Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Friday January 29th, and we’re lucky to start the day with you.

Today - Backcountry use soars in Colorado, and other areas look to the Vail Pass fee model.

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we’re going back to January 29th, 1906 when a group of Colorado ranchers inaugurated a festival celebrating their industry. The event evolved over the decades into an institution that celebrates Colorado history - the National Western Stock Show.

Now our feature story.

Backcountry use at Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area is split down the middle: half the visitors are on skis and snowshoes, and the other half are cruising the 55,000 acres of the White River National Forest on motorized vehicles. 

The bulk of the non-motorized users are there to spend a night in a 10th Mountain Division hut, sharing the forest with adventurers who booked guided trips with one of about 20 permitted outfitters as well as day-trippers who rented snowmobiles in Summit County on their drive toward 11,000 feet and Vail Pass.

Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown spoke with Sam Massman, a Dillon-based acting deputy ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. 

All of the mixed-use recreation is keeping snow rangers who manage the area busier than ever,  as backcountry use spikes in Colorado against the backdrop of dangerous snowpack this season that’s prone to slide.

Almost 38,000 people visited at least once last winter, and the area is even more popular this winter during the pandemic. Fees, long a contentious word on Colorado’s public lands, are helping them manage the surge. 

The Forest Service’s success in managing parking, search-and-rescue access, and conflict between buzzing snow-sled engines and folks who come to quietly skin up the trails has other winter recreation areas on public lands taking notice.

Popular backcountry destinations, including Buffalo Pass near Steamboat and Red Mountain Pass near Ouray, have also experienced a boom in users during the past few years, but without the same budget.

The Vail Pass area has become a model in backcountry management. About 95% of the funds collected are returned to the area to pay for plowing parking lots, grooming 50 miles of trails for snowmobiles, timber sleds and snowcats, and cleaning the pit toilet. 

Thanks for listening. Finally, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

Hundreds of thousands of unemployed Coloradans will begin to receive benefits again soon. A wave of emails went out Thursday from the state Department of Labor and Employment indicating those who are on regular unemployment will get their share first.

A new report from the Colorado Health Institute indicates more than half of Colorado’s prison population has gotten coronavirus. Thirty-two inmates have died since the pandemic began. The report calls for incarcerated individuals to be placed higher on the vaccine priority list.

Colorado may waive standardized testing for elementary and middle school kids for the second year in a row. Some argue the tests will be inaccurate due to the abnormality of school during the pandemic, while others say without the tests, there’s no way to know which districts are falling behind.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Friday January 29th, and we&rsquo;re lucky to start the day with you.
Today - Backcountry use soars in Colorado, and other areas look to the Vail Pass fee model.
But before we begin, let&rsquo;s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
Today, we&rsquo;re going back to January 29th, 1906 when a group of Colorado ranchers inaugurated a festival celebrating their industry. The event evolved over the decades into an institution that celebrates Colorado history - the National Western Stock Show.
Now our feature story.
Backcountry use at Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area is split down the middle: half the visitors are on skis and snowshoes, and the other half are cruising the 55,000 acres of the White River National Forest on motorized vehicles.&nbsp;
The bulk of the non-motorized users are there to spend a night in a 10th Mountain Division hut, sharing the forest with adventurers who booked guided trips with one of about 20 permitted outfitters as well as day-trippers who rented snowmobiles in Summit County on their drive toward 11,000 feet and Vail Pass.
Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown spoke with Sam Massman, a Dillon-based acting deputy ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.&nbsp;
All of the mixed-use recreation is keeping snow rangers who manage the area busier than ever,&nbsp; as backcountry use spikes in Colorado against the backdrop of<a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/22/colorado-avalanche-information-center-education-skiers-killed/"> dangerous snowpack this season</a> that&rsquo;s prone to slide.
Almost 38,000 people visited at least once last winter, and the area is even more popular this winter during the pandemic. Fees, long a contentious word on Colorado&rsquo;s public lands, are helping them manage the surge.&nbsp;
The Forest Service&rsquo;s success in managing parking, search-and-rescue access, and conflict between buzzing snow-sled engines and folks who come to quietly skin up the trails has other winter recreation areas on public lands taking notice.
Popular backcountry destinations, including Buffalo Pass near Steamboat and Red Mountain Pass near Ouray, have also experienced a boom in users during the past few years, but without the same budget.
The Vail Pass area has become a model in backcountry management. About 95% of the funds collected are returned to the area to pay for plowing parking lots, grooming 50 miles of trails for snowmobiles, timber sleds and snowcats, and cleaning the pit toilet.&nbsp;
Thanks for listening. Finally, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
Hundreds of thousands of unemployed Coloradans will begin to receive benefits again soon. A wave of emails went out Thursday from the state Department of Labor and Employment indicating those who are on regular unemployment will get their share first.
A new report from the Colorado Health Institute indicates more than half of Colorado&rsquo;s prison population has gotten coronavirus. Thirty-two inmates have died since the pandemic began. The report calls for incarcerated individuals to be placed higher on the vaccine priority list.
Colorado may waive standardized testing for elementary and middle school kids for the second year in a row. Some argue the tests will be inaccurate due to the abnormality of school during the pandemic, while others say without the tests, there&rsquo;s no way to know which districts are falling behind.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. Now, a quick message from our editor.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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