The Trails Don’t Build Themselves: Maintaining Colorado's Iconic 14er Trails
Meet the Volunteers Hauling Tools Above 10,000 Feet to Protect Colorado’s Most Iconic Peaks
Just a few weekends ago, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC), in partnership with Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), brought a group of volunteers to Mt. Democrat for a physically demanding, high-altitude trail restoration effort.
Rather than summitting the Fourteener, volunteers spent two days reconstructing degraded sections of the trail above Kite Lake, where trail braiding has become a serious issue due to high foot traffic and erosion. Starting at over 12,000 feet, volunteers installed timber check steps, reinforced trail boundaries, and completed significant rock work to mitigate further damage.
Among them was John McDowell, a civil engineer for CDOT and a relatively new VOC volunteer. He spends his weekdays planning multi-year infrastructure projects. On weekends, he picks up the shovel.
“Since I spend most of my time working with my mind, I like doing something physical that has tangible results by the end of the day,” John shared. “I love the alpine tundra, so getting to work so high up makes for a great day.”
When asked what it’s like to do physical labor at such high elevation, John reflected, “You lose your breath much faster than you do at the base of the mountain, so you work in shorter sprints before you have to take a break… The air is thinner, the sun exposure is greater, and you dehydrate faster, so you feel much more tired by the end of the day.”
Seen above is a before and after of the work VOC volunteers accomplished in just one weekend.
The group of volunteers successfully installed 28 timber check steps and restored approximately 200 feet of trail, manually relocating hundreds of rocks to reshape the trail and prevent further braiding. Thanks to the volunteers’ dedication, the crew accomplished what was estimated as over a week's worth of work for CFI in just two days.
The reality is, most people take trails like this for granted, though John knew the hours of hard labor that went into the trails he frequents.
“I hiked Gray's Peak after volunteering on the trail, and as I passed the gabion walls on the upper parts of the trail, I couldn't help but think, ‘Damn. They had to bring all these steel baskets up, clear the ground, haul in a bunch of rock, and fill these baskets to build this wall. This must have taken forever.’"
Lucky for VOC volunteers, much of the heavy timber was delivered via helicopter several weeks prior, and CFI staff assisted by cutting the materials to six-foot sections in advance. This left volunteers with the task of using log tongs to carry the pre-cut timber a few hundred feet, where they would then be installed as check steps. Once that section was complete, the team began rock step construction and additional trail braiding remediation.
Despite smoky skies, the weather was favorable, and spirits were high. The crew enjoyed vibrant wildflowers, pika sightings, and camaraderie over shared meals.
Behind the scenes, crew chefs led by volunteer, Lisa Thilker, and three crew chef helpers prepared meals to fuel the group, while volunteer tool managers, Heather Whipple and Michael McMahon kept tools organized and ready.
This work took place on Mt. Democrat, a peak that was closed to public access just two years ago due to private ownership and only recently reopened following successful conservation efforts. VOC contributed nearly 350 volunteer hours to the project. While volunteers donate their time and energy, VOC still incurs approximately $4,000 per project to cover expenses such as meals, tools, training, logistics, and safety resources.
“It would be great if all hikers would contribute a little of their time or money to support our trails,” McDowell said. “Because there’s a lot of work to be done. Also, please pick up your trash. It’s not that hard.”
Well, you heard it from John, not us! And we think he knows what he's talking about...
For more information about VOC or to get involved, visit www.voc.org.
Photos by Arthur Vigil and David J. Kennedy
