Farish Recreation Area
From USAFA Folklore
The Farish Recreation Area (or simply Farish), is a 655-acre recreation area located in the high country on the Rampart Range, about five miles due west of the Academy. It is considered military land and part of the USAFA reservation. Farish offers camping, fishing, and various other outdoor recreation opportunities. Over the years it has been a recreation site for cadets, Academy staff, and their families, more popular in some years than in others. Farish is accessible via Rampart Range Road from Woodland Park, or via the Schubarth Trail from Stanley Canyon.
Farish has been, and continues to be, one of the best kept secrets at USAFA. Partly due to its relative inaccessibility (about 40 minutes away from the Cadet Area by car, up Rampart Range Road behind Woodland Park), partly due to its "speakeasy" low profile, and mostly due to its lack of nightlife, many cadets never make it up to Farish unless they're either dedicated fishermen or very serious Stanley Canyon hikers. Those of us who love Farish would kinda' like to keep it that way, sort of like downplaying your favorite "hole in the wall" restaurant where you can always get a seat because few have discovered its incredible fare. But the "Kingdom of Farish", the #1 Outdoor Recreation Facility in the USAF in 1995, is no hole in the wall.
An "alpine paradise of mountains and meadows", the first 160 acres of Farish Memorial Recreation Area (including Grace Lake, original wood cottage, and lodge) were donated to the Academy by the Air Force Academy Foundation, Inc., and by Mr. and Mrs. William Farish in memory of their son, Lt. William S. Farish, who was killed while serving as a member of the Army Air Corps. The additional 495 acres which comprise the Farish backcountry were acquired in 1967, including land that was used used for mining and farming, brought the total size of Farish to its current 655 acres. The farming history of Farish in some ways has kept it more "natural" than other areas of Pike National Forest. Before current fire protection measures were instituted, wildfires would naturally create alpine meadows in the high country. In Farish's case, farming activity served the same purpose, leading to the scenic, open backcountry meadows with plentiful aspen groves, providing many lush vistas looking out towards Pikes Peak in the distance.
But you don't have to be a tree hugger or wildlife photographer to enjoy Farish (although its a great place for both). By far the most popular activity year-round at Farish is fishing, with three man-made lakes fully stocked with various species of trout, and a regular rotation of ducks for the kids to feed. Camping is also popular, with primitive sites, camper cabins, RV sites, the historic cottage and lodge, and six modern "ski lodge" units all available to rent. A historic barn was converted into an activity center (great for squadron outings), and in the 90's a large conference center was added, offering staggering views of Pikes Peak and the backcountry with nearly all of the modern amenities. Trails for hiking and mountain biking abound, and there is even an orienteering course on the property. Memorial Day to Labor Day are definitely Farish's busiest season, but there are activities ongoing year-round. In the fall, Farish usually hosts the annual USAF Global Volkssport, with 10 and 20 mile hikes through the property. In the winter, ice fishing, snowball battles, and the occasional hockey game on Grace Lake are the highlights, and (if it hasn't been outlawed yet) the gulleys behind the restored barn offer some of the fastest tubing runs in Colorado. Hunting is not allowed on Farish, which may be part of the reason the backcountry is often favored by the deer and elk. This is evidenced by the uncountable rub markings on the Aspen, making them look almost like birch trees from much farther north.
Perhaps one of the greatest things about Farish is how quickly one can travel only a relatively short distance from either USAFA or Colorado Springs and suddenly feel a world away, kind of like the old joke about getting "deconflcited from 99% of the worlds idiots" just by climbing 2000 feet. On many days when C-Springs is socked in with the grayest of clouds, the sky is blue and the sun is shining up at Farish's 9000 foot elevation. Good luck finding a phone or cellphone coverage at Farish. You'll actually hear packs of coyotes and see great horned owls on some nights. If you can find a better escape from the craziness of town and the Mothership in less than 40 minutes and at a similar price, please let me know. (Sorry, eating the wild mushrooms or stopping in Manitou Springs don't count.)
[edit] Anecdotes
Farish kicks ass. One day in the summer of '03, my roommate and I, who had been planning for the longest time to go on a mountain biking trip together, decided to get up early and bike to Farish. However, we needed to hump the bikes 2 miles uphill through Stanley Canyon before we got to the higher elevations where we could ride over gently rolling hills. So by the time we finished the total 6 miles we were beat, and having brought very little food or water with us, we were worried that we'd have a really crappy time coming back. We arrived at Farish tired and hungry, and my roommate, who had been a CST instructor the previous summer go, identified some edible plant on the roadside, which we tried to eat, to the amusement of passersby. About a hundred yards farther up, we got to the Farish office, which to us offered manna from heaven in the form of various snacks and drinks for sale. We had no cash and the credit machine was down, so we bargained with the shopkeeper until he agreed to make photocopies of our IDs and we promised to mail a check the next day (we did, plus a little extra). After eating our fill of Fritos, Snickers bars and Gatorade, we chilled out by the lakes for an hour before riding back. A great summer day. Now every time I return to the Springs I make sure to swing by Farish or at least through the general area, as one must cut through the southern portion if wishing to go off-roading in the vicinity of the Schubarth Trail. --Heinous 19:50, 8 February 2008 (CST)
