2016-Continental Divide Trail Alpine Tunnel to Hancock Lake Trail Reroute - 8/13/2016

Start Date-End Date: 08/13/2016-08/14/2016 Land Manager Office: USFS - Salida Ranger District Land Manager Contact: Brett Beasley Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Care for and protect a well-loved trail on the iconic Continental Divide. Description: About the Stewardship Site This project site is located approximately five miles south of the historic townsite of St. Elmo, near Salida. The Continental Divide National Scenic (CDNST) Hancock Lake Trail provides advanced trail use opportunities for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and backpackers in an iconic and pristine setting. About the Volunteer Experience The main purpose of the Alpine Tunnel to Hancock Lake Trail Reroute project is to take the trail off the road and bring it onto a scenic, non-marshy, sustainable trail that preserves the rugged and intimate CDNST experience. The CDNST is intended by legislation to be a continuous single-track trail that is remote and scenic, extending 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada. On this last of three Alpine Tunnel to Hancock Lake Trail Reroute projects in 2016, volunteers will build switchbacks and difficult trail structures, remove duff, and pull stumps for construction of new trail. Note: This highly technical project is not for the faint of heart and volunteers must be comfortable working, hiking, and camping at high altitude. Those up for the challenge will be rewarded with hot and hearty meals prepared by our volunteer chefs. Of course, every good adventure deserves an incredible campsite...and VOC has definitely got that covered. About the Overall Impact Volunteers will work to reroute 4.8 miles of the current Alpine Tunnel to Hancock Lake Trail away from the road, to a more scenic and remote route that will improve the user experience. Further, the reroute will ultimately protect vegetation and soil through proper trail location, design and construction; as well as prevent excessive erosion and sedimentation to the hydrological system above Chalk Creek. Latitude/Longitude: 38.640621, -106.36977 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 30 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 54 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 50 Total Unique Volunteers: 27 Total Volunteer Hours: 498 Staff Hours: 53 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Great weather and motivated volunteers made this weekend a success. The campground for this project is in a very beautiful location which volunteers seemed to enjoy greatly. Temperatures during the day were warm but not too hot. In the mornings it was very cold, with frost on everything. The sun crested over the mountains onto the camp site at around 8:20am, comparatively later than the first project which saw direct sun at 7:55am. Food was plentiful and well recieved, and the combination of Barb and Rose in the kitchen proved to be a great team. Despite lower-than-desired turnout (one of the few projects this season without a full waitlist) the small group turned out a large amount of trail and there was no attrition from Saturday to Sunday. Logistics with transportation of equipment using just the van (rather than a rental truck) was smooth and could be replicated in the future if necessary. Successes and Challenges: Successes - Volunteers were able to construct around 800 feet of new trail despite low numbers and a 45 minute hike into the project site. Packing the van with base camp equipment went well. Challenges - It's cold in that valley in the mornings. For small groups it may be better to schedule Sunday breakfast start time a bit later, or work time a bit sooner. People had eaten and were ready for the day fairly quickly, however because of the stated 8:00am start time, some people didn't eat/prepare until later while the early risers were waiting. For Saturday this should likely stay the same as people arrive at different times, but when all of the volunteers for the second day are expected to work, times could be adjusted. Lessons Learned: Taking time to consider the motivations and unique qualities of each group can be a powerful tool for soliciting donations. The individualization of the message to the group is far more compelling than a standard boilerplate message returning volunteers hear over and over again. Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: None Description of Accidents/Incidents: None Description of Work Completed: 800 feet of new trail was constructed. This was mainly full bench construction, with a few very small structures. While about 200 feet of the work was in very challenging duff and root, the rest was fairly easy going through a meadow on a slope.