Nordic rangers need volunteers

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

January brings with it a celebration of the New Year, and along with such celebration, a spirit of hopefulness for the days ahead. Such hopefulness, no doubt, is often fueled by the ubiquitous New Year's resolution, which, unfortunately for many, is also shortly followed by feelings of self-reproach for would-be intentions left unresolved.

The key to avoiding reproach of any kind, as I'm sure Dr. Phil would agree, is in setting attainable resolutions, ones that complement your lifestyle as opposed to those that might drastically change your lifestyle. That said, here's a suggested resolution for all outdoor enthusiasts: Join the Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers.

Hosted by the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, the CPNR is a volunteer organization that provides a valuable service to winter enthusiasts in the areas surrounding Cameron Pass. This is the 15th year the CPNR has been serving the winter outdoors community by providing information on area trails and educating outdoor enthusiasts on forest regulations, "Leave No Trace" principles and avalanche awareness and safety. And with Cameron Pass being Fort Collins' closest--and one of Colorado's most popular - winter venues, it is critical and potentially life-saving that we familiarize ourselves with CPNR's curriculum.

According to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, an international, nonprofit organization that promotes responsible outdoor recreation, a "Leave No Trace" philosophy is one that encourages outdoor enthusiasts to practice the organization's seven principles:

1. Plan ahead and prepare: This starts by knowing the concerns and topography of the area you are visiting.
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2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces: Trails and campsites, whether in the summer or winter, should be found, not made.
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3. Dispose of waste properly: If you pack it in, pack it out.
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4. Leave what you find: Respect the land by not altering its landscape.
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5. Minimize campfire impacts: Practice economy for campfires--consider not having one; use established fire pits; keep fires small; burn all fuel to ash.
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6. Respect wildlife: Distance yourself and your personal effects from wildlife.
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7. Be considerate of other visitors: The quality of your experience in the wilderness is based on the quality you reserve for others.

For more information on "Leave No Trace" ethics or the organization, visit www.lnt.org.

The Cameron Pass area is notorious for its avalanches. Indeed, this time last year an avalanche killed two snowmobilers in Trap Park, roughly 3.5 miles east of Cameron Pass. In that particular case, the snowmobilers triggered a hard slab avalanche of stiff, cohesive slabs of ice and snow. This hard slab slide fractured 4.5 feet to the ground and slid for over 160 feet. These kinds of fractures make up the most dangerous kinds of avalanches.

According to Kristy Wumkes of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, Cameron Pass has already seen its first avalanche for the 2006-2007 winter season. Last month a 325-foot wide slide broke from 50 feet below a cornice on Diamond Peak and traveled down slope for roughly 500 feet.

Aside from providing like information to the public, the Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers also conducts regular trail maintenance projects and tabulates recreational use statistics and profiles.

No doubt this organization plays an important role in the lives of those who participate in backcountry winter adventures. As such, as an outdoor enthusiast, your membership into the CPNR would be a value-add not only to yourself and the outdoor winter community, but also to the area that many of us frequent on a daily basis.

Last winter, the CPNR included 53 rangers. This year the organization hopes to increase its roster to more than 60 members. To make this part of your New Year's resolution, you must be at least 18 years of age and be in good physical condition, as your efforts within the organization will no doubt take you to higher elevations. Moreover, you must be adept at either snowshoeing or cross-country skiing and maintain a courteous disposition in social situations. As part of membership, volunteers will attend host and field trainings and complete four days of patrolling during the winter season.

If interested or wanting more information on the Cameron Pass Nordic Ranger volunteer program, contact Kristy Wumkes at 295-6721 or e-mail at kwumkes@fs.fed.us. Otherwise, for general information regarding the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, contact the Canyon Lakes Ranger District at 295-6700.