‘This is what we deal with’: Recent polar temps had Roaring Fork Valley ranchers on guard

Westley Crouch/The Aspen Times
Last week’s polar temperatures caused by a deep freeze led to losses of livestock for one Roaring Fork Valley rancher. Others had to ensure their cattle were staying warm. Water sources like streams also fully iced over, forcing ranchers to consistently break ’em up.
The bitter temperatures — some days last week reaching single-digit highs; Tuesday, Jan. 21, reached a low of negative 17 degrees — posed serious challenges for local ranchers, whose daily operations depend on keeping livestock safe and fed through the harsh winter conditions.
“It’s wintertime in the Rockies for us as cattlemen,” Chance Jenkins, president of the Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association, said. “This is what we deal with.”
Nick Costello, owner of Aspen Meishan, a Basalt farm raising critically-endangered Meishan pigs, faced devastating losses when birthing coincided with the coldest days.
“We had three litters of pigs born on the coldest day last week, where the windchills were in the negative. Despite the pigs having heated pens, we lost a total of 13. That was close to half of the total babies,” Costello said. “With it being that cold, the mama pigs roll over on each other and the babies, just trying to stay warm. Even though these are the most docile pigs, it happens in these colder temperatures.”
One piglet, however, made it home with him and is now named Bella. But even that small silver lining doesn’t erase the financial and emotional toll of the losses.
“We typically do not breed during this time of year, but we are making modifications to the pen, and the pigs were intermingling. We would never have babies during this time of year if we can help it,” Costello said. “The pigs get their water from Sopris Creek, and it is constant work to break up the ice. We fed the pigs dry food, which helped with the cold conditions, and we had help from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, which we cannot thank them enough.”
Ginny Harrington, with the Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association, said the cold complicated the delicate balance of winter ranching.
“This time of year, folks are getting ready to calve. They really have to pay attention to the nutritional needs of the cows. Water is a really important thing, and depending on where those water sources are, again, they really have to pay attention,” Harrington said. “With this crusty snow, it poses challenges for where the tractors can go. We have to make sure everyone has enough feed, so the cattle can stay warm.”
The extreme cold pushed cattle to seek shelter among trees at night, creating additional competition for space with deer and elk, which already share the landscape.
Jenkins emphasized the critical role food plays in keeping cattle warm.
“Cows generate heat from the digestion of their food. It’s what keeps them warm. You’ll see cows with frost on their hair, and that snow that is unmelted on their coats is actually a good sign. It’s showing that their bodies are holding the heat internally,” he said. “We are not calving yet, thank goodness. If we were, we’d have to get the calves inside. Calves will freeze the tips of their ears off in these colder conditions, which doesn’t affect them long-term, but it is not good for them.”
The frigid spell also increased feed demand, raising costs for ranchers. On top of that, deer and elk, always opportunists, took advantage of easily accessible food.
“We are constantly having to deal with elk and deer competition. All of our ranch land doubles as a habitat. It’s not uncommon to see elk and deer grazing with our cattle,” Jenkins said. “That’s just part of it. I really enjoy the wildlife. I do not mind it, but there are times when it can get troublesome, but the Colorado Parks and Wildlife is always really good with helping us out.”
Among the daily winter chores, breaking ice in water tanks is a constant battle. Jenkins laughed that while it can get tiresome, his children are getting quite skilled at it.
Ryan Lahti, another rancher in the valley, echoed Jenkins’ sentiment, pointing out that frozen water sources require near-constant attention.
“The cold temperatures do not make us want to go outside and do any extra work, that’s for sure. A lot of the creeks and streams freeze up and create ice dams that we have to constantly break up,” Lahti said. “We have not begun calving season yet, luckily, but cattle are designed to be outside. They need a little bit of extra feed to stay warm, but we make that happen.”
According to the Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association, there are approximately 55 ranches in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Dennis Phillips, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said the recent cold snap wasn’t record-breaking but felt extreme compared to the season’s otherwise mild conditions.
“The temperatures were pretty normal. No records were broken, but it was cold. Even nominally cold, but nothing unusual compared to other winters,” Phillips said. “This year has been unseasonably warm. We had that cold snap, but we are looking at those more moderate temperatures for the near future.”
Looking ahead, the cold may give way to an unexpected warm spell.
“As we head into next week, we may see 50 degrees in Aspen, which is what nobody really wants to see this time of year,” he said. “Most of the temperatures will be in the 40s, but that will come with moisture, so there is a sliver of good news.”
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