FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 (Workdays Saturday-Sunday)

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a weekend of camping and stewardship in the Bear Creek Watershed!

PROJECT OVERVIEW

El Paso County and the U.S. Forest Service began on-the-ground work on the Bear Creek Watershed Restoration Project in 2016. The multi-year project has been designed to protect the greenback cutthroat trout while allowing for appropriate and sustainable recreation in this very popular area of El Paso County. New trails will be constructed and rerouted while some non-system trails and trails parallel to the new trails will be decommissioned and restored.

For our volunteer weekend, we will spend Saturday and Sunday restoring the former Trail 666/667 which follows Bear Creek between Josephine Falls and Jones Park. Due to its close proximity to the creek and heavy usage, this segment poses significant threat to the greenback habitat and is no longer needed as new reroutes of Trail 667 and the access to Jones Park and Loud's Cabin have been completed. Work tasks will include decompacting the hardened soils of the old trail, spreading native grass seed and mulch, putting in transplants, and further obscuring the trail into the natural environment. Other tasks will involve the construction of log and rock check-dams that will mitigate erosion in the area. This is moderately strenuous to strenuous work.  

BASECAMP, EQUIPMENT, AND MEALS

We will be enjoying exclusive backcountry camping in Bear Creek Canyon, an area that otherwise does not permit camping. Our basecamp from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon will be either in Jones Park or further up near the meadow by the junction of Trails 667 and 701. Lovely places to be at this time of year! 

RMFI will provide all meals while on the trip from Friday evening's dinner through Sunday lunch. Also provided by RMFI will be all group equipment, including stoves, full camp kitchen, and water filtration. Volunteers will be asked to assist in packing in our shared equipment and food.

Volunteers must supply their own personal outdoor gear. (Loaner tents, sleeping bags, and pads are available upon request, on a first-come first-served basis.) Volunteers may be asked to buddy-up in tents to make best use of available space. There are no restroom facilities nor shower facilities at this camping and work site. Volunteers will make use of the RMFI-provided carry-in/carry-out solid waste (WAG) system.

DATES AND SCHEDULE

Friday, September 29: Meet at RMFI office early afternoon (exact time TBD). We will carpool from here to our trailhead. Hike approximately 2 to 3 miles to our basecamp location, set up camp, get an orientation to the worksite, and enjoy a hearty dinner.

Saturday, September 30: Project work begins: decompact, seed, plant, and disguise the old trail. Return to camp after a full day's work for evening relaxation and another scrumptious camp dinner. 

Sunday, October 1: Continue project objectives into the afternoon, pack up camp, hike out, and head home.

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

• This is a strenuous program. No prior experience is necessary, however, participants must be in good physical condition and comfortable living and doing manual labor for multiple days in a backcountry setting.
• Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
• Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the RMFI office. We will carpool to our trailhead from here.

Questions? Contact Molly Mazel, Volunteer Coordinator, molly@rmfi.org, (719) 471-7736 ext. 4#