Castle Mountain Trail Center opens for season; parks director reports races, building operations and rental plans

The Castle Mountain Trail Center on Casper Mountain is open and operating, Natrona County Parks Director Michael reported at the advisory board’s Feb. 13 meeting.

Michael said high school races were held the previous weekend and middle school races were also well attended; another middle school race was scheduled for the coming Saturday. He said the biathlon group has grooming agreements in place and started grooming the trails.

Michael told the board the lodge is open and that the fire alarm system installation is mostly complete, with contractor work scheduled to finish and the county awaiting a final maximum-occupancy determination from the fire marshal and fire chief. “At a minimum, I believe that’s gonna be 200,” Michael said, and added that the final occupancy number will be set by the fire marshal and fire chief.

The Trail Center’s lobby hours and facility staffing were described: the lobby is open from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the banquet hall will be staffed and available Wednesday through Sunday, with staff on site roughly 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Michael said the building uses manual-handle bathroom faucets and urged users to make sure faucets are turned off to avoid depleting the well or overloading the septic system; repeated running could force the department to restrict access.

On furnishings and equipment, Michael said banquet tables are on order and replacement chairs had been purchased earlier in the budget but funds were reallocated to kitchen sinks and counters. The department plugged in an old freezer and refrigerator from the previous lodge and will test temperatures before putting them into service. He said the kitchen is designed as a warming kitchen and currently has no range or microwave; adding commercial kitchen appliances would be a future budget request. IT is pursuing monitors for the banquet hall and hallway for presentations or displays.

Michael described the department’s rental policy work: weekday and weekend fees are drafted, with discounted rates for nonprofits and government entities, and staff are preparing a rental application and a short policy (currently two pages) that would be reviewed by legal and risk management. Possible users include Game and Fish, the Central Wyoming Trail Alliance and private events such as weddings.

At Pathfinder and Alcoa reservoirs, Michael reported routine maintenance and staffing changes; he said he did not have final turnout numbers from a recent Hog Derby ice-fishing event but that organizers had access and the event appeared to succeed.

The parks director also noted ongoing work on a Hell’s Half Acre project and that board members had offered to assist with construction drawings for a boardwalk project; he said the department is trying to phase material orders to avoid storing treated lumber for long periods.