2018-Trail Restoration @ Eagles Nest Wilderness

Start Date-End Date: 09/15/2018-09/16/2018 Land Manager Office: USFS - Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District Land Manager Contact: Mike Beach Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Build rock stairs, steps, and walls on the Deluge Lake Trail near Eagle. Description: About the Stewardship Site: The Deluge Lake Trail accesses the Eagle's Nest Wilderness from right outside of Vail. The trail offers stunning views of the Vail Valley and the Sawatch Range mountains beyond and leads nine miles to an Alpine Lake from which it derives its name. Climbing just over 3,000 feet from end to end, the trail requires many trail structures to stay well maintained. About the Volunteer Experience: Volunteers looking for a challenge will perform heavy rock work at work sections within 1-2 miles of the trailhead, including stairs, steps and rock walls. Volunteers may also perform minor trail reroutes and basic trail maintenance tasks in some sections. You will also have the chance to work alongside other volunteers from the Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness (FENW). About the Overall Impact: This trail providesa mainpoint of access to the Eagle's Nest Wilderness from Vail. Because ofit'ssteepness, it requires a lot of work to remain in good condition. Volunteer work will help maintain the trail's sustainability and surrounding habitat. Need-to-Know Details: Minors:Youth under 18mustbe accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on overnight projects. Cancellation:Our land manager partners rely on VOC volunteers to accomplish critical stewardship needs, and our projects often have wait lists. If you need to cancel, pleasecontact Jamie Burkeat 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. Latitude/Longitude: 39.626328, -106.275154 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 20 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 46 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0 Total Volunteer Days: 46 Total Unique Volunteers: 26 Total Volunteer Hours: 435 Staff Hours: 51.25 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Volunteers were slow to trickle into the campsite on Friday night, making me a bit worried that we would be low on numbers. ~In Progress~ Successes and Challenges: Successes: -Mike Beach and I had talked ahead of the project on the lack of VOC Crew Leads. Mike was able to provide 4 Forest Service Crew Leads, including himself. The project went very well and I am lucky that he had the staff to help with this project. It was great to get that Land Manager support. -No fire ban! Volunteers were very excited to have a fire on Saturday evening. Volunteers were also able to enjoy KanJam! -Smaller volunteer group gave everyone a better opportunity to socialize and get to know each other. -Volunteer spirits and attitudes were high, it was a great group to work with. -The views! The aspens were changing, giving a great view to lower and higher groups! Fall is here! -VOC Former Staff Member, Steve Wall, attended the project on Saturday. Challenges: -The weather. It was extremely hot during the day and pretty cold at night/morning. Volunteers seemed very affected by the heat on Saturday, so I went out and got some popsicles and ice cream. It helped spirits but I was still worried about some volunteers. At dinner, I made a point of staying hydrated and taking enough breaks. -Steep hike up. It didn't seem to be too much of a problem, and we had a lower work site available. -The van died on the way up, after I had stopped at the grocery store to get some food for the project. Lessons Learned: -John is very well-meaning and did a great job, but does require a lot more attention than most Crew Chefs. I would highly suggest being a part of the prep and packing process with him, as I had to pull a lot of items he forgot (thanks to warning from previous seasonals). I also had to push him into making more than just a salad for a vegetarian dinner. If you know what to expect and help, working with John is just fine but again, you'll have to help. -I had put in the email directions to the campsite and work site. The two were about 15-20 mins apart. I'm glad I put both of these in there, as some local volunteers did meet us directly at the trail head. However, it's best to specify exactly when and where volunteers should be- as it seemed to confuse some. Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: The van died on the way up. Once jumped, it was fine. No official report, but did call Dan. Filled Kelly in on Monday on van issues. Description of Work Completed: