Barr Trail

Barr Trail sees a lot of use, and it shows.  Rocky Mountain Field Institute assessed the lowest 3 miles of Barr Trail, from the trailhead to the cut off from the top of the Incline, to determine what could be done to reduce erosion and stabilize the trail.  This section of Barr Trail receives even heavier use than the rest from people going down after climbing up the Incline.  The traditional solution when a trail cannot be rerouted is to install risers (a.k.a. steps) and water bars.  RMFI plans to start work this summer on the bottom half mile, from the trailhead up to the spur trail that the runners use for the Ascent and Marathon.  But nobody likes risers and water bars, not runners, not bikers, not hikers, not backpackers.  (Dogs probably do, but dogs like everything -- they're just built that way.)  So RMFI plans to study nontraditional methods for stabilizing trails and reducing erosion and evaluate whether any of these would be suitable for Barr Trail.  The erodible nature of the soil makes stabilizing Barr Trail, with any method, especially challenging -- good ol' Pikes Peak granite.

Friends of the Peak plans to have several projects on Barr Trail this year.  You can check out the schedule, and also volunteer, on the projects page <link>.  Some of the fence posts have deteriorated.  So we’ll start off the work on Barr Trail by replacing those.  We have one day dedicated to that, and might need the next project day for fence posts, also.  Since RMFI is studying the bottom 3 miles, our next project will be above that.  But don’t worry, you won’t need to carry those heavy trail work tools 3 or more miles up Barr Trail to the work site.  You will need to hike up Barr Trail if you volunteer, but you’ll be light as a feather because someone with a jeep has offered to drive the tools up and take them back down (no, he won’t be driving his jeep up Barr Trail, or up the Incline, either).  We’ve reserved 2 project days to prepare the trail for the Ascent and Marathon runners, about a week before the races, to remove tripping hazards and such for them.  Hopefully, we won’t have a massive thunderstorm a couple of weeks before the races like the one that hit last year – or maybe we should hope for rain, because it’s hard to complain about rain during a drought.  Our friends from AdAmAn also plan to help out on Barr Trail again this year.  All in all, there’s plenty to do on Barr Trail.  Check out the projects <link again> and see if anything piques your interest.

Crew Leader Training 2013

Crew leader training is scheduled for April 26, 27, and 28, Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.  Colorado Springs Parks and Rec plans to offer crew leader training for Friends groups and other interested volunteers.  CS Parks is partnering with Trails and Open Space Coalition, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and Friends of the Peak.  This is the second year.  Last year, 28 people completed the weekend course, and 17 completed certification.  Then they went out and worked on projects helping many trails, parks, and open spaces in the Pikes Peak area.  Crew leaders are vital to a successful project.

This year, Friday will offer introduction, orientation, and basic information.  Then VOC will lead Saturday, teaching leadership and trail maintenance techniques.  RMFI takes over Sunday, providing instruction in restoration and leading volunteers in that.  Where’s FOTP in all this?  We’ll help with certifying the new crew leaders at projects after the training.  New crew leaders practice their skills at 2 projects after the training.  Projects will be designated as being available for certifying.  And what about TOSC?  Well, people need to eat, especially after that hard trail work.  They’ll provide the vital function of arranging meals and other logistics.  TOSC is also in charge of tokens of appreciation (also known as schwag) for the newly minted crew-leaders-in-training.

Can’t wait to sign up?  CS Parks will be taking registrations, but they’re not quite ready to start registering yet.  But save the dates: April 26, 27, and 28.  Then you can help lead volunteers helping the trails, parks, and open spaces that we all appreciate.

Never thought of being a crew leader yourself?  Maybe it’s time to consider it.  If you’ve volunteered on projects yourself, you’ve learned some skills that you could share with others.  Projects cannot run without crew leaders.  The project organizers cannot be everywhere at once.  Someone needs to instruct volunteers, guide them, answer questions, and ensure things are done correctly, and, most importantly, safely.  Crew leader training provides information on working with volunteers and also instruction in technical skills.  You can add to what you already know from volunteering on projects.  And you’re not just thrown to the wolves.  That’s what the certifying projects are for, giving you an opportunity to practice what you’ve learned.  Then you too can be out there helping volunteers have a good experience while they help our trails, parks, and open spaces.  So, save the dates: April 26, 27, and 28.

And the cost of all this new-found knowledge and confidence?  It’s free!  So save the dates: April 26, 27, and 28, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.