The San Luis Valley Outdoor Report for the week of Jan. 7, 2026.
It’s our first episode of the new year. Welcome to 2026.
Like the city of Alamosa, we’re kicking off the new year with the Rio Frio Ice Festival. Now in its 12th year, this year is all about “Legends of the Ice.” We’re joined by race coordinators Shawna Lease and Dalton Carleo to talk about what’s in store this year.
Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy.
OUTDOOR CONDITIONS
The normal low for the month is 0.8 degrees, but December 2025 saw only one day where the low temperature was sub-zero and 15 days where the overnight low stayed in double digits, including a low of 26 degrees on Christmas morning. Christmas Day itself was the warmest on record with a daytime high of 61. A December average low in the double digits has only occurred once before, in 2020 when the monthly low averaged 11.4 degrees.
We have a closer look at the warm end to 2025 here.
In his monthly newsletter, Salazar Rio Grande Del Norte Center director Paul Formisano wrote, “What isn’t off to a great start is our snowpack. While this is no surprise to any of you who have spent time driving throughout Colorado over the holidays, it certainly raises concerns about what our runoff will look like in spring and how that will impact agriculture, recreation, wildlife and other river stakeholders.
And the situation isn’t much better in other parts of the arid West. Diminished flows throughout the region will raise the stakes for the already contentious Colorado River negotiations that have failed, thus far, to determine how to manage the river in coming years. While the Colorado’s plight has attracted most of the media’s attention, it certainly isn’t the only major western river facing significant challenges.
As a recent publication explained, the Rio Grande’s 11 million users “face an existential crisis.” In fact, the authors of the study go on to suggest that “the water crisis facing the Rio Grande Basin is arguably more severe and urgent than the Colorado River Basin.” That’s saying a lot. The report is a sobering reminder of the monumental task ahead in bringing our water consumption in line with what nature offers.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
RIO FRIO ICE FEST
The Rio Frio Ice Fest is nearly here. This year’s theme is “Legends of the Ice.” The whole weekend is filled with events, starting Friday, Jan. 23, with the race packet pickup from 6-7:30 p.m. at Knee Knockers Tavern and Cross Country Luminaria Ski at Blanca Vista Pond at 6 p.m.
Saturday starts with the Rio Frio 5K at Cole Park and finishes up with ice carving demonstrations, disc golf and cornhole tournaments, and of course, the Fire and Ice Bonfire.
Then on Sunday you can polar plunge with the mayor at the Blanca Vista Ponds.
If you have any questions about this race, please contact the race director at dcarleo@alamosa.gov. To learn more go to RioRaces.com.
SIP N SCIENCE
The first Sip N Science is happening Friday, Jan. 23, at the Trade & Post in Del Norte.
In collaboration with Trade & Post and the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust, ‘Sip n’ Science in the SLV’ is a series that brings science, stewardship and connection together in a fun setting. Each quarter follows a new theme inspired by the four elements (water, air, fire, earth) and features local experts sharing the science and stories behind the natural resources that shape life in the San Luis Valley. The mission is to help people understand how these systems work and to offer pathways for becoming more involved in protecting the landscapes, wildlife and water that make this place home. Events are donation-based and open to all.
Starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Trade Post & Post, 560 Grande Ave., engage in a led conversation about snow and how the snowpack impacts the Valley.
Learn more about these natural resources, the locals who manage these resources, and how to get involved in our community. Some key discussion topics include:
Why snow modeling matters so much
How snowpack in the mountains feeds the river, aquifers, and wetlands
What’s happening to snowmelt timing and annual flows
Why the SLV’s water system is unique
CRANE FEST
The 43rd Annual Monte Vista Crane Festival is March 6-8. Celebrate as thousands of Sandhill Cranes migrate through the San Luis Valley and fill the skies and the pastures with their prehistoric song and dance. With crafts, local art, speakers and tours, it’s a weekend filled with community engagement and lots of birds.
Saturday’s keynote is by author and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco for a humorous exploration of birds that blends art, science and history. Learn why cartoons can help conserve our beloved avifauna. Discover the shocking secrets of common species — and what they can teach us about ourselves.
Tickets are on sale at mvcranefest.org
OUTDOOR NEWS
WOMAN KILLED BY MOUNTAIN LION IN LARIMER COUNTY
A hiker was killed by a mountain lion on New Year’s Day in Larimer County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. This is the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado in more than 25 years.
On New Year’s Day, two hikers found the body of 46-year-old Kristin Marie Kovatch and a mountain lion nearby. They threw rocks at the mountain lion and eventually scared it off. One of the hikers was a physician and found no pulse on the woman. An autopsy confirmed that Kovatch died from injuries sustained from a mountain lion attack.
The Larimer County Coroner’s Office listed Kovatch’s official cause of death asphyxia due to “external neck compression.”
Two mountain lions found in the immediate area were killed by CPW officials. Wildlife officials are currently searching for a third mountain lion in the area. Necropsy results determined that a one-year-old male euthanized by CPW had human DNA on all four of its paws. The second lion killed, a one-year-old female, had no human DNA traces.
Kovatch was hiking alone along a remote section of the Crosier Mountain trail, in national forest area south of Glen Haven. The area is a known home for many mountain lions and five reports were made to the agency, including attacks and sightings, in the nine weeks before Kovatch was killed, CPW said.
Any mountain lion sightings or conflicts should immediately be reported to CPW by contacting either the Denver office at 303-291-7227, the Fort Collins office at 970-472-4300 or Colorado State Patrol at *CSP (*277).
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THREATENING TO STEP IN ON WOLVES
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is threatening to step in on the management of gray wolves in Colorado. A letter sent to CPW on Dec. 18 notified officials that unless two compliance issues under its memorandum of agreement with the federal government are not addressed within 60 days, all gray wolf conservation and management will be taken over by federal authorities.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum, in the letter, told CPW that a complete report of all gray wolf conservation and management activities that have occurred since Dec. 12, 2023, must be supplied to the Trump Administration within 60 days or the memorandum of agreement will be terminated. Relocation and lethal removal will fall under USFWS guidance.
The letter, obtained by The Coloradoan through public records request, specifically cited noncompliance of the memorandum of agreement regarding the following actions:
- Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 18, 2025, with no notice or warning to its own citizens CPW released 15 wolves imported from Canada.
- On Dec. 17, 2025, USFWS was informed that CPW recently released a wolf from a pack with a confirmed history of depredation.
In an official post on X, Burgum said, “Colorado is prioritizing WOLVES over American ranchers! In January, they released 15 wolves into the wild with NO warning & recently RE-RELEASED a wolf from a pack known to kill livestock. This is a warning: if Colorado does not get control of the wolves immediately, we will!”
The reference to a released wolf from a pack with a confirmed history of livestock depredation is gray wolf 2403 which was recently captured in New Mexico and transported back to Grand County. The individual wolf came from the Copper Creek Pack which had a history of depredation, but the individual wolf has not been known to prey on livestock.
AlamosaCitizen.com has a Q/A with CPW’s Luke Perkins on how the Valley fits into the web of wolf policy. READ MORE.
BISON OPEN FOR HUNTING
CPW is now accepting hunter registrations for the bison roster, a list that may be used if special management licenses are needed to manage free-roaming wild bison that travel into Colorado.
Under Senate Bill 25-053, free-roaming, wild bison that naturally enter Colorado are managed as a big-game species by CPW. While CPW is not proposing regular bison hunting seasons, the agency may issue special management licenses on a case-by-case basis for time-sensitive management needs, such as preventing property or agricultural damage.
Hunters interested in the chance to receive one of these special licenses may sign up for the bison roster for calendar year 2026.
If CPW determines that management action is necessary, hunters will be selected through a random drawing from the roster. If a hunter’s name is drawn and they accept the license, they will have one week from the time the license is issued to harvest a bison. At this time, no regular bison hunting seasons are planned.
The sign-up period is from Jan. 1-31, 2026, with a limit of one sign-up per person. Register online through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.
If a drawing is conducted, successful applicants will be notified by phone and email. Hunters will have 24 hours to respond and accept the license.
For general questions about the bison roster, contact CPW at 303-297-1192.
FUNDS FOR SLVGO!
Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Great Outdoors Colorado announced more than $9.9 million in funding to support 18 regional partnerships working to advance conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience goals aligned with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy. Of that $9.9 million, $394,000 was awarded to San Luis Valley Great Outdoors. The funds will support continued coalition capacity and on-the-ground conservation work in the San Luis Valley.
This funding will support ongoing coordination among partners and a wildlife fencing project designed to improve habitat connectivity and protect sensitive ecosystems. The project will:
- Convert 12 miles of existing fence along the Colorado–New Mexico border to wildlife-friendly fencing, helping big game move through critical winter habitat
- Construct fencing within the Rio Grande Natural Area to protect riparian habitat from overgrazing
In a press release, SLVGO! said, “Together, these investments highlight the power of regional partnerships to turn shared vision into action. From statewide conservation priorities to locally driven solutions in the San Luis Valley, today’s funding demonstrates how collaboration, planning, and community engagement can deliver lasting benefits for Colorado’s landscapes and the people who depend on them.”