Courier View Pikes Peak 8-14-2013
Pikes Peak
Teller County, Colorado • Volume 52, Issue 33
August 14, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtellercountynews.com
Flash flood kills Teller County man U.S. Highway 24 reopened, extensive damage in Manitou By Rob Carrigan
rcarrigan@ourcoloradonews.com A Teller county man has been identified as the victim of Friday evening’s flood in the lower Ute Pass area on U.S. Highway 24. “The victim who died along Highway 24 near mile marker 297 during the flash flood on August 9, 2013 has been identified as 53-year-old John Collins of Teller County. Mr. Collins’ body was recovered from a large amount of debris which covered the westbound lanes of Highway 24. His vehicle was in the same general area but further west on Highway 24; it is unknown if Mr. Collins exited his vehicle by choice or if the rapidly rushing water and debris forced him from his vehicle,” according to a release from El
Paso County Sheriff’s Office. “According to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, the cause of Mr. Collins’ death is believed to be drowning,” the release said. “The Sheriff’s Office extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends Mr. Collins leaves behind. The Collins family has asked members of the media to respect their privacy during this trying time.” “The body was not inside a vehicle and much of the body was buried beneath significant amounts of debris on the westbound lanes of Highway 24,” said an earlier release from El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Nearly 1.5 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes on Friday night in an area devastated by a wildfire last year, causing a creek to overflow its banks and cascade across a state highway and into the town of Manitou Springs, about 6.5 miles west of Colorado Springs. Manitou Springs Police Chief Joe Ribeiro told a news conference on Saturday that Flood continues on Page 13
Manitou Springs was still digging out Monday morning but U.S. Highway 24 was open with all lanes and much of the debris had been removed. Photo by Rob Carrigan
Woodland Park on the move By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews. com
Double rainbow at the Crags. Photo by Sherri Albertson
Top day hikes in Teller County Well over 1,000 trails to choose from By Sherri Albertson No matter the season, Teller County offers up some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Colorado. There are well over a thousand trails to choose from mostly ranging from easy to moderate - and suitable for families to enjoy a pleasant day in our amazing moun-
tain habitat. Trails zigzag across the entire county including the communities of Woodland Park, Divide, Cripple Creek and Florissant and branching out into the Pike National Forest, Mueller State Park and Eleven Mile State Park and more. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular “Great Hikes Above the Clouds”
POSTAL ADDRESS
day hikes according to the Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
The Crags
Distance: 4.2 miles round trip (out and back) Located only minutes from Divide heading south on Hwy 67, this family and dog-friendly trail features streams, meadows, forests, amazing rock formations and great views. Although a branch of this trail is avail-
able for more experienced hikers to climb to the summit of Pikes Peak, the easy to follow main branch will lead you to a fantastic lunch spot where you can oversee the North and South Catamount and Crystal Reservoirs. Don’t miss the incredible, natural cave about halfway to the top.
By the end of September, Woodland Park will have a new look and a positive direction. The economic snap is a result of the work by the Downtown Development Authority authorized by district voters more than 10 years ago. “It’s been an up and down relationship with the community relative to project activity,” said Brian Fleer, executive director of the city’s office of economic and downtown development. Fleer’s list of DDA projects begins with the construction of Woodland Hardware and the buildout of Center Street south of U.S. 24 to Saddle Club Drive. The name, Saddle Club, pays tribute to the city’s frontier past and the vitality provided by the ranchers and cowboys, who held rodeos and gymkhanas where Woodland Station is today. Today, the Downtown Development Authority owns the property that, when developed and enhanced, contributes to the authority’s coffers with taxincrement financing for new projects. In the hopper are a beer garden expected to open by Arden Weatherford and several investors on Lot 2
within Woodland Station. Now in the due-diligence phase, nonetheless the garden is expected to be open by mid-August. “We’re going through design considerations,” Fleer said. As the Great Recession caused a rash of foreclosures in Woodland Park, those losses are now providing the fuel for new projects. “Within the DDA boundaries, a lot of bank-owned buildings and properties went back to the lender and have been acquired or are under contract, for development,” Fleer said. Another project, with a TIF agreement, is Trail Ridge Apartments, a $19 million project with 168 units west of Safeway in the former location of a trailer park. Close-mouthed about the developer of a large project, Fleer nonetheless divulges the particulars about land at Midland and Colo. 67, which was sold by the owners of FoxworthGalbraith to a national chain. While out of the DDA boundaries, the proposed nursing facility by MidStates Senior Living is moving along. “I’ve just submitted a grant to DOLA for water lines around the hospital for the nursing facility that’s going to start construction this year,” Fleer Downtown continues on Page 13
Horsethief Falls, Horsethief Park and Pancake Rocks
Distances from 2.6 to 4 miles to 8 miles round trip (out and backs) The trailhead for this group is located along Hwy 67 travelling toward Printed on recycled Cripple Creek just past the newsprint. Please noticeably closed railroad recycle this copy. tunnel. The trails all start up a steep hill, on an old roadway, and you will pass through quiet meadows Hikes continues on Page 13
Downtown Woodland Park is hopping with construction and development these days. Among the ongoing projects is the buildout of Center Street to Saddle Club Drive on the site of the old Woodland Park Saddle Club. Photo by Pat Hill