When the rules get broken

I went for a hike with my family yesterday in Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate Mother's Day. It was a perfect day for a hike - 60's, sunny, a few clouds and no wind. As we hiked, we began to notice tracks in the snow that looked like those of a coyote. I'm no Tom Brown so I wasn't sure but they were fun for our son to follow. We hiked to an abandoned mine in the Park, found a nice spot for a picnic and had the place to ourselves. We only saw a few other people on the trails all day. However, on our way back to the trailhead, we heard a group coming from behind us. I turned around an noticed they had a dog on a leash. That explained the tracks in the snow but begged the question as to whether or not the dog owner knew that dogs aren't allowed on Park trails.

The dog owner was moving pretty quickly past us and I knew I'd only have one shot at talking to him about the dog. My initial thought was to just tell him dogs weren't allowed. But as he got closer I changed tact and said, "Howdy. Do you hike here much?" expecting him to say that he was new to the Park, which would allow me the opportunity to tell him about the Park's rule on dogs and why they weren't allowed. Much to my surprise, he told me he "hiked in the Park a lot." To which I said, "I didn't know dogs were allowed on Park trails [playing dumb]." His response got me, "Dogs aren't allowed on the trails but they're [the National Park Service] pretty cool about it this time of year. It's just not a big deal." At this point, I really didn't know what to say. Especially since this guy knew the rules but blatantly chose to break them.

This is the guy whose selfish actions impact the rest of us. Don't be this guy...

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.

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.