Description
Start Date-End Date: 07/18/2013-07/21/2013
Land Manager Office: Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
Land Manager Contact: Coby Gierke
Funding Partner:
Programmatic Partner:
Summary: Immerse yourself in the world-famous Maroon Bells landscape as you help restore the North Maroon Peak Trail.
Description:
STEWARDSHIP SITE
Please note we need volunteers to sign up for ALL four days of the projects due to logistical issues.
Reputed to be the most-photographed spot in Colorado, the Maroon Bells, located just ten miles west of the world-renowned ski town of Aspen, have every right to be the most-photographed spot in Colorado. Aptly named for their unique maroon coloring and bell-like shape, these beloved mountains tower over the lush Maroon Creek Valley and the placid mirror of Maroon Lake, creating a vista so stunning it draws visitors from around the globe.
VOLUNTEER PROJECT - WHAT & WHY
Volunteers will be working on the North Maroon Peak Trail, which in some places is merely a series of social trails and in others has suffered severe erosion damage. Once improved, the trail will be both safer for its countless visitors and ecologically healthier. Volunteers will construct trail where only sporadic social trails now exist and build rock steps where necessary. Volunteers will also build retaining walls and other erosion control structures to prevent further degradation to the trail. Volunteers will also be replanting eroded areas to restore the damaged habitat.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If you are under the age of 18 but older than 14 and wish to participate in this project, you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the project. Thursday will be an arrival day to help set up camp. The hike to base camp is approximately 2.5 miles with 1,500 ft in elevation change. From there it is another 0.5 to 1.5 miles of significant hiking to reach the worksite. Volunteers will need to bring all their personal backcountry camping gear. Volunteers will also be expected to carry some portion of the food (provided by VOC) into base camp from the trailhead (kitchen equipment will be provided).
PARTNERS
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI)
SPONSORS
Which Wich Superior Sandwiches
OTHER FUN STUFF
Meals: meals will be provided beginning with Thursday evening dinner through Sunday lunch.
Camping: Free camping available.
Activities: For those unfamiliar with technical rockwork, there will be opportunities to learn these new skills. Volunteers will also learn about alpine ecology and botany as well as transplanting techniques while working to re-vegetate eroded areas.
Latitude/Longitude: 39.070823, -106.989212
Additional Information:
Camping Available: Yes
Physical Difficulty: Difficult
High Altitude Project: Yes
Desired Number of Volunteers: 12
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 42
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0
Total Volunteer Days: 39
Total Unique Volunteers: 11
Total Volunteer Hours: 351
Staff Hours: 95
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:
On July 18th - 21st, 13 volunteers helped restore a section of the N Maroon Peak trail. Last season CFI built a new sustainable section of trail on a section of the N Maroon Peak trail. On this project volunteers helped close the old trail and restore the fragile alpine ecosystem. Over 4 days volunteers restores 1050 ft of trail above the tree line. They installed 238 plugs to help vegitate and hide the old trail, installed 54 rock dams to slow the flow of soil and water down the old trail, installed 13 willow wattles to also slow the flow of water and soil, constructed 7 plank walls to help the area return to a more natural state, and 1 retaining wall to correct an area that has been exposed to a segnificant amount of erosion.
Details
| 14 and older |
