Outdoors

Snowpack approaching 200 percent of normal

Will the snowpack be 200 percent of normal? Many things are known as the wet and wild winter of 2019 draws to a close. However, one question remains: Will the mountain snowpack be more than double the normal levels? On March 19, the six feet of snow at the Camp Jackson Sno-tel station contained 23...

Epic snowstorm shuts down schools, businesses, roads, and may have brought an end to a drought

The strongest snowstorm in several winters took aim at San Juan County in the past week, resulting in closed schools and businesses, closed highways, copious amounts of snow, and what may be the end of a drought. Snow began falling on Wednesday evening, didn’t stop until Friday afternoon, and...

DWR to host ice fishing clinic at Loyds Lake

Have you ever wanted to try ice fishing but didn’t know how to get started? Here’s your chance. The Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will host a free ice fishing clinic in Monticello on Saturday, February 23. It begins at 10 a.m. on the ice at Loyds Lake. Those who attend will learn about...

Monticello man missing after avalanche in La Sal Mountains

Search and rescue crews will soon be onsite in the search for a Monticello man who was apparently caught in a massive avalanche in the La Sal Mountains on January 25. The slide occurred in a popular site in Dark Canyon Basin about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. A group of eight Monticello-area...

Snow brings excitement and danger to the Abajos

by Rhett Sifford Since the start of December, 36 inches of snow has fallen at the Camp Jackson SNOTEL site located at nearly 9,000 feet in the Abajo Mountains. That’s good news. There are nine inches of water in that snow – even better news for a county that suffered through an extreme...

Plenty of good skiing to be had in the Blues

by Rhett Sifford San Juan County nordic skiers are lucky according to Jason Johnson, who brought his love of the sport to Monticello all the way from Vermont. He grew up skiing with his family there and has made it his ambition to share that joy with San Juan County residents. To that...

German slackliner to attempt world record for distance walked between two hot air balloons this weekend

Alexander Schulz, a German slackliner, will attempt a world record feat crossing between two hot air balloons that will be flying over the mountains in Monument Valley at an altitude of 4,920 feet this week. The attempt will be a world record if the daring slackliner is able to pull it...

Junipers mysteriously dying off by the thousands

There appears to be a massive die-off of juniper trees in San Juan County, and the cause of the problem is not yet known. Dr. Kay Shumway is anxious to determine just what is causing the problem. There are literally millions of the trees in San Juan County. They are known locally as...

ROAM Industry opens shop in Monticello

by Rhett Sifford ROAM Industry is working hard to become the center of human-powered outdoor adventure in San Juan County. ROAM is the brainchild of Dustin and Natalie Randall, located in the former Trailside gas station on North Main Street in Monticello. The mission is to be the...

Golden Eagle survives wild run-in with semi, RV

A golden eagle is expected to recover after having a tough day in San Juan County on August 2. A truck driver reports that he was traveling northbound at highway speeds near the Monticello airport when the eagle flew alongside the truck and then swooped into his front windshield. The...