The October 1 event at the Everson Ranch was well attended. The weather was great; blue skies, warm temperatures, and golden sunshine. The food was delicious. Many thanks to RustingRam caterers for taking the raw material of our ranch produce and creating a feast. Two musical groups - Sweet Radish getting things warmed up and Sandra Wong and friends keeping things humming - provided the music. Ranch Tours of the animals, community garden, historic buildings and a trip to the Everson Reservoir were well attended. Thanks also to J & J Rentals from Alamosa, Jonathan and Jody, for bringing the tents and setting them up. OLT volunteers and staff helped people get parked, served the wine and beer donated by Crestone Brewery, Elevation Brewery, Vino Salida, and Mountain Spirits Winery, and welcomed folks.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful and skilled volunteers who supported the Land Trust this summer! We had over 50 individuals who helped as Camp Hosts, Discovery Hosts, Bat and Astronomy Tour Guides, Geology, Hydro and Ranch Tours. Many others helped put in the community garden, were teachers and support staff for Kids Science Camp, maintained trails, stained cabins, chopped firewood, laid fence and pulled weeds. As the leaves turn and our volunteer family departs, we are left with wonderful memories of a great summer. Thank you again and hope to see you next year! The new volunteer schedule starts in March 2017.

Dog issues have been our greatest challenge this summer. We've had half a dozen dog bites and many complaints of dogs off leash, at the pools and in the campground. There is about a 50/50 break in the folks who love to bring their dogs and those who wish dogs were not allowed at the hot springs. The position we have taken is to ask our dog owners to be responsible for their pets and to respect the rights of those who do not like dogs or are afraid of dogs. The challenge continues!

This past week, a guest who is afraid of dogs had a negative experience here. She left her campsite located in the upper part of the RV loop. It was almost 10:00 pm and she was heading towards the bathhouse and then the pools. Walking down the road to the bathhouse she encountered two dogs latched inside a van. They were aggressively lunging and barking loudly at her approach; the owner was not present. Taking the path of least resistance, she walked back up the hill and around the RV loop. When she got to the bottom of the hill, there was a loose dog blocking her path! Retreating back up the hill, another loose dog runs to the road to greet her. Our guest finally makes it back to her camp site and there is a third loose dog who comes right up to her and has pinned her against the truck. She climbs in her vehicle and stays there the entire night afraid to venture out to the pools or bathrooms. In a matter of 30 minutes there were 4 dog violations, untended barking dogs, dogs off leash, and a loose dog untended. The result was an unnerving interaction for someone who fears dogs. Our guest left early the next morning still shaken.

We would like to continue to support our dog loving guests. The open space all around us is a great area to explore with your dog. Personal responsibility for your pet and respect for other guests, and our guidelines, is necessary for everyone's benefit. If you don't think you can follow these guidelines, please leave your pet at home. Every guest who visits has the right to have access to all the pools, roads and pathways, bath houses and accommodations without fear, including intimidating canine behavior. Please consider if your dog is a good fit for Valley View and if you are willing to take on that level of responsibility. Valley View is important to many different kinds of people who come for different reasons. Considering others, respecting all, please help us to provide an environment where the dogs are responsibly tended and all guests feel safe.