2012-Uncompahgre Peak Trail Restoration - 2012

Start Date-End Date: 07/26/2012-07/29/2012 Land Manager Office: Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Land Manager Contact: Coby Gierke Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Join VOC for an incredible opportunity to complete meaningful conservation work and camp in a remote, beautiful area. Description: STEWARDSHIP SITE The 6th highest peak in Colorado, Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft) has a broad summit plateau surrounded by scenic alpine basins below. This Colorado "14er" is located near Lake City, southwest of Gunnison. VOLUNTEER PROJECT - WHAT & WHY Join VOC for an incredible opportunity to complete meaningful conservation work and camp in a remote, beautiful area. While Uncompahgre Peak's lower slopes are composed of relatively rich, organic soil and a robust vegetation community, those very organic soils are also incredibly erosive. The main trail leading up the peak (from Nellie Creek Trailhead) has degraded from several years of heavy use and weathering, and people are starting to hike off-trail to avoid the uncomfortably eroded trail. This has led to negative off-trail impacts and vegetation damage to the area's pristine landscape. Volunteer work will focus on ecological restoration by harvesting and transplanting native vegetation and constructing rock and log check steps to curb soil erosion. The majority of the project work will occur at high elevation and will require a significant hike of 2-3 miles daily to the worksite. PARTNERS Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) National Forest Foundation OTHER FUN STUFF Meals: Thursday evening dinner through Sunday lunch Camping: Thursday night through Sunday afternoon. Thursday will be an arrival day to help set up camp. Latitude/Longitude: 37.98680114746094, -107.302001953125 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 20 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 15 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 8 Total Unique Volunteers: 15 Total Volunteer Hours: 661 Staff Hours: 145 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Yes, by CFI on trail building, sustainable trails, and minimizing impacts to alpine vegetation. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Lots of cancellation in the last 2 weeks coming up to project day. People on the waitlist made other plans already. Hard to recruit last minute for a project with multiple weekday volunteer commitment. Description of Accidents/Incidents: None...Just lots of heavy rain each evening. Description of Work Completed: We had 12 volunteers. Volunteers installed 49 log check steps and 20 rock steps to improve over 1,700 ft of eroded trails that have become entrenched. They hauled many tons of rocks to crush to raise the tread of the trail. Additionally they restored 4,800 sq ft (0.11 acres) of impacted alpine vegetation along the trail. Donated food items that supported volunteers on this trip came from New Belgium, Kaladi Coffee, Royal Crest Dairy, Grant Family Farms, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. This was a great partnership with Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. We meet all the goals set out by CFI even with the smaller turn out of volunteers. Prior planning needed to transport food, equipment, material, and volunteers 4 miles to trailhead with high clearance 4wd. It all worked great with the extensive planning and collaboration between CFI and VOC. Also see completed project evaluation form in the project folder.