Thursday, December 31, 2009

Fire Pit in Stephens Lake Park


For all of those that like to enjoy a bonfire on a cool fall night or a simply as a place to warm during winter sports, Stephens Lake Park is the place for you.

Located near the Collins Shelter, the department constructed a 3-ft diameter fire pit. This pit, designed to meet all state and local laws regarding recreational fires may be rented or used on a first come first served basis. Wood for the firepit is provided by the Parks and Recreation Department and is kept on site only during the winter sports season.
When there is 4-inches or more of snow, park staff may be available to assist with starting fires in the pit. During these cases, trained Forestry staff may be seen utilizing the same fuel that they use in their driptorches. A driptorch is a tool used in wildland firefighting, controlled burning, and other forestry applications to intentionally ignite fires. This fuel, often representing a mixture of about 30% gasoline with 70% diesel, is commonly used in driptorches. Often you'll see Forestry staff using controlled burning to manage or assist the development of native prairies at the Forum, Grindstone, and Garth Avenue natural areas.
For the public, the use of gasoline is strictly prohibitive as a fuel to start the fire. As the below fire pit rules indicate, the department recommends that paper or manufactured logs be used to ignite the fire.
1. The fire pit is considered part of the Collins Shelter and is not available to others if the shelter is reserved. If the shelter is not rented, it is available on a first come, first served basis.

2. The Collins Shelter is used as the warming area during the Winter Sports Season. Therefore, the shelter and fire pit is not available for rental during winter sports activities such as sledding, ice skating and cross country skiing.

3. Columbia Fire Department permits are not required.

4. It is the responsibility of the renter to provide fuel for burning. State laws dictate that only natural materials such as aged logs may be burned. Items such as pallets, scrap lumber, treated lumber, tires, leaves, etc, are expressly prohibited. Logs shall be limited to three foot (3’) in length.

5. Combustible fuels such as gasoline, diesel or kerosene shall not be used to start or keep fires burning. Charcoal lighter fluid, paper or manufactured starter logs are recommended.

6. It is against City of Columbia Ordinances for any person in a park to damage, cut, or remove any tree or branch in a park. Therefore, renters should not expect to find burning materials in the park.

7. Fires must be kept with the boundaries of the designated fire pit. State laws require that recreational fires may be no larger than three foot by three foot (3’ X 3’).

8. It is the responsibility of the renter to extinguish the fire upon completion of the event. A frost proof water hydrant is located near the shelter. It is recommended that the renters should bring a 25-foot garden hose or a 5 gallon bucket for fire control and to extinguish the fire. No hose or bucket will be provided by the City. The water hydrant is locked and renters must check out a key on the last business day prior to their event.

9. All logs that have not been burned must be removed by the renter. Logs that have been partially burned may be left in the fire pit.

10. Straw or hay bales are not to be used for seating and/or decorative purposes.
11. All fires will be inspected by the Park Ranger to insure compliance with the above policy.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Why don't we remove snow from trails? Cross Country Skiing!

After each snowfall, someone usually calls in to request that we send in the snow removal team to plow and remove the snow from the trail. We then politely explain that while crews will clear the parking lots at the trail heads, it is our policy to not remove the snow from the trails.

Why?

After each snowfall, someone usually calls in to inquire if they can go cross country skiing on the trails. The answer to that question is "yes" and it is an activity that the department strongly encourages. Cross country skiing is a terrific way to enjoy Columbia's trails in the winter. As with all outdoor activities, cross country skiing can take your mind off the stresses of the daily grind and allow you to spend some quality time with family and friends or just enjoy a solo, quiet time on the trail. It's also a great low-impact aerobic activity, enabling you to burn up hundreds of calories per hour without straining joints such as ankles and knees.

The one concern of using the trails for cross country skiing is the gravel or aggregate surface of the trail. Most of Columbia's trails are gravel and if the snow isn't deep enough, the rocks could scratch and gouge your skis. So, be sure to inspect the trail prior to heading out. Usually, any snowfall of 4-inches or more will allow you to ski without many problems.

If you don't want to use the trails, all of Columbia's parks are open for cross country skiing with the exception of the two golf courses. Unlike the parks, the golf courses are closed during times of snow accumulation. The entry gates are locked and the parking lots are not cleared of snow.

The best parks for cross country skiing include Stephens Lake Park, Cosmo Park, Cosmo-Bethel Park, Albert-Oakland Park and of course many of the smaller neighborhood parks.

Rock Bridge State Park also has some designated cross country ski trails and information may be found in their latest "The Bridge" newsletter or by calling the RBSP office at 573-449-7402.