Segment 12 Downfall Clearing – ENERGETIC VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

[Paul Magnanti]

From the Colorado Trail Foundation.
I'll be on the July 4th day if you want to know what day to AVOID. ;)

This project is to clear out the massive amount of blowdowns currently causing problems on Segment 12 of the CT.

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Friends of the CT,
Energetic Volunteers Needed June 30 & July 4 – You or Someone You Know – Join Us/Please Reply Now:
Colorado Trail Segment 12 near Frenchman Crk (NW of Buena Vista) is still knee deep in downfall and we could use your help on Saturday June 30th and Wednesday July 4th.

We plan to strike out from the parking area at Lienhart mine at 9:30a.m. on both days. Our work day will consist of 3 to 4 miles of hiking and a boatload of hand sawing; we'll be 'at it' the better part of the day.
Directions:
Take Colorado Highway 24 to County Road 386 (located just north of Frenchman Creek). Drive west on CR386 and bear right on Forest Service Rd 387 which becomes the Wapaca Jeep Trail. Continue to the parking area just below the Lienhart Mine. Plan on a 30-45 minute drive from Hwy 24 to the parking and trailhead. Four wheel drive is recommended for the final mile or so of road. If you don't have a 4×4, park and walk or grab a ride with another volunteer. There should be empty seats coming up the hill.
Thanks in advance for your much needed help. I look forward to working with you. Steve.
Background:
In the Collegiate Peaks area, during winter/spring of 2012, winds over 100 miles per hour blew over huge numbers of trees. In Segment 12 of The Colorado Trail (between Clear Crk and North Cottonwood Crk) in the areas of Morrison Creek and Frenchman Creek, the blowdown was extraordinarily bad. Around 3/4ths of the trees had blown over in big portions of these creek valleys. Long timers said they'd never seen anything like this. Over 2 miles of The Colorado Trail lay beneath fallen trees and branches and the trail was considered impassible. You couldn't even tell where the trail was. This section of The Colorado Trail is in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area where chainsaws are not allowed. Clearing the trail will require monumental, muscle-powered efforts. Work began on Saturday June 19th and dozens of CTF Adopter Volunteers began sawing limbs and smaller trees to make the trail corridor visible again. They made big progress, enough to consider THIS
PART OF THE TRAIL AS PASSABLE AGAIN. But, around 120 trees remain across the trail. Hand saws are being used; the work is tiring but fun and gratifying. Please join us.

Steve Combs
Rivendell Properties Ltd
Steve Combs ; steve AT rivendellproperties.com

(phone number left out – PM )

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[Paul Magnanti]

Sorry, did not realize the e-mail addie was filtered out

[Tim Drescher]

It sounds like they've been making good progress on the downfall after an original very bad prognosis of how long it would take to clear. I'll be doing CT trail work near Copper Mountain with the CMC on the 30th for a few days, and unfortunately working on July 4th. Go get after it!

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