The fourteeners grant was announced last week by the governor’s office as part of $2.4 million earmarked for 26 trail projects around the state this year. Funding for the state’s Non-Motorized Trail Grant Program comes from Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Lottery and the Federal Highway Administration. Great Outdoors Colorado, which derives its funding from lottery proceeds, typically distributes around $70 million in grants annually.

The fourteeners initiative will hire eight seasonal employees, as it does annually.

“They’re a mobile team that will go out and do smaller-scale reconstruction efforts — cleaning of trail drains, removing downed timber, fixing ‘staircases’ and trail features that have fallen out or eroded,” said CFI executive director Lloyd Athearn. “Sometimes we have avalanche impacts or intense rain events that have washed out parts of trails. It’s stuff we will always be doing as long as there are fourteeners, and as long as there is a CFI.

“There are impacts from hundreds of thousands of people a year,” Athearn added, “in a very loose and highly changing environment.”

Grants from the state’s recreational trails program are capped at $250,000. Last year CFI used that amount for a major trail construction project focused on Mount Shavano.

The initiative has other sources of funding for its trail projects besides state trail grants, Athearn said, such as local governments, community foundations and business contributions.

“State trails pays for roughly a third to a half of our cost in a given year,” Athearn said, “but it’s kind of a lead funder.”

Although Colorado Parks and Wildlife approves the grants after an independent commission analyzes and prioritizes applications, the funding doesn’t come from CPW coffers. However, with already underfunded federal land managers facing increasing budget challenges, Athearn said CPW “really needs to fill the void,” especially given staff cuts by the Trump administration.

“The state is likely to be a more influential trail funder in the future than they have been in the past, just given what is happening with the federal government and money,” Athearn said. “Trails has historically been a small part of CPW’s work, (compared to) state parks and wildlife management. I think there is a growing awareness within CPW that the public would certainly welcome them having a larger role as the federal government becomes much harder to work with and more unpredictable.”

CPW spokesman Joey Livingston said the agency has “worked closely with our federal partners” for more than 150 years and that their partnership would continue.

“When asked by federal land managers, CPW will continue to explore potential partnerships and seek cooperative management solutions that align with our shared goals for sustainable resource management and appropriate recreation management,” Livingston said in an email.

In February, Gov. Jared Polis announced a partnership involving federal and local agencies in the Pikes Peak region that could result in the creation of a recreation area, managed by CPW to improve amenities and create new ones. In 2021, The Conservation Fund purchased Sweetwater Lake on the western slope and transferred it to the White River National Forest. Because that forest lacks the funding to manage the property, CPW may end up managing it for them.

Fourteeners where maintenance crews will work this summer include Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky in the Front Range; Quandary Peak and Mount Democrat in the Mosquito Range near Hoosier Pass; Mount Princeton, Mount Massive and Mount Columbia in the Sawatch Range; Redcloud Peak and Wetterhorn Peak in the San Juans; Capitol Peak in the Elk Range, San Luis Peak in the La Garitas, and Mount Sneffels near Telluride.

Of the other trail grants announced last week, the only one to receive the maximum $250,000 grant was Austin Bluffs Open Space in Colorado Springs. A grant of $150,000 will go to the Colorado Mountain Bike Association for trail needs in Front Range national forests.

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The iconic 6-mile roundtrip hike is in a red-ribboned rock formation in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness (which are actually in Arizona, near the Utah border). But because of its delicate nature, would-be visitors have to enter a daily lottery to get a permit, helping limit the number of people tramping over the sandstone. The in-person lottery has since been replaced by a daily online lottery that is monitored by a “mobile geofence system,” meaning you have to be nearby to fill it out. There is also an advance lottery four months out.

It wasn’t my lucky day, though, and the trip is still a goal.

The Wave may be one of the oldest (since the 1980s) and most familiar examples of land managers instituting a system to protect special places from excessive use, but it’s not alone. Perhaps thanks in part to social media, some spots are just too popular for their own good.

Below is a list of some of the best and most famous lotteries. It’s by no means complete, and you can find more under the “permits” tag at recreation.gov.

UTAH/ARIZONA

The Wave in Coyote Buttes North

As mentioned above, if you want to hike the Wave, plan to spend some time in the BLM office in Kanab, Utah; that’s where you’ll go to pick up the permit and attend a safety lesson. Understand more about the process at blm.gov. If you strike out with The Wave, you can still have a pretty epic day of hiking in this area, though. We ended up at nearby White Pocket. You must have a high-clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead as it is on unimproved roads with sand drifts. Or, speak to the experts at the BLM about how to get to the trailhead or hire a local guide. Other hikes with groovy natural formations in the area include the Sand Caves and Red Canyon Slot.

Angels Landing in Zion National Park

As someone with a fear of heights, I can’t understand the appeal of Angels Landing, but lots of other people do, which is why it is so popular. This 5-mile hike includes narrow strips of rock with sheer drops on both sides. The payoffs are 360-degree views and bragging rights.

To obtain a permit, go to the National Park Service website, and pay a $6 non-refundable fee to enter the lottery up to seven days in advance for up to six people at a time. You will be redirected to recreation.gov, which manages all permits. If you score a permit, you’ll pay $3 per person to do the hike. Note that due to limited cell phone service, you need to print or download the permit before coming to the park. Hiking choices are limited to the next day (not the day of) or a week in advance. Getting to the trailhead requires taking a shuttle, so check the schedule or you’ll miss your time slot.

Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park

In 2006, the National Park Service switched from a waitlist to a lottery for noncommercial rafting permits on the portion of the Colorado River that snakes through the Grand Canyon. In season, about 450 permits are awarded for 12 to 25-day raft trips. Before the lottery system, the waitlist was exceeding 25 years for some boaters!

This is a “weighted lottery” where a person’s previous experience — or lack thereof — is factored in. This is not a trip for novices, so the permitting process includes meeting park service standards for the skills to raft this river.

Once you get that permit, know that it can’t be traded, deferred, or changed. And bring your wallet — the lottery application fee is $25, a river permit costs $90 per person, and an entrance fee is $20 per person. There is also a trip deposit of $200 to $400.

Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon

The Havasupai Indian Reservation is in Havasu Canyon, which is part of the Grand Canyon. Supai Village is only accessible by foot or horseback (or mule), and no day hiking is allowed. Depending on your final destination, the village or campground, it’s an 8- to 10-mile hike down into the canyon and along the bottom. Temperatures can exceed 115 degrees in summer.

The attraction here is the icy blue waters that tumble across red rocks, including Havasu Falls. Devastating floods wrecked the area in 2024, but it has since reopened and is still a stunning locale that attracts many more requests to visit than it can handle.

Which is why there is a lottery system; reservation requests are made through the Havasupai tribe’s website and aren’t managed by the National Park Service.

If you aren’t going to set up your own camp, you can make a reservation at the lodge in Supai Village. There are detailed rules for when you can hike in and back out based on your reservation dates, along with a need to have a group leader and to bring your paperwork. Another option, which I used with success, was to go with a commercial guide who secures the permits so you don’t leave it up to chance. You will be camping with your group, and not staying in the lodge, which means carrying more gear on your hike.

For the lucky ones who score a permit for a non-commercial excursion, don’t expect to buy any supplies in Supai Village. Pack in everything you need, and pack everything back out with you.

COLORADO

Maroon Bells

The most photographed destination in Colorado, the twin peaks of the Maroon Bells, outside of Aspen attract 300,000 visitors every year, according to tourism officials in the area.

Once you’re here, there are many hiking options, from easier ones like the one-mile loop around Maroon Lake to harder trails, like the 11-mile one-way trek across 12,500-foot West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte.

Unless you are riding your bicycle here, you’ll more than likely need a reservation to take the shuttle bus from Aspen Highlands during peak months. Reservation costs range from $10 to $20, depending on whether you’re parking your own vehicle or taking the shuttle. Note that there is a fee between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get picked up by a friend, and all commercial ride services are not allowed for drop off or pick-up.

Much harder to get are backcountry permits for the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, which go on sale each year and allow access to the famed Conundrum Hot Springs, as well as Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and the Four Pass Loop.

Hanging Lake

Tucked inside the White River National Forest in Glenwood Canyon is Hanging Lake, a National Natural Landmark thanks to its exquisite beauty.

The trail is only a little over a mile long, but it is steep and rocky. The reward for your efforts is a waterfall pouring gently into clear, bluish-green lake. A wooden walkway hugs the side of the lake and provides a clear place to remain on land, not in the tempting cool waters.

What could be called a series of unfortunate events — overuse, wildfire, debris runoff — culminated in multiple closures of the trail in the past few years for repair and restoration. It’s now scheduled to reopen as of July 1, 2025. And reservations are required. There is a $12 per person permit cost; no dogs are allowed. Permits are available with rolling availability through visitglenwood.com.

CALIFORNIA

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

Half Dome is one of the most recognized places in Yosemite National Park for its unique shape: one sheer face and three rounded sides, making it look like a dome cut in half.

The 400-foot climb to the top is one of the more sought-after experiences in the park, so there is a seasonal permit lottery system. The fixed cables that make this climb possible are put in each spring and removed in the fall, so access is limited.

There is a preseason lottery and then the daily lottery for two days in advance with six permits per application. Only 225 hikers are permitted per day through recreation.gov. The cost is $10 for each lottery application and each award hiker pays $10 for their permit.

A climbing harness is recommended, but not provided. This is not a guided experience so each hiker is responsible for their own safety.

TENNESSEE

Synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky National Park

Surprisingly, one of the most limited and dicey lotteries is the one to view the synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky National Park during eight days in June. Everything about this is limited, and then there are no guarantees that the wildlife will perform on cue.

The lottery for a vehicle reservation opens on April 28 at 10 a.m. EDT and closes by 8 p.m. on May 1. Less than 1,000 vehicles are allowed during the entire event, predicted to peak June 4-11. There is a $1 nonrefundable application fee and a $24 registration fee if you win a permit.

For those who do get a permit, there are strict guidelines about the lighting you bring with you, such as using a red flashlight rather than a bright cell phone light.

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A total of $2.4 million has been granted to construct, restore and maintain 26 Colorado trails. Of that, $250,000 will be used to restore trails on Mount Bierstadt, Blue Sky, Quandary, Democrat, Princeton, Massive, Capitol, Columbia, San Luis, Redcloud, Wetterhorn and Sneffels.

Bierstadt and Quandary were the state’s two busiest fourteeners in 2023, the most recent season for which the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has data.

The funding comes from the Non-Motorized Trails Grant Program, a partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Lottery and the Federal Recreational Trails Program. The Parks and Wildlife commission approved the grants in March.

“Our iconic fourteeners will now be even more accessible and safe to summit,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a news release. “In Colorado, we are focused on expanding outdoor recreational opportunities for all Coloradans, while protecting our natural resources and public lands. This funding will help Coloradans have fun, get outside, and be active while protecting our awe-inspiring natural landscapes, keeping Colorado beautiful for generations to come.”

As for the rest of the money, the Colorado Mountain Bike Association will receive $150,000 for trail maintenance, especially in Front Range forests. Other grants include $124,000 for trail sustainability in Mesa County, $149,000 for trail maintenance in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, and $250,000 to build new trails at the Austin Bluffs Open Space in Colorado Springs.

“We recognize that recreation and conservation goals can often support each other, and that funding partnerships with other organizations and agencies across the state are critical to accomplish those goals,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife director Jeff Davis said in the news release.

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Hiking is one of my all-time favorite activities. Nothing can kill my vibe when I’m trekking through a picturesque Colorado forest miles away from the city and cellphone service. That is, until nature calls.

Every wilderness woman has a story about going off-trail to find a spot where they can relieve themselves without exposing the light of a full moon to other recreationists. Sometimes there are consequences. One of my most memorable experiences involves getting a dozen mosquito bites in places where the sun doesn’t shine.

Luckily, one Colorado company has set out to solve this conundrum with innovative pants – and more recently snow gear – that allow ladies to urinate outside as freely and discreetly as their male counterparts.

Founded in 2018, Gnara apparel company patented a design with a zipper that runs all the way up the backside of its bottoms, enabling women to go to the bathroom without taking their pants off. Gnara launched its first product, the Go There Pant, in 2019 before adapting its so-called GoFly Zipper Technology to hiking shorts, leggings, stretchy athletic shorts and overalls. (The company has been based in Gunnison since 2022.)

The concept was inspired by co-founder and CEO Georgia Grace Edwards’ experience working as a glacier guide in Alaska in 2016. Every time she needed to pee, she had to walk long distances and hop crevasses to find privacy. Eventually, she stopped drinking water so she wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom, which is equally as dangerous.

“I realized it wasn’t just a problem for me, but it’s actually a problem for 56% of women in the U.S. who have self-reportedly had a bathroom accident outside in the past year,” Edwards said. “As a glacier guide, my job was to be responsible for other people’s safety and I was harming my own physical performance to try to solve this, which was putting everyone on the glacier at risk. That’s why it has stuck with me for so long.”

Determined to bridge the gender clothing gap, Edwards purchased a pair of kids’ ski pants, fabric, buttons and Velcro, and created a prototype. At the time, she was attending Middlebury College in Vermont and taking an entrepreneurial class that helped her develop a solid business plan. All that laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Gnara’s flagship product.

There were plenty of iterations along the way, however. The first draft of Edwards’ pants featured eye-catching crotch zipper colors like pink, yellow and lime green. Today, the most important aspects of the design are what make the zippers comfortable and inconspicuous, such as a flap on the buttocks to disguise the zipper as a normal seam. There’s also a flap of fabric on the inside so wearers can comfortably go commando.

I bought my first pair of Gnara hiking pants this winter, and while I have yet to put them to use in the wild, I can confirm they are functional and easy to unzip. They even have large pockets that my phone fits into, a rarity for women’s pants.

What I’m most excited about, though, are Gnara’s newest products: a ski bib made in partnership with snowboard icon Burton and compatible base layer bottoms, which are currently available for pre-order for $398 and $98, respectively. Edwards said Gnara has almost always offered new products via pre-order to manufacture sustainably, in terms of materials, inventory and the business’ overhead expenses.

For Edwards, the collaboration marks a full-circle moment. The first product she wanted to manufacture was a ski bib, but because of the cost, she pivoted to make pants, which are more accessible and useful year-round.

“It’s really meaningful that Burton was willing to give this a chance and test it out with us and legitimize it in a way that proves that the GoFly and performance-driven gear for women aren’t niche things. They’re universal and super necessary,” Edwards said.

Her last point speaks to the need for innovation in women’s fashion. Wearing pants was long considered a female faux pas in professional settings. It wasn’t until 1969 that an elected official, Rep. Charlotte T. Reid of Illinois, wore pants on the House floor for the first time, according to The Washington Post. As recently as 1993, wearing pants on the Senate floor constituted an act of protest in favor of gender equality.

Edwards said that stigma is why there have been relatively few inventions for women’s bottoms, though she receives resounding support when she tells people about the GoFly zipper.

“I know I’m not the first person to think about this functionality,” she said. “Most women from the inception of pants til now have considered this and several people have tried to do it in different ways. I think they were just ahead of their time.”

Gnara’s mantra is #PeeFreely, and you can do so by shopping at gnara.com.

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It wasn’t until years later, when she took a job with the Rails to Trails Conservancy, that Stark learned about the path’s hidden history as a railroad track.

Chances are, you, too, have used a rail-trail without knowing it. Since the 1960s, communities nationwide have reimagined decommissioned railway lines, transforming old train tracks into a national network of scenic “rail-trails” that offer modern recreators a glimpse into the past while inviting opportunities for exercise and active transit.

The rail-trail movement really took off in 1963, when American naturalist May Theilgaard Watts wrote a letter to the editor of The Chicago Tribune envisioning a path along an abandoned course of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. A few rail trails were already built, and in addition to helping create the Illinois Prairie Path, Watts’ letter sparked a national grassroots effort that paved the way for 25,934 miles (and counting) of rail trails in all 50 states.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy formed in 1986, and while the group’s focus has since shifted to the advancement and development of all trails, rail trails will always be a cornerstone of the conservancy’s mission.

“The rail-trail is a great concept because we’re reusing existing corridors,” said Stark, RTC’s senior editor.

Since railroad lines linked communities, rail trails typically function as connectors, too. While there’s no standard rail-trail surface – developers choose surfaces to best meet local needs – the vast majority of rail trails are low-grade since it was cheaper and easier to construct railroad tracks on level terrain. In the mountains, though, there are certainly some exceptions to that rule.

Colorado claims at least 40 rail trails, according to the conservancy’s TrailLink app (traillink.com). Many of our regional rail trails wind through iconic locales and jaw-dropping settings. In case you need another reason to hit the trails, April 26 marks Celebrate Trails Day, an annual Rails to Trails Conservancy observance prompting pedestrians nationwide to walk, hike, bike and roll into spring.

Here are a few rail trails to kickstart the 2025 hiking season.

Aspen to Glenwood Springs

Length: 42 miles

End points: Herron Park, 108 Neale Ave. (Aspen) and Two Rivers Park, 740 Devereux Road (Glenwood Springs)

Trail surfaces: asphalt with some sections of concrete and compacted gravel

Set high in the Rockies, serving an average of 85,000 users annually, the Rio Grande Trail is Colorado’s longest rail trail. For a short bike ride, or a longer day hike, explore the 8-mile segment from Aspen to Woody Creek, the laidback mountain town that Hunter S. Thompson called home. Woody Creek Tavern, 2858 Upper River Road, is a popular hangout offering lunch and dinner seven days a week.

You might also consider a pit stop in Basalt, an old railroad town, where you can’t go wrong with Westbound & Down, 371 Market St. Or bring provisions to enjoy at one of the picnic tables and benches along the route.

Regardless of how far you venture out, be ready for a seriously scenic excursion as you follow the Roaring Fork River past towering mountain peaks, sagebrush plains and ranchlands. Look for anglers on the banks of the water, along with feathered fishermen such as bald eagles, osprey and blue herons.

Hikers who’d rather tour the trail’s western reaches can start in Glenwood Springs, at Two Rivers Park, 740 Devereux Road, and begin walking south, away from town. Treat this segment as an out-and-bike hike, or haul it to mile marker 6.8 and catch a bus back to town. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority operates multiple lines with stops along the Rio Grande Trail; visit rfta.com/how-to/bike-ride for details.

You’ll have a couple of options for soaking tired legs in hot springs: Iron Mountain Hot Springs, 281 Centennial St., and Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, 401 N. River St. (the latter is a family-friendly property). There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in the newish outdoor dining area under the bridge, in Bethel Plaza, 704 Grand Ave.

For a daylong excursion, start in Aspen – try Aspen Collection, 611 E. Durant Ave., or Four Mountain Sports, multiple locations, for rentals – and coast 2,000 feet downhill to reach Glenwood Springs in 3 to 4 hours.

Be advised: The Rio Grande Trail is open year-round, but the section between Rock Bottom Ranch and Catherine Bridge is closed seasonally until April 30 to protect wildlife. If you try the ride later this spring, and aren’t too keen on the uphill climb back to Pitkin County, two bike-accommodating bus lines – the L and BRT routes – will cart riders between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, from early April through November. Free bike loading is first-come, first-served, and you’ll have to get on at a designated bike loading stop. A map is available on RFTA’s website.

Leadville

Length: 11.7 miles

End points: The dirt pullout near 999 S. Highway 24 (Leadville)

Trail surfaces: Asphalt

Most rail trails are straight and relatively flat, but Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail is one of the rule-breakers. The wide path forms a circle around North America’s highest incorporated town, maintaining an average grade of 3 percent – though some spots are steeper. Expect undulations as you loop past a slew of historic mining relics that have been preserved for trail users. Interpretative signs also bring Leadville’s colorful past to life, making this outing as educational as it is scenic. (Psst, parents: Ask kids to look for the Bigfoot cutouts around mile markers 3 and 9.)

To reduce the intensity, start your adventure at Mile Marker 0, located north of Colorado Mountain College Leadville, at the dirt pullout servicing Dutch Henry Tubing Hill. Portable toilets are available at this trailhead, and if you travel clockwise, you’ll be moving downhill on the steepest trail segments.

At over 10,000 feet in elevation, the Mineral Belt integrates portions of three major rail lines that served Leadville in the early 1900s. Hikers and bikers get sweeping views of the Collegiate Peaks and Mount Elbert, Colorado’s tallest mountain. In March and April, bring your snowshoes, Nordic skis or fat bike: This trail is snow-packed and groomed through early spring; it should be cleared for regular walking and biking by May.

Those who would prefer a shorter undertaking can start in the town’s mining district. Park on East Fifth or East Seventh streets, at the pullouts near the Trail Street intersection, and treat your walk or ride as an out-and-back excursion.

Afterward, check out the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, 120 W. Ninth St., or take a ride on the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad, 326 E. Seventh St., a tourist train offering scenic, roundtrip rides. Be sure to book your Winter Express reservations online in advance.

You’ll also want to spend some time perusing Leadville’s charming shops and restaurants, including The Famous, at 313 Harrison Ave., a pizza joint and sports pub located next door to Cycles of Life, 309 Harrison Ave., where riders can procure rentals for the day. Those starting from Mile Marker 0 might try Two Mile Brewing Company, 101 Harrison Ave., just south of town.

“Leadville is Colorado’s two-mile-high city,” Stark reminds trail users, adding, “Be prepared to be a little winded.” Pack plenty of water and layers since the weather can change in an instant in the High Country.

Manitou Springs

Length: 1 (very tough) mile

Access point: Barr Trailhead, 98 Hydro St. (Manitou Springs)

Trail surfaces: Uneven wooden steps; dirt

For a serious workout, Stark suggests the Manitou Incline. This wildly popular rail-trail route offers a heart-pounding, mile-long ascent up a series of stairs. Breathtaking panoramic views are the reward for major physical endurance. (Actually, forget the vistas: It’s mostly the climb that’ll have you gasping for air.)

Originally built in 1907 as a funicular servicing a nearby hydroelectric plant, the Incline has since been converted into a staircase, essentially, with some 2,700 wooden steps running along the path of the old rail line.

Take note: These steps are uneven and can be as high as 2 feet at points, making this hike notoriously tough. With an average grade of 45 percent, the Manitou Incline ascends 2,000 feet in under a mile. About 300 steps below the final summit, there’s a soul-crushing false summit that marks the beginning of a 68-percent-grade segment. This will be your last chance to bail before reaching the summit. Two additional bail-outs precede the false summit, allowing climbers to hop onto Barr Trail, which zigzags up the mountain.

If you’re up for the challenge, carry at least 2 liters of water (more is better), along with electrolyte drinks and high-energy snacks. Don’t forget sunscreen, sturdy athletic shoes, and layers; some people find trekking poles help with balance during the ascent. Start early, especially in summer, to avoid the heat, and remember to pace yourself.

Despite its demanding course, the Manitou Include is a popular workout spot, drawing some 70,000 visitors annually. A reservation system helps to manage the growing number of hiking enthusiasts. Be sure to make your reservation in advance online at coloradosprings.gov/parks/page/manitou-incline. Through April 30, winter hours are from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Once you reach the top, the Barr Trail provides a gentler (but not exactly gentle), miles-long descent through sparse forest on dirt singletrack. Parking is available, for a fee, at the Hiawatha Gardens Parking Lot, 10 Old Man’s Trail. A free shuttle takes hikers from this lot to the trailhead. For a closer option, you can park at Iron Springs Melodrama, 444 Ruxton Ave., for $15.

There’s no trail parking permitted at the Pikes Peak Cog Railway’s Manitou Depot, 515 Ruxton Ave., but if you’re digging the rail-trail theme, then you might want to book a roundtrip seat to the top of Pikes Peak on this scenic line. You can also hike up the fourteener, via the 13-mile Barr Trail, and ride the Cog back down. Or take the Cog up, and bike down.

Post-adventure, you should definitely reward yourself with lunch in the quirky town of Manitou Springs. Totally Nuts & Company, 919 Manitou Ave., sells great homemade lemonade. Once you’re hydrated, choose from a handful of restaurants in downtown Manitou Springs – they’re all locally owned and operated.

Last year, more than 20,000 people nationwide participated in Celebrate Trails Day, and there will likely be Colorado events to commemorate the special day. Visit railstotrails.org, and click on the Celebrate Trails Day link to access a running list of events in your area.

“Celebrate Trails Day events are awesome,” Stark added, “but we also encourage people to go out on their own, to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine with family and friends.”

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The stunning 1.2-mile trail in Dead Horse Canyon, which climbs 1,200 feet to a picturesque lake fed by waterfalls, underwent a major reconstruction project last summer with work left to be finished this spring. Crews need to complete trail work, assemble seven bridges over Dead Horse Creek and build a boardwalk at Spouting Rock, which is a short hike above the lake.

The trail was open off and on last summer during construction. Lisa Langer, tourism director for Visit Glenwood Springs, got to preview the lower part of trail last fall.

“The first part is so nice now,” Langer said. “They’ve levelled off things and made smaller steps. It’s much more manageable, especially for people that maybe have knee issues and things. It’s lovely.”

Project managers expect most of the work to be finished by July 1, the first day for which reservations will be available starting Monday at 8 a.m.

The trail was severely damaged by the Grizzly Creek wildfire in 2020 and subsequent burn-scar debris flows caused by torrential rains in 2021. Officials of the White River National Forest decided to do more than repair the trail, opting to modernize it by making it more user-friendly and better able to withstand runoff from summer downpours.

“It’s much more stable than it was,” Langer said.

The trail is currently closed. Because the progress of construction is dependent on when the trail is clear of snow and ice, the boardwalk at Spouting Rock may not be finished when the trail opens on July 1. “It just depends on the weather,” Langer said.

Reservations will cost $12 per person and will be available through the Visit Glenwood website. Trail reconstruction was funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Lottery, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the National Forest Foundation, city of Glenwood Springs and the U.S. Forest Service.

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The mountain, in the Sangre de Cristo Range, is located on Trinchera Ranch, private property owned by conservationist Louis Bacon. He, along with many other private property owners in Colorado, took their land off limits to the public in 2021 after a $7 million liability judgment against the Air Force Academy, brought by an injured cyclist. The landowners didn’t want to be held liable for any similar injuries that might occur on their property.

A spokesman for the ranch said there weren’t any “No Trespassing” signs on the mountain until after the court ruling.

But in 2024, the Colorado legislature adopted an amendment to a measure called the Colorado Recreational Use Statute which provided a liability shield for landowners who grant access to their land for recreation.

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) announced the Mount Lindsey development on its Facebook page. “Getting to this point involved CFI working as part of the Fix CRUS Coalition to get Colorado’s Recreational Use Statute changed last year,” the post stated.

“That effort provided greater landowner protection from liability when they allow free recreational access and post required signage,” it continued. “Do not under any circumstances remove or deface any legal signage you see on the route. This protects the ranch and protects your ability to climb Mount Lindsey legally.”

According to CFI figures, Mount Lindsey saw 1,000 to 3,000 hikers annually during the most recent two seasons that it was open for hiking.

Climbing is permitted via two routes, known as the gully route and the ridge route.

“No other routes on the mountain are authorized, nor can you access the peak legally from any other place,” the CFI emphasized. “Entering the Ranch from any other point or trying to climb any other route will mean you are trespassing and will be doing great harm to this important relationship.”

The waiver states that hikers may not hunt, camp or spend the night on the property.

“You are trespassing if you enter the property without executing and submitting the Mount Lindsey Waiver,” according to the waiver, which can be found online, “or if you deviate from the designated Mount Lindsey access route as set forth in the Mount Lindsey Waiver.”

John Reiber, who owns Mount Lincoln — a fourteener that is part of the Decalibron Loop near Fairplay — also requires waivers to climb that fourteener.

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Thomas Irwin went missing early last year while hiking the Petroglyph Point Trail in the park in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado, according to a news release from the National Park Service. He was last seen Jan. 15, 2024, and was reported missing by his family the following day.

Park officials conducted an initial 10-day search but did not find Irwin, according to the release.

Over the past year, officials continued to search for Irwin and managed to locate his body with a human remains detection canine, according to the release. Irwin was found in the original search area during an off-trail grid search.

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The spectacular Indian Peaks Wilderness, administered by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, is located along the Continental Divide south of Rocky Mountain National Park and north of Nederland. It includes a string of 13,000-foot peaks, six passes over the divide, 50 lakes, and 28 trails covering 133 miles. Some of the peaks overlook the picturesque Brainard Lake Recreation area.

Backcountry permits cost $5 and are available through recreation.gov.

In the most popular zones — Crater Lake, Jasper Lake, Diamond Lake and Caribou Lake — camping is allowed in designated areas only. There is a helpful map on the forest service website. There also is a helpful eight-minute video on the recreation.gov site, explaining how to obtain permits.

Overnight parking reservations for visitors planning to access the wilderness via Brainard Lake trailheads are now available. ($16) through recreation.gov.

Thorough planning for backcountry trips and knowing the rules is important:.

• Campfires are prohibited at all times on the east side of the divide. West of the divide, campfire restrictions apply when in effect due to fire danger.
• Visitors are encouraged to pack food in bear-safe storage containers, or hang their food out of the reach of hungry bears.
• Visitors should be equipped to pack out trash and be familiar with Leave No Trace principles.
• Dogs must be leashed.

Day use reservations for Brainard Lake will be available on a rolling basis beginning in mid-May. The Brainard Lake entry station will open June 14 if conditions allow. Upper trailheads and parking areas should open in July.

And here’s a reminder: The road to the summit of Mount Blue Sky, typically managed by CDOT and the Arapaho National Forest with a reservation system, will remain closed this summer for repairs.

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The executive director of Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources instead was joined by a hodgepodge of U.S. Forest Service employees: a forest technician, a campgrounds manager, three seasonal hotshot firefighters. The crew worked its way through neighborhoods surrounded by the blaze and tried to keep homes from burning.

Now, after a slew of firings at the Forest Service and an ongoing federal hiring freeze that has complicated seasonal hiring, Colorado leaders fear that fewer crews like the one Gibbs joined will be available for this year’s peak fire season.

“These people were putting their lives on the line to protect critical infrastructure,” Gibbs said. “And, potentially, people like that won’t be able to go out on fires anymore.”

While Forest Service officials have said firefighting positions will be spared from cuts to the federal workforce, it’s unclear whether the agency’s hiring of critical seasonal firefighting staff is on schedule or if the agency will hire as many seasonals as in years past, multiple experts said. A lack of information from the Forest Service about plans for fire hiring and staffing has created broad uncertainty across the state as the peak summer wildfire season approaches.

The Forest Service manages about 15 million acres across Colorado and, as the largest wildland firefighting force in the country, manages national firefighting resources.

“It’s really hard to wrap our minds around,” said Mike Morgan, director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. “If I could understand it, I would at least understand what we could all be doing to prepare for what it might mean. But it’s kind of all over the board.”

A spokesperson for the Forest Service on Tuesday said more than 1,000 firefighter positions were approved for an exemption from the hiring freeze, with more positions under review, but did not answer a question asking how many total firefighters the agency planned to hire and how that compared to previous years. Last year, the agency hired more than 11,000 wildland firefighters, according to its website.

Colorado, like many other states in the West, relies on federal firefighting teams to battle large-scale fires across its federal public lands, which cover about a third of the state. Even if new President Donald Trump’s administration lifts the hiring freeze, the delay could make it harder to hire, train and deploy firefighters before peak season, said David Wolf, the head of the Wildland Fire Section for the Colorado State Fire Chiefs.

“The challenges are getting harder, the threats are getting bigger and we’re decreasing our ability to respond to the situation,” he said.

Fire experts interviewed by The Denver Post said the firing of 3,400 probationary employees across the Forest Service last month will also decimate the number of people available to respond to fires and provide behind-the-scenes support to the nation’s federal wildfire force. Hundreds of firings late last week at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service could also impact wildfire response, officials said, though the broader Trump administration directives that led to mass firings across the federal government are under legal challenge.

Forest Service representatives have repeatedly declined to say how many Colorado-based workers were included in the mass firings, though state leaders estimated at least 90 positions were cut.

“It’s a disaster,” Bill Avey, a former acting director of national fire and aviation management for the Forest Service, said of the firings. “I think it’s going to drastically affect the resources that are available for wildfire response.”

Many Forest Service employees have firefighting qualifications even if they do not work on fire issues day to day. They are called upon during wildfires to clear out fire-prone fuels, create fire barriers and mop up fires after they are contained. Those without firefighting qualifications also step in and provide critical support services, like providing public information, coordinating food supplies and moving equipment.

“A fire organization is not just a hotshot crew or an air tanker coming in or a helicopter delivering firefighters,” said Mike Dudley, another former national fire and aviation management director for the Forest Service. “It’s the dispatchers, it’s the contractors. … It’s all the people that work outside of fire that come when the fire bell rings.”

Impact on Colorado forests

Washington, D.C.-based communications staff for the Forest Service declined to provide a breakdown of the probationary positions eliminated this month. Probationary workers are recent hires or workers who had just moved into a year-round position from seasonal work.

“Protecting the people and communities we serve, as well as the infrastructure, businesses, and resources they depend on to grow and thrive, remains a top priority for the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and the Forest Service,” the agency said in an emailed statement. “We are incredibly proud of our firefighters, and we will ensure they have the training, tools, and resources they need to work alongside our state and local partners, as well as private landowners, to continue the work to protect lives and livelihoods.”

A Forest Service employee who was terminated in the mass firings was the sole permanent trails employee responsible for more than 360 miles of trails in his district in the heavily trafficked Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. He was responsible for overseeing volunteer and youth crews working to maintain the trails and for ensuring that they were trained and met trail requirements.

He and the crews often happened upon illegal campfires still smoldering and would put them out before they spread.

“When you go hiking this summer, you might be going through an obstacle course,” said the employee, who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity to protect his appeal of his firing. “These areas are going to become less accessible and less enjoyable to hike.”

He was also certified to work wildfires, and in 2020 he said he helped with fire operations on both the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak fires.

“The lack of having these extra bodies for fires will really come to light when fire season comes into full effect,” he said.

About 21 probationary employees in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests were fired, said one of the fired employees, who also spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity out of fear that speaking publicly would jeopardize her appeal. She worked across public lands agencies for more than a decade and said she was weeks away from moving out of probationary status.

The firings mean that, along with impacts to recreation access in northern Colorado, permitting processes for grazing, logging and development will take longer, the employee said. Ski area improvements will likely take longer, as will access for utilities that need to build infrastructure on Forest Service land.

The forest was already understaffed and workers were struggling to do more with less, she said. Approximately 112 of the 296 full-time positions at Medicine Bow-Routt were vacant as of December, she said.

“This isn’t just about us right now, and me and my insular little job. But it’s about the land that is for everyone in the United States — they are directly affected by what the Forest Service does,” she said.

“Everything is in question”

Broad federal funding freezes implemented by the Trump administration have thrown wildfire prevention partnerships between the state and federal agencies into limbo, said Gibbs of the Department of Natural Resources. The department manages some 350 federal grants worth about $300 million for a wide range of initiatives, he said.

“Everything is in question,” Gibbs said. “Everything. We have no guidance from our federal partners about what potentially is in and what potentially is not. It is total uncertainty with our federal partners right now.”

State and federal leaders in recent years have worked to create strong partnerships as wildfire season stretches year-round and fires become more intense, he said. Snowpack across the state is below average, he noted, which could lead to a more intense fire year.

“We have worked so hard to bring down barriers, and now it’s like barriers are popping up right in front of my face,” Gibbs said. “Coloradans deserve better. We all deserve better.”

It’s also unclear whether the service will hire another critical group of employees called administratively determined staff. Those are often retired Forest Service employees who can be called upon to help staff incident management teams on large fires, said Michael Davis, a public information and liaison officer for the Colorado Southwest Type 3 Incident Management Team.

“I’m a lead public information officer, but I can’t do this all by myself,” Davis said. “And a lot of the people I rely on are on pause because they’re ADs and haven’t been recertified — or they’ve been fired. It’s very, very concerning.”

The Forest Service did not respond to an emailed question asking about the status of administratively determined positions.

Mountain communities lose staff

Nervous Summit County homeowners with property near Forest Service land have been calling the county to ask about staffing and firefighting plans, county manager David Rossi said.

Besides federal staff, the county relies on two fire districts to respond to fires as well as the sheriff’s office, though it does not employ any certified firefighters. Rossi worried that the county could be caught shorthanded if its fire district staff responded to fires elsewhere in the country and a fire broke out locally.

“People are worried about what’s going on and we have no answers,” he said.

The staffing cuts and hiring freeze threaten the county’s wildfire prevention programs, Summit County’s commissioners wrote in a letter Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service. The county pays the service to hire workers to burn slash piles and conduct fuels reduction.

“The risks these cuts present to our rural resort community infrastructure are not just financial — they risk lives,” the letter states. “Therefore, the impacts of such drastic measures resulting in the loss of USFS personnel simply cannot be overstated.”

Federal authorities assured Summit County leaders that firefighting resources would be available come peak fire season, Rossi said.

“However, we’re not really willing to trust that comment,” he said. “We’re having a hard time understanding who exactly would lead any sort of firefighting effort.”

A little farther west on Interstate 70, Eagle County leaders face similar worries. At least 15 workers at the White River National Forest were terminated, according to a letter from county commissioners asking the USDA to reinstate the employees.

“Myself and commissioners and the entire county have grave concerns about fire risk,” said Jeff Shroll, the Eagle County manager. “This isn’t Washington, D.C., swamp draining — this is boots-on-the-ground people who do an amazing job taking care of the busiest, most visited forest in the country.”

The federal staffing changes also affect areas outside of fire prevention and response. For five years, the county has paid the Forest Service to staff some of its most-visited recreation areas, like Shrine Pass and the East Vail trail system.

Those positions will not be filled for the 2025 season because of the hiring freeze, even though they were county funded, Shroll said.

Last year, the 11 seasonal workers hired under the partnership collected 5,127 pounds of garbage from dispersed campsites, removed 189 illegal fire rings and extinguished 32 abandoned campfires that had been left smoldering, according to a Forest Service report on the program.

“That’s just a simple wind gust away from creating a massive problem,” Shroll said.

Eagle County’s staff had also worked with Forest Service workers to help transition the management of Sweetwater Lake from federal to state control. But nearly all the Forest Service employees working on that project have since been fired or resigned, including a resignation by the top supervisor of the White River forest, Shroll said.

“I don’t know how many people are left in the Glenwood office. I don’t even know,” he said. “Which makes it even more distressing — who do you call?”

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