Over 100" of snow so far!

March 9 dawned revealing 5.5" of new snow, bringing this winter's total to 101.5" so far. Since 1990, the average total winter snowfall for the park is 118", so it's not going to require much more snow to bring this year's total to average. Of course, if March and April deliver what they usually do (they are historically Beulah's two snowiest months, respectively), then this winter will go into the books as an above-average winter of snow. We'll see what these next few weeks bring! (Photos: The morning cloud cover showing signs of breaking up over the park's snowy landscape with my footprints along the trail between the lodge and the pond. An afternoon snowshoe hike to Devil's Canyon brought sunshine finally breaking through the clouds, illuminating the canyon's waterfall dressed in bright snow.)

Horseshoe Lodge Project is progressing!

All of us here at MPEC are thrilled with the progress being made at the Lodge. The framing is essentially done, and the building's mechanical and electrical systems are well on their way to being completely overhauled. MPEC's new center is shaping up - the next time you are in Beulah, we'd love to show you the progress in person, so stop by for a tour. (Photo #1: Lab/3rd Classroom in the corner of the Lodge's east wing; #2: Looking into Nature Shop from Interpretive Center; #3: MPEC Offices - we'll finally have enough space for our offices; #4: Looking from the west into our 2 Classrooms [a movable wall will separate this space into 2 classrooms/multi-purpose rooms].)

Beulah Historical Member Jim Beeman and Gary and Carol Kyte brave the brisk temps for the groundbreaking.

Long time Beulah Residents and MPEC Members Phyllis and Ed Kotlar

They came from far and wide..in the brisk cold of a January afternoon to witness this historic event of the Groundbreaking of the Horrseshoe Lodge.

A Frosty Pueblo Mountain Park!

"One must have a mind of winter

To regard the frost and the boughs

of the pine trees crusted with snow."

~ Wallace Stevens

Horseshoe Lodge Construction Begins!

MPEC's Horseshoe Lodge Project is truly a grassroots effort. So many people donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for the first phase of this legacy project over the last 15 months, which is no small piece of change: real financial support from the grassroots. And now, grassroots support in the form of hard-working volunteers is accomplishing much of the initial demolition (several walls need to be removed to accommodate the new classrooms / multi-purpose rooms, Nature shop, and offices). We still have more demo work to accomplish, and we project several other facets of the project can be accomplished with volunteers, so if you'd like to help out, give (Ranger) Dave Van Manen a call at (719) 485-4444 for details. Photos from top: Christine Rochester dismantling an old bench; Jim Loseke enjoying his work; Hal Murray de-nailing a board (it's chilly in there); Erik Stulb removing a section of ceiling; Don Mourning, Larry Arns, Mary Twinem & Dan Clements taking a break!