With the help of the National Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy – Conservation Corps is excited to be hosting twenty-four youth during the 2016 season. Here are some updates from the field:
In the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, the Rawah and Red Feather Crews started their season together working on the Young Gulch Trail. This trail was severely damaged by the High Park Fire of 2012 and then washed away in the flood of 2013. The crews set out during their first week of the season constructing new trail by clearing corridor, building drainage structures, establishing tread, and repairing old trail.
On their own, the Rawah Crew has also tackled 24 miles of trail in the Rawah Wilderness clearing more than 80 trees from the trail, maintaining over 100 drains, and restoring braided areas. The Red Feather Crew kept busy on the Lady Moon, Granite Ridge, Elkhorn Creek, Mt Maragaret, Frog Pond, East Loop Dowdy, Killpecker and North Lone Pine Trails covering more 40 miles of trail while clearing trees, building drains, and dealing with erosion.
Rawah and Red Feather Crews rebuilding Young Gulch Trail.
A little closer to Denver, the Boulder Crew has been helping the Boulder Ranger District keep trails safe and managing visitor impact throughout the popular Indian Peaks Wilderness. This has included clarifying trail corridor through snowfields, constructing boardwalks through wetland areas, removing illegal fire rings, and completing maintenance on popular trails in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area and Camp Dick Campground.
On the west side of the Continental Divide the Shadow Mountain Crew, working with the Sulphur Ranger District, has already hit many of the popular trails including the Doe Creek, Roaring Fork, Cascade Creek, Strawberry Lake, and Arapaho Pass Trails. Throughout these areas they have gotten lots of practice perfecting drains and dips and mastering the crosscut saw. In addition, the crew cleared more than 70 trees and constructed a 100 foot turnpike along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
Shadow Mountain Crew working on the East Shore Trail.
During this work, the crews have partnered with the Student Conservation Association, Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, Wildland Restoration Volunteers, Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance, Headwaters Trail Alliance, and Continental Divide Trail Coalition to complete work projects and engage local communities in their public lands.
