'Tis the season - or is it?

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

I've got to hand it to our postal carrier. On top of potentially having to contend with November's rain, sleet, snow or hail, this time of year brings with it another mail-carrying hazard - the onslaught of mail-order catalogues.

If your household is anything like ours, then you know that a trip to the mailbox may prove more like a trip to the weight room. The accumulation of two days of mail may end up weighing upwards of 20 pounds. Well, maybe not quite 20, but those mail order catalogues do tip the scales when compared to some of the other less seasonal mailings that we receive.

It's gotten to the point now that, if you go by a mail-order catalogue's calendar, the winter holiday season lasts from October through December. It leaves me wondering. What's become of Halloween? And doesn't anybody ever celebrate Thanksgiving anymore? As I grow older and more mellow, a singular pet peeve of mine still remains the same - why must the winter holidays be reduced to an ever-burgeoning buying season? Why are we inundated with winter season purchasing propaganda so far out from the actual event? And what of all the events leading up to this one? Have they been banished to the Land of Misfit Toys?

You can thus understand the hesitation I experienced when I decided to write a story about Christmas tree cutting for the November edition of the North Forty News. I felt like I lost some integrity. I felt like I joined the dark side. In short, I felt like a bad boy. No doubt my name is written in bold, underscored, and highlighted on some list in the north. Nevertheless, I take some comfort in knowing that I'm doing my tree-cutting, Christmas-appreciating friends some service in giving them a heads-up as to where they can go to spend an enjoyable, fun-filled time in the woods searching for this year's family Christmas tree.

For the last seven years, my family has made a tradition of cutting our Christmas tree down during the weekend immediately following Thanksgiving. Not only does this help to extend the celebration of Thanksgiving and family time together, but it also allows our home to take on that pine fresh scent of Christmas much sooner, highlighting the spirit - not the spending - of the season. We've learned to make the day an outdoors event, complete with food, grill, and warm beverages.

In our neck of the woods, Christmas tree cutting is available through the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest, as well as through the privately owned Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch. According to Mary Bollinger of the U.S. Forest Service, its Christmas tree cutting schedule runs between Dec. 3 and 12. Those wishing to cut their own trees through the Forest Service must first obtain a $10 permit, purchasable at 2150 Centre Ave. in Fort Collins on weekdays. On weekends, permits may be purchased on the way to the tree-cutting site. To reach the Forest Service tree-cutting site, drive west on Red Feather Lakes Road before bearing left onto Boy Scout Camp Road. Forest Service Rangers will be there to administer permits to you. Pictures with Smokey Bear will also be available on weekends. For more information, call the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest Service at 295-6700.

Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch also offers Christmas tree cutting opportunities. According to Don Weixelman, Christmas tree cutting is offered from Nov. 19 through Dec. 24. Weixelman suggests that you check in between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the ranch office for assigned tree cutting areas. Permits may be purchased at the office of $12. Alpine fir and lodgepole pine are the two most available species of trees. On weekends there will be a campfire and marshmallow roast. The Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch restaurant will also be open. For more information, call 881-2450.

Before you participate in your own tree-cutting maneuvers, there are a few other things you should know. The locations of these tree-cutting areas sit at an elevation of roughly 8,000 feet and the roads to get there are often snow-covered and rough. As a result, it is advisable that your vehicle be equipped with chains or snow tires. Be sure to bring your own rope and saw. Dress warmly and have fun.