New Frontcountry Guidelines for Dogs...

... Even if it's only for a short time!

Boulder, Colorado is bringing back the Annual Dog Dayz event that puts a little extra "pep" in the step of many local dogs... and in some cases, maybe even a "spring" in the form of a diving board.

During this quirky and loved event, the rules are flipped at the local pool: "No humans allowed in the water." Just dogs - and hundreds of them, at that.

It always pays to be aware of your local land manager and town regulations on pets, and this is no exception. After all, you wouldn't want to miss out on a fun event like this!

Check it out the full feature on Dog Dayz at Boulder Daily Camera's website.

Group Size

Thanks to all those who participated in this week’s poll: For a group of twenty on a backcountry hike, it is best to…

1. Camp in small groups on separate campsites, and do not hang out or eat together.
   
2. Have the whole group camp on one site.
3. Split up and camp on separate campsites, but designate routes to a central area to eat and socialize.
4. Take the whole group into a remote area where others won’t see the impacts.
   

The correct answer to the poll is: Camp in small groups on separate campsites and do not hang out or eat together. 

Organized outdoor groups provide training, equipment, expertise and logistical support for everyone from novices looking for an adventure to experts seeking a unique experience with the help of a guide. Group trips into the outdoors play critical role in shaping the life-long skills and ethics of their participants. Many who enjoy spending time outside are introduced to the outdoors on a scouting trip, a church group overnight, at a summer camp, with a hiking club or through an educational trip with a school. For this reason, groups are integral to getting Leave No Trace information out to a wide and diverse audience. 

However, large organized groups in the out-of-doors sometimes earn a bad reputation. Noise, crowding, trash, poor sanitation, trampling and undue impact on the land are often blamed on large groups. Sometimes these labels are deserved; more often they are not. Current research indicates that the techniques a group uses and how it behaves in the out-of-doors are more important than its size in determining how the group will affect the land and other visitors.

Your success in instilling outdoor  ethics in your group will make a significant difference in the condition of the out-of-doors and the recreational experience we enjoy there. It may also prevent further regulations or group size limitations from being imposed. Make Leave No Trace part of your group’s agenda and help protect the places we cherish. 

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Remember to plan realistically. Match your group's goals and skills with your trip's objectives.  

Helpful hints:

• Check with local land management agencies regarding permits, group size requirements and area-specific rules and regulations before you leave for your trip. 
  
• A group size limit of 10 means that your group never congregates in numbers greater than 10. If your group is larger than the area’s group size limit, break into smaller sub-groups to travel and camp. 
  
• Avoid the most popular and congested areas, or visit them during times when they are less crowded.
  
• Concentrate all activities on the most durable or previously disturbed surfaces and avoid trampling plants. 
  
• Gather as a large group only on durable surfaces and within group size limits.
  
• Explain what both durable and non-durable surfaces are to your group.
  
• Help them recognize areas sensitive to human traffic such as wetlands, riparian zones, recently thawed ground, fragile plants and cryptobiotic soils. 
  

 

 

Wilderness War

An interesting article in the Salt Lake Tribune regarding issues stemming from recreational access to Wilderness Study Areas in Utah. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12312057 The crux of the issue appears to be whether or not motorized recreation is compatible with the idea of federally designated Wilderness. 

Mistaken Geocache

This kind of thing is happening more and more these days. Be sure you know the rules and regulations for geocaching in your area before placing a cache...

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2009
 
Suspicious package at Fairview determined to be a geocaching device

City of Boulder Police are on scene at Fairview High School after receiving a report of a suspicious package outside the school at 1515 Greenbriar Blvd. All students and staff have evacuated the building and are safe. The suspicious package has been cleared and determined to be a geocaching device.
 
The incident happened at about 11:40 a.m. when a teacher noticed a man and a woman burying some kind of box near the stone sign in front of the school. When they finished burying the box, the suspects drove away. The suspects are described as a middle-aged male and female driving a cream-colored SUV with Nebraska license plates. Police have put out an alert on the vehicle.
 
When officers arrived, they determined that the school should be evacuated and called for the bomb squad. The bomb squad has determined that the box was a geocaching device, not a bomb. The bomb squad is still checking two backpacks that were left abandoned inside the school.
 
All students were relocated to Southern Hills Middle School, 1500 Knox Drive. Fairview High School has been closed for the rest of the day. District officials have notified other schools in the area.
 
This investigation is continuing, and criminal charges are likely.