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Local News Briefs

A hiker who was reportedly lost and injured was brought to safety Wednesday after a rescue team located the person in the Smuggler Mountain area.

The hiker was located at approximately 5:30 p.m. in a drainage below the Balcony Trail, at an elevation of 9,000 feet. The hiker, who had an injured shoulder and suffered from dehydration, was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital.

The U.S. Forest Service will be temporarily restricting vehicular access to Dinkle Lake and the Dinkle Lake Day Use Area to allow some ranch owners to fix a dam.



The Dinkle Lake Dam was constructed in 1943 to store water used by ranchers to irrigate hay pastures. As an extra benefit, the lake provides recreation opportunities in the White River National Forest.

A dam inspection by the state of Colorado in 2009 determined that the structure has numerous problems that need to be fixed if it stays in operation. The ranchers that depend on the dam will undertake the project at their own expense, the forest supervisor’s office said.



During construction, Forest Road 311 will be closed to vehicles just beyond the parking lot and trail head for the Thomas Lake Trail, also the route to Mount Sopris and Hay Park. Access to the trail head remains open.

Construction is scheduled to start Monday, Aug. 30, and continue for two months.

Four Colorado environmental groups Thursday urged support for U.S. Rep. Jared Polis’ proposal to protect 170,000 acres of public lands in Eagle and Summit counties.

“Congressman Polis has worked hard to gather citizen input and craft a wilderness proposal,” said Steve Smith, assistant director of The Wilderness Society in Colorado. “He deserves credit for his willingness to take the desires of his constituents into account and create a proposal that is ready to be moved through Congress.”

The Wilderness Society, Golden-based Colorado Mountain Club, Carbondale-based Wilderness Workshop and the Colorado Environmental Coalition, based in Denver, backed the proposal.

Polis has released draft legislation, the Eagle and Summit County Wilderness Preservation Act, which would result in additions to the Eagles Nest, Ptarmigan and Holy Cross Wilderness Areas in Eagle and Summit counties.

The proposal would add protections for Castle Peak north of Eagle, Red Table between Gypsum and the Fryingpan River and Spraddle Creek outside Vail.


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