After a bit of a slow start to the ski season at Monarch Mountain, snow storms have been steadily hitting the ski area during the last month.

The mountain has received 25 inches of snow in the last seven days as of Thursday and received a measurable amount of snow in 12 of the first 18 days of February, said Scott Pressly, Monarch’s vice president of mountain operations.

February is only halfway over, but it’s already been one of the deadliest months for avalanches in the history of Colorado. Six people have died in avalanches already this month, including two more during the weekend, bringing the number of fatalities to 10 this season.

After 3 consecutive years of negative testing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has removed Green Mountain Reservoir in Summit County from the positive waters list for quagga mussels, a prohibited aquatic nuisance species.

“There’s just exceptionally weak snow around the whole state,” said Ben Pritchett, forecaster with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “It’s not historically unusual, but it’s different than what we’ve had the last few years.”

While many unknowns still linger about the lease of the Tennessee Pass rail line announced on New Years’ Eve, rafting outfitters are concerned about the return of train service on the tracks along the Arkansas River, which have been unused since 1997.

With 17 inches of new snow in the last week, skiers and riders got some of their first powder days at Monarch this season while the mountain also opened more trails and more lifts.

Local, regional and state organizations are nearly finished with the first phase of a conservation plan along the Arkansas River meant to promote public access and preserve land in southern Lake County.

The driving mission behind decades of work by Trout Unlimited is to conserve, protect and restore America’s cold-water fisheries and their watersheds.

Monarch Mountain will open for the season today, officials announced Thursday.

“With the most recent snowfall to hit the central mountains, Monarch Mountain will be opening for the season on Friday, Nov. 27,” the ski area wrote in an email.

The Pike and San Isabel National Forests recently released the final environmental impact statement and draft record of decision for its motorized travel management analysis.

The Chaffee Recreation Council releases a county-wide recreation report today that includes analysis of a resident and visitor opinion survey administered by Envision Chaffee County.

The Chaffee Recreation Council releases a county-wide recreation report today that includes analysis of a resident and visitor opinion survey administered by Envision Chaffee County.

Monarch Mountain is staffed, trained and has its building ready for the ski season.

Now it just needs more snow.

As Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens Fishers Peak State Park for a limited “sneak peek” recreation opportunity, the agency continues to look ahead for future state park opportunities. Demand for accessible outdoor spaces remains high in the state, and CPW invites Coloradans to share their ideas for properties or partnerships that may become the next Colorado state park.

With county sales tax revenues posting stronger collections than expected during the pandemic, the Chaffee Common Ground Citizens Advisory Committee will consider whether to recommend additional funding for strengthening forest health and reducing wildfire danger.

Salida Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service announced the last day to purchase fuelwood permits is Nov. 13.

The new, motorized singletrack trail in the Four Mile Travel Management Area, DudBobs, is open, but it took a team effort during the last several years to complete.

OpenSnow.com’s Joel Gratz speaks in Salida, says ‘odds are stacked in favor’ of an average winter

Season pass holders will be able to ski any day they want to this season at Monarch, but people buying single-day lift tickets will need to plan ahead.

Monarch Mountain’s 2020-2021 operating plan includes wearing masks on chairlifts, limited capacity indoors and a push to get people to purchase lift tickets ahead of time, among other changes to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Season pass holders will be able to ski any day they want to this season at Monarch, but people buying single-day lift tickets will need to plan ahead.

Monarch Mountain’s 2020-2021 operating plan includes wearing masks on chairlifts, limited capacity indoors and a push to get people to purchase lift tickets ahead of time, among other changes to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Jon MacManus was doing a 500-piece puzzle in Lake City Sunday night. Looking at all of the pieces scattered on the table helped him put his recent feat in perspective.

In the spring, Earl Richmond, director of Buena Vista’s recreation department, anticipated that the summer would be “slower than normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like all search and rescue units, the Park County Search and Rescue team wins some, and loses some.

The Monarch Pass Forest and Watershed Health Project has entered a new phase, and Miller Timber Services has begun work to remove beetle-kill trees on the steep slopes south of U.S. 50 using cut-to-length (CTL) logging equipment.

Bureau of Land Management public affairs specialist Brant Porter announced the reintroduction of a Stage 1 Fire ban on BLM-managed lands in Lake, Chaffee, and Fremont counties Wednesday afternoon.

That announcement was quickly followed by a similar Stage 2 fire ban for unincorporated Chaffee County by Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze.

For the first time since the 1960’s, boaters are able to travel down the entirety of the upper Arkansas River from its origin south of Leadville past Buena Vista and beyond without the need to portage.

The Buena Vista board of trustees enthusiastically gave the go-ahead to the BV Rec department’s pursuit of a Great Outdoors Colorado grant that would assist in funding the creation of a multi-generational facility at the River Park including long-awaited pickleball courts, ADS-accessible trails and additional singletrack opportunities.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission voted unanimously to raise fees on river outfitter licenses at its meeting last week.

CPW boating safety manager Grant Brown said the fees have never been increased before and have been the same since 1995.

The Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce cancelled the 2020 Gold Rush Days event in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the footrace at the center of Buena Vista’s celebration of the Old West may still go on as a private race among members of the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation, with no spectators.