Pike National Forest: Can't see the trees for the weed

A July weed haul in Pike National Forest.

​A fire in Pike National Forest would bake the entire region. Fed and local law enforcement types located more than 14,000 marijuana plants in Pike National Forest near Deckers last week, and it's hardly the first time such a discovery has been made in that area. In July, the West Metro Drug Task Force found and eradicated what the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office described as "a sophisticated outdoor marijuana grow operation in the Pike National Forest on Sugarloaf Mountain." That haul netted approximately 5,100 plants, and judging by the photo above, they weren't the cannabis equivalents of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. To see a slideshow of images from the Sugarloaf planatation, click here.