Description
Start Date-End Date: 08/04/2022-08/04/2022
Land Manager Office: City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
Land Manager Contact: Beau Clark
Funding Partner:
Programmatic Partner:
Summary: Restore a fire damaged trail on this weekday project.
Description: Project photo by P. Demosthenes
Where You'll Be:
Located in South Boulder, the Marshall Mesa recreation area sees thousands of visitors daily due to its multi-use trails and easy access from Metro Denver population centers. On December 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire swept through this area causing damage to trail-related infrastructure. While this trail system reopened to public access at the end of April 2022, many of the trails remain closed due to fire damage. Since the fire, the lack of vegetation has increased erosion and soil has blocked drainage features, leading to further degradation of the trail.
What You'll Do:
Volunteers will be working on the Marshall Mesa Trail in the greater Marshall Mesa trail complex to reconstruct drainage features, build check steps, construct trailside fencing, and perform other trail repairs to improve the trail's immediate state and long-term sustainability.
Anyone that attends a VOC volunteer opportunity in August, September, and October will be entered in a drawing for the chance to win a $300 SCHEELS Gift Card. The more opportunities you attend, the more entries you will earn. Good luck!
Why It Matters:
Hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians will have a safer and more enjoyable user experience as a result of the work performed. The heavily used Marshall Mesa Trail will be more sustainable and will be able to withstand the ever-increasing usage from recreationists.
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 128,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $26 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: 39.952952, -105.231294
Additional Information: To organize carpooling please visithttps://www.groupcarpool.com/t/6n0seh
Please determine the following amongst yourselves:
1. Pick up location
2. When you leave
3. Vaccination status
4. Mask usage
VOC suggests coordinating carpooling in the safest way possible and encouraging a mask friendly policy in your cars. If you have any issues finding a rider or a ride, please feel free to reach out to myself. Happy volunteering!
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Easy
High Altitude Project: Yes
Desired Number of Volunteers: 50
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 46
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 1
Total Volunteer Days: 47
Total Unique Volunteers: 47
Total Volunteer Hours: 322
Staff Hours: 0
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: A very smooth and successful project! 47 volunteers showed up to install check steps and conduct trail closures. We installed 51 check steps and closed 1000 feet of trail. The work did not end up being directly related to fire restoration, but the check steps will help with serious cupping and erosion on this popular trail, which is much needed considering all the burned vegetation and water sheeting off the hill as a result. There was no shade in either of the work areas--the check step section or the trail closure--and temperatures approached 100 degrees. We called it a day at 2 pm and headed back to the trailhead for cold drinks and brownies to celebrate VOC's 38th birthday.
Successes and Challenges: Successes:
All of the ICE WATER. Really kept people going in the heat and was very very worth the extra effort of picking it up and keeping it frozen the day before in order to add to the water coolers throughout the day.
Beau and the Boulder staff are always super organized. They had just the right number of timbers pre-drilled to get everyone started, and Anna from Boulder drilled the rest while people were working.
Snarf's donation
Lessons Learned:
Special Notes:
Stewardship Education:
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers:
Description of Accidents/Incidents: One volunteer, Matt from Salesforce, opted to leave early because he suspected he had sat in poison ivy. We wiped his exposed skin with alcohol swabs to remove as much of the oil as possible and instructed him to take a cold shower with lots of soap when home, and to put his clothes directly in the wash.
Several other volunteers also left early due to heat, but we were clear from the start of the day that we wanted people to take care of themselves and tap out early if the sun was getting to them. No incident reports were necessary.
Description of Work Completed:
Details
| 14 and older |
