SLV Outdoor Report | Week of Jan. 22, 2025

Russ Schumacher over at the Colorado Climate Center in Fort Collins took notice and added this commentary: “It is *really* unusual for the San Luis Valley to get way more rain than the northern Front Range through the summer and fall.” 

He noted that Alamosa had almost 4 inches more precipitation than Fort Collins from May through the end of the calendar year.

In addition to an “extremely wet year,” said Schumacher, “it was also very warm – tied with 2017 as the warmest year on record at Alamosa. The hotter it is, the ‘thirstier’ the air is for water from the soils, crops, etc. So the water from the rain that falls doesn’t end up having the same benefit for the system as it would if it were cooler.”

Avalanche Danger in the South San Juans is MODERATE at and above treeline. According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, “recent northerly winds stiffened and thickened a cohesive slab of snow on top of weak snow. You could trigger an avalanche that breaks deep within the snowpack where you find this strong over weak setup on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. The most dangerous slopes face northeast and east at upper elevations. 

Avoid traveling near common trigger points, such as the edges of slopes where the margins of a cohesive slab are the thinnest. Give yourself a wide buffer from convex rollovers, rocky outcrops, and suspect slopes steeper than around 35 degrees. You may not experience any noticeable signs of instability before triggering an avalanche.”

Be sure to check avalanche.state.co.us for daily avalanche forecasts and observations.

Here’s a quick look at the local ski areas: 

• Wolf Creek is reporting a 45-inch summit depth and a yearly snowfall total of 115 inches. This week is expected to be mostly sunny. 
• Monarch Mountain is reporting a 47-inch base depth and 128 inch season total. It’s also expected to be mostly sunny this week. 
• Taos Mountain is reporting 25 inches at its base. 
• The Angel Fire Ski Area is reporting a 21-inch base and 67 inch season total. 

Coldest place in CO: According to the Boulder National Weather Service office, Fraser Flats, south of Tabernash, recorded a low of -44 Monday night.

The Annual Rio Frio Ice Fest is Friday-Sunday Jan. 24-26. This year’s theme is “Welcome to the Jungle.” Here’s a quick breakdown of the weekend’s events:

The fun ends Sunday with the Polar Plunge at Blanca Vista Park. To see a full list of the weekend’s events go to RioRaces.com.

Friday evening, 5K race participants can pick up their race packets at Kneeknockers Bar and Grill. The Cross Country Luminaria ski is at Blanca Vista Park from 6-8 p.m. 

Saturday’s race starts on the Rio Grande near Cole Park at 10 a.m. There will be downtown ice carving all day, and an afternoon disc golf tournament. Live music and a vendors market will take over San Juan Avenue in the evening. A fire and ice bonfire will close out Saturday night. 

The Seventh Annual Rio Grande State of the Basin symposium has been announced for Saturday, March 29. The Rio Grande State of the Basin Symposium brings together leaders and community members from throughout the San Luis Valley and the state of Colorado to discuss issues related to the Rio Grande Basin’s natural and cultural resources. It will be an all-day event, starting at 8:30 a.m and going to 4 p.m. at Richardson Hall, on Adams State University’s campus. 

Matt Huber, a forecaster at Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), is back hosting this month’s Rio Grande Forest Specialist Series on avalanche conditions. Huber has worked with the CAIC since 2018 and currently focuses on highway avalanche safety on the southeast side of the San Juan Mountains. Presented in partnership with the San Juan Mountains Association, the online program will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m. Visit the Rio Grande National Forest website or Facebook page for event information.

Colorado Trout Unlimited will host the Annual River Conservation and Fly-Fishing Camp for teens aged 14-18 at AEI Basecamp in Almont, Colorado, from June 8-14. The San Luis Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter (SLVTU) is proud to sponsor two scholarships for local youth to attend this unique camp, covering registration fees and tuition costs. This week-long program blends STEM-based conservation education with hands-on fly fishing instruction. The program also introduces campers to the complexities of water management in the West and the balance between conservation and recreation. For more information or to apply, contact SLVTU Education Coordinator Kevin Milder at slvtroutunlimited@gmail.com. Kevin will provide details and a link to the application.

The U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Reclamation announced a $24.97 million award to support water conservation and habitat restoration efforts in the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Out of the award comes funding for a variety of projects in the San Luis Valley as well projects for the middle Rio Grande in New Mexico. Overall, $18 million will go toward Rio Grande Basin projects in Colorado and $7 million for Rio Grande restoration efforts in New Mexico. For the Valley, those projects will include the Alamosa Riverfront Restoration project; Rio Grande Reservoir Low Flow Valve; Pine River Weminuche Pass Ditch Turnback Structure; Lower Conejos River Restoration Project; Platoro Reservoir Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation Project – Phase 1; Saguache Creek Multi-benefit Restoration at Upper Crossing Station; and Rio Grande Confluence Restoration Project, among others.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife concluded the second gray wolf translocation this past weekend with the introduction of 15 wolves from British Columbia, Canada. The 15 wolves – seven males and eight females – were evaluated and collared in Canada then transported by plane and released in Eagle and Pitkin Counties over the course of a six-day operation. 

The adult female and four pups of the Copper Creek Pack were also rereleased into the wild with GPS collars. The Copper Creek pack were captured and relocated in late August after they were suspected of preying on livestock in Grand County. Now with collars, CPW can keep a closer eye on them. 

Local state legislators Sen. Cleave Simpson and Rep. Matthew Martinez introduced a bill into the Colorado General Assembly that would address large fencing projects, taking aim at the 8-foot-tall fence surrounding the 88,000 acre Cielo Vista Ranch in Costilla County. 

The proposed legislation will first be heard by the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee and if it passes will take effect in July. Any fencing projects in Colorado that are over five feet tall and over a contiguous mile long must apply with local governments. The local government can then approve or deny the fencing project based on select criteria.

Nearly 20 miles of fence have already been constructed and it hasn’t made for good neighbors. Costilla County residents and the county government have asked for state level help and have noted serious environmental damage from the construction. 
Read more about this issue here.