Milan Cortina, Italy, keep an eye out for a couple of local US Nordic Ski Team hopefuls, Kate Oldham and Hailey Swirbul, out training on the Spring Gulch trails.