Description
Start Date-End Date: 07/29/2017-07/30/2017
Land Manager Office: USFS - Leadville Ranger District
Land Manager Contact: Ben Hanus
Funding Partner:
Programmatic Partner: Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
Summary: Protect the delicate habitat of Colorado's tallest mountain on this overnight alpine experience.
**BOTH SAT & SUN REQUIRED**
Description: About the Stewardship Site:
Standing at 14,433 feet, Mount Elbert is Colorado's tallest mountain and the apex of the Rocky Mountain Range. Elbert draws thousands of hikers, and the Mount Elbert Trail (also called the South Mount Elbert Trail), ascending the mountain's east flank,is one of the most popular routes. It climbs through the San Isabel National Forest and across alpine tundra, crossing paths with the occasional marmot, pika or mountain goat before reaching the summit.
About the Volunteer Experience:
Colorado's 14,000-foot mountains - dubbed "fourteeners" - pay a price for their popularity, in the form of erosion and trail widening. On this moderately sized project of around 60 people, volunteers will reroute the lower 2 miles of the South Elbert Trail, constructing new tread along a more sustainable alignment. Work may also include alpine restoration, and the closing of "social trails," which contribute to erosion. Tasks will be physically moderate to difficult and at high altitude, making this project perfect for adventurous and physically fit volunteers, comfortable working at intermediate-and-above skill levels.
Please Note: Due to the remote location, volunteers are required to participate in the entire duration of the project.
About the Overall Impact:
As one of the most visited fourteeners, Mount Elbert is also one of the most vulnerable. Mount Elbert's three main summit routes can see tens of thousands of hikers in a single summer! This project will address issues stemming from high-use, improving trail erosion and protecting the surrounding delicate alpine habitat.
Latitude/Longitude: 39.105672, -106.395373
Additional Information:
Camping Available: Yes
Physical Difficulty: Difficult
High Altitude Project: Yes
Desired Number of Volunteers: 35
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 53
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0
Total Volunteer Days: 53
Total Unique Volunteers: 31
Total Volunteer Hours: 477.75
Staff Hours: 52
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: Overall, we had 31 volunteers on the project that contributed 432.5 hours of work on three different projects on the South Mt. Elbert Trail 7/28-7/29. One group constructed a 20 foot mono-wall section, created a 10 foot junk wall, and armored a 10 foot section of rock steps. A second group installed 11 log check dams over 2 days on the current trail in order to prepare the area for transplants when it gets closed this fall. The last group dug out 400 feet of back slope on Saturday and another 100 feet on Sunday. The extra mineral soil was hiked 100's of feet to the newly installed check dams.
Successes and Challenges: Successes:
We were able to tackle 3 different projects and get a ton of work done. Volunteers had a great time at camp and enjoyed lots of delicious food. Of 33 people that were signed up for the event, only 2 did not show up.
Challenges:
With 6 CFI staff on hand (and only 3 VOC CL), CFI took control of most of the leadership on the project. Seeing that they do so much work at this site and were the TAs for this trip, this really wasn't a problem. I did get a request from a volunteer that they define more of the trail vocab for day 2.
Rain! It rained a fair amount the first day and there were thunder rumblings off in the distance as we finished up day 2.
The parking lot was taken by some people in RVs so we had to audible for a spot behind a locked gate closer to the bottom of the mountain. This wasn't much of an issue but we did have to coordinate with the 1 key we were given.
CFI had the volunteers signed a JHA the first day which was a surprise to me, but was no real problem.
Lessons Learned: I received my first donation on this trip when I promoted memberships after dinner instead of before - may be something to try again in the future.
Special Notes: N/A
Stewardship Education: New volunteers were introduced to trail terminology. I would also say that most were informed about the sustainable design through the reroute we were working on. Volunteers were also educated on how the log check dams will work to restore the old trail to be closed this fall.
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: No real concerns from staff/volunteers. The hike to the project site took an hour without tools. It was difficult but only a few people became too spent to work a 2nd day.
Description of Accidents/Incidents: N/A (Wahoo!)
Description of Work Completed:
Details
| 18 and older |
