Sunday, December 31, 2017

4.0 Quake West of Trinidad

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Largest quake of 2017 and near 2 - 3+ quakes in the same area in the past week. A USGS study found that the 5.3 earthquake near Trinidad on Aug 11, 2011 was caused by fracking wastewater disposal wells. Looks like it's time for the disposal well or wells in the Trinidad area to be shut-down and relocated.

CAIC Received 132 Avalanche Reports from Summit County in the Past Week

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Fortunately all observed from a distance.

Surge in Colorado Car Insurance Rates for 2018 Expected After Record Damage Claims from 2017 Hailstorm

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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Breckenridge Ski Area Closed for High Winds

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Some Sage Advice on Wildlife Encounters

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Grand Junction Sentinel Proposes Grazing of Forest Service Land to Reduce Wildfire Risk

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The part of the article they got right is how the government does the same thing over and over again and expects a different outcome. An additional note, goats do far better than cattle on reducing wildfire risk.

Chinook Winds Warm Up the Front Range

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High Winds Knockout Power to 10,000 in Fort Collins

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Coyote Hazing Aims to Reduce Pet Attacks in Erie

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32 pets attacked, reports of coyotes stalking children.

High Winds Expected to Continue Through Saturday Night

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Crews Pull Horse That Fell Through Pond Ice in Elizabeth

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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Snowy Roads in Denver Metro Causing Crashes

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Record 60 Bears Euthanized in SW Colorado in 2017

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Ski Safety Expert:Less Snow Means More Risk of Injuries, Death

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Colorado Avalanche Information Center and American Avalanche Association Publish Snowy Torrents

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208 case studies of the personal details of avalanche incidents. Not available on Amazon yet, will contact CAIC. This is a definite must read for anyone that skis the backcountry.

Article With Documentation of Solar Flare Events That Knocked Out Power

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I was aware of the 1859 Carrington event and the 1989 Quebec event and now I am aware of the 1972 Illinois solar flare event that knocked out telephone service throughout the state.

Grass Fire Darkens the Skies Over Mead, CO

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Monday, December 18, 2017

Op Ed: Leash Your Dog or Face the Law

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Article claims that off-leash dogs were attacked by mountain lions in 6 separate incidents in Evergreen.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Medical Professionals Floating the Gunnison River Rescue Injured Hiker

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There have been several incidents in the past few years in which fallen climbers or hikers were rescued by medical or rescue personnel that just happened by. Unlucky to have fallen, lucky that rescue people discovered them.

Fireball Over Colorado Was Likely Part of Geminid Meteor Shower

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Astronomers say meteor seen over Colorado not part of Geminid meteor shower.  News Link

Hard to keep track of what's real and what's not.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Woman Catches Great Photos of a Deer Walking Through a Store

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Dog in Larimer County Euthanized After Getting Plague

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The 7th pet to contract plague in 2017.  The dog might have picked up the disease by sniffing a dead prarie dog.  This is one of the many hazards pet owners subject themselves to by letting dogs run off-leash.

Myth Busting for Mountain Lions

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The conclusion of this study is mountain lions go out of their way to prey on young deer and elk. They made no mention of the current effort by Colorado Parks and Wildlife's effort to kill mountain lions as a means of increasing the deer population but this study suggests that killing mountain lions won't have much impact on the current buck population.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Monday, November 20, 2017

Saturday, November 18, 2017

La Nina Upgraded From Watch to Advisory

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The report shows that La Nina occurs about twice per decade, or about 20% of the time and can last from 6 months to a couple of years. There is El Nino, the Pacific Dodecadal pattern and other major global atmospheric circulations fueled by ocean currents that regularly cycle back and forth as dominant. The idea that averages or normal mean anything is false and misleading, giving the impression that average and normal are what happens most of time.






















Mountain Snow Closes Independence Pass for the Season

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Record 154 MPH Wind Measured in Jet Stream Above Colorado

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What's amazing to me about this record is that it isn't much faster than 125 mph surface winds that were recorded in Boulder in the 1980's.

Snowstorm Causes Multiple Closures of I-70 in the Mountains

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Menawhile it was sunny warm and breezy along the Front Range, a typical winter pattern.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Sunday, November 12, 2017

NASA Confirms Antarctic Supervolcano Could Erupt Anytime

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This is big news. Past supervolcanic eruptions in Antarctica were studied and found to accelerate global warming via direct melting of the ice sheet, carbon dioxide emissions, and halide gases that created a huge hole in the ozone layer allowing increased solar radiation to reach and melt the ice sheet.

November Is Worst Month for Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions

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Saturday, November 11, 2017

Eagle River Reserve to Close Trails for Season To Protect Elk Herd

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Officials finally recognize that hikers with off-leash dogs are responsible for most elk attack incidents. Now, if they could extend this realization to moose and bears we might be able to reduce the number of people sent to hospitals with serious injuries.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Coroner's Report on Rattlesnake Bite Victim

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Pretty sketchy reporting by the news media. What I infer from the statement
"It happened when the snake bit Daniel Hohs in the lower leg while running up from the Mount Galbraith Trailhead in Golden in October.  The 31 year old died immediately."
is that the triathlete was running, not hiking as reported, and that the venom was quickly transmitted through his bloodstream, killing him in an unusually short period of time.

Terrain May Be Limited As Ski Areas Get Ready to Open for Season

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Up to 1 foot of snow overnight should help things along after a month-long dry spell.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Video of Moose Encounter

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Posted by an individual on YouTube, doesn't say where it is exactly. Looks like it might be in the area of Hwy 72 south of Nederland. Moose perceive dogs as threats to their calves. Another case of a dog off-leash provoking a reaction from a protective mom.

Rock Climber on Mt Lady Washington Struck By Falling Rock

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The 31-year-old woman, who was wearing a helmet is in critical condition.  This is the 2nd incident on Mt Lady Washington in Rocky Mountain National Park this year.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Wildfires in NW Colorado This Year Caused $925,000 in Damages to Power Grid

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There should be a law that requires power companies to replace lines damaged by natural disasters with underground lines.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Monday, October 30, 2017

Sunday, October 22, 2017

North Table Mountain Trail Closed For Rattlesnakes Migrating to Hibernation Den

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Snake hibernation dens can house thousands of rattlesnakes over the winter. After the recent fatal rattlesnake bite on Table Mountain, this is a reasonale preventive move by officials.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Friday, September 29, 2017

Rare Rock Fall Fatality At Yosemite's El Capitan

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According to the NPS, there are an average of 80 rockfall events per year on El Capitan. Although there have been plenty of climbing incidents on El Capitan over the years, there have only been 5 previous climber incidents I can find reported since 1974 that were caused by rockfall. Can't find any good information on the number of climbers over that time frame but would roughly estimate an average of 10,000 per year (Devil's Tower in Wyoming has 5,000 per year in a much shorter climb and season duration).  So that would work out to 6 incidents for 430,000 climbers or a 1 in 70,000 chance. The only area comparable to Yosemite in Colorado is Eldorado Canyon near Boulder which has a higher rate of incidents.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Suspect That Chases Mountain Bikers With a Hatchet Near Monument Is Arrested

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A 31-year-old driving a car with expired Indiana license plates. Just speculation on my part but it appears that the suspect may have been homeless and either sleeping in his car or camping illegally. That would explain his irritation with mountain bikers that might reveal his presence to authorties. He has not been charged with the gunshot murder but was charged with an "unrelated" weapons charge.

Rockslide on Hwy 24 Near Manitou Springs

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It doesn't take much rainfall to trigger slides in this chronically active area.

Record Precip in Denver for Sep 23

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0.83" broke the record set on Sep 23 '13 during the storm that caused catastrophic flooding north of Denver in the Boulder - Lyons area.

Grand Mesa Gets a Foot of Snow

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Bikers are sad, skiers are glad.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Mountain Biker Gunned Down Near Monument

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I have often wondered if some crazy shooting his guns near trails that I ride would take aim - now I know.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Op Ed: With 11 Fatalities on 14ers This Year "It's time to do something"

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There is a good photo of the "knife edge" approach to Capitol Peak. Capitol Peak is on the right, the knife edge is in the lower part of the saddle to the right of Capitol. Approximatley 300 feet long, the knife edge narrows to less than 6 inches in width with steep dropoffs of several thousand feet on both sides. 6 of the fatalities this year have been on or near the knife edge.

Small 2.5 Earthquake Near Rangely

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Saturday, September 16, 2017

Rocky Mountain National Park Begins Closures for Elk Protection

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Apparently the Park Service learned a lesson from the incident a few years back when a tourist tried to take a selfie with a bull elk and the elk picked the tourist up in its antlers and hurled him about 50 feet through the air with a susbequent trip to the hospital.

Video of Mama Bear and 2 Cubs in Tree, Downtown Aspen

Video
What's interesting about this video is the Mama bear just leads hers 2 cubs right by people standing on the sidewalk. So do bears understand when they are in human environments and when they are in natural environments and behave differently? In their natural habitat, Mama bears often attack hikers, the theory being to protect her cubs.

Pre-Evacuation Notices Issued for Brush Fire in Highlands Ranch

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An unusual number of brush fires in Highlands Ranch this year - arson?

Friday, September 15, 2017

2 Women Hospitalized After Elk Attack in Estes Park

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A herd of bull elk were in downtown Estes Park as they are every fall. Every year hordes of tourists surround the elk which makes the elk feel threatened. This particular elk was tagged previously for aggressive behavior and was put down.

Rockslide on Hwy 82 South of Glenwood Springs

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This area has rockslides every year with rotten shale similar to that on Maroon Bells.

Deep Creek Wildfire 100% Contained

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Over 4,000 acres torched.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Maybell Fire Expands to 4,000 Acres, Shifitng Winds Threaten Structures

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7th X-Class Solar Flare in 7 Days Hits Southern Hemisphere

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"Scientists are perplexed at the high level of activity as the sun approaches its regular 11 year cycle low." The sunspot cycle varies from 7 to 13 years so it could be it already reached its minimum and is on the way back up.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Rangers to Limit Campers at Conundrum Hot Springs

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Way to many visitors for a wilderness area.

Colorado's 10 Most Popular 14ers

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More climbing accidents because more people attempt 14ers every year.

Bear Raiding Peach Tree in Palisade Relocated

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Mama Bear and 2 Cubs Euthanized After Charging Hikers in Apex Park

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Parks and Wildlife is completely off-base on this one.  The bears were in their natural habitat and the mother's instinct to protect her cubs is normal. The right way to handle this situation is to close the trail to the public until the bears move on.

Story of 21-Year-Old, Latest Victim on Capitol Peak

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His first 14er attempt, he climbed in skateboard shoes.  His friend tried to talk him out of free climbing the cliff face that he fell from. Unfortunately there is no way to prevent the "invincibility syndrome" of young males.

The Long Road Back: Dick's Sporting Goods Reopens Store Damaged in May 8 Hailstorm

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Front Range Smoke-Filled Skies from Wildfires in Montana, Pacific NW

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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

High Altitude Rescue of Injured Hikers Made from Mt Evans and Bierstadt

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Pitkin County Sheriff Wants Warning Signs Posted on Capitol Peak

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Rescue teams have been called to Capitol and Maroon on a nearly daily basis all summer. Search and rescue speaks the truth no one wants to hear that many of the killed and injured are not prepared to be where they were.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Friday, August 18, 2017

Bear Spotted on Driveway in Monument

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I've noticed bear scat around in the past few days, the bears must be coming down from the high country.

Story of Man That Fell Off North Maroon Peak

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This is a hard story to read. The guy that was killed had spent years researching deaths on 14ers and had a blog to inform readers of how to avoid the pitfalls. Ironically, after summiting North Maroon, he and a friend were tired and decided to try a "shortcut" down a steep face of loose, rotten rock. It is hard to believe he did this knowing full well that North Maroon's loose rock had killed a couple people each year since the 1960's.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Google Is Blocking My Blog to US Viewers and I Don't Know Why

Google recently implemented sweeping changes to its content presentation and search algos. Prior to the changes, the blog would get between 20 and 60 pageviews a day with about 75% from the US. Now I get 10 or less pageviews with nothing from the US. I have sent them several complaints in feedback but I suppose its stupid to think that they would do something for such an ultralow traffic site. I have also noticed that the Google search engine is doing a terrible job since the changes and I have gone to alternate search engines that produce results similar to the pre-change Google. Can anyone out there let me know how I can transfer this blog to another vendor that won't be subject to Google's blocking?

Mountain Biker Killed, 1 Injured by Lightning Strike Near Telluride

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Mother Drowns Trying to Save Her Son Tubing in Clear Creek

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Sunday, August 6, 2017

2.9 Quake Near Trinidad

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Probably another wastwater injection well-induced quake.

Bear Breaks Into Car in Durango, Cruises Down Driveway

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There have been several cases of bears "driving" cars in the past 5 years in Colorado. After they get in and somehow close the door behind them, they tear the interior apart in a panic trying to get out. Sometimes they inadvertantly shift from park to neutral and the car takes off if it is on a slope. In this case the bear may have actually been driving, the photos show the steering wheel ripped off the dashboard.

Monday, July 31, 2017

NASA Will Get To Test Its Planetary Defense System on October 12

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A 50 foot asteroid will pass within 4,200 miles. Geostationary satellites are about 22,000 miles above the earth.

Evacuations Ordered For Flash Flooding in Southern Colorado

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Human Food Triggers Bear Baby Boom in Glenwood

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Bear Spotted Digging Through Trash in Dolores

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Colorado Tornadoes Well Below Average So Far in 2017

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Only a few tornadoes reported in June. The average number of tornadoes in Colorado for April through July is 43.

Only One Case of West Nile So Far This Year Compared to 149 in 2016

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Coyotes Attack Dog in Westminster

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20th Anniversary of Fort Collins Catastrophic Flood

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15" of rain in a day and half, 5 killed.

Monsoon Rains Soak Eastern Colorado

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Thursday, July 27, 2017

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Colorado Tourist Accidentally Sets Off Bear Spray on Bus to Maroon Bells

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Bear in Salida Trapped and Relocated

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Moosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile in Boulder County

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CSU Researcher Exploring Ways to Stop Cheat Grass

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A herbicide called Esplanade, which prevents seeds from germinating, is showing some promise.

Lightning Sparks Small Wildfire in Castle Rock

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Hiking Trails in Peak 2 Fire Burn Re-Opened

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As the photos in this article show, the scenery is a bit grim for now. Firefighters have cut down all the burned trees for debris flow mitigation.

300 Acre Wildfire Erupts in Coyote Ridge Natural Area Near Longmont

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2nd Tubing Accident Victim Dies

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A 31-year-old Albuquerque man was taken off life support after being flipped off his tube on the Las Animas River near Durango a week ago.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Heavy Rains Cause Mudslides, Road Washouts Near Rifle

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The west slope and Grand Junction in particular are getting massive monsoon rainfall the past week.

Young Bear Breaks Into Boulder House Twice in 2 Weeks

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2 Seriously Injured After Motorcycle Crash With Deer Near Dinosaur National Monument

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Driver Seriously Injured After Crash With Deer in Colorado Springs

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Lightning Strike Sparks Wildfire Near Ute Mountain

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Rockslide Close Hwy 149 Near Crede

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Woman Dies Tubing Clear Creek in Golden

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Thunderstorms Cause Flight Delays and Cancellations at DIA

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In addition, a lightning strike blew out a chunk of runway.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Crews Pull Car Out of Clear Creek in Difficult Operation

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After more than a month Clear Creek water levels finally receded to the point where recovery was possible.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

3,500 Houses Without Power After Lightning Strikes in Colorado Springs

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Geomagnetic Strom Watch Issued for Northern US

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Arriving Sunday, northern Colorado may get to see aurora borealis.

Boulder Commuters Brave Rapids on Tube to Work Day


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Drones Used to Track Emerald Ash Borer

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The first stage of Skynet goes live.

Bear Opens Door of SUV in Boulder, Gets In and Destroys Car Trying to Get Out

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One of the great mysteries of science is why bears are smart enough to open car doors but then close the door behind them after they get in the car. Another mystery is why they can't operate the inside handle. This causes the bear to panic and rip apart the car interior trying to get out. There have been at least a dozen cases of bears doing this in Colorado the past few years. Maybe there is a research grant here for an enterprising Colorado professor.  Of course the solution to this problem is already available - lock the doors and don't leave any food or candy in the vehicle.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Bears Spotted Digging in Trash in Canon City

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Starting to approach drought conditions again as food sources dry up.

2 More Bears Euthanized in La Plata County

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Most calls on bears since 2012.

Rattlesnakes Sending People to the Hospital in Elbert County

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I was too late to stop after going through a hare pin turn on my mountain bike the other day. Its rattle barely started going when I ran over it. If I hadn't been going fast, I might have got some fangs in my leg.

Bear Break-Ins On the Rise in the Foothills


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This article claims that Larimer and Boulder Counties are getting up to 10 calls per day for bear break-ins. If true, then less than 10% of the break-in cases actually make the news.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Teen That Teaches Survival Skills at Camp Attacked by Bear Near Boulder

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4 New Wildfires in Fremont County

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2 Teens Lost on Grand Mesa Overnight Found by Searchers

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Colorado Drivers Hit 4,617 Deer in 2016

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This article has plenty of wildlife and vehicle-wildlife collision statistics along with the 90% reduction success of the wildlife overpasses constructed near Kremmling 2 years ago.

New Wildfire Starts on Breckenridge Mountain

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New Wildfire Burning Near Meeker

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Breckenridge Fire Evacuees Allowed to Return Home

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Thankful for firefighters that saved their homes.

Officials Remind Colorado Residents and Visitors to be Aware of Fire Restrictions

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Friday, June 30, 2017

Paddle Boarder Falls Into Lake On Grand Mesa, Drowns in Frigid Water

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Tick Bite Paralyzes Dog Near Nederland

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Bear That Raids Refrigerators for Ice Cream in Colorado Springs To Be Euthanized

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Video

Mosquitoes in Berthoud Test Positive for West Nile Virus

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No human cases in Colorado yet.

Wildfire Near Durango Exapnds to 350 Acres, 1 Home Destroyed

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Colorado Sets New Record for 2016 Visitors at 82 Million

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I believe this number vastly overstates the actual visitors to the state because it probably includes the 55 million passengers that land in Denver, most of whom catch a connection to other destinations. The number of visitors to the state is likely around 20 million, which is roughly 3 or 4 times the resident population.