Curious Clouds Over Golden
Photo by Scott Wilson
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Nov. 17th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - Golden Sports
- 9:30-10:30AM - Fit and Energize Exercise Class
- 10AM-4PM - Quick Start Quilting for Newbies
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance - Registration Required
- 12-12:30PM - Mondays with the Mayor
- 1-2:30PM - Microsoft Excel: Basics
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 4-7PM - Tutoring with Colorado School of Mines
- 4-5PM - Ribbon Cutting: South Golden Pet Hospital
- 5:30-7PM - Downtown Development Authority Meeting
- 5:30-7:30PM - The Fundamental Principles of Art
- 6-8PM - Summit Huts 101
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 6:30PM - Movement Monday Running Club
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden native plants that keep their leaves through winter — Rocky Mountain juniper
Figure 1. Rocky Mountain Juniper – Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. Left: on the Chimney Gulch Trail. Middle: On the rim of North Table Mountain. Right Top: Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti Woodhouse) in Apex Park. Right Bottom: Berries (cones) of Rocky Mountain juniper in White Ash Mine Park.
By Tom Schweich
One common evergreen in our Foothills landscape is the Rocky Mountain juniper — Juniperus scopulorum Sargent — on dry slopes, often with sagebrush, pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, or oak communities from 4,000 ft. elevation to 10,000 ft. In Golden, Rocky Mountain juniper is found in all the hilly areas around Golden from Tin Cup Ridge on the south to North Golden Hogback Open Space in the north. The highly visible “Lollipop Tree” on the west rim of North Table Mountain is a Rocky Mountain juniper.
The Rocky Mountain juniper is found as far east as South Dakota and Nebraska, where it is known to hybridize with its eastern relative J. virginiana in the Missouri River basin. To the west, Rocky Mountain juniper is known to occur in Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, though not California.
Our tree was originally treated as J. virginiana L. or the “Red Cedar,” by Linnaeus (1753) who wrote that it lived in Virginia and Carolina. Charles S. Sargent (1897) recognized Rocky Mountain juniper as a separate species: J. scopulorum. The primary differences between the two species are fruit that matures in 2 years rather than 1 year, a more bluish color, and slightly larger cones. The specific epithet “scopulorum” means “of the rocky cliffs” or “on the rocks.”
The oldest known collection of Rocky Mountain juniper was made by Lewis & Clark (Again!) who wrote, “… found 2nd October 1804. A species of Cedar found on the Blufs (sic), the trees of which are large some of them 6 feet in the girth.” Their location was on the Missouri River, above the mouth of the Cheyenne River, in Dewey or Sully County, South Dakota. While cedars, i.e., trees in the genus Cedrus, are a very different conifer tree, junipers were commonly called cedars in the 19th century and still are in many areas of the country.
Both "cones" and "berries" are used to describe the fruit of Rocky Mountain juniper. While they are often called "juniper berries," they are not true berries. Instead, they are cones like pine cones. However, pine cones have stiff and prickly scales, whereas the juniper cone scales are soft and fleshy, merging together to give the appearance of being a berry.
Rocky Mountain junipers are often singled out for removal as part of a wildfire risk mitigation program. Junipers are widely considered one of the most fire-prone species due to the presence of highly volatile oils, dense growth habits that trap dead material, and overall fuel characteristics. They are sometimes referred to as "gasoline bushes" by firefighters and are generally recommended to be removed from defensible space zones around structures.
On the other hand, Rocky Mountain junipers provide significant benefits for wildlife. Juniper is particularly valuable for its year-round, multi-purpose support: providing food via "berries," excellent year-round cover and nesting sites for a wide range of birds and mammals, and especially thermal and fawning cover for large herbivores like deer and elk.
Balancing the wildfire risk with wildlife benefits, most ecologists recommend targeted reduction and spacing, such as removing or thinning junipers within 30–100 feet of structures while retaining those farther away, creating mosaics of shrubs and trees, using natural breaks (rock outcrops, grass openings) to separate dense patches, and encouraging mixed stands of native trees and shrubs to reduce overall flammability.
When writing about a native plant found in Golden, I often find myself chasing a minor fact down the rabbit hole. This article is no exception.
The first scientific record of Rocky Mountain juniper in Colorado is Lt. James W. Abert’s (1846) collection that is in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. Lt. Abert was a member of the U. S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. He was attached to the Army of the West, under Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, during the U.S. invasion of New Mexico at the outset of the Mexican–American War. In addition to mapping and reconnaissance, his responsibilities would have included natural history observations. Hence Lt. Abert’s collection of Rocky Mountain juniper near Bent’s Fort in 1846. However, the surname “Abert” was familiar to me because Abert’s squirrel (Sciurus aberti) is often seen in Apex Park and other nearby Jefferson County Open Space parks. An hour (or so) of digging though the literature showed that the squirrel was named for Lt. Abert’s father, Col. John J. Abert, who was the Chief of the Corps of Topographical Engineers (Audubon, et al.,1854).
References
Abert, James W. 1846. Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. Specimen collected August 2, 1846, near Bent’s Fort, Arkansas River, Colorado. New York Botanical Garden, Steere Herbarium (NY 18171). SEINet portal: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=2802882
Audubon, John James, John Bachman, and John W. Audubon. 1854. The viviparous quadrupeds of North America. New York, V.G. Audubon, 1851-54. Vol. 3. p. 262. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/228515#page/274/
Linnaeus [Carl von Linne´]. 1753. Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. [Species of plants: exhibiting plants properly known, related to genera, with specific differences, trivial names, selected synonyms, native places, sorted according to the sexual system] Vol. 2, p. 1039, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358861#page/481/
Sargent, Charles Sprague. 1897. Notes of Cultivated Conifers. -- IV. Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry. 10(505):420. New York: The Garden and Forest Publishing CO., October 27, 1897. Right-hand column about half-way down; see also the photograph on page 423. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34643249#page/436/
1-2:30PM Microsoft Excel: Basics @ Golden Library
Create a simple spreadsheet by entering, editing and formatting data. Create and edit basic mathematical functions and formulas, use absolute and relative cell references and name sheets and ranges of cells.
Prerequisites: Intermediate computer skills, including using a mouse, keyboard and Microsoft Word. Register
Location:
Golden Library
1019 10th Street (Map)
2-3PM Virtual: Active Minds Monday
As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, this program will review the history and origins of the holiday and its associated traditions. Have some fun as we dress the turkey and open the cranberry sauce. We will also examine the way in which the celebration of the holiday has changed and continues to change.
Save your spot for this Zoom program.
4-5PM Ribbon Cutting: South Golden Pet Hospital @ South Golden Pet Hospital
Please join South Golden Pet Hospital for their Grand Opening celebrations. There will be food, drinks, swag and tours of the facility.
Ribbon cutting at 4:15 p.m. - SHARP!
Register
Location:
South Golden Pet Hospital
17107 S. Golden Road (Map)
5:30-7PM Downtown Development Authority Meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers
- Meeting Agenda
- Watch the meeting streaming live starting at 5:30PM
- Attend the meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers - 911 10th Street - (map)
- Send comments on any of the following topics to dda@cityofgolden.net
- Provide in-person comment during the meeting, at 5:30PM.
Tonight's Topics:
Sponsorship Proposal for Comedy Festival
Miners Alley Performing Arts Center (map) is proposing a comedy festival for this coming February. They anticipate that this will bring custom to other downtown businesses during a historically slow time of the year. They are requesting an initial sponsorship of $45,000 from the DDA. (pp. 3 and 11-17 of the meeting packet)
Marrygrams Grant Request
Marrygrams (map) is remodeling their store. The project will cost approximately $100,000 and they are requesting a $15,000 grant. (pp. 4 and 18-35 of the meeting packet)
Bivy Beer Bar Grant Request
Bivy Beer Bar (map) is a new business which is planning to open this week. Their property improvement will cost $8643 and they are requesting a $4321.50 grant. (pp. 4 and 36-49 of the meeting packet)
Special Events Support
The City's special events staff is asking the DDA to fund shuttles from remote parking lots for several major events (Goldens in Goldens, Fine Arts Festival, 4th of July, Buffalo Bill Days, Candlelight Walk, Holiday Parade, Jingle on the Avenue), plus a visit by reindeer in December of 2026. The total request is $32,464. (p. 4 of the meeting packet)
Budget
They will hold a public hearing on their 2026 budget. (pp. 50-52 of the packet)
Location:
City Hall Council Chambers
911 10th Street (Map)
Golden History: Burro-ing in Golden
Castle Rock was one of Golden’s earliest tourist attractions. In 1906, the owner of the Avenue Hotel set up a refreshment stand on Castle Rock. He found it to be a hard place to run to business–subject to both high winds and vandalism. He applied for a license to serve liquor on Castle Rock, and was refused, so he gave up on the venture.
Charles Quaintance took up the cause in 1908, and he raised the fun quotient by providing a string a burros, so customers could ride up the mountain. These burro rides preceded the building of the Castle Rock Mountain Railway.
Quaintance was a photographer, so he took pictures of the groups before they headed up the mountain. Before they returned, he developed the photos and offered them for sale. As a result, such photos come up fairly often in old photo sales. Since each touring group was unique, so are the photos!
Weather
Overnight: Partly cloudy. Low around 43, with temperatures rising to around 45 overnight. West wind around 23 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High near 57, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon. West wind 13 to 32 mph, with gusts as high as 53 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind 5 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 38°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 58°F
Tuesday Night: Partly Cloudy, 38°F
Wednesday: Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, 58°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Chance Light Rain, 37°F
Thursday: Chance Light Rain, 48°F
Thursday Night: Chance Rain And Snow, 35°F
Friday: Chance Rain And Snow, 46°F
Friday Night: Partly Cloudy, 32°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny, 53°F
Saturday Night: Partly Cloudy, 33°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny, 54°F
News About Golden - November 17, 2025
CHAMPIONS! Short-Handed Orediggers Claim 11th RMAC Tournament Title Over CMU
By Patrick Murphy
Mines Athletics
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – A performance for the ages from the #7 Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team Saturday night saw them capture the program's 11th Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship title over top-seeded #22 Colorado Mesa. Having to play with 10 players for the final 77 minutes of the night following a 13th minute red card, it was a Callie Fuhr penalty kick in the second half along with a legendary performance by Allie Lundgren and the defense that saw the Orediggers (14-2-4) triumph over the Mavericks (14-3-2) by a final score of 1-0... Read more...
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason, Colorado Railroad Museum, Goosetown Station, and Earth Sweet Boutique
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Robert Thresher, Tonie Mattox, Centennial State Wealth Advisors, and Steve & M.L. Richardson
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/yr)
Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser & KC Gilliland, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura and Curtis Moore, Ruth Hund, Shelley & Jerry Devitt, Eileen Masterson, Kate Olivier, Amy Korengut, Pam Logan, Clare Shier, and Wendy Weiman
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, Emily Kurzinski, Nanette Johnson, Peyton Gibson, Sally Berger, Kristen Morgan, Joyce Sutton, Mary Rains, Craig Champlin, Stan Swisher
