NSA Colorado Projects

From State Highway 491 at Cohone, CO turn east on County Road R. follow for 3 miles to intersection with CR-16.

Go south on CR-16 for 1.25 miles to
intersection with County Road S.

Turn east on CR S for 1.5 miles (crossing the Dolores River) to Forest Development Road (FDR) 504.

Take FDR 504 northeast for 7 miles to intersection with FDR 514.

Take FDR 514 east for 2 miles to FDR 512.

Take this road north for 1.25 miles toward Black
Snag Spring. The road will swing west past a fenced stock pond.

Continue to the west for 0.1 mile to the Glade Guard Station.

In cooperation with the staff of the San Juan National Forest and the San Juan Mountain Association, the NSA Trail Maintenance Program has a coordinated a major historic site renovation project on the San Juan National Forest for June 22-28, 2008. Over twenty smokejumpers have indicated an interest in participating in the project with official signup beginning in mid January.

The Glade Guard Station Rehabilitation Project,
Dolores District, San Juan National Forest,
Dolores County, Colorado

The Glade Guard Station site (5DL1792)

The Glade Guard Station site (5DL1792) is located in Dolores County, Colorado at T41N, R16W, in the NW corner of Section 33 (USGS quad The Glade, Co) at an elevation of approximately 8,400 feet. The site is in an otherwise undeveloped area of the forest, and access to the site is via Forest Development Road 514. The site is located on the side of a hill overlooking the large open park known as The Glade. It is flanked by an stand of mixed aspen, pine, and oak brush.

The Glade Guard Station was established in 1905 when a small log cabin was constructed as an administrative facility for the Glade District of the Montezuma National Forest (now part of the Mancos-Dolores District of the San Juan National Forest). In 1916 a wood frame residence and a barn was added, and in the 1930’s (primarily 1935-36) a fly camp associated with the Lone Dome CCC camp was set up adjacent to the guard station. During this time modifications were made to the residence and a garage, meat house (later used as a tool shed), and outhouse were constructed. Rockwork culverts and drains were also built at the guard station during that time. Use of the site by the Forest Service changed over time as districts were consolidated and administrative boundaries and needs changed. Later use was primarily as a materials and equipment storage center and short term seasonal housing facility. Use continued into the 1970’s at which time the site was closed down due to diminished need and deteriorating conditions.

The site currently consists of five structures: a Ranger’s Residence (ca.1916), garage (ca. 1935), barn (ca. 1905-1915), woodshed (ca. 1936), and a toilet / outhouse (ca.1936). The original log ranger station structure deteriorated and was removed in the 1950’s, and a log bunkhouse was reportedly burned down in the 1970’s. The site was nominated to the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties was officially listed on 8 August 2001. It is also considered to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and efforts are underway to nominate it for listing there.

Introduction to the Project

The Glade Guard Station project consists of the rehabilitation under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guides of an historic Forest Service administrative site. Once it the work is completed, the site will be furnished for reuse as a recreational rental property to be maintained and operated under a recreation special use permit by a non-profit group (the Jersey Jim Foundation).

Some elements of the site are in poor condition, while others are in moderate to fair condition. A condition assessment was done on the site’s structures in 1998 by Harrison Goodall of Conservation Services (Goodall 1998). Additionally, a deferred maintenance report was done in the summer of 2004 by the engineering staff of the SJNF. These two documents provide a basis for the work that is being proposed. The most urgent need is for restoration work on the sandstone foundation, the replacement of the roof, and scraping and painting of the residence structure.

Residence - Primary Concerns

Foundation & steps: the residence sits on a stonework foundation of native sandstone that was constructed by the CCC. The mortar has flaked in places and several wide cracks have developed. The foundation needs to be repaired and re-pointed.

Roof: Re-roof including replacing wood shingles, sheeting, and weatherproofing material.

Chimney: Re-point.

Exterior: Scrape, prime, and paint.

Windows: Repairs needed to some windows, replace broken glass, and re-glaze.


Residence – Secondary Concerns

Interior: Repair plaster.

Windows: Repair and re-screen window screens.

Doors: Replace side door and screen door. Re-hang interior doors.


Miscellaneous Information:

Airports: Both Durango and Cortez have local airports that receive shuttle flights from Denver, Salt Lake, Albuquerque, etc.

Water: There is no water source at the site, however the forest service can provide a 300 gallon tank of water to the location.

Electricity: The district has 2 portable generators that can be used at the site.

Camping: Volunteers may camp at the site in the area once occupied by the CCC camp. Or at the Bradfield Camp Ground (approximately 14 miles from the site).

Local Outfitters: There are several local outfitters that work in the area – one of our recreation officers is putting together a list that should be available shortly.

GUARD STATION OR RANGER STATION?

Hi Bill,  Sorry I wasn't in to get your call yesterday - had to run off
after our conference call and get snow tires put on my POV. (and Boy! did I
need them this morning!).

Anyway, to your question..... Is the Glade a Guard Station or a Ranger
Station? the answer is both.

The first administrative structure at the site was a small log cabin that
was constructed in 1906 as a Guard Station when the area was part of the
Glade District of the San Juan and Montezuma Forest Reserve (the reserve
was created in 1905 by a proclamation from President T. Roosevelt).

In 1908 the Forest Reserve was divided and became the San Juan N.F.
headquartered in Durango, and the Montezuma N.F. headquartered in Mancos.
The Guard Station location was upgraded in 1916 with the addition of the
frame-construction residence building. The log structure was still present
at this time and was used as the office. The location was at that point the
seasonal administrative center for the Glade Ranger District and was
occupied only from the late spring to the early fall. In the winter the
staff moved back down to Mancos. The location continued to be know as the
"Glade Guard Station" (as it appears that way on the old maps) even though
technically it was serving as a District Ranger Station.

Because the use of the location began as a Guard Station and transitioned
into a Ranger Station, both terms are used for the site - but locally it is
still most commonly referred to at the Glade Guard Station.  The State
Historic Preservation Office certificate including the site in the State
Register of Historic Properties uses "Glade Ranger Station" , but the site
form lists it as "Glade Ranger Station - Guard Station - Cabin". So I guess
you can use either term. Personally I prefer Guard Station to reflect its
original status and the continuing local verbal tradition.

Good Question - thanks for asking!

Elaine

Elaine Sherman
Archaeologist
Dolores Public Lands Office
San Juan Public Lands
29211 St. Hwy.184, Dolores, CO  81323
(970) 882-6833   esherman@fs.fed.us







CURRENT CONDITIONS REVIEW OF RANGER STATION
PROJECT: GLADE GUARD STATION DATE: September 11th, 2007
Forest Service Road 514
Dove Creek vicinity
Dolores County, Colorado

Dolores Public Lands Center
P.O. Box 210
Dolores, Colorado 81323
Attn: Elaine Sherman
(970) 882-7296

REVIEW OF GOODALL ASSESSMENT
The assessment report prepared by Harrison Goodall in 1998 is a thorough examination of the buildings on the site. The assessment of the Ranger Station structure was broken down into 16 individual building components or systems. Much of Goodall's recommendations for these buildings components remain accurate today. However, several of the conditions noted in the report have deteriorated further; notably including the interior plaster, roofing and interior window muntins. Additionally, the exterior walls including the windows and doors have been stained following the mechanical removal of 90% of the lead based paint and the building has been recently sealed and cleaned from the rodent infestation. Beside these treatments, the building appears to stand today as Goodall observed it.

Many of Goodall‘s recommendations for treatment and prioritization of the work needed for preservation of the building also remains valid today. Given the 9-year span between his assessment and this comparative analysis, the building has held up well. However, the Ranger Station is now at a juncture, where some of the highest level 1-year priority tasks outlined in the 1998 report are critical to be completed to stem the exacerbated deterioration of a number of the issues threatening the structure. For purposes of compatibility and consistency with the assessment work of Goodall, the following update and recommendations will be made in an outlined form adopted from Goodall’s CR Manger format.

BUILDING COMPONENT 2007
OBSERVATION OF CONDITION 2007
RECOMMENDATION FOR TREATMENT
4INTERIOR FINISH Needs re-painting after plaster repairs Re-paint after plaster is repaired and settlement is abated with foundation repairs.
4FLOOR SURFACE Suspect asbestos in vinyl tile remains from 1998 investigation. Overlay for encapsulation. Provide crawl space entry through flooring at northwest corner.
4INTERIOR CONDITION Cleaned of rodent evidence from 1998 assessment. Maintain a sealed building envelope. Install propane tank and range. Test fixtures. Seal off entry to water heater closet and restroom for future mitigation.
4INTERIOR WALL AND CEILING PLASTER Hole in ceiling identified in 1998 enlarged. Many wall cracks from settlement. Repair holes loose areas and cracks.
4CHIMNEY Brick in good condition. Mortar missing in top 4-6 courses.
Re-point upper courses matching the existing material.
BUILDING COMPONENT 2007
OBSERVATION OF CONDITION 2007
RECOMMENDATION FOR TREATMENT
4ROOF SURFACE Roof is leaking with some missing and lifting cedar shingles. Flashings are loose and finials missing at ridge. Replace cedar shingle roof. Install ice and water shield moisture barrier and cedar breather material. Repair flashings and replace where missing or severely deteriorated. Flash roof penetration at chimney and flue.
4VEGETATION Some vegetation against foundation. Remove vegetation.
4DOORS Historic front door in good condition, repainted brown. Side entry door in poor condition with failed locking mechanism. Re-paint historic front door. Replace side entry door (32” x 6’-7”) with appropriate solid panel exterior wood door and new locking mechanism. Repair jamb, header and sill as needed and provide weather stripping.
4EXTERIOR FINISH Good condition. Recently scraped and stained. Some lead paint remains. Prepare surface for new oil based primer. Provide one coat of primer and based upon coverage, provide one or two coats of latex based topcoat to match historic cream/white color.
4FOUNDATION SANDSTONE STEM WALLS Limited cracking and settlement of the foundation walls remains as observed in 1998 with no significant evidentiary change. Remove loose mortar and foam in-fill at settlement cracks. Replace with type ‘N’ mortar as follows: 6 Parts masonry sand, 2 parts lime, _ part gray Portland, _ part white Portland.
4PORCH SANDSTONE FLOOR Steps remain settled from 1998 observations Re-set steps at front and side entries using 6-2-2 part mix design.
4PORCH RAILS Bottom rail deteriorated and missing balusters as in 1998. Replace bottom rail and replace balusters. Replace in-kind the missing rails that flank the main step at entry. Use shadow marks and lead anchor points/fasteners for reference.
4SURFACE DRAINAGE Runoff gullies around N,E and W elevations and erosion at south remain from 1998 assessment. Provide swale at south elevation to direct surface and roof runoff away from building footprint.
4EXTERIOR WALL
SHIP LAP WOOD SIDING Siding is in fair condition. Some replacement may have been made. Significant checking and gaps at corner boards where loose nails have popped. Deteriorated wood drip cap at top of foundation wall needs repair and or replacement. Repair siding where deteriorated or loose. Repair wood drip cap at base of wall. Replace severely deteriorated components only where necessary. Set nail head which have popped. Tighten corner boards where loose. Caulk all gaps prior to paint with a 50-year oil based exterior product. The contractor doing this work should refer to PRESERVATION BRIEF #10, Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork.
4WOODEN WINDOWS



One window remains smashed in at the south addition as was noted in 1998. Many of the interior muntins have been severely abraded and need repair. The glazing on all windows should be replaced with a n appropriate linseed oil putty. Broken panes should be replaced. Plywood panels have been installed over all window openings with screws and painted to match the exterior. All windows should be appropriately repaired. The contractor doing this work should refer to PRESERVATION BRIEF #9, The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows. If the plywood protective panels are to remain, removable hardware should be installed to preclude the damage the screws have caused.
4WINDOW / DOOR SCREENS Several of the window screens are missing and several are damaged. Replacement window screens should be made for those missing. Damage should be repaired to the balance of the screens where possible. All screen material should be replaced. The hard ware for the screen installation should match that of the protective panels for simplification of the system





ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS OBSERVED
Two additional items, not remarked upon in Goodall’s report are included below that were observed in the 2007 visit to the site for this evaluation. These components include the crawl space vent openings through the foundation at each elevation, and the timber beam sub-structure supporting the mid-spans of the floor joists in the crawl space. The follow are recommendations for treatment of these components.

BUILDING COMPONENT 2007
OBSERVATION OF CONDITION 2007
RECOMMENDATION FOR TREATMENT
4CRAWL SPACE ACCESS VENTS Crawl space vent covers and framing were in varying states of repair. Several had been inappropriately sealed with spray foam. Several of the screens need replacement. All vents and framing are unpainted and in contact with the soils at grade. Remove all foam sealant. Repair, caulk, paint and replace screens on all vents. Lower the grade below all vents to a minimum 4-inches under the sill of the vent opening. Pre-treat all exposed wood in these locations with boiled linseed oil prior to paint with an alykd oil primer and topcoat.
4SUB-STRUCTURE

Two large timer beams are supporting the mid-spans of the floor joists. The north beam is resting on what appear to be original masonry bearing pads. The south beam is very close to grade. The bearing on this south beam is suspect, with loose shims sitting on top. Properly shim these timber beams tight up against the floor joists. Secure shims in place and reinforce the masonry bearing pads as necessary with concrete or other materials. The crawl space should be cleaned out of loose debris brought in by animals as this materials holds moisture.


SUMMER 2008 PRIORITY TASK OUTLINE
The prioritization of several tasks is included below. The work is not inclusive of all the scope of work as the Volunteer work crew will be limited to a one week period. However, the size of the crew is anticipated to be approximately 12. Therefore, several scopes of work can be accomplished simultaneously by crews of 3 to 4 persons. The following components of the building and associated tasks should be considered for this summer field work:

1. ROOF REPAIRS:
q Demolition of existing shingle sheathing
q Limited repair of sub-sheathing
q Installation of roll out moisture barrier
q Installation of cedar breather
q Installation of flashings around penetrations
q Repointing of upper courses of chimney
q Installation of 5.5 squares of standard width cedar shingle
q Installation of ridge cap and flashings

2. SITE DRAINAGE
q Remove all vegetation around building establishing a 3-foot dry zone
q Lower the grade around perimeter of building to a minimum of 4-inches below the sill height of the crawl space vents
q Contour grade away from building for positive drainage.
q Provide a swale along the south elevation to direct runoff around building


HILDERBRAND REPORT: Glade Guard Station Project June, 2008
On September 22, I visited the project to get a first hand perspective of the station and the work. This is follow up to the project description sent out by Elaine Sherman, The archaeologist working the project to this time. In summary:
a. The Guard station is in a beautiful location on a slight slope of a northern exposure hillside. I would guess about a 7 to 8 percent slope. Location: N 37deg 46.703’ and W 108deg 37.955’. Elevation is 8310’ or so.
b. Distance from paved road 22 miles. Distance to Cortez 22 miles. Total distance from Durango to Glade project is about 94 miles. Road is good forest road and RVs will make the trip with no trouble. Only one major climb up out of the Dolores River Canyon and some rough spots, but not an off-road type of situation. Warrens Subaru will not even break a sweat!
c. The fire crews from the forest will do some clearing and thinning to create a defensible fire zone around the structure. This should be done prior to our project.
d. The structure is about 600 sq ft. with cedar siding on the outside, cedar shake roof, and lathe/plastered interior walls. There are three rooms (main living, bedroom, and kitchen) plus a bathroom and a small addition on the south side of the building.
e. The siding has been painted previously, but is now stained. The paint was sand blasted off a number of years ago and a lot of damage to the siding resulted. There are still pieces of paint that were not removed by the sand blasting and the siding has weathered and has a lot of cracks on east, south, and western exposures. North looks reasonably good.
f. The sheathing for the roof is rough lumber 1x6 to 1x10s. There is no paper under the shake roof and the roof is nailed to the sheathing. The roof is probably a 10 foot rise in 12 feet (a 10 in 12? Pitch).
g. The floor is oak but is covered by tile and linoleum. The tile is likely asbestos containing and will have to be removed by a certified contractor.
h. The restoration is to historical landmark standards, so the restoration must be as close to original as possible.
i. There is a restoration specialist that may be available to consult on aspects of the restoration.
j. The building has shifted on the foundation; however, following discussion with the restoration specialist the current plan is to NOT try to move the building any.
k. The ground surrounding the building needs to be graded to improve drainage away from the building.
l. Foundation has many cracks and openings which need to be repaired.
m. Chimney needs to be tuck pointed
n. A commercial dumpster will be available for refuse.
o. Latrines will be provided and an outfitter is currently being investigated to provide support.
p. Power will be by small generators only. Water will be provided by water buffalo or similar.

I have some photos to send later.
Rich Hilderbrand

Colorado Springs, CO. Join us for a great three day project on The Colorado Trail in the beautiful Clear Creek Valley in the Pike- San Isabel National Forest June 27-30, 2007. Note that the dates changed from those listed in the 2006 Trails Maintenance Report. We will be cutting trees for a new route that will move the Colorado Trail off of private land and onto national forest land. This three day project will clear a corridor in which later crews will build a new trail section. Time permitting we may also build some of the new trail.
The camp site will be along Clear Creek in a beautiful valley adjacent to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. The fishing should be outstanding since this section of the creek will be on private land. The site is a flat meadow surrounded by trees and a complete camp outfit including full kitchen, all tools, and showers will be provided and set up by the Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF). Stan Linnertz, MSO'61 has volunteered to cook for the crew (no one makes better hot cakes) and Rich Hilderbrand, MSO'66 will assume responsibility as squad leader. More details on logistics will be included in future blog postings.
Access to the site is off of Highway 24 about 15 miles north of Buena Vista. Then exit west toward Clear Creek Reservoir on a well marked County Road 390. Follow this road 2.8 miles to a gate on the left which there will be a sign identifying it as access to the Colorado Trail Crew Camp. Then just follow the marking to the campsite.
The smokejumper crew will meet in Buena Vista at Jan’s Restaurant, a block South of the traffic light on the West side of Highway 24. Meeting time is 9:30 AM on Wednesday, June 27. From there we will convoy to camp. Friday is steak night with departure on Saturday. If interested in joining the Colorado project, your responsiblity is: 1) sign up for the project with NSA trail office in Missoula using the form in the 2006 NSA Trail Maintenance Report, and 2) sign and return volunteer release form with the CTA. Information on how to submit this release form in hard copy or electronically will be posted later on this blog. Looking forward to another great season.
NOTE: CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL PROJECT DATES

Two Bridges Over Frenchman Creek Open NSA
2006 Trail Maintenance Season

One project down 15 to go! The 2006 NSA trail maintenance season is off to a successful start. The Frenchman Creek project on The Colorado Trail in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area on June 22-23 officially began a season with a record number of NSA projects and participating smokejumper volunteers.
The construction of two bridges; cross-cut saw / chainsaw training and certification; a Subaru sedan operating like a mountain goat; a crappie (pronounced “craw pe”) filet fish fry and good stories despite a fire ban. It all came together for another great project in the Colorado high country.
Smoke jumper volunteers included squad leader Rich Hilderbrand, Jimmie Dollard, Warren Pierce, Herm Ball, Ray Carter, Doug Wamsley, and Bill Ruskin. George Miller, CTF, Rick Creekmore, REI, and Jeff Leisey, USFS and Kepler the trail dog also participated.
In September 2006, an NSA trail crew led by Hal Howell climbed to 12, 000’ on the side of Mount Harvard on the wrong trail looking for the Frenchman Creek bridge site only to pass by within a couple of hundred yards. On the way down the crew found the crossing site but ran out of daylight, vowing to return this year and finish the job which was done with typical smokejumper zeal and expertise. A second bridge was constructed and was used as a “hands on” training for saw certification training conducted by the Leadville Ranger District.
In camp for Thursday dinner Jimmie Dollard demonstrated his culinary skills by frying up five pounds of crappies caught at Lake Oolagah, a Corps of Engineers project about 30 miles from Tulsa. Jimmie says the limit is 47 fish per day per person and you can catch that many if you know how and when. The fish were golden brown and served with potato salad, baked beans, tomatoes and washed down with cold beer. Doug Wamsley provided his traditional magnum of Yellow Tail Merlot for all to enjoy and broke out his plastic two-piece wine glass from his special carrying case. Doug claims Yellow Tail is the best selling wine in Colorado. We think Doug just likes the kangaroo on the bottle. It’s a tough life at a smokejumper trail camp.
The road to the project site is four miles of loose rocks with scattered high centering boulders, steep inclines and narrow tread in some places. Just the macho challenge for Herm Ball’s Ram 2500, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Land Rover and a Nissan 4X4. We all were looking forward to testing our 4X4 driving skills with these assorted high-powered machines. There was also a Subaru 4-door sedan in the convoy. We knew that eventually the sedan would have to be dragged out of the way, and temporarily abandoned by it’s driver, Warren Pierce. To our great consternation, the Subaru performed equally as well as the SUVs raising the question, who needs an SUV anyway if you can climb a rugged Colorado mountain road in a Subaru Mountain Goat sedan? To make matters worse, Pierce rubbed it in our faces for two days and bragged that if you buy a Subaru you get a bright red fire shovel and a years supply of banana flavored marsh mellow filled “Moon Pies” which he forced on us for two days. Even Kepler wouldn’t eat a Moon Pie.

Rich Hilderbrand, squad leader for the project provided the following update:

Bill and Warren reconnoitered the trail projects for June and September. We then met and finalized plans over breakfast. The information on the June 22 and 23 trail project is below. There will be some future information, such as the meeting place in Buena Vista. As of now, looks like about 8 volunteers will be there.

As you all know, the paperwork has to come first, then the fun.
Everyone coming to the project needs to file the Colorado Trail Foundation Waiver. You can download the form from the CTF website "coloradotrail.org". The form should be mailed to the Colorado Trail Foundation, Golden office, 710 10th St. #210, Golden CO 80401.

In addition, NSA members need to email Jon Mcbride (n2601@aol.com) advising him that they are participating in the June 22-23 project in Colorado. Please send your name, address, email, and the SJ base where you trained with the year trained and years jumped.


Now the info you need
The project is on Frenchmans Creek just north of Buena Vista, CO about 6 miles. The highway is 24/291 North. We will meet at 9 am in Buena Vista at a restaurant. I will provide the name of the restaurant later. The camp site will be down close to the highway at the boundry of the wilderness area. The road is rough and requires high ground clearance vehicles. We will have some four wheel drives with good clearance and can shuttle people and equipment as necessary.

June 22 will be Forest Service certiification for using the cross cut saw. I am not sure if chain saw is included or if we are in the wilderness area. We are hoping to be able to build one bridge on Thurs and then build the bridge at the higher elevation on Fri (June 23). The main objective is the bridge up at the higher elevation.

Food:
Thurs June 22.
Breakfast at Buena Vista
Lunch – pack your own
Dinner provided – however, cost will be shared. Probably roast chicken, potato salad, etc with cookies for dessert

Fri, June 23
Breakfast provided – again cost share pastries, fruit, oatmeal etc.
Lunch provided – cost share sandwiches, fruit, cookies, chips etc.
Dinner – on your own and you should be headed home.

You provide your camp gear and your own drinks for the two days including water as you see necessary. The climate is dry and we will be at high elevation (timberline), so plan for plenty of water during the heat of the day.
Due to weather conditions here, no open fires, so all cooking will be on gas stoves (I will provide one two burner coleman stove).

We need one large coffee pot for breakfast coffee if someone can volunteer that.

Work equipment will be provided. If you have a cross cut saw that could be used, let me know and we will see if it is needed for training.

You can reach me at my mobile phone for any questions 719-359-6725.

Rich

(Note: I am needing to change my email from work to my personal email. Please start to use rhilder7399@aol.com. The other is not a big deal, but would help me to switch over, thanks, Rich)

NSA Colorado South Elbert Trail Project, September 6 -10, 2006

A wooded dispersed camp below 10,000' near the Continental Divide Trail overlooking Twin Lakes with incredible views of the Collegiate Range; abundant tent and camper sites and numerous challenging tasks including bridges, turnpike construction and stone walls. What more could we ask for? How about camping in an Aspen grove as the autumnal coloration begins, great food prepared by the now veteran NSA camp cook Princess Sue, full camp and kitchen equipment support by the Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF) and financial support tools and equipment supplied by the Continental Divide Trail Alliance and the USFS. Best of all, drinking beer and swapping stories with your bros around the campfire. If this sounds good to you, then there is plenty of time to sign up for the NSA Colorado South Elbert trail maintenance project.
Here is more detail about the project. Warren Pierce, CJ'64 volunteered as squad leader and already has many of the details of the project under control. The project site is located on the San Isabel National Forest about 20 miles north of Buena Vista on US 24, turning west at Balltown on Colorado 82 for three miles to Twin Lakes. We're going to assemble for lunch at the Twin Lakes Nordic Lodge, a National Historic Stagecoach Stop built in 1879. Over the years the structure has been the Twin Lakes Hotel, The Black Wolfe Inn, and The Sportsman Lodge. From there we'll convoy a few miles to the dispersed campsite, private but suitable for campers and accessible by high-centered passenger vehicles with beautiful tent sites in an Aspen grove.
We'll have full support from the CDTA which will provide $6.00 per day for each jumper for food. Justin Milne, Trails Coordinator from the Leadville Ranger District will be our in-camp technical advisor and supply all tools (bring your own hand pruning saw if you have one). Justin assured us on our recon trip to the site that there is plenty of challenging work. Although trail crews are in this area during the summer, numerous demanding projects are being held for the smokejumper crew. Details on the specific work projects will be posted as we receive information from the CTDA and the USFS.
It occurred to us that there maybe some of you who would like to plan a Labor Day visit to Colorado with your family or significant other and still volunteer on the project. We would like to suggest that you could do both by checking the partner or family into The Nordic Lodge B & B and then, while they drive over Independence Pass to Aspen 30 miles away to spend your money, you could go out on the trail for a few days.
Warren will be in contact with the crew by email regarding specifics and we will post general information on this blogspot as it is received. If any of you are considering or interested in signing up, there is still time but you need to get a sign up sheet to Jon McBride and let Warren know you'’re coming. A great project-don’t miss it!

Good news for any NSA volunteer that would like to get crosscut saw certified and volunteer for an NSA trail maintenance project at the same time. The Leadville District of the Pike-San Isabel NF has agreed to conduct a saw certification session at the NSA /CTF bridge building work site at Frenchman Creek on the Colorado trail on June 22. Normally saw certification is a two-day event and would have required another drive to the Leadville area. The certification will be for crosscut saws only since the project site is within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area.
At this time the plan is to meet at a location on US Highway 24 between Leadville and Buena Vista early on the morning of June 22 and then proceed to the project site. The project is scheduled for two days with departure on the afternoon of June 23. Details of the exact location of the meeting place, time and other details including meals, camping, tools and the need for four wheel drive vehicles will be the subject of another posting on this blog.
If you are interested in joining the fun at about 11,000’ please send your sign up sheet to Jon McBride and email Richard Hilderbrand, squad leader at rhilderbrand@usantidoping.org and let him know you are coming.
Check this blog at the end of the month for more information.