The San Luis Valley Outdoor Report for the week of Nov. 26, 2025.
On Thanksgiving week’s episode of the Outdoor Citizen podcast, we welcome back San Juan Nordic Club president Laura Conchelos and vice president Suzanne Beauchaine. It’s almost time for winter sports and one of the Valley’s mainstays is cross country and nordic skiing. The San Juan Nordic Club hosts volunteer events and annual ski swaps. We get into the details of the club’s upcoming ski swap and film festival.
Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy.
OUTDOOR CONDITIONS
Wolf Creek pass received just over 8 inches of snow this past weekend, yet even with that snow, Thanksgiving week is looking to be sunny and warm.
We’re enjoying all the water on the Rio Grande right now, which could mean some good ice as temperatures continue to drop through the winter. The Rio Grande stream gauge near Cole Park has been at a steady 400 cfs over the past few weeks, which is a welcome sight as we enter winter.
The boost from the weekend’s moisture is slowly pulling the Rio Grande Basin and Rio Grande headwaters out of the red. The Upper Rio Grande is currently sitting at 77 percent of median, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
This week, we published a story discussing a major new study on the nearly 1,900-mile long Rio Grande Basin — from the San Luis Valley into the Gulf of Mexico — that shows a “severe water crisis emerging” with total reservoir storage in decline at around 4.24 million acre-feet or 26 percent of capacity.
The study brings together detailed water consumption estimates of surface and ground water use throughout the basin and concludes “a likely outcome will be continued loss of farmland due to financial insolvency from lowered crop production and other factors including the aging of farmers and lack of affordable farm labor,” without urgent action.
“Climate scientists have reframed the long-running drought as the onset of long-term aridification and are forecasting additional river flow diminishment of 16-28% in coming decades as the climate continues to warm,” the study notes.
OUTDOOR FIELD REPORT
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FRESH AIR FRIDAY
As the Thanksgiving holiday ushers in the busy shopping season, CPW is offering a unique alternative to Black Friday shopping. On Friday, Nov. 28, CPW is excited to present “Fresh Air Friday,” a day when Coloradans and out-of-state visitors can visit a Colorado state park for free.
Nature lovers, outdoor adventurers, or those just looking for a peaceful retreat, will find a wealth of activities at Colorado state parks. From scenic hikes to wildlife spotting, there’s something for everyone. Find a Colorado state park map and discover the diverse range of activities available at each park using the online State Park Finder.
“What better way to spend the Holiday season than exploring one of Colorado’s amazing state parks. Fresh Air Friday is a great opportunity for Coloradans and out-of-state visitors to take advantage of free access to the parks, try a new outdoor recreation activity, and spend time with loved ones,” said Gov. Jared Polis.
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 the 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 ICE FEST
The Rio Frio Ice Fest is nearly here and there’s a solid bit of water on the Rio Grande to boast. The Rio Frio Ice Fest 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, 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
WOLVES WON’T BE COMING FROM WASHINGTON
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 8-1 denying the state to give Colorado 15 wolves for its reintroduction program. Washington wildlife officials cited the declining number of wolves in Colorado as a reason for the denial. At least 10 wolves have died since the 2023 reintroduction. Six have died this year alone. According to the Colorado Sun, CPW says it will continue exploring all options for the state’s third round of reintroduction work set to begin this winter. The federal 10 (j) rule gives CPW flexibility during reintroduction, and mentions the possibility of the agency getting wolves from Wisconsin, Michigan or Minnesota if other source populations are unavailable.
MOUNTAIN LION POACHED IN GUNNISON AREA
CPW officers are hoping to receive additional information from the public regarding the illegal killing of a mountain lion that was left in Taylor Canyon northeast of Almont. The lion was poached out of season. The animal was discovered three days before the beginning of the legal mountain lion hunting season.
CPW responded last Friday when a report came in of a mountain lion carcass near the group campsites at Gunnison City Mountain Park. A female mountain lion that had been shot through the chest had been left in bushes. This lion had been part of CPW’s mountain lion density study in the Gunnison Basin.
“We are looking for leads or information anyone might have that could assist us with this investigation,” said CPW District Wildlife Manager Codi Prior. “Somebody killed this lion and then dumped its carcass in the place where it was discovered.”
CPW is asking the public for any information regarding the parties responsible for the killing of this mountain lion. Prior can be reached at 970-641-7075 or at codi.prior@state.co.us. The CPW Gunnison wildlife office can be reached at 970-641-7060.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP POACHED IN SAGUACHE
District wildlife managers William Miedema and Cait Philpott-Jones responded to a report of a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that had been shot and killed near County Road 38FF in the Cabin Draw area along Middle Creek.
Miedema and Philpott-Jones found a ram that had been shot once “in the guts” with an entry wound on the animal’s right side and an exit wound on the left. Assisted by a CPW K-9 officer in the investigation, Miedema and Philpott-Jones determined the ram had been shot earlier that same day.
“This bighorn was shot and left there with nothing removed from it,” Miedema said. He continued by saying, “There is a single bighorn ram hunting license available in S-10 and neighboring S-55, but my legal hunter for this area had already harvested a ram this year and the season dates were Sept. 2 through Oct. 2. The sheep was left there to rot and was spoiled by the time we got there, so we were unable to salvage and donate the meat. This is wanton waste. If somebody saw something or has any information that could help in this investigation, please reach out to help us protect our wildlife resources in our state.”
CPW is asking the public for any information regarding those responsible for the killing of this bighorn sheep. Miedema can be reached at 719-850-6364 or william.miedema@state.co.us.
To provide information from either of these killings anonymously, the public can contact Operation Game Thief by phone at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.
BSAR FEES INCREASING
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is increasing the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue Program, or BSAR, fee on wildlife licenses and boat, snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations to $1.25 to increase funding support for county search-and-rescue teams and local volunteers.
The previous BSAR fee was set at 25 cents and has not changed since 1987. The newly increased fee now adjusted to $1.25, CPW says, is a necessary step to reflect the current customer price index, taking into account inflation, as well as the increase in search-and-rescue incident responses and the number of highly challenging and risky rescues over the last 15 years.
In response to significantly more calls for help, the cost of search-and-rescue administration, training and equipment has also increased over the years, necessitating this fee increase. Current law dictates that CPW has one opportunity to increase the BSAR fee to a base level, after which point this fee may only be increased by the Consumer Price Index.
Colorado is home to around 50 search-and-rescue organizations, which are 100 percent volunteer-based and provide search-and-rescue services free of charge to individuals lost, injured or stranded in the backcountry. While these organizations are county-based and coordinated through county sheriffs or county governments, CPW provides support and funding from the statewide level.
“We’re constantly amazed by the dedicated volunteer search-and-rescue professionals across Colorado who are ready to mobilize and help people in a time of need when they become stranded, lost or injured in the backcountry,” said CPW BSAR Manager Perry Boydstun. “These types of outdoor rescues often require a specific type of training and gear, so it’s really important that our statewide BSAR program accurately provides our local teams with funding for resources they need to complete rescues without jeopardizing their own safety.”