2019-Everkrisp Trail Construction @ Minturn

Start Date-End Date: 06/29/2019-06/30/2019 Land Manager Office: USFS - White River National Forest Land Manager Contact: Mike Beach Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance Summary: Build a new mountain biking trail with beautiful views! Description: Project photo by Jenny Zichterman Where You'll Be: The Everkrisp Trail, starting out of the Meadow Mountain Trailhead, is located just outside of the charming town of Minturn, nestled in the Vail Valley between the ski resorts of Beaver Creek and Vail. The multi-use trail offers a variety of views from meadows to mountains, and volunteers will work to construct a new segment that will help connect communities across the Vail Valley. What You'll Do: We're back for a second year to build the Everkrisp Trail in partnership with the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance (VVMTA)! On this two-day project, you'll join volunteers aged 14+ to finish a segment that has been pre-cut by a mini-excavator so that it's ready for use by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Campsites are provided in town just a short drive away from the worksites, and meals will be provided by our wonderful volunteer Crew Chefs. Feel free to bring your mountain bike for some post-project fun on the trail! Why It Matters: You'll play a critical part in creating a new, 4-mile segment that will link into existing trails to connect the towns of Eagle, Edwards, Avon, Minturn, and Vail, bringing communities closer together and offering new recreation opportunities for visitors and residents alike. In the long-term, the trail system volunteers help create will connect all the way from Vail Pass to Basalt! Need-to-Know Details: Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on overnight projects. Volunteers are responsible for providing their own camping equipment.VOC will provide meals, tools, and work gloves. Cancellation:Our partners rely on VOC volunteers to accomplish critical stewardship needs, and our projects often have wait lists. If you need to cancel, pleasecontact Emily Schaeferat 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC has engaged nearly 120,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $24 million. Through award-winning youth and volunteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and collaborative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an invaluable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visit www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010. Latitude/Longitude: 39.585910, -106.430598 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Moderate High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 60 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 99 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 6 Total Volunteer Days: 105 Total Unique Volunteers: 58 Total Volunteer Hours: 856 Staff Hours: 34 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: The Everkrisp Trail Construction project began on Friday June 28 at the USFS housing compound south of Minturn. Volunteers began arriving around 5:00PM to set up their tents, cool their feet in the Eagle River, and admire the resident pack Llamas. The site was equipped with water, electricity, and plenty of flat grassy areas to camp. The sites with more privacy went quickly. On Saturday morning, volunteers had breakfast, packed a lunch, and registered before their morning orientation. USFS representative Mike Beach explained a bit about the trail and Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance (VVMTA) Executive Director Ernest Saeger explained his organization's role in the project and the Vail Valley. At 8:00AM, volunteers carpooled to the work site on the north end of Minturn where the tool truck had staged tools and safety equipment. Crew leaders - 3 from VOC and 3 from VVMTA - introduced themselves and explained their assigned sections and volunteers were evenly distributed among them. After an icebreaker and a safety talk, crews hiked up to the beginning of the trail nearly 2 miles up Meadow Mountain. They began at the furthest section, which was most exposed to sun and other potentially extreme weather. The Everkrisp trail was machine cut by a mini-excavator in the summer of 2018 by volunteers from VVMTA. VOC volunteers were tasked with finishing the trail by completing backslope, hardening stream crossings, and defining the critical edge. 2019 was an extremely wet spring and several perennial streams were flowing steadily across the trail. A few sections were saturated with water and crews here spent several hours on Saturday improving drainage. Other crews spent a significant amount of time hardening streams with flat rocks that were abundant in the area. Others worked on 3 climbing turns through a tranquil aspen grove, keeping time with the hammering of the resident downy woodpeckers. At 4:00PM, crews began hiking back to the trailhead. At camp, volunteers relaxed in a big circle by the crew chef tent. They enjoyed a dinner of macaroni and cheese, fajitas, and a rich dessert cake. The beer was cold, the mood was jovial, and the late June sun didn't set until close to 9:00. Several volunteers became VOC members, enticed by the generous raffle items donated by local businesses and VVMTA. Sunday was a near repeat of Saturday but for an earlier end time and a shorter hike to the active sections. Crews wrapped up at 2:00PM and were back to the trailhead before 3:00PM. Both Mike and Ernest were extremely pleased with the quality of the work and the amount of trail that volunteers completed. Both were enthusiastic about another collaboration in the future. Successes and Challenges: Successes: Friendly and knowledgeable crew leaders from both VOC and VVMTA; TAs that knew the trail and the technical needs extremely well, and conveyed information to crew leaders and volunteers clearly; a nice camping area complete with all the necessary amenities plus a few luxuries like a nearby stream and beautiful views; good turnout (despite low registration numbers) and a nice mix of local and front range volunteers; Challenges: The hike in was significant. Due to the seasonal closure of the trail for wildlife, VOC project coordinator was not able to hike the trail before project day and the length of the hike to the project site was not conveyed by partners. Several volunteers, including one VOC crew leader, were exhausted by the time they arrived at their sections; The crew chefs were working with previous injuries, and 2 of them were first-time crew chef helpers. This slowed down meal prep and clean-up, and some volunteers complained of a lack of organization. Lead chef Miller Hudson was recovering from a serious surgery and had not volunteered for a large overnight project in the last few seasons - we should have been better about reminding him of his duties and pairing him with another experienced chef or chef helper. Lessons Learned: If it is not possible to visit the work site pre-project, it is essential that project partners provide a detailed account of any potential issues - especially related to difficulty and time needed to get to work sections. If crew chef or any other project team member plans to stay off site the night of the project they need to provide detailed instructions to helpers or tool managers regarding packing food and any early morning set-up needs. If crew chef (or any other project team member) hasn't been on a project in a while, spend a while discussing expectations and action items before the project. If any one on the project team has an injury, ensure they are paired with a fully able counterpart so that they don't become further injured or cause avoidable delays. Special Notes: NA Stewardship Education: NA Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Multiple volunteers noted a lack of organization and delays in the crew chef area. This was partially due to injuries and partially to inexperience on behalf of the helpers (and due to a long break on the part of the lead chef). It is important to cover expectations with any new project team members (or those returning to VOC after a long hiatus). A one-pager with these expectations would be useful to share with them to ensure a consistent high level of service. Description of Accidents/Incidents: NA Description of Work Completed: