COLORADO RIVER AT NORMAL

Since arriving to Island Acres, we watch as the Colorado river rise, putting everyone on alert to flooding.  They feared that the Day-Use area would be the first to go under and then maybe a couple of our campsites.



Then at one of our sister park, the berm broke away while a park ranger was checking for stability, causing for an emergency shut down to any trails along the river banks.  The park ranger was safe and was able to pull himself back up.

Now that the snow run off has stopped and the rain being sporadic, we finally are seeing the Colorado River for what it is, with a constant motion and ripples.  Rocks and boulders are starting to appear once again.  Rafters are back out having a good time. 

water rushing over the rocks as they show their appearance

Great Blue Heron perched on a rock in the Colorado River

The Island where bears have been known to cross over and come over towards us.

Unfortunately the River still continues to claim a lives.  In one incident a down tree was across a big portion of the river, causing many to divert.  Not knowing if the tree was the actual cause of the drowning or not, authorities decided not to take any more chances.  So calling in the bomb squad, clearing the area, the tree became an instant debris field, which has now been cleaned up.

With the river going back down to normal, we have been told that bears will cross over in a couple of sections, so I wonder if I will finally get to see one?

A FAMILY SEPERATED

Up early and adam as we started our day on one fine Wednesday Morning.  As we are checking campsites to see who is staying and who is leaving, we started in our B loop; which is the tent area.  One of our tenters comes up to us and said he just seen a cub bear walking on the burm trail.  We asked us to show us where the cub at. 

As I walked up on the burm, sure enough there was a cub walking on the trail as if nothing was amidst.  He did look back once to see if anyone was following me, and then just kept on going.

As volunteer and workers of the state park our first protocol was to get a hold of a park ranger.  Being it was very early in the morning and no park rangers were on as of yet, but maintenance was, we approached the maintenance guy and then he made the necessary phone calls while we went back to track the direction the cub was going.

the cub got chased up a tree at one point by barking dogs, came back down, and once again headed towards our B loop; which was still loaded with a group of overnight campers with lots of young kids.  Not wanting to have the kids chasing the baby, we tried our best to divert the cub away from that area, but he would have no part of it.  He looked at us as if he was in charge, and actually-he was!

 Although the pics are blurred, they are my first pics of  a baby cub!
He’s running away from us and right into the paths of lots of kids!!


We eventually lost track of him in the tall grass brush, so we had no clue as to where he actually was.  Then another one of our campers informed us that there was not just one cub, but two!  They had played hours prior to the chase in front of his camper.

The next question that everyone had…if we have cubs in the park, where is mama?  That kept rangers and us on edge through out the day.  The rangers had to contact the Dept. of Wildlife.  He came out and talked with us about the cub.  At first he thought it was last year born and wasn’t an actual cub-until he looked at my picture that I manage to get.

As the day turned to night, we advised campers that there are bears in the area and to keep their site clean of food.  As we went around later that night checking on the park, and talking with campers, one lady came up and said that there is a bear on the other side of the river pacing back and forth.  We later learned that it was mama to the cubs.  All of tenters were awaken through out the night with mama crying for her babes.
Almost of a week later and other than finding bear scat back near the water treatment area, there has been no more sighting of mama or the cubs.  We hope that somehow they have been re-united and have gone back to their homeland, away from the campground.

So what happen to separate mama from cubs?  We are all thinking that somehow upstream the babes fell into the river, after maybe a bank collapse from the raging rushing water.  They swam went downstream, ending up on the opposite side of the bank and landing near us.  Now if somehow we can get them to continue down river for another 2 miles, then maybe cubs could cross over at the Cameo bridge and get re-united with their mama.  Just so long mama doesn’t cross over to our side in the meantime.

By the looks of the scat, the cubs appear to be eating some vegetation, but they are a little on the skinny side-they need their mama back for proper nutrition.

COLORADO RIVER A RISIN’

The spot that we have chosen to park in for the season here at Island Acres, normally does not allow us any view of  the Colorado River because of the Burm that was built.  But because of it’s rapid rising-we actually can see  the river  from where we sit.

Since the burm has been built a few years back, they have not had a flooding issue here at the park, but then the river hasn’t reached flood stage in a very long time.  They are looking for us to crest at 15 feet above normal.  With this burm-the river shouldn’t flood the campground-but the park rangers are a little nervous-not knowing how much this burm can actually up hold with the river rapidly rising and the rushing flow.  I guess by now, the park would have been flooded at various areas like the day-use,  the B-loop which is the tent area and a portion of A-loop.  So we all are sitting on the edge waiting to see what will or will not happen.
 You can see how close it’s getting to the Burm-this is in the Day-Use area
 This is just before the B-Loop and it’s start cut inwards.
This past Sunday Brian had to go for a special meeting.  I guess with the rising of the Colorado River, very few folks like to come out just up river from us and ride the roller dam down; which causes what they call a Big Surf-like a big wave in California.  If they are crazy enough to try it, then they may have to be rescued.  We as volunteer/worker, may need to assist park rangers where ever we will be needed.   They also briefed Brian on evacuation procedure-only if that should arise….
This is not a person, but a part of a tree that is floating downriver…
Also with the rising of the Colorado River, means road closures.  Yesterday they had to start diverting traffic on I-70, to lighten the traffic load over the bridge just past the town of Fruita & Loma and into Utah.  Now this morning they will completely shut down east bound traffic of  I-70.  That part of the Interstate rides low and when the river rises to the flood stage, debris tends to get trap under the bridge, making water to come over onto the interstate and creating a very unsafe driving conditions.  I feel for the truckers, for I-70 is the only Interstate east to west across CO & UT, now making the drive unto very dangerous roadways, creating truckers to get behind on their loads. 
They also may need to close down the Cameo exit, which is the next exit just past us, again, because once exiting off, it drops downward.  There really isn’t much off that exit other than a power plant, which isn’t in use right now, and a single ranch just down the road a ways.  many folks will take that exit to get back into the canyon where the wild horses are known to hang out.
All of this is caused by 200% snow coverage in the Rockies and high elevation this past winter, and warmer temps right now,causing a fast meltdown, creating flooding  not only in the Colorado River, but other small rivers and streams to go over their banks.
The good news to all of this, is that it eventually lands in Lake Mead; which may finally bring that lake back up to normal pool  level for the first time in years.
This year has been a crazy year not just for us in Colorado, but for others that have had to deal with other flooding in the Midwest,  deadly tornadoes, and raging out of control fires in Arizona.  Let’s just hope that the rest of this summer season gets better and not worse.

RAIN vs. WIND

Coming from and spending the majority of our lives in the Midwest area, it  is almost a given that rain is part of a holiday weekend.
As we worked the federal parks, when campers checked in with us, the first thing they would ask is it going to rain?  We would always put a smile on our face as we respond to them with this answer “of course-it’s a holiday weekend!” 
Sure enough sometime during the course of the weekend, a thunderstorm or just rain would pelt them and get everything all wet.  The worse would be on the Monday they would have  to leave and the rain would come-soaking everything as they try to pack up.  To a camper it would be frustrating, but to us gate attendants and cleaners, it would be glorious-for we could get the park back to shape early.
When we worked one of our parks where we had to clean as well as run the booth, we would almost pray for rain on holiday weekends or Sundays.  When rain was a threat on Sundays or holiday weekends, campers would pack up early and head out, instead of hanging out for the rest of the day, playing on the water or doing whatever.
As we are finishing up the first holiday to kick off the summer here in Grand Junction, we did have a slight chance of rain.  But rain wasn’t the thing that had campers scampering in the middle of the night for safety, it was winds.  We had  several campers in tent that ended up either sleeping in their vehicles or finding elsewhere to finish the remaining of the night out on Saturday Night.  Come Sunday morning as we walked around, fighting the high gust of winds, we found several tents completely destroyed.  We even found one tent that appeared to have flying lessons and ended up in the brush near the river.
We had sustain winds between 25 to 30mph with gust exceeding 55+.  Let me tell you, we felt those gust as they literally about blew you off the road!  Island Acres State Park is situated between canyon walls, so it creates more of a wind tunnel.  The winds started to kick up late on Saturday night and got worse throughout the night and all day on Sunday, letting up just a bit through Sunday night into Monday morning.  Yet the winds still can be felt as I’m still typing this.
By Sunday morning, even our own camper was rocking sideways.  As I said earlier, many tenters tents were either flatten or poles had snapped and broke.  As the day went on, the winds seem to get worse and now the pop-up campers were starting to feel the effect of the wind.  One of them received damage and had to move sites for more protection from the high wind gust.
As one of our rangers went out to due park check, she looked over the Colorado River and saw where the wind had created what one would think as a water spout.  She told us about it and she was amazed by it.
As the afternoon went on, we started to get some very frazzle campers coming off the interstate that just couldn’t handle the winds traveling anymore.  I was glad that the State Park here was able to accommodate these folks.  By late afternoon, the sun was under a cloud of dust, and as you look out, all you could really see what a thick cloud-all dust….
So if asking me whether I would prefer rain or wind, I would actually have to say if the winds are like what we saw the last 24+ hours, I will take the rain.

THE FIRST WEEK

The park was getting ready to start off the holiday weekend, and already was short handed at the gate house.  Although I have been hired on as the new Gate Attendant, paper work still has to be done so that I can get paid.  So until it’s all said and done, I’m still considered a volunteer.  The rangers thought it would be a good time to start training me for the position.
So on Friday Brian and I started working the gate house in the evenings.  Our first night was very busy and hectic-being it was the kick-off for the holiday weekend and to the summer.
I was assigned what is called a shift box which has my starting money and all the passes that they sell for the Colorado State Parks.
Talk about being thrown into the mix of it all during one of their most busiest time!  It was just a bit over whelming at first.  They have different passes that they sell that you have to learn what is for what.  You have your regular day-pass, then the Annual Pass, then Colorado residents that are 64 and over have a choice of the Aspen Leaf Pass; which gives them a discount.  And if that’s not enough then have a Lifetime Aspen Leaf Pass that can be purchase.  AND they have different types of Multiple Passes for customers with other vehicles.  If a customer comes in towing a vehicle, they have a pass for that as well.  Wow!  I think there is about 10 or more different passes to learn and not to get them mixed up or confused can be challenging to a newcomer-like me.
Besides all the  types of passes that we sell, we also do fishing and hunting licenses.  We also can register OHV, snowmobiles & boats!  I haven’t had to those yet, but have learned how to do fishing license.  Then there is  firewood to sell-which has to be kept separate from the rest of the money-and that can be a challenge!
We don’t do reservations here at the park, that has to be done either Toll Free or Internet=thank goodness!!
by the end of the night we both were exhausted.  Once we close the window, we still were not done.  Now it’s time to account for all the passes that were sold, fishing license sold, and campsites sold.  All came up as it should-except for some unknown reason I came up with an extra $25.00 ahead.  Not sure what happen.  It’s hard to say when there was several people with their hands in the till.
My second night, was requested by the ranger training me that Brian didn’t come in-she said it was too hard on her to train the both of us and since I’m the one actually going to be hired, it was decided that he should not help out.  We did feel for her, for the both of us bombarded her with lots of questions.  Oh and the ranger that was training me, has been in the maintenance field for 3 years, and this is actually her first year, first month as a ranger.  So we totally understand that she to was overwhelmed.
The second and third night went smoothly with everything check and balancing the way it should at the end of the night.  Brian did work in the office-cleaning on the third night.  I even have learned most of the passes and what they are for.  The downfall is some of the passes will be changing out the 1st of July as prices are being change.
The park rangers have been really great and very helpful.  They are not afraid to chip in when it gets busy.  They are there if there is any kind of problems.  It is mandatory here that whenever there is a Gate Attendant on duty, at least one ranger also has to be present within the park.
With my upcoming foot surgery, they are so willing to work with me so that I do what the doctor orders.  You don’t find that kind of support in any work place.  I think Brian and I are going to enjoy working the summer here at the James M. Robb Colorado River State Park-Island Acres.