Things are changing at the Pagosa Ranger District. Last month, both employees I was working under, the previous resource assistant and the Outfitter and Guide permit administrator, retired and now it’s my turn to fill some very large shoes. They both have volunteer agreements to...
September kicked off hunting season in southern Colorado and since I work with outfitters, I spent a lot of time riding out to hunter camps strewn about the National Forest doing inspections. A field inspection is required for Outfitters and Guides who hold priority permits...
Hunting season has begun which is a busy time for the National Forest Service. State agencies manage the wildlife, and the forest service manages a portion of the public land available to hunters. In Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) oversees hunting tags.From the end...
July was spent horse packing through the San Juan National Forest to do various tasks including outfitter camp inspections, chain saw deliveries to trail crews, surveys, and more. From my month of horse packing here is what I’ve learned. The amount of weight you pack on...
The rocks slip a little more from under Betty’s feet. Look up, shoulders back, and let Betty have her face. Again, eyes up, shoulders back, and loosen the reins. She plows down the switch backs sure footed and ready to keep moving through the valley....
Once upon a time, I would have told you I knew how to ride a horse. Not well, but I had done it a few times. How hard could it be was my mentality. But if you asked me today, I would have a completely...
Spring is the season of white water rafting in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Snow melt feeds mountain streams and rivers, creating a two-month long boating season. Here in Pagosa Springs most people are running the town stretch, but a handful are migrating to rivers in...
The San Juan National Forest has started to thaw with spring around the corner. The elk in town are moving back towards the National Forest and the tulips are starting to sprout. Gates will begin to slowly open, and lower elevation trail conditions are becoming...
It’s snowy in the San Juan Mountains. You can see the towering, jagged mountains looming over the town of Pagosa Springs, but field season is not here quite yet. So, I watch them from my office window as the deer wander past. Both of us...
Hi my name is Hannah Friedrichsen I am in the cohort 8 Resource Assistance Program I will be stationed in San Juan forest in Pagosa Springs working as a natural resource management specialist I'm very excited to get mentorship from both the forest service and...