Dates: 08/09/2021 - 08/13/2021
Time : 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Ty pe of Work: Trail Restoration/Maintenance
Physical Difficulty: Difficult
Minimum Age: 16
Region: Greater Denver Area
Nearest City: Deckers, CO
County: Douglas
Camping: Yes
Groups Allowed: No
Payment Required: Yes
Payment Amount: 80.00
Payment Description:
This project requires an $80 deposit to register. This deposit will be refunded in full upon completion of the project, or upon cancellation more than two weeks pr ior to the project. Deposits will not be refunded if you cancel less than t wo weeks before the project.
Read Bef
ore You Register! Need-to-Know Details:
We greatly appreciat
e you volunteering your time and energy to care for Colorado's outdoor plac
es during COVID-19. To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, ther
e are a few temporary changes to be prepared for:
- You mu st attend all days to participate in this project.
- You may only register yourself. Every volunteer must sign our dig ital COVID-specific forms ahead of time to be able to attend.
You must bring work gloves. Please click he re for our full packing list of required and recommended items. - If you are fully vaccinated, you may work without a mask. If you are not yet fully vaccinated or if you prefer to wear a mask for any reason, please continue to wear a mask on VOC projects. We will have spare masks available if needed.
- Cancellation & Wa itlists: Due to this year's limited number of projects and volunte er spots, we expect projects to fill quickly with waitlists. If you need to cancel, please email outreach@voc.org as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and ha ve a full workforce. If you are waitlisted for multiple projects, please ca ll us at 303-715-1010 ext. 116 and we can help you find an open project, if available.
Where You'll Be:
About
an hour's drive from either Castle Rock or Colorado Springs, the Lost Cree
k Wilderness is one of the most accessible wilderness areas from these ever
-growing urban centers. With more than 119,000 acres, however, the Wilderne
ss has kept its remote feel and offers a variety of landscapes and stunning
views of unique red rock formations. The area's Goose Creek Trail is one o
f its most popular, boasting summer wildflowers as well as prime backcountr
y camping and fishing opportunities.
What You'll Do:
On this five-day project, you'll be led by Steve West, one of our mo
st-skilled volunteers who has participated on more than 275 VOC projects si
nce 1991. The first and fifth day will be used to hike in or out of basecam
p at the Shaft House Junction (~4 miles each way, carrying your own gear) w
hile you'll spend the middle three days performing critical trail maintenan
ce tasks including re-establishing the trail tread, correcting steep grades
, building erosion control barriers, and reinforcing existing drainage stru
ctures. With a group of 15 people or fewer, this project is perfect for tho
se who enjoy intimate, backcountry experiences and want to improve their tr
ail stewardship skills. Meals will be provided!
PLEASE NOTE: Due to th e 15-person limit in Wilderness areas and the duration of this project, eve n one late cancellation can be detrimental to our volunteer recruitment and outdoor stewardship efforts. As such, a deposit of $80 is required to register. This deposit will be refunded in full upon completio n of the project, or upon cancellation more than two weeks prior to the pro ject. Deposits will not be refunded if you cancel less than two wee ks before the project. If the deposit causes an undue financial ha rdship, please contact Kendall Cox at outreach@voc.org or at 303-715-1010 e xt. 116.
Why It Matters:
The Goose Cree
k Trail has severely deteriorated from heavy precipitation and increased vi
sitation in recent years and muddy, eroded trails often lead to hikers seek
ing off-trail routes, which damages the natural environment. By completing
these important maintenance tasks, volunteers will help bring the Goose Cre
ek Trail to a more sustainable state, enabling it to better handle heavy tr
affic in the upcoming hiking season and protect the surrounding wilderness.
<
strong>About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)
Volunteer
s for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading ou
tdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and e
nable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC
has engaged nearly 126,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects fo
r a donated labor value of $25 million. Through award-winning youth and vol
unteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and colla
borative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an in
valuable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs
are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visit www.voc.org
or call 303-715-1010.