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