Bullet holes in the warning signs

Shots fired, despite a three-year, target-shooting ban

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com



As bicyclists were unloading equipment for the memorial ride for Tim Watkins on Mount Herman Road that Saturday in late September of 2017, I could hear the gunshots in rapid-fire succession coming from the canyons above. Nothing new, I guess, but it troubled me considering the circumstances.

The Forest Service Ranger District had banned target practice in early July of 2014, so I wasn’t supposed to hear that.

A 12-mile section of the forest, in and around Mount Herman Road between Woodland Park and Monument was declared off limits to recreational shooting then by Forest Service rules that were clearly posted at the time and still are.

“The area closed to target shooting are areas of concentrated activity with many nearby roads and trails, recreational sites, private land developments and livestock grazing nearby. Restricting shooting in these areas reduces hazards to others who play, live and work within these areas,” said materials and map put together by officials of the Pike and San Isabel National Forest, they gave to me that July, three years ago.

Jon Pfeiffer, reserve law enforcement officer and off-highway vehicle manager for the Pike Ranger District, said enforcement was going as expected, at the time.

Pfeiffer, and others place nearly 30 signs in the off limits area the week before as the new (at the time) rules went into effect. Patrolling on Mount Herman Road that Friday, he noted that the first sign crews put up on the Tuesday prior, already did have “fake” bullet holes stickers on it.

Barb Timock, public affairs officer in the district’s Pueblo office, also said that the public had been supportive of the, then new rules.

She said near misses, whizzing bullets and other danger, over time prompted the official action, but the district consider it carefully and was ready with signs, maps, educational material and an enforcement plan.

“The Pike National Forest has many places to enjoy your favorite recreational activities, including target shooting if done in a safe and responsible manner,” said the material at the time. Estimates from the district held then that 94 percent of the forest was still available for recreational target shooting.

The order affected Mount Herman Road (Forest Service Road 320) from Monument, west to the Teller County line.

Fast-forward to last week.

The Forest Service imposed shooting bans in and around the area where Tim Watkins body was discovered in July of 2014, but many locals say they commonly hear and see evidence of violations against that ban in that area.

Barb Timock, Public Affairs Officer, for the United States Forest Service also refers questions related to law enforcement back to Sheriff’s Office officials.

“As always, the County Sheriff is the lead for this type of illegal activity. The USFS will continue our patrols and encourage the public to follow the safety recommendations of the Sheriff to be vigilant,” Timock said.

“The Sheriff is the best source of information on the amount and details of illegal activity in the County. The USFS is certainly aware of illegal activities that takes place in these thousands of acres. (I don’t have access to USFS law enforcement figures.)

“We rely heavily on our partners in law enforcement to do the bulk of patrolling and enforcement in the County. The Pike and San Isabel National Forest is over two million acres. That is a lot of ground to cover no matter how many patrols,” she said.

“The Sheriff’s Office did a good job of reminding our public of safety precautions. We rely heavily on our partners in law enforcement to do the bulk of patrolling and enforcement in the County. The Pike and San Isabel National Forest is over two million acres. That is a lot of ground to cover no matter how many patrols,” Timock said.

But, in contrast to those fake bullet hole stickers that first week. Many of the the signs on the route have real ones in them now.

Convergence destination: Beetles seek the summit

Lady bugs love Herman

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Mount Herman’s summit is a convergence destination, it seems.
“On Saturday my son saw these Lady Bugs on a hike up Mount Herman. Any idea what is going on?” Asked Karen Green last year, at about this time.
“The convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, is among the most common lady beetle species throughout North America and is an important natural enemy of aphids, scales, thrips, and other soft-bodied insects. It will also feed on pollen and nectar from flowers when prey is scarce. This species can be found in habitats ranging from grasslands, forests, agricultural fields, gardens, and natural parks. It is one of the few natural enemies that are currently wild-collected from mass aggregations for distribution to the pest control industry, according to “Featured Creatures,” a University of Florida entomology publication.
Mountain-bound convergent ladybugs are not typically in swarms during these in-flight migrations. Occasionally, they will land on ground to consume pollens and nectars as a means to fatten up their bodies for survival during hibernation. However, once they find their desired high elevation summits they tend to swarm en masse and form colonies. Most of these mountain summit goals range between 6000’-8000’ elevation, but some might be as high as 10000’ elevation (or possibly higher) depending on current conditions.
It is during these periods of summit swarms that mountaineers most frequently notice the ladybugs. Where there is one ladybug there is usually hundreds if not thousands congregating nearby. Many ladybug dealers/collectors claim that some of these mountain colonies can contain as many as 500 gallons of ladybugs, with each gallon containing up to 72,000-80,000 ladybugs. The beetles remain on their high elevation homes throughout the Summer months. This timeframe represents the beginning of diapause, which is the nine-month period of hibernation process for convergent ladybugs. Many within the species will begin mating during this first stage of diapause, and larger colonies have greater chances for successful mating.

Surprising and rewarding: Local trail named for founder's uncle

Herman would have looked down, and been proud

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

One of the most surprising and rewarding local trails eventually overlooks the town of Monument, and is short, steep, and culminates with amazing views of both Pike's Peak to the southwest, and reportedly cities in Kansas, on a crystal-clear day. The summit is right at 9,100 feet altitude.

Mount Herman Trail is a 2.2 mile trail located near Monument and features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate (though it climbs nearly 900 feet quickly.) The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until September. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. It is accessed by traveling past Monument Rock, reaching the trailhead parking lot less than five miles up on Mount Herman Road.

It is kind of hard to keep track of who Herman was, of Mount Herman fame, considering it was named after the uncle of the founder of Monument. That founder changed his name, and probably never lived here.

When the town of Monument showed up originally on the drawing board, it was Charles Adams listed as the primary owner. In January of 1874, Charles Adams and Henry Limbach filed a plat statement of the town encompassing about 60 acres in the North half of the South east quarter. 108 lots were platted with Limbach owning 36 and Adams 72. Adams and Limbach, with others, would later file two more additions by 1879, and be involved with more in the 1880s.

Mount Herman, West of Monument, was named after one Herman Schwanbeck, who homesteaded right about where Village Inn in Monument is now. Herman appears to have been Charles Adams' uncle, (his father's brother) and Charles was both instrumental in the development of the town, and much of early Colorado. Charles Adams was born Karl Adams Schwanbeck in Germany in 1845.

Karl Schwanbeck, turned Charles Adams, was married to an English girl who did not like the German name of Schwanbeck, so had it changed to Charles Adams," according to Lucille Lavelett's history "Through the Years at Monument." Though founder Adams never lived in Monument, according to most reports, staying in the Manitou Springs area much of his life, in area that is still known today as Adam's Crossing.