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Out of the Ashes
Sheepnose - West Creek, Colorado June 10, 2002
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| The spring/summer of 2002 was the worst fire season in Colorado history. The largest was the Hayman Fire that consumed 137,000-forested acres, 130 homes, and 455 outbuildings in the foothills between Denver and Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, Pikes Peak Resort was in the path of this devastating blaze and our resort burned only 2 weeks after opening in May 2002. Of our 3 cabins, we lost the Elk Ridge and Eagle Crest and nearly lost the Wilderness cabin, which was our personal residence at the time. Over half the ranch had been logged and thinned and the fire in these areas was limited to burning the grasses and under brush. However a third of the ranch suffered a crown fire that burned everything in its path. |
Pikes Peak Resort – June 17, 2002 |
Owners – Gary, Sandee, & Brent Bieske
Volunteer Fire Fighters - June 2002 |
Helicopter Tanker – June 17, 2002 |
Elk Ridge Cabin – June 2002 |
In the aftermath we battled with the decision to rebuild the cabins and reopen the resort. Insurance incentives pushed us toward rebuilding; however in our hearts we thought it would be difficult to convince guests to visit a burn area. After a very emotional family meeting, the decision was made to rebuild and continue the dream that started years ago. We rebuilt the Elk Ridge and Eagle Crest cabins in the winter of 2002/2003 and moved from the Wilderness cabin to an adjacent property (now the West Creek Lodge) we purchased after the fire. We reopened May 2003, and to our dismay, we had an occupancy rate of 97% for the entire summer and fall. While we were dealing with what we lost, our guests have helped us with what we have. |
Wilderness Cabin – July 2002 |
Friends & community volunteers helping after fire July 2002
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| Over 10,000 man-hours have been spent on reclamation work consisting of seeding, erosion control, planting seedling trees, and removal of burnt trees. With the exception of flash floods, the moisture from the last several summers has rewarded us with the miracles of Mother Nature. Grasses and Aspen sprouts have replaced the Conifer forest and the increase in ground vegetation has coincided with an increase in wildlife. Come visit the rebirth of a forest and discover the luxury and wilderness seclusion of Pikes Peak Resort, near Woodland Park, CO. |
Flash flood – Pikes Peak Resort August 2004 |
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