Author: By Seth Boster
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Waterfall a bonus of Pancake Rocks west of Colorado Springs
High in the Teller County woods, there’s a stack of rocks that looks as if it could use some syrup. This has come to be known as Pancake Rocks. And even better than the curious outcrop is the vista which it commands. It’s a hard-earned trek to get there, however. If looking for something less…
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The wonderful world of Colorado plants, according to the man tasked with preserving it
Steve Olson stops along the Pikes Peak Highway and enters a spruce forest to see what he can find. “Let’s see what this is,” he says, crossing his long, skinny legs and folding downward to the ground. His arms are gangly, like branches, his fingers spindly, and they gently inspect this green patch. It’s not…
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Colorado state parks see visitation surge, with 1-hour waits at Front Range spot
June weekends have come with warnings. “Summer is in full swing,” started one post on Lake Pueblo State Park’s Facebook page, “and we are still experiencing unprecedented/record-breaking visitation …” Colorado’s most popular state park counted 365,593 guests in May, up nearly 30% from the same month in 2019. Last year, Lake Pueblo reported a record…
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Colorado mountain town expands network of trails for hiking, biking, Nordic skiing
Pete Swenson believes most Frisco outsiders to be unfamiliar with what he calls the town’s centerpiece for trails. But with a vision becoming a reality at Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area, he expects that to change. “The PRA has always been a locals’ little paradise,” said Swenson, the Frisco Nordic Center and trails manager. “But now…
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Manitou Incline future murky as ever as tensions flare over proposed reopening
The cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs appear to be no closer to an agreement over the equally beloved and despised Manitou Incline, which local leaders closed under an emergency pandemic declaration March 17. If anything, after a meeting Thursday, the cities bound by a nearly 10-year-old intergovernmental agreement are more apart than ever.…
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Droves of Colorado residents looking for an escape creates capacity issue at trailheads
For months it has looked like summer at Colorado Springs trailheads — packed not by tourists but by locals in what has been a COVID-19 trend along the Front Range. Now, Gov. Jared Polis has emboldened Coloradans to hit the trails, adding “the vast, great outdoors” to his “safer at home” guidelines. Now, “we’ve certainly…
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Tracing the persistent controversy of the Manitou Incline
In 2019, Ken Jaray abruptly announced stepping away from the top political post in Manitou Springs, opening the door for a third mayor there in four years. He cited the stress of the job being detrimental to his health. And as it was for leaders before him and the one that came after, a fair…
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Manitou Incline reopening uncertain as cities express differences
The status of the Manitou Incline appears to be at a standstill, as managing partners are at odds over the popular attraction’s near future. City of Manitou Springs leadership has unanimously decided to keep the Incline closed while staff explores a reservation system and possible fee to limit crowds. Land-owning officials with the city of…
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Forest Service campgrounds set to reopen, fire restrictions still in place
After staying closed through the traditionally busy Memorial Day weekend, campgrounds were scheduled to begin reopening Monday across Colorado’s national forests and grasslands. An order outlining restrictions due to COVID-19, including for campfires, has been lifted. Still, fire bans remain throughout major destinations in the Rocky Mountains, including within the Pike and San Isabel national…
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OutThere Colorado celebrates 10 years as online adventure resource
Last year, Spencer McKee found himself atop one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks when a stranger called him out. “You write a lot about death,” the woman said on the summit of Mount Belford. As director of content and operations of OutThere Colorado, the online publishing platform housed under The Gazette company, McKee does write a…