On Friday, June 9, the Arkansas River Outfitters Association (AROA), Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) are presenting the 24th Annual Headwaters Institute, an all-day workshop for the public and first year river guides that provides education and leadership in watershed education.
With a shoreline packed with competitors, CKS Paddlefest weekend’s first round of the freestyle kayak competition Saturday was a sight for spectators to behold.
The Pine Creek Giant Slalom made a splash in its first year under the CKS Paddlefest umbrella with more than 40 paddlers who made their way down the rapid late into the evening Friday.
Six competitions, three clinics, eight live concerts and one awards ceremony later, Paddlefest 2023 wrapped up after the Race to the Grill on Monday, May 29.
Using the flow of the river, the contestants would splat their kayaks – or push them against – the three rocks near Ramsour Bridge, throwing in any tricks they could manage for extra points such as loops, spins, cartwheels and even paddle twirling.
Paddlefest 2023 wraps up a weekend of community and connection for paddlers
In honor of National Safe Boating Week, May 20-26, 2023, CPW is promoting safe boating tips to educate outdoor enthusiasts on how to take caution on Colorado waters while enjoying water sports like power boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming and fishing.
Fee structure proposed for Turtle Rock, Bank, Sand Gulch campgrounds
At its May meeting, the Parks and Wildlife Commission approved $6.24 million to fund 52 trail projects across Colorado as recommended by CPW for its 2023 - 2024 OHV Trail Grant funding awards.
Roving photographer William Helms noticed these Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep rams hanging out on a Friday afternoon earlier this month above CR 306. Helms sent the photograph by email to editor@chaffeecountytimes.com
For those looking to join the festivities while staying dry, CKS Paddlefest offers a number of on-land opportunities to have fun and gear up for summer.
Fewer boats requiring decontamination due to fouling by destructive species entered Colorado in 2022 compared to previous years with nearly 500,000 inspections performed.
With spring upon us, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds citizens and visitors that bears have emerged from hibernation and are beginning their search for food.
Buena Vista’s own whitewater festival CKS Paddlefest is right around the corner, set for May 26-29. The Memorial Day weekend festivities on and off the river provide a kickoff to the town’s summer season.
“It’s just a good ‘kickoff to summer’ event. We always call it that, and it always feels like it,” CKS Paddlefest event coordinator Cat Tobin said. “This time of year, lots of people are coming into town and getting … on the Arkansas. The water’s coming up and the desert flowers are blooming.”
Colorado’s backcountry and outdoor recreation areas saw a surge of visitors and users during and after the pandemic. Now, in an effort to reduce human waste left behind by hikers, campers and other Colorado backcountry enthusiasts, “Doo” Colorado Right will be distributing more than 3,500 PACT Lite kits for free at visitors’ centers and trail organizations across the state starting May 26.
Don your gloves and grab your bags for the annual community Clean Up Green Up, when volunteers clean the banks along the waterways of the Arkansas River from Granite to Cañon City.
Local cleanup efforts have already proven successful this season, and there are no signs of slowing down.
With spring upon us, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds citizens and visitors that bears have emerged from hibernation and are beginning their search for food.
The Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Colorado Trout Unlimited is hosting the 2023 Caddis Festival Raffle.
The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association will host the 32nd Annual Clean Up-Green Up in conjunction with Colorado Public Lands Day on Saturday, May 20.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife euthanized a young mountain lion after it swatted an 11-year-old girl, leaving a puncture wound on her face, on Wednesday evening.
To kick off the summer outdoor recreation season and educate people about water safety, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is hosting “Gear Up for Summer” on Saturday at Riverside Park in Salida.
Vicki Genfan, named one of the top 50 acoustic guitarists in the world by the esteemed Guitar Player Magazine, will perform a benefit concert at 7 p.m. on May 30 at the Salida SteamPlant in downtown Salida.
Run, jog and walk to raise funds for the new first responder-themed park on the west side of Buena Vista in Sunset Vista neighborhood.
Deerhammer, Eddyline launch latest Trail Forge barrel, start Crank ‘n’ Hammer trail work
The first weekend of May was met with blue skies, budding leaves and around 250 trail runners in the 33rd Collegiate Peaks Trail Run, hosted by Optimist Club of Buena Vista.
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Run, jog and walk to raise funds for the new first responder-themed park on the west side of Buena Vista in Sunset Vista neighborhood.
Deerhammer, Eddyline launch latest Trail Forge barrel, start Crank ‘n’ Hammer trail work
The first weekend of May was met with blue skies, budding leaves and around 250 trail runners in the 33rd Collegiate Peaks Trail Run, hosted by Optimist Club of Buena Vista.
Snowpack in the upper Arkansas River Basin was helped by late April snows, which bodes well for the runoff season.
Almost 2 years after opening, Cloud City Toy Store’s donated bikes are going strong.
The 33rd annual Collegiate Peaks Trail Run hits the trails on Saturday, May 6, courtesy of the Optimist Club of Buena Vista.
Ark-Valley Humane Society is excited to host the 6th Annual Tails On The Trail 5K Race for the animals on Saturday, May 20 at 11 a.m.
Nature enriches the Colorado culture, and Governor Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (believe every Colorado resident should have the outdoor opportunity to experience Colorado’s wild side.
As I progress with new skills, techniques and fly patterns, I keep thinking about what fly fishing means to me.
With just a few days leading up to their cleanup effort, the Buena Vista Rec Department reports a strong volunteer showing for this year’s Keeping Bewnie Buena neighborhood cleanup.
FIBArk Whitewater Festival announced Monday its participation in the 2023 Kayak Freestyle Colorado Cup, a three-part series that culminates in an overall champion from the Colorado tour freestyle kayak events.
After around 2 hours of discussion and debate at the Buena Vista trustees’ meeting Tuesday night, Brad Wann’s appeal of the town’s decision regarding his event permit application was denied.
Envision Chaffee County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan has focused on prescribed burns and partnerships with local landowners to prepare for and protect against wildfire risks.
The Chaffee County Sheriff's Department announced the county would be moving into Stage 1 Fire Restrictions due to the recent lack of moisture and dry conditions.
Chaffee Rec Adopters to clean up in Fourmile, Browns Creek and host additional events this season
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking public input on proposed regulation changes for State Wildlife Areas.
As drama around donkeys continues to fulfill the definition of “an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances,” additional interviews were conducted, emails received and comments posted online.
As summer grows ever closer, Buena Vista’s annual Gold Rush Days continue to come together. But with a stubborness usually reserved for the animals involved, the independently run burro race has become a contentious issue for applicants, town staff and racers alike.
The wicked smack of whiffle against paddle echoed in the Darren Patterson Christian Academy Gym as 125 players came together for a pickleball tournament the weekend of March 31.
The Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Foundation is excited to announce the return of the annual Cancer Walk on Saturday, April 29 at 9 a.m.
BV Rec will be hosting the third annual Keeping Bewnie Buena event. The neighborhood clean-up, made up of volunteers, spans Buena Vista’s streets, parks, trails and open spaces. The event, set for Sunday, April 30, will clean up the town before summer events kick off in May.
The Bureau of Land Management is accepting competitive bids to lease public lands for solar energy projects on approximately 1,064 acres in Saguache County in the Cañon City district.
The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and the nonprofit Greater Arkansas River Nature Association are sponsoring a free four-part educational series to train volunteers to help steward the public lands of the Upper Arkansas Valley.
Buena Vista’s Mal Sillars, meteorologist and NWS observer, gave a presentation on backcountry weather considerations and reading weather signs March 16.
A local nonprofit organization is seeking International Dark Sky Park certification for Browns Canyon National Monument.
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen came to the Arkansas Valley Thursday, March 16, to host roundtables in Buena Vista and Salida.
Man suffers minor head injuries in hot tub incident near Nathrop, CPW searches for animal
When pandemic experts advised Americans to avoid crowds and spend more time in the great outdoors, unprecedented numbers of Coloradans grabbed their gear and made a beeline to the high country to camp, hike, ski, fish, raft, kayak, climb, bike and more.
Colorado Trout Unlimited’s Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp will occur June 11-17 just over Cottonwood Pass at AEI Base Camp in Taylor Park.
GARNA’s gear library is expected to launch this summer. The non-profit first started exploring plans for a gear library around 2016.
“March!” One of those curious words capable of conjuring multiple images, memories and meanings in the brain.
BV Rec is partnering with local nonprofit Achieve, Inc. to provide single-day outings for neurodiverse participants in Buena Vista and surrounding areas.
In an effort to help communities coexist with bears, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will continue its Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant Program, providing local Colorado communities with financial resources to support efforts that reduce human-bear conflicts.
Buena Vista’s Planning & Zoning Commission has adopted the Rodeo Grounds and Chicago Ranch Master Plan after more than a year of planning, community input and consultation. The plan will go before the board of trustees at their March 14 meeting.
The 2023-2024 fishing license is valid from March 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Regulations and pricing for annual, daily and multi-day fishing licenses can be found in the 2023 Colorado Fishing Brochure (Pesca en Colorado (En Español ). For individuals, ages 18 through 64, an $11.50 Habitat Stamp is required with the first license purchase for the year. Youth under age 16 can fish with one rod for free, and CPW provides opportunities throughout the season to learn how to fish.
The proposed actions, which can be viewed on the USFS website, are intended to reduce impact while maximizing opportunities.
The Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands are seeking comments on a proposal to address impacts from vehicle-based dispersed camping on National Forest System lands in Chaffee, Fremont, Saguache, Park and Lake counties.
A recent mountain lion sighting on Midland Hill proves that, even in winter, wildlife are out and about.
Just because it’s cold and ice is covering area lakes and streams doesn’t mean the fish aren’t biting.
The decision addressed routes in areas without a travel management plan by establishing designated routes to reduce impacts on resources and continue to provide public access.
A black bear from Huerfano County was affected by the disease in October, a skunk from Weld County was found to be positive for the disease in November and a mountain lion that died in Gunnison County was recently confirmed to have the disease.
After years of effort, ice rink dreams may be coming true for Chaffee County. Ice Rink for Chaffee County, a local nonprofit focused on establishing recreational ice space for Salida and Buena Vista, is working on a contract for a future rink in the south end of the county.
Data collected on the two radar speed limit signs near Rainbow Lake shows that, since 2020, westbound traffic on Cottonwood Pass has declined slightly.
Buena Vista residents talked features, budget and accessibility for the new park in the Sunset Vista neighborhood.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is considering changes to policies and regulations that direct the distribution of big game hunting licenses in Colorado.
Youth and adult sports leagues have long been a staple of the Buena Vista Rec Department’s programming. Now, with the addition of cooking classes with local chef Tom Campbell, BV Rec is looking forward to exploring more fine arts opportunities.
Registration is currently open for all events at runsignup.com. The marathon field is over 60% full, and the half marathon field is over 70% full. Registration prices will increase after Jan. 31.
Team Monarch, Monarch Mountain’s ski and snowboard freeride team has started its season with a coed team of 14 skiers and six snowboarders ages 9-18.
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