No Hitchhiking Allowed

Dateline: Hayden, CO

The Colorado Tour

It's little surprise that the invasion of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) is a major concern in Colorado’s lakes and waterways. These invasive species include non-native aquatic plants, animals, viruses, and pathogens that harm the native ecosystems and can have negative environmental and economic impacts on a massive scale. Zebra and quagga mussels are by far the worst of the ANS culprits, readily establishing a colony in lakes and waterways and capable of phenomenally rapid reproduction.

The outlook for ANS in Colorado is pretty dire, and public land managers are taking special precautions to guard against their spread. At Elkhead Reservoir in Yampa River State Park, we watched a ranger carefully inspect a visitor’s boat and trailer for the telltale signs of an ANS hitchhiker… It’s a clear case of the need to leave what you find where you find it! Our lakes and waterways can only be protected through every user’s awareness, education, vigilance, and good stewardship. Don’t let ANS be an unwelcome hitchhiker on your next outdoor adventure!

… along the Colorado Trail,

Peggy and Barrett

Tales Told – Lessons Learned?

Dateline: Craig, CO

The Colorado Tour

We setup our camp at Yampa River State Park in the northwestern reaches of the state this week. This section of the Yampa River is an area of riparian meadows and forest bordered by sagebrush uplands, and is understandably rich in wildlife. To our pleasant surprise, we were awakened in the pre-dawn of each morning by the chortling noises made by migratory flocks Sandhill cranes. As a river corridor in an otherwise sparse, arid landscape, the park is very popular with fisherman, boaters, and birders.

During our stay we visited classes at both East Elementary and Sunset Elementary in the Moffat County School District, where we helped an active gaggle of 5^th graders plan ahead and prepare for an upcoming outdoor adventure. The group was gearing up for their own campout a few weeks hence at Yampa River State Park. We asked them to recall family outing experiences that were made particularly memorable by some oversight in trip planning, packing, unexpected change in the weather, wildlife encounter, or similar unanticipated challenges. Just like the rest of us, the kids had many stories to tell about such experiences, some of them pretty funny, but all of them good lessons to be remembered. We left them with good wishes for a successfully planned and pleasantly memorable adventure along the beautiful Yampa.

… along the Colorado Trail,

Peggy and Barrett