The San Luis Valley Outdoor Report for the week of Nov. 12, 2025.
Local mountain biking legend Jerry Duran joins us on the most recent episode of the Outdoor Citizen podcast.
Duran is the architect behind the Stone Quarry trail system near Del Norte and a designer of custom bike frames. He tells us about his time convincing Taos author John Nichols about the need for a custom bike. We talk about the current state of mountain biking in the San Luis Valley and Duran’s passion for its future.
Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy.
OUTDOOR CONDITIONS
The higher elevations of the San Juan Mountains should see 8 to 10 inches of snow the weekend of Nov. 14-15. The Wolf Creek Ski Area will be the main benefactor. The San Luis Valley itself could see some rain mixed with snow, but nothing that would suggest an arrival of winter.
Instead, fall temperatures are expected to remain above normal for the season. We’ll note that Alamosa set new daytime record high temperatures of 70 degrees and 68 degrees on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, respectively.
AND ABOUT THE AURORA BOREALIS
The aurora borealis illuminated the San Luis Valley’s skies from every corner on Tuesday evening. A repeat performance is possible for Wednesday’s night skies — at least in some states.
The colorful northern lights stunned Valley skywatchers, pulling residents out of their homes to witness the natural phenomenon. Alamosa Citizen photographer Owen Woods positioned himself at the Alamosa Disc Golf course to capture some of the more stunning visuals.
Other photographers in Del Norte, Monte Vista, Antonito, La Jara, Center, among other locations, uploaded images onto The Citizen’s Facebook page to reflect the auroras dazzling the Valley’s skies.
Colorado was among the few states where the auroras were visible on Tuesday. Wednesday’s repeat could bring the northern lights to around a dozen states.
OUTDOOR FIELD REPORT
Outdoor Citizen Field Correspondent Chris Lopez shows sandhill cranes that are migrating across a dry Valley in early November.
Becoming an Outdoor Citizen Field Correspondent is easy. Send videos to info@alamosacitizen.com and we will share your adventures.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SJNC FALL SOCIAL
The San Juan Nordic Club invites you to the Fall Social at the CO Farm Brewery Friday, Nov. 14, from 5-7 p.m. to reconnect with your ski buddies, learn where the trails are, get involved and meet new people who love to play in the snow. More info: 719-480-1820.
SJNC SKI SWAP
The San Juan Nordic Club Ski Swap is Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the SLV Gen Wild Gear Library at 518 San Juan Ave. in Alamosa. Enter through garage door on the south side.
Drop off equipment and outdoor clothing Friday, Dec. 5, from 1-5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9-10 a.m. It’s $1 to register an item and 10 percent of sales goes to San Juan Nordic Club.
This joint effort will also be an outdoor clothes drive for the Gear Library. Ski and outdoor gear swap donations are currently being accepted; please email sanjuannordic@gmail.com or call 719-480-3141.
BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL
San Juan Nordic Club will host the Winter Wildland Alliance’s Backcountry Film Festival on Friday, Dec. 12, at the Monte Vista Church Project to promote winter recreation and raise funds for grooming efforts. Doors open at the Church Project, 256 South Broadway St., at 5:30 p.m. Films will start at 6 p.m. with an intermission at 7 p.m. Get tickets here.
RIO FRIO ON ICE
The Rio Frio Ice Fest is almost upon us. It hosts one of America’s unique 5k races. The race kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2026. This spectacular 5k race is conducted entirely on the frozen Rio Grande.
This is a chip-timed race. Race bibs, chips and swag bags are available for pickup from 6-7:30 p.m. at Knee Knockers Bar & Grill on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, and from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Alamosa Senior Citizens Center the day of the race.
If you have any questions about this race, please contact the race director at dcarleo@alamosa.gov. To learn more go to RioRaces.com.
OUTDOOR NEWS
ANOTHER WOLF DEAD IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO
Female gray wolf 2506 was found dead in Southwest Colorado on Oct. 30, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. A mortality signal was sent that day and biologists were able to confirm the dead animal. There has been no word on the cause of death or the specific location where the wolf was found. Due to gray wolves being a federally endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct the necropsy on the wolf and release information once it has completed the investigation. Wolf 2506 was one of 15 wolves from British Columbia.This marks the sixth wolf death this year in Colorado.
The Trump Administration could further complicate the next round of wolf introductions after US Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik sent a letter to CPW Director Jeff Davis notifying him that CPW must source wolves from Northern Rocky Mountain states and not from Canada. Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently spoke with Washington Governor Bob Furguson about acquiring wolves from Washington State. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will address the issue at its commission meeting this week.
MOOSE ATTACKS WOMAN IN BOULDER COUNTY
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating a reported moose attack west of Jamestown in Boulder County around 1 p.m. on Nov. 5. A woman was walking her dog off-leash near her home when a young bull moose knocked her to the ground, stomping her multiple times. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital with head and back injuries.
CPW officers responded to the area, but officers were not able to locate the moose. Signs warning of aggressive moose behavior have been placed near the scene.
A majority of reported moose attacks involve dogs, as moose view them as predators or potential threats. Pets should be kept on a leash when recreating outdoors, especially near riparian habitats where moose prefer to live.
Moose should be given ample space and not approached when encountered. They are large and very fast, able to run up to 35 miles per hour. Use rocks, trees or vehicles as barriers between people and moose if spotted while recreating outdoors.