Work Day at Bamberger Ranch Preserve - Oct. 25, 2008

On a beautiful & warm October day, seven Trail Tamers, plus two other volunteers, headed out to the Bamberger Ranch Preserve to begin working on a new water conservation project that the owner, J. David Bamberger, has created. We drove up to the top of one of the many plateaus on the preserve where a bulldozer had scraped up dirt and rock following the contours of the plateau. Our task was to rake the dirt and rock into long, high berms on the downslope side so that when it rains, the water would be stopped from running down the slope and carrying soil with it. The idea is to "trap" the water so it will soak in and percolate through the honeycombed rock in order to recharge the "hanging aquifers" located on the preserve. Everything about the preserve is unique and these aquifers are simply another thing that's different.

We completed a lot more work than was anticipated and when it was time to go, we drove back down to the old general store for a feast of tamales, beans, chips & salsa plus an assortment of cold beverages. When we were through eating, a few people left but those of us that remained were treated to a trip to the man-made bat cave that was built by Mr. Bamberger. It now has about 250,000 bats residing in it and some of them were still there and hadn't migrated yet! We got a really close-up look at them when Mr. Bamberger decided to take us inside the cave (he calls it the Chiroptorium). That was quite an experience! Not sure I want to do that again, though! I'm not one who thinks that bats get caught in your hair, so that didn't bother me even though I could hear them flying close to me, but standing in a thick mat of bat guano and knowing that flesh-eating cave beetles were everywhere DID bother me! That's because those beetles can devour a dead bat (or any other dead creature) in a matter of minutes, so it gave me a creepy feeling and I didn't stand in one spot for very long! A couple of the ladies went back outside after only a few minutes so they missed most of the fun. Oh, well. It was a treat to be shown something like this because it's been a decades-long effort on the part of Mr. Bamberger to try and attract bats to this cave and hope that they would stay. It looks like he has finally succeeded!

My thanks to fellow Trail Tamers..Jerry Levenson, Martha Davies, Gardner Ayers, Chuck Kichline, Mary Arnett and Martha Spetseris; plus volunteers, Gina Meagher and Bill Marsh, for all the work that was completed that day.

Rocky Mountain National Park Letter & 2008 Trip Report

November 7, 2008
Curt Bucholtz, Executive Director
Rocky Mountain Nature Association
Rocky Mountain National Park Associates
PO Box 3100
Estes Park, CO 80517
Dear Kurt and Heidi,
Thank you for assisting the Trail Tamers to return to our origins and work on the trails in the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. The trip report narrative is enclosed.
Photos of the trip are online at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/collections/72157607061793565/
The Trail Tamers appreciate the support you have provided for this trip over the years. The variety of projects, the technical challenges, the pleasure of working in cool temperatures while it is dangerously hot in most of Texas, the beauty of the working environment, the confidence of working with the NPS Trail Crew, all keep us coming back despite the price of gasoline.
We are especially proud of the work on protecting the river bank below Alberta Falls and shoring up the overlook there. Of course, those who worked on the boardwalk at Mills Lake feel they have special bragging rights and our new crew members learned basic skills on the trail between the two big projects.
Please consider visiting Austin soon. Trail Tamers would love to show you around. Lynda and Dave De Groot send their greetings.
Sincerely,
Jerome Collins
RMNP Crew Leader 2005-2008

Trip Report for the 2008 Annual Central Texas Trail Tamers work trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. August 23 through September 1
Executive Summary:
Number of days of the trip: 10 day trip, 4 workdays
Number of hours worked a day: 10 hours per day
Number of CTTT participants: 10 Trail Tamers
Number of hours worked by CTTT participants: 398 hours (lost 2 hours to injury)
Number of other participating groups, if any: National Park Service Trail Crew
Number of hours worked by other participating groups, if any: 160
Contact at host agency: Danny Basch, Dave Larsen
Contact's phone number: 970-586-1248 or 586-1279 fax: 970-586-1347
Contact's e-mail address:Dave_Larsen@nps.gov; Dan_Basch@nps.gov
Brief description of work done: 3 projects on Alberta Falls-Mills Lake Trail:
1) Below Alberta Falls armor river bank with boulders and support overlook slab.
2) 100 yards above Alberta Falls, repair trail erosion with steps, water bars, and drains,.
3) About 2.5 miles above Alberta Falls, replace boardwalk on marshy bank of Mills Lake.
Status of work at end of trip:
1) Completed support for overlook ledge and 600 sq ft of riverbank armored with 100 boulders,
2) 15 steps (checks) 4 rolling grade changes, 5 drains;
3) 120 feet of wetlands boardwalk replaced.
Comments: Patrick Clynch suffered a 2 hour lost time accident resulting in stitches in his right middle finger.

Details:
Mike Rodgers, Louise Stahl and Patrick Clynch left the storage shed in Oak Hill after work Thursday evening, August 21 with Jan Adler’s bags, loaner tents and equipment in a rented van. They drove without stopping to Rocky Mountain National Park arriving at the Morraine Campground Friday. Friday, Bill Swaim flew from Austin to Denver, caught the shuttle to the campground and helped set up the camp kitchen on loan from the NPS Trails program.
Martha Davies, Clyde Paulk, Jerome Collins flew to Denver where Bill Swaim met them with the van, arriving in camp Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon, Louise, Jerome and Martha bought groceries at a Walmart whose manager would not accept our tax exempt forms. Ann Miller, Jan Adler and George Finan arrived separately. All 10 crew members were ready to go Sunday evening. Danny Basch with NPS Trails welcomed the crew and brought firewood.
Louise Stahl was the cook. Returning veterans of prior RMNP-CTTT work trips were Jan Adler, Patrick Clynch, Jerome Collins, Martha Davies, George Finan, Mike Rodgers, Bill Swaim. New this year were Ann Miller, Louise Stahl, Clyde Paulk.
Monday through Thursday, 10 volunteers in three teams worked 10 hour days on three different trail projects on the trail running from the Bear Lake parking area to Mills Lake. Jeremy Long, National Park Service, and his Trail Crew, supervised all three projects.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/sets/72157607059459191/ Central Texas Trail Tamers PO Box 12045, Capitol Station, Austin, TX 78711-2045 (512) 394-9998 www.trailtamers.org
Just below Alberta Falls the river bank had been eroded and a popular overlook shelf was undermined and unsupported. The Rock Crew: Martha Davies, George Finan, Patrick Clynch, Ann Miller and Jerome Collins gathered boulders off trail to “armor” the eroded soil of the riverbank. By Monday lunch they had put in shallow ditch parallel to the bank and filled it with large stones to anchor the rockwork. By end of day Thursday, the overlook ledge was supported by over 600 square feet of tightly fitted rockwork, over 100 heavy stones. There was an on-the- job injury late in the day Thursday requiring a trip to the emergency room in Estes Park for Patrick Clynch to stitch up his middle finger on his right hand caught between a rock and a rock bar. Dave Larsen did the driving. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/sets/72157608732502554/
About 100 yards above Alberta Falls, a second crew filled in eroded trail with crushed rock, created 15 steps (checks), 4 rolling grade changes and 5 drains to keep water off the trail in the future. Mike Rodgers, assisted by Ann Miller, Jerome Collins and Louise Stahl, worked with Bryce, NPS trail crew member on that project. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/sets/72157608735805015/
Two and a half miles farther up the trail, a third crew replaced a boardwalk over the marshy banks of Mills Lake. Jan Adler, Bill Swaim, Clyde Paulk, Patrick Clynch and George Finan removed and rebuilt 120 feet of boardwalk. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/sets/72157608542966524/
Friday was a free day allowing the NPS crew to take off for a long weekend. The Trail Tamers took the opportunity to enjoy the hiking trail up to Flattop, including Jan Adler, Martha Davies, Geroge Finan, Clyde Paulk, Mike Rodgers, Louise Stahl, Bill Swaim. Only three stayed in the Big Thompson River Valley to fish: Ann Miller, Patrick Clynch and Jerome Collins. That evening we ate in town at a BBQ place. Several went to the Rock Inn to meet some of the NPS Trail Crew. We were able to thank the guy who put together our camp kitchen.
Because of the shorter than expected work week, most volunteers left on Saturday, although Jan Adler stayed until Monday. Changing reservations erased the advantage of lower air fares.
Mike Rodgers, Patrick Clynch and Louise Stahl drove the van back to Austin arriving Sunday. After follow up medical attention in Austin, Patrick Clynch reported his finger healing well as he began a new job on Tuesday.
With grateful appreciation of the hardworking crew of 2008,
Respectfully submitted by,
Jerome Collins
Crew Leader, RMNP 2005, ’06, ‘07, ’08.
Central Texas Trail Tamers PO Box 12045, Capitol Station, Austin, TX 78711-2045

No "Fire" in St. Elmo, Colorado – by Jerry Levenson

In July 2008, eleven Trail Tamers joined about thirty volunteers from the Continental Divide Trail Alliance to work just below Tin Cup Pass, a few miles south of Buena Vista. Our goal was to replace a steep, eroding section of the CDT by building several switchbacks.

We all gathered in the ghost town of St Elmo (Motto: More chipmunks than people) on July 16. The road up to Tin Cup Pass requires 4-wheel drive, so we made sure everyone and their gear found a ride. At the campsite, we set up our tents, ate lunch, and went for a tour of the work project. CDTA and the Salinas Ranger District were well prepared with tools, and we spent an hour or two at work before walking down for dinner. CDTA provided the kitchen, the food, and a chef.

The next two days began early and ended when the afternoon showers arrived. Actually, we ended a little late on Thursday, resulting in an hour of grumpy, wet, and cold campers, but by dinnertime, we were all better. Another complication was, about two hundred years ago someone planted a few trees right in the middle of our new trails! Vigorous work with a Pulaski took care of the smaller stumps, and CDTA had some experienced people who used chain saws and a cable-grip to pull out the bigger ones.

No work was scheduled on Saturday because that coincided with the annual TrailFest exhibition. The Forest Service and many local and national outfitters had booths set up in McPhelemy Park in Buena Vista, and a dozen guided trips brought visitors out to various destinations along the CDT. After cleaning up, four of us went up to Leadville for dinner at The Grille, a highly recommended destination for any trip to central Colorado.

We completed three switchbacks, each one about fifty yards. A separate project, higher up the trail, was tackled by a Scout group and they completed another fifty yards, including building up a section of trail with logs and many, many buckets of soil. And another group built a plank bridge across an eight-foot wide creek. This task was more than just hard work; it also required a bit of engineering skill to position the bridge high enough to withstand a flood.

Letter from Jerry W. Davis, Ouachita NF, Arkansas

I deeply regret that the CTTT did not get the Take Pride
in America National Award. You are truly deserving. I
hope that there is some satisfaction in knowing that your
story is now out there for anyone to see. Your dedication
to volunteering in natural resource restoration is a
rarity and truly needs public recognition and hopefully
your unselfish example will be followed by others.

Consider updating your nomination and having it ready
for 2009.

Thank you.

Jerry W. Davis
Forest Wildlife Program Manager
Ouachita National Forest
PO Box 1270
Hot Springs, AR 71902-1270
501-321-5201 Voice

Trip Report – Nature Conservancy Davis Mountains Preserve

During April 2008, seven Central Texas Trail Tamers, three local volunteers and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Davis Mountain Stewardship Director worked together for four days building a new section of the Lympia Chute Trail. The Lympia Chute Trail is the main access trail to Mount Livermore (the fifth tallest mountain in Texas), which is located on TNC’s 32,000 acre Davis Mountains Preserve, about 25 miles west of Fort Davis, Texas. In total, the work crew completed approximately 600 feet of new trail through some difficult and challenging terrain. In addition, each day, the crew took a rough, 45 minute ride both to and from the trail head in a provided four wheel vehicle.

Before and after work, the crew enjoyed the relative comforts of the TNC’s Visitor Center and adjacent camping area. Meals were prepared by crew volunteers. The evening meals included lasagna, roasted duck, grilled pork chops, hamburgers and beef stew. Activities on Friday, included a hike to the back side of the preserve, a four wheel drive exploratory ride in the preserve, a tour of the McDonald Observatory, and a tour of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens. Although the terrain was very dry, wildlife was abundant. In summary, the crew saw big horn sheep, turkey, mule deer, javelina, white tail deer, antelope, and elk.

Everyone worked hard, and still found time to relax, and enjoyed the fellowship that comes from getting to know other crew members. No one got hurt and returned home safely. This was another successful work trip.

CTTT Completes Davy Crockett National Forest Project

by Raymond Fore

President's Day weekend at Davy Crockett National Forest was successful again despite all the efforts of Mother Nature to derail us. Friday, February 15 was spent setting up camp and gathering the needed tools and supplies we'd need to complete the task. Except of the retagging of the Tall Pines Trail and the clean up and organizing of the supply yard/lumber yard, all the work we did during the work session took place in the Big Slough Wilderness area. The challenge in this work was doing it without the help of any type of powered tools OR wheeled vehicles. Four sections of the raised wooden foot bridge on the trail had been washed away in recent flooding.

The bridge crew, made up of Mike Rodgers, Terrence Donovan, Andy Zwarun, Pearlie Green(Forest Service), and myself, Ray Fore recovered the sections, re-established them, and added a cable hand rail. The tree crew, Chuck Lundsted, Raylene Welch, Bob Weglarz, Dwight Riley, and Vick Hines removed several very large trees that had fallen across the 4 C trail. They did this with the use of axes, 6 foot cross cut saws, several smaller saws, and a lot of grunting and groaning. As usual, the Forest Service thought it would take us at least two days to complete those two task. We did it in one and still had time to retag and clear the Tall Pines trail which goes around Ratcliff Lake.

After a night of violent thunder storms, we woke to a clear morning. The clearing and organizing the Forest Service's supply/lumber yard was a fall back task just in case we needed something else to do. While that was being done, two of us and the Forest Service personnel returned to the woods to take inventory of other bridges that needed attention. We identified at least two more days of work in bridge repair and trail clearing. This will be a task we'll take care of later in the year.

Six of us took a side trip Friday evening. We went to Crockett and ate at an excellent restaurant, "Tchoupitoulas". After supper we attended a concert at the Camp Street Cafe featuring Elena James. This fiddle player and singer plays for people like Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. She was great and brought the house down with her rendition of "Orange Blossom Special".

Another successful weekend. It was good to meet new members, and visit with those members we haven't seen in some time.