The Marmot Messenger STAUNTON STATE PARK
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The Marmot Messenger STAUNTON STATE PARK VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER MARCH – APRIL 2017 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2 What’s Inside Zach’s Column 3 Phase II 4 Raymond 6 Volunteer Breakfast 7 Elk Creek Valley Memories 9 Friends 11 Trails 13 Back in Kindergarten 14 On Thin Ice 15 From Our Loyal Readers 16 Getting to Know You 17 Team Coordinators and Staff 19 MARMOT MESSENGER 2 HIKE TOTALS . 6 hikes . 93 participants . 11 volunteers . 160 hot dogs . 5 gallons of coffee . 10 gallons of hot chocolate . Untold numbers of marshmallows/s’mores That clearly adds up to 93 hot dogs for visitors and 67 hot dogs for volunteers. Or 6.1 dogs per volunteer. Good job. Volunteers put professional hot dog eaters to shame. MARMOT MESSENGER 3 MANAGER’S MESSAGE I looked back at our visitation numbers and revenue— both are up well over 100 percent from this time last We need this park year. Our social media figures continue to grow and As I sat down to write word has spread about the accessibility of Staunton State this edition of my Park. Thank you for keeping up and hanging with us. My thoughts for the message last year was to “hang on” and it certainly has newsletter, I came across not changed. my article from February 2016. I read through it Our core volunteer group, the strength of our staff and found it funny that and the constant stream of visitors makes this one of the so much of what I wrote best places to work and play. Thank you for everything last year is the same in you do to make this park known as the gem it is. Hang 2017. in there and I will ensure that as we push forward with developing the park, Staunton will remain an incredible It seems even though gem for generations to come. we had an extremely busy, productive 2016, we are almost back to the same While reflecting on all that is happening here, I opened position this year. The sun is out, the snow is melting Desert Solitaire to search for a fitting Edward Abbey and we are in the calm before the storm...again. In revelation and happened on this observation...”The February last year we were looking forward to the start wilderness should be preserved for political reasons. We up of Phase II construction including the addition of may need it someday, not only as a refuge from new trails, parking lots and the inevitable hope of excessive industrialism, but also as a refuge from breaking ground on the visitors center. authoritarian government, from political oppression.” As we look ahead to 2017, we are moving forward Regardless of how you voted or what your impressions with Phase II, including renewed hope for the visitors are toward government and the processes of this time, center due to significantly lower costs estimate bids, we all need to have a place to escape and seek refuge. If back country walk-in campsites are being built and you find yourself in a rut, get outside and seek that growth of the park is very evident. escape...you will find it in our backyard. Atop Eagle Cliffs Overlook MARMOT MESSENGER 4 Camping a reality in park this year All Phase II projects to be completed by end of June Park manager Zach Taylor said he is “comfortable” with how the construction of the primitive, back-country camping areas are coming along and expects them to be open to visitors sometime this year. That said, he is not happy with the lack of progress on Phase II construction, noting that the “issues lie in the documents.” An example he gave was that construction documents failed to provide detail on the location of buried electrical wiring located around the Rock Pile parking area and when contractors began to dig, they tore up the wiring causing delays and extra costs to the state. Other problems, such as Another issue causing Taylor consternation was discovery of an abundance of good top soil but construction of the road to the maintenance facility poor base dirt needed for sturdy foundation and ultimately the new parking area. Based on the topography of the area, engineers wanted to cut construction in the area of the maintenance facility through a stand of large trees. also caused delays and extra costs, including having to pour concrete in winter. “We had to tell the surveyors to move the stakes to save the trees,” he said. Although some trees Frustrating issues such as these have put Phase II were saved from destruction, others still had to be behind schedule “because engineers do work on removed because of the topography and added computers in offices off-site and put together cost to re-route. According to Taylor, several day- lighting springs exist just below Staunton cabin and additional culverts and road development had to occur to save a “multitude” of trees. He left no doubt how he felt about the loss of trees. “I was devastated,” he said and added, “In a year the area will look different. The hardest part of what we do is trying to understand what the park will documents based on historical look like five years from now.” construction figures and the delay lies Park sustainability for future in re-design around the ground generations is also an issue that figures,” Zach said. must be considered. In spite of delays, Phase II “The maintenance facility will must still be completed by June support the rest of the park and Boyd House 30, according to GOCO was not sustainable,” he said. “We looked at requirements, although an other areas in the extension is being sought for park (for construction of the visitor construction) but center. This is a separate they were not feasible for budget and not part of Phase II development. CPW is requesting from GOCO an functionality and extension on the funding for this project as bids aesthetic reasons.” will be due March 2. MARMOT MESSENGER 5 Taylor also addressed road construction Maintenance building explaining that regulations require a two-lane road The building has been ordered and will be for emergency access and safety reasons and constructed on-site. another parking lot will be necessary for “financial sustainability.” This lot will be completed in Phase Track Chair building III. The Friends organization has purchased a second Track Chair and the state will pay to have a building erected to store the chairs. The building has been contracted and will be constructed at the south edge of the Rock Pile parking area. The lot must be paved before construction can begin, but should be completed by June 30. Discussion of how the program will work is in progress, including the production of a manual outlining roles and responsibilities of staff, The following is slated for completion this year: volunteers and the Friends organization, along Camping with questionnaires for volunteers and maintenance check-lists. Three trails are completed to separate camping areas—one site leading from Staunton Ranch trail Media outlets will also be notified when the will have 10 sites; two trails leading from the program begins. Mason Creek access trail, each containing nine Although Phase II has not always gone as sites. planned, the idea is still to enhance Staunton State Each site will contain a 10x24 tent pad with Park for the future, and Zach has a message for additional pad for picnic table. Parking at the Rock everyone: “Hang on, have patience with us as we Pile site will be designated for campsites. Still build the park up to standards and expectations.” ongoing is discussion on how reservations He added, “Volunteers will will be handled and fees have not been be part of this...(you are) the determined yet. strong base that helps keep the park running.” Rock Pile parking site Due to problems with construction, the entrance to this lot has been moved to the south end with extra parking spaces added for a total of 90. The lot will be graded and paved this spring. MARMOT MESSENGER 6 RAYMOND Hey wait a minute. When I went to sleep in September, I remember that there were a lot more trees How am I supposed to sleep? What’s all and grass here. that ground shaking and noise outside? I’ve got a bad feeling about What, a this. They’re building road? a road through our area. RAYMOND @ MakeMarmotsGreatAgain! I demand the park build a bigly wall around the Blaine cabin to RAYMOND @ MakeMarmotsGreatAgain! keep out bad hombres who are going to pour into our habitat Build that wall or I’ll see you in court! Kangaroo court. from this road! And make Australia pay for it. Terrible country. Kangaroos - awesome animals. I’ve always loved them. Their kangaroos are fat and ugly. Total losers. Sad! Hey wait, what’s that metal bucket doing? Ahhh! HISTORY FACTS: Prehistoric ice age marmot teeth from one million to 600,000 years ago have been found in Porcupine Cave in South Park, Colorado. It is indisputable, that at that time, marmots were the dominant and ruling species throughout the entire North American continent. Then, supposedly having something to do with so called climate change, someone built a bridge in Beringia and all these other species just poured into the American continent. Species including Homo sapiens entered unchecked. Bad! Thus began the gradual decline of the marmot as the apex species. What a mess. Sad. MORE FACTS: Carol Phelps and Bonnie Scudder are part of the illicit black market trading in animal parts.