2020-CANCELLED: Ruby Jewel Trail Restoration @ State Forest State Park

Start Date-End Date: 08/15/2020-08/16/2020 Land Manager Office: CPW - State Forest State Park Land Manager Contact: Lee Freeburg Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Registration is currently on hold. Explore Colorado's largest state park with this highcountry project. Description: Due to COVID-19, we expect significant changes to our 2020 volunteer projects including possible changes to dates, type of work, and project sizes. We are diligently working with our land management partners to address the logistical challenges posted by COVID-19 and provide safe volunteer opportunities. Please stay tuned and visitwww.voc.org/covid19for the most up-to-date information on VOC's response. Where You'll Be: Located about two hours west of Fort Collins, State Forest State Park is Colorado's largest state park with 71,000 acres that stretch along the Medicine Bow Mountains and the Never Summer Range. The park is known as the moose-viewing capital of Colorado and offers visitors rugged peaks, alpine lakes, and miles of year-round trail use. Volunteers will work on the 3.5-mile Ruby Jewel Trail, which leads to a high alpine lake at the base of Clark Peak in the Never Summer Range. What You'll Do: It's our third and likely final year at State Forest State Park! This project provides volunteers ages 16+ with the opportunity to explore Colorado's largest state park while restoring the Ruby Jewel Trail in a remote, backcountry setting. The work will be tough yet rewarding as you reroute the trail and construct rock steps, walls, and other structures. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Staff hopes to complete the reroute this year with the help of VOC volunteers. This is the perfect project for volunteers who are comfortable working at high-altitude and interested in discovering new destinations across the state. Meals will be provided by our fantastic volunteer Crew Chefs! Why It Matters: State Forest State Park is home to roughly 100 miles of trails, but there is limited staffing to maintain them in the face of increased visitation. Alpine trails, including Ruby Jewel, require special attention and have seen little maintenance in recent years. On this project, volunteers will help reduce the harmful impacts of erosion, improve the trail's durability, and protect the wetland through which the trail crosses. Click here to learn more about the importance of trail maintenance. 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,please email Kendall Cox or call 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 125,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $25 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: 40.555443, -106.035793 Additional Information: Camping Available: Yes Physical Difficulty: Moderate, Difficult High Altitude Project: Yes Desired Number of Volunteers: 40 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: Total Youth Volunteers Attended: Total Volunteer Days: Total Unique Volunteers: Total Volunteer Hours: 0 Staff Hours: 0 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: