Outdoor rewards: taking care of Colorado’s trails

Think back to your last hike. Was the trail above timberline, beside a braided channel trickling across the Eastern plains, or flanked by cottonwoods and towering red rock?

Think again about that trail you choose. Did the switchbacks help you gain elevation easily? Could you cross creeks and streams without wading through shin-deep muck? Did the routes head downhill gently, or were there pitches where it felt you were about to launch off an Olympic ski jump?

Think now of how few residents in our state help built trails or physically maintain those resources. If you’ve done this work, congratulate yourself. For those who haven’t, there’s a simple solution.

For 25 years, Denver-based Volunteer for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) has motivated tens of thousands of volunteers to help build or revive trails in wild areas, create paths in urban settings and rehabilitate wildlife habitat along rivers. They have an easy-to-use calendar to find projects in your area, or perhaps you’ll come across a project in a spot you’ve never visited.

Three options for heading out

VOC designs volunteer programs on three levels: Classic Projects, Stewardship Adventures and Stewardship Teams.

Classic Projects match motivated volunteers with land management agencies (both state and federal). The results have been thousands of trees and native shrubs planted, thousands of acres of weeds uprooted, and mile after mile of new or refurbished trails. Volunteer participation, depending on the project, can range from 75 up to 1,000 people (not all on the same day!). In addition to the volunteers, VOC supplies tech assistance, staff to lead the crews, meal prep, tools and logistic support.

Stewardship Adventures programs step things up by focusing on smaller-scale, local projects that provide a blend of volunteer service and outdoor recreation. Last year’s projects included canoeing on the Gunnison River and removing tamarisk, and construction of a campground in Yankee Boy Basin and four-wheeling.

Stewardship Teams are designed to connect youth groups, businesses and service organizations with VOC’s projects. The focus remains on conservation and protection of Colorado’s resources but also incorporates specific team goals. Teams can work for a half-day or create a longer-term commitment.

Here is a sampling of upcoming outdoor volunteer opportunities with the VOC. For the full list, see: http://www.voc.org/index.php?option=com_hwdcourses&Itemid=114

Stewardship Adventure at Mount Massive

Trail work, Leadville, CO, Aug. 20-23

Join VOC this summer and enjoy an amazing commute to work on the third highest peak in the contiguous United States. Mount Massive looms large over Leadville, and the thousands of visitors who hike its slopes every year have taken a heavy toll on this iconic mountain. VOC will be working with the Colorado 14ers Initiative above tree line at nearly 11,500 feet to restore this popular trail. As a designated national wilderness area, strict group size limits allow VOC to register only 12 volunteers on this special project. There is a $40 registration fee.

Stagecoach State Park

Trail construction, Oak Creek, CO, Sept. 26-27

Stagecoach State Park is an historic site as well as a camping and boating destination in the Steamboat Springs area. It is located in Routt County, west of the town of Steamboat Springs. The environment features a manmade lake, set in rolling sagebrush hills. The park staff is eager to add enhancements for educational and interpretive programs. VOC volunteers, together with local participants, will build a short section of new trail, improve about a mile of existing trail, create a fire ring and place wooden benches for evening campfire programs.

Lory Corral Center Mountain Bike Park

Bellvue, CO, ongoing dates and opportunities

Come be a part of Colorado State Parks’ only mountain bike park! The Corral Center Mountain Bike Park opened in October 2006 and has been a huge success. The park has a series of dirt jumps, a skills area, and a pump track. Volunteers are needed to help build and maintain dirt jumps, control noxious weeds and help with special events. Initial training will be provided.

Midland Hill Trail Restoration

Buena Vista, CO, Chaffee County, Oct 17-18

Enjoy brilliant fall scenery in one of Colorado’s most beautiful areas. Stretching two miles and providing beautiful vistas of the collegiate peaks, the Midland Hill Trail is the most popular trail amongst locals in the town of Buena Vista. Due to its proximity to town, the route has become a staple in many running and hiking regimens. The problem is that the Midland Trail sees as much water runoff as it does user traffic. Rain storms tend to come hard and fast, which has caused severe erosion. Volunteers will work on drainage issues towards the beginning of the trail in order to provide a safe and sustainable route.

Contact information: Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, 600 S. Marion Parkway, Denver, CO 80209. 303-715-1010 or 800-925-2220 (outside metro Denver).

Editor’s Note: If you know a not-for-profit group that’s working to make our public lands healthier and more accessible, send a brief email to editor@colorado.aaa.com.