He loves the canyon at dawn
Rest of day not so bad either, new Red Rock park ranger is finding

       Going to work at dawn is tough on most people. As the new park ranger at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Scott Abbott doesn't mind so much
       “The colors are just spectacular at dawn,” he said, describing a spectrum of shades and hues in the early-morning skyline over the uniquely shaped rocks.
       Abbott, a five-year Colorado Springs Parks employee, was moved to the newly created ranger position starting Oct. 29, when the city opened the 788.1-acre Red Rock Canyon to the public.
       He doesn't mind other aspects of his job either. “I've seen lots of deer and birds,” he said. “The species here are incredible.”
       Although he admits he has a lot still to learn about the property, Abbott is no stranger to Red Rock Canyon. Through City Parks and the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), he led a work crew in creating some of the new trail in the park last August.
       Roughly 3 miles of trail are open in all, with a total of 17 still to be put in. Also, in some parts of the acreage, debris and unsafe items, such as barbed wire from the 80-some years when Red Rock was privately owned, need to be removed. As a result, a large portion of the open space is not yet open to the public. City Parks signs generally limit users to the lower portions of the Red Rock Canyon, Greenlee Canyon and Sand Canyon areas of the park.
       Because there is no visitor's center at Red Rock, anyone wishing to contact Abbott will either have to see him out there or leave a message for him at City Parks (385-5940).
       Despite the limitations, the open space has been very popular so far, according to Abbott. He said the parking lot, which can hold about 30 vehicles, was full to overflowing at times during the first weekend, Oct. 30-31.
       Abbott is originally from North Carolina, where he received a bachelor's degree in recreation management from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Then, in 1996, he said he felt a “call” to come to Colorado. He lived in different parts of the state before settling in Colorado Springs. At Colorado Springs Parks, he has previously worked in the horticultural division and, more recently, park maintenance in the north area of the city.
       Abbott's job at Red Rock will be a combination of working to keep the open space safe, serving as an information resource to users and organizing future efforts to improve the property in keeping with the city's master plan.
       There's another part of his job, too: “I'm here to help people have a good time,” Abbott said with a grin.
       That shouldn't be too hard for a ranger who's having such a good time himself.

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