Description
Start Date-End Date: 09/27/2016-09/27/2016
Land Manager Office: Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department
Land Manager Contact: Andrew Tyler
Funding Partner: Natural Habitat Adventures
Programmatic Partner:
Summary: Help with important trail construction and maintenance at the beautiful Heil Valley Ranch!
Description: With beautiful valleys, picturesque vistas, and forest meadows that seem to cling to the sky, Heil Valley Ranch offers a day's adventure in the foothills.The majority of Heil Valley Ranch was purchased in 1993 and 1994 as part of the North Foothills Open Space that includes Hall Ranch and surrounding conservation easement properties.
At Heil Valley Ranch, you see the dramatic landscape where the Great Plains meet the Southern Rocky Mountains. The eastern-most ridge (hogback) at Heil Valley Ranch is capped by a rock layer called the Dakota Formation. On the west side of this property is another series of ridges that look red; this is the Lyons sandstone. This fine-grained sandstone, named after the town of Lyons, has been quarried locally and used for building throughout Boulder County.
The work on this project will consist of a variety of trail construction and maintenance on heavy use areas of the multi-use network. Volunteers will have the opportunity to use a distinct array of tools to shape, construct and restore trail conditions in the park.
Latitude/Longitude: 40.162459, -105.307265
Additional Information:
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
High Altitude Project: No
Desired Number of Volunteers: 30
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 18
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0
Total Volunteer Days: 18
Total Unique Volunteers: 18
Total Volunteer Hours: 110
Staff Hours: 9
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: Heil Valley Ranch Park, like many front range parks, experiences an abundance of trail users. The existing trail system will see a bit of reprieve from the high use once this new section of trail is open next summer. Mountain bikers will find this section of trail appealing with a nice flowing feel and smooth terrain. With that in mind, construction of this trail will separate trail users and hopefully create a better user experience with less traffic.
After a long informational talk given by the Trails Manager from Boulder County Open Space, roughly 20 volunteers set out on the new trail and quickly went to work refinign the trail that was cut in a few weeks piror to our arrival. The day was short, but the volunteers were able to get in some meaningful work and social banter.
In the end,Volunteers were able to complete the finish work on approximately 2500' of new multi use trail at Heil Valley Ranch Park. Volunteers smoothed out the tread, cut backslope, and dispersed spoils piles from below the trail so that the vegetation will regenerate.
Successes and Challenges: Successes: Collaborating with Boulder County & Natural Habitat Adventures to have a successful project and build relationships for future endeavors.
Challenges: Short working day, a bit too much talking from the Boulder representatives that cut into our work window.
Lessons Learned: Boulder County can build really nice trail.
Special Notes: Cultivating and facilitating these relationships is very important to the success of our organization.
Stewardship Education: Volunteers were informed about the local flora and fauna during the morning safety talk. They really enjoyed the talk about spiders and snakes.
Boulder County makes an honest attempt to run a zero waste project site.
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: No concerns or comments.
Description of Accidents/Incidents: No accidents or incidents.
Description of Work Completed:
Details
| 18 and older |
