NSA Colorado Projects

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!