2012-Trail Construction on the Continental Divide Trail at Wolf Creek Pass

Start Date-End Date: 08/18/2012-08/25/2012 Land Manager Office: Land Manager Contact: Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Join us on this week-long challenging backcountry adventure to help maintain one of North America's treasures! Description: STEWARDSHIP SITE The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, or the Continental Divide Trail for short, runs 3,100 miles between Canada and Mexico. It follows the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains and crosses five states: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. This stewardship project takes place at Wolf Creek Pass in the Divide Ranger District in Rio Grande National Forest. VOLUNTEER PROJECT - WHAT & WHY Join VOC to make a number of trail improvements on the Wolf Creek Pass section of the Continental Divide Trial. Volunteers will help maintain and restore sections of the trail by reconstruction and installing drainage features, widening the trail, closing user-created trails that cause erosion, and removing loose rock. The worksite will be 1-2 miles away from base camp, located at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. Join us on this week-long challenging backcountry adventure to help maintain one of Colorado's treasures! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK. HOWEVER, WE ASK THAT YOU SIGN UP FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. PARTNERS U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Divide District OTHER FUN STUFF Meals: Saturday breakfast through Saturday lunch Camping: available Friday night through Friday night Latitude/Longitude: 37.623128, -106.393478 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 12 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 62 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 3 Total Volunteer Days: 64 Total Unique Volunteers: 19 Total Volunteer Hours: 496 Staff Hours: 130 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: 19 volunteers worked through adverse weather conditions at 11,000 ft and above to address several erosion-related issues on the Trail Construction on the Continental Divide Trail project at Wolf Creek Pass from August 18-25. The first three days were spent cleaning, reshaping, and fortifying existing structures on a section just north of Lobo overlook. Volunteers closed and revegetated several abandoned sections of the trail, maintained 6 drain dips, constructed 4 water bars and installed 15 check dams. Volunteers spent the rest of the week building rock structures to help retain loose soil on the steep mountain slopes. A big thank you to our Crew Chef Mary Ryan for cooking incredible meals through the wind and rain!