field trips

Field trips will be held Tuesday from 1:30 - 5:30 pm

 

Name Description
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Adaptive Handbiking with Topher

Join the City of Boulder OSMP’s Topher Downham on an off-road, power-assisted handbike ride. Participants will get a hands-on experience with this latest technology. The City of Boulder OSMP is dedicated to getting people with disabilities faster and further out into nature. Before, during, and after the ride, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of this OSMP adaptive biking program, adaptive mountain biking in general, and why it has been a game changer for people with mobility impairments accessing nature.

Advanced Mountain Bike Ride - Guided

Big slick rock sections, technical drops, and awesome singletrack make the Lunch Loops mountain bike trail system Grand Junction’s premiere riding destination. The trail system is a virtual playground for mountain bikers seeking out technical challenges, with its nearly endless array of rocks and tricky lines. There are all kinds of rock features, from drops to rolls and skinny chutes that are fun and challenging for even expert riders. The Ribbon, with its super long and fast rock sections, offers the most unique slab rock riding east of Moab. The transitions can be difficult and dangerous, but they're short and can be walked. The Tabeguache Trail serves as the main connecting trail in the area.

All Abilities Bike Ride with Boulder County Rangers

Boulder County Parks & Open Space Park Rangers are hosting a mountain bike group ride for all skill and fitness levels. We will be riding at a slow pace with planned stops to prevent the group from separating – we will ride as a group the entire time. At each stop, the group will either practice beginner mountain biking skills or engage in conversation about inclusion in outdoor spaces and endurance sports, such as cycling. In 2021, your guide from the City of Boulder was an ambassador for a cycling team, Ride for Racial Justice, which claims to “exist to ensure access to resources, education, and community for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) cyclists and to dismantle systemic racism so that EVERYONE can feel safe, free, and empowered to ride a bicycle.” This year, they are serving as a mentor to the new athletes and will use this lens and experience to help guide the ride and conversations. This group ride will focus on building community and ensuring we create a safe and welcoming space for all cyclists.

Participants will need to bring their own bike and helmet. E-bikes are permitted.

Beginner Mountain Bike Ride - Guided

This loop will test your physical fitness but not too much your skills. This singletrack trail parallels the Gunnison River, occasionally on the edge of the bluff. There are some fun downhills where you get going fast to stoke the adrenaline. The views of the river are beautiful and worth a trip to this trail. The best access is at the Whitewater trailhead as there is a large parking lot and an informational board. The Spanish trail parallels more or less just north of the GRBT and numerous trails run between the two. Bring plenty of water and fresh legs to get the most out of your day. The Gunnison River Bluff Trail is more difficult than the Old Spanish Trail so if you want a truly easy / beginner ride, consider riding the Old Spanish Trail as an out & back.

Cameo Shooting Center with CPW

Join us for an exciting field trip to the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex! We will meet at 2:00 pm for a guided tour of the facility on side-by-side ATVs, requiring minimal walking and lasting approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. After the tour, you'll have the unique opportunity to participate in shooting activities at the pistol, rifle, or shotgun ranges for 1.5 hours. Firearms and ammunition will be provided by CPW (Colorado Parks and Wildlife). This outdoor field trip will last a total of 3 hours, so please dress appropriately for the weather conditions and bring water and snacks. Don't miss this chance to explore and experience the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex firsthand!

Highline State Park Site Visit with CPW

Don't miss this opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge about how a tiny mussel has made big impacts at Highline State Park to protect Colorado's waterways! We will meet at the Visitor Center at 2:00 p.m. for a comprehensive driving and walking tour lasting approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. During the tour, you will learn about the significant impacts of zebra mussels on the park. Representatives from the Grand Valley Water Users Association (GVWUA), who hold rights to the top 2 feet of the lake, will discuss how lake drawdowns affect their irrigation needs and the potential risks associated with zebra mussels entering their system. We will also address the broader implications of zebra mussels spreading across the state, including potential closures to motorized boating at places like Stanley Lake. Discussions will cover the impact on water recreation, particularly motorized boating, and the painstaking process of rebuilding warm water fisheries affected by invasive species. At the lake outlet, we'll examine the measures taken to prevent the spread into waterways downstream, including actions to safeguard the Colorado River. You are encouraged to stay after and enjoy the trails for walking or biking (BYOB-bring your own bike).

Intermediate Mountain Bike Ride - Guided

Loop ride from the Third Flats Trailhead utilizing the intermediate Lunch Loop trails of Snake Skin, Good Vibes, Second Thoughts, Twist-N-Shout, and Third Flats Fire Road. To lengthen the ride and the scenery, consider adding Art Cook's View. These trails are twisty and technical but less difficult than the traditional Lunch Loop Trails - Gunny Loop. It's rolling, twisting, and super fun!

Interpretation at the Colorado National Monument

Join the National Park Service interpretive staff at Colorado National Monument for a fun and meaningful afternoon. Explore part of the monument, learn and try out new interpretive techniques when engaging with visitors, and participate in conversations and activities with other professionals who have a diversity of work experience in the field. Come prepared to be outside and for easy to moderate walks. The fees for this field trip will help support the National Association for Interpretation's (NAI) Four Corners Region scholarship fund, a fund dedicated to helping financially support interpreters in attending the NAI National Conference and other educational opportunities. COSA and NAI members are eligible to apply for Four Corners Region scholarship funds in the future!

Mindful Movement with Keynote Kriste Peoples

Join our keynote speaker for some contemplative trail time. Learn from a professional mentor and trail runner how she engages in community, nature, and mindful movement. All abilities are welcome!”

Self-Guided Road Biking - Advanced

Riding Rim Rock Dr. offers cyclists a challenging ride with stunning views. Rim Rock Drive is a 23-mile-long scenic road, traveling between the park's east entrance in Grand Junction and the west entrance in Fruita. Cyclists can turn their ride into a 33-mile loop by using connecting roads outside of the monument. Parking areas are located by both entrance stations to the monument. For the 33-mile loop, the aggregate climb for a complete trip is 2300 vertical feet. Most of that elevation change is found on the steep grades just inside either entrance. Allow at least three hours for your ride. If you would like to ride the monument without tackling either of the hills, you can park your vehicle at the visitor center and ride across the top of the monument and back. When the visitor center lot is full, overflow parking is located at the Saddlehorn Picnic Area. A water bottle refilling station is located next to the front doors of the visitor center and is open 24 hours a day. Bring plenty of water. You'll need to drink lots of water due to the high elevation as it is a strenuous ride with low humidity.

Self-Guided Road Biking - Beginner

Also known as the East Orchard Mesa Loop, the Palisade Fruit & Wine Byway is a favorite of bicyclists from around the world. Experience the beautiful orchards, lavender gardens, world-class vineyards, premium wineries, and fresh farm market fruit stands along the way. Explore historic downtown Palisade, tour along the scenic Colorado River, and enjoy some of the best vistas of the Grand Valley.

Ute Ethnobotany Learning Center Garden Tour - Guided

The Ute Learning Garden was conceived in 2009 as a physical manifestation of the Ute Ethnobotany Project, an ongoing research and educational project seeking to preserve the traditional plant knowledge of the Ute people for future generations. Working with the Northern Utes of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation and the Bureau of Land Management, the CSU Extension Tri River Area has constructed a garden to honor the heritage of the Ute people. The garden sits on land set aside by Mesa County to help bring Ute heritage to life in a way that can be experienced and appreciated by Colorado residents and visitors alike. The garden offers visitors a unique look into the life of the Ute tribe in this region. As you traverse our garden through the life zones, you will encounter plants that were and are important to the Utes ethnobotanically you will also learn about different structures and relationships essential to Ute life, including relationships with animals in these ecosystems.