October Hikes and Events
Walking Tour of Anne U. White Trail
Friday, October 3; 9-11 a.m.
Registration is required; Registered participants will be given further instructions and meeting location a few days before the event
Join Parks and Open Space staff for a guided tour of Anne U. White Trail which is closed due to damage from the September 2013 flood. Be prepared for a difficult hike as the trail no longer exists. The terrain is rocky and uneven. You will need to climb over and under fallen trees. We will cross the creek a few times requiring you to step on large rocks. Please bring walking poles if you have them. Minimum age is 10 years old with accompanying adult. Register here.
Quaking Aspen Hike
Saturday, October 4; 10 a.m.-noon
Mud Lake Open Space; 2 miles north of Nederland on County Road 126; meet at parking lot kiosk
Join volunteer naturalists on an easy 1.5 mile hike to observe and learn about aspen – the most widely distributed tree in North America. Along the way, we’ll discuss the natural history of aspen, including its importance to wildlife, varied uses, response to fire, and threats to its health. We’ll also keep an eye out for signs of wildlife.
Walking Tour of Pella Crossing
Friday, October 10; 2-4 p.m.
Registration is required
Join Parks and Open Space staff for a guided tour of Pella Crossing that is closed due to damage from the September 2013 flood. We’ll walk on the eastern side (east of 75th Street) of the property to see the flood’s impact on this beloved open space. Minimum age is 10 years old, with accompanying adult. Register here.
Junior and Senior Fishing Derby
Saturday, October, 11; 9 a.m.-noon
Wally Toevs Pond (at Walden Ponds on 75th Street between Day Road and Valmont)
Join Boulder County Parks and Open Space for the Junior & Senior Fishing Derby. If you are 64 years or older, bring along your favorite angler who is 15 years or younger to enjoy fishing together.
The first 10 kids get a free fishing pole. Enjoy some snacks and prizes will be given to the pair who catch the heaviest trout, have the largest age difference, and are first to catch the limit.
Event takes place rain or shine!
Participants 64 years and older need a Colorado fishing license. Artificial and live bait are permitted.
For more information contact Michelle Bowie at 303-678-6219 or mbowie@bouldercounty.org
Clever Corvids
Saturday, October 11; 10 a.m.-noon
Betasso Preserve; Boulder Canyon (Highway 119) to Sugarloaf Road; follow signs to Betasso Preserve; meet at group picnic shelter
Ravens, crows, jays and magpies are noisy, intelligent and gregarious birds found throughout Boulder County. They are all members of the bird family Corvidae, or corvids for short. Join volunteer naturalists for an easy 2-mile hike to learn more about these clever birds.
Bears in Our Backyard
Sunday, October 12; 10 a.m.-noon
Mud Lake Open Space; 2 miles north of Nederland on County Road 126; meet at parking lot kiosk
With fall upon us, Boulder County’s black bears are busy gorging on berries and other food in preparation for their long winter sleep. Join volunteer naturalists on a moderate one-mile hike to learn about the natural history of our local bruin and how people and bears can share our wild places.
Whoo are the Owls?
Wednesday, October 15; 7-8:30 p.m.
Longmont Public Library, Meeting Rooms A & B, 4th Avenue and Emery Street, Longmont
Owls have been regarded with fascination and awe throughout recorded history and across many cultures. Over half of the owls recorded in the U.S. have been seen in Boulder County, and most of those owls nest here. Join volunteer naturalists to explore these fascinating creatures.
Nature Hike for Seniors
Thursday, October 30; 10 a.m.-noon
Heil Valley Ranch – meet at the shelter near the south trailhead
Boulder County Parks and Open Space hosts a nature hike for seniors every month. Programs include information about an area’s history, wildlife, and current resource management projects. No registration is necessary however; please call in advance if you plan to bring a group so we have enough naturalists at the program.
Outdoor Creations: A 2014 Boulder County Juried Art Show
Reception: Friday, October 10, 6-9 p.m.
The Great Frame Up – Longmont, 430 Main Street
Exhibit days: October 10 – November 7, 2014
Gallery hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Celebrate the culmination of the summer paint-out! Com see ‘en plein air’ artwork featuring Boulder County Parks and Open Space.
Youth artwork: On display at the WOW! Children’s Museum, 110 N. Harrison Avenue in Lafayette, October 1 –November 22, 2014
More information: Visit www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org/paintout or contact Karen Imbierowicz at kimbierowicz@bouldercounty.org or 303-678-6268.
Museums
Visit the Agricultural Heritage Center
8348 Ute Highway 66 west of Longmont
Open to the public April 1 through October 31 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with tours starting at 11:00am; Groups may make special arrangements for tours.
Learn about the rich agricultural history of Boulder County. This site gives special focus to the years 1900 to 1925 when local families prospered as farmers and witnessed the coming of the Modern Age. The farm includes two barns, an outhouse, a milk house, a blacksmith shop, and a 1909 farmhouse furnished with items from the 1910s. There are also animals on site seasonally including chickens, pigs, and others.
We will continue to open the site on the first Saturday of each month November through March.
For more information, contact Jim Drew at 303-776-8688 or jdrew@bouldercounty.org.
Visit the James F. Bailey Assay Office Museum
6352 Fourmile Canyon Drive, Boulder
April 1 – October 31
10:00am to 2:00pm
Third Saturday of each month
The James F. Bailey Assay Office Museum, located in the historic town of Wallstreet, just west of Boulder, helps tell the story of hard rock mining in this area.
The assay office was the place where prospectors would take their ore samples to find out whether or not they had potentially “struck it rich.” The determination of the assayer could, and often did, make or break a prospector.
The building at this site served as both an assay office and family residence, and the museum depicts both functions. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Nederland Mining Museum
Open June 1 – October 31
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm
200 N. Bridge Street (on the roundabout in Nederland at the corner of North Bridge Street and Highway 119).
Learn about the lives of the miners of yesteryear. Visit the Nederland Mining Museum and get a glimpse into the world of hard rock mining days in Boulder County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Various “tools of the trade” offer a close-up look at the lives of the miners. Miners wore helmets equipped with lights; how did those change over the years? See how drills used to do the mining changed as technology did. Ring a signal bell like the miners did to tell the hoist operator to bring them up and out of the mine. How was dynamite stored and in what amounts could miners buy it? See indoor and outdoor displays of trams, ore carts, engines, historic photographs and rare mining claim maps.
