NOHVCC once again held a Great Trails Workshop in the state of Colorado, and it was a packed house. We were extremely lucky to have such a great attendance because participants were able to see several trails that are being rehabbed after being heavily damaged by wildfire and post wildfire runoff. The workshop was staged out of the historic Buckhorn Ranger Station, on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest. Participants were able to see live trail work being completed by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy and the Overland Mountain Bike Association. This provided an excellent opportunity to compare the hand-built trail being provided by the youth corps with the machine-built trail provided by the OMBA.
The Donner Pass Trail (previously called Danner Pass, but that is another story) was historically a fall line trail with poor drainage and long sustained grades. This may have been ok before the Cameron Peak Fire scorched the area, but after the burns there was no vegetation left to slow down water that drained down the steep hillsides. The trail became rutted, portions flooded, and trail structures such as bridges burnt.
When Matthew Cowan, Wilderness and Trails Program Manager for the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, first walked the trail he thought that there was no way the trail was salvageable. However, representatives from the Northern Colorado Trail Riders and the Overland Mountain Bike Association both expressed interest in saving the trail. Matt knew he couldn’t do it alone and he would have to rely on partners to save the trails in the area. The NCTR and OMBA stepped up huge working together to obtain funding for construction. They hired contractors to reroute the trail, removing steep sustained grades and poor alignment so that the trail would be more sustainable and easier to maintain. The Forest Service signed a categorical exclusion under the NEPA process in order to ensure that proper environmental clearances were in place before trail work began. Matt and the Forest Service also provided the new layout and design for the trail to create a trail that is more fun to ride and will drain water appropriately. This was quite the task in the steep mountainous terrain.
Ultimately the finished product is a trail with more mileage, that has drastically improved drainage, and will provide a fun sustainable ride for generations to come. “This project was possible because a dedicated group of partners, stakeholders, and agencies came together to restore recreation access in a very challenging landscape impacted by wildfire. We’re looking forward to continuing to support these partnerships and to find creative solutions to the challenges that we’re facing.” said Cowan. Once work on the Donner Pass trail is completed a similar process will be underway for the Lookout Mountain Trail that connects to Donner Passs. NOHVCC wishes to congratulate the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, the Northern Colorado Trail Riders, and the Overland Mountain Bike Association on their fantastic partnership and the successful outcomes. Colorado Parks and Wildlife should also be thanked for providing the grants that made this work possible. Thank you again to all who participated in the workshop.
