The first day of spring came with lots of smiles for everyone enjoying the sunshine at Cherry Creek State Park on Friday.I think about new life and things starting over again, said Maurice Archuleta, who spent the morning kayaki ng. Its one of my favorite seasons.Aurora resident IzaBelle Sweet said she found the trails too good to pass up on such a beautiful day.I went to the gym to this morning, and I was like, I have to get outside and get on my bike today, she said.The ride was worth it but it did come with a bit of a wait.The lines [into the park] were so long. The east entrance, I normally don't do that entrance, and [the line of cars] was, like, almost out to the road, Sweet said.Its just a taste of whats to come on Saturday with temperatures expected to break records across the Front Range for yet another day.It doesn't feel like March, for sure. It feels like a May day, said Cherry Creek State Park Manager Michelle Seubert.It may feel like May, but Seubert said state park staffing levels are still in winter mode.We don't have a lot of our seasonal staff on. They usually don't come on until April, May, she said. That's why we need people to be patient when they're coming out.Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has a solution to manage the summer-like crowds this spring.We do have volunteers. We have quite a few volunteers that can help out. We just shift, you know, our times with the full-time staff that we have, said Seubert.Seubert said it's also a good time for boaters and water enthusiasts to go over the states boating regulations and safety guidelines. Any water below 68 degrees is dangerous, per CPW. Water temperatures at Cherry Creek State Park are currently in the 40s, according to Seubert.She said life jackets can save lives in cold water temperatures.According to CPW, there has already been one water-related fatality in Colorado in 2026.Hypothermia can set in quite fast, and so when hypothermia sets in, then you're not able to move your fingers and your arms, and then you become a lot slower, she said. To be able to manipulate to get that life jacket off, your paddle board, get it unstrapped, get it on, and then buckle it, can take some time.CPW officers issue $100 fines to boaters and paddlers that are not wearing life jackets.This is a good time of year just to go through all of your stuff on your boat," Seubert said. "Go through your checklist, go through the boating regulations. And then if you see a park staff member, ask us. We really want to help everyone be safe on the water. For longtime kayakers like Archuleta, those safety measures have become second nature.I'm out there by myself in this [kayak], so I have a life jacket, and then I, of course, I have this paddle. So if my motor stops working, you know, I can, I can paddle my way [back], he said.After a fulfilling morning at Cherry Creek State Park, Archuleta said he's ready to enjoy another day of summer-like weather in Colorado but this time, hes planning on skipping the wait time.We'll just take our bikes [to Chatfield State Park], he said. We live biking distance from there, so we can just bike over.Temperatures are expected to hit 90 degrees on Saturday. ...read more read less