Trail Champions: Our May Volunteers

As the snow melted and trails reopened, our incredible volunteer crews jumped into action this spring to restore and enhance some of our most beloved trails. From Eagle to Vail, each hour logged made a tangible impact on trail sustainability and user enjoyment. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished together:

  • Volunteer Events: 23 
  • Number of Volunteers: 213
  • Volunteer Hours on Trails: 600 +

Every hour, every shovel, and every conversation on the trail helps protect and sustain our outdoor spaces. We’re grateful for the passion and sweat equity from each volunteer. Want to join us on a future trail day? Check out our upcoming volunteer events!

Our Volunteer Champions for May

Team of the Month

Sonnenalp Club on Lower West Avon Preserve! They’ve had this tough section of trail since 2017 and it’s one of the busiest mountain biking areas in the upper valley. This dedicated group came out with 6 volunteers to fix the tread and lower berms. They also partner with the Sonnenalp Hotel and adopt Cougar Ridge and a section of North Trail. Kudos to this team for their continued involvement on multiple trails throughout our valley.

Volunteer of the Month

Lindsay Brisko! Lindsay has been hard at work volunteering for Eagle Bike Park Rake & Ride, Ladies Trail Crew, and the Wednesday Night Volunteer Crew. She also attended the Technical Skills Training to enhance her knowledge to better understand the world of trail maintenance. Give her a kudos if you see her around the valley for all the dedicated hours she’s put into the trails.

Trail Love in Action

We’ve hosted two training sessions in the last month for our team leaders and volunteers to kick off the season! 

  • Adopt a Trail Team Leader Training: We equipped new and returning leaders with the knowledge and confidence to guide volunteer groups, identify trail issues, and manage field safety. With 62 teams getting out on the trails 2-3 times this summer, expect a lot of great work to be done on our local trails.
  • Sharpen Your Technical Trail Building Skills: We’ve hosted 28 people to understand the critical role maintenance plays in trail longevity.  Volunteers took their knowledge to the next level with a deep dive into corridor clearing, tread repair, drainage structure work, and safe tool use. This hands-on session set the standard for high-quality trail work throughout the season.

Wednesday Night Crew

Untitled design (8)

The Wednesday Night Trail Crew has been working hard on the Eagle Bike Park and the EagleVail Trail Extension. Even in the rain and snow, they’ve had 39 volunteers across three events completing projects like cutting new trails, removing noxious weeds, and working on improving tread.

Ladies Trail Crew

The Ladies Trail Crew at the Eagle Bike Park 40 volunteers tackled various tasks including mulching, drainage repairs, rock work, and staining wood features. Their next gathering at EagleVail Trail saw 31 volunteers constructing 300 feet of new tread and removing two trees.

Youth Trail Crews

We’ve connected with multiple students in our valley with a goal to promote stewardship for the next generation of our public land users. Through trail maintenance days and education about Leave No Trace and advocacy, we’ve connected with students from ages 8 – 20 through the following groups: 

  • Cycle Effect: We’ve had two trail workdays with 40 girls and staff on Berry Creek and the Eagle Bike Park. “I’m proud that we all worked together” showcases their commitment to collaboration and their desire to give back to the trails they love to ride on. 
  • CLIMB Program: We went to the Holy Cross Ranger Station in Minturn to discuss LNT principles, wildlife closures, and they volunteered their time to sharpen and clean our AAT tools, a huge task to prepare for the season! 
  • Exploremos: We had a few kids join us at the Exploremos trail work day at the Eagle Bike Park. Cesia and Amy enjoyed it so much that they came back the following day and were the highlights of our night at the Ladies Trail Crew event.
  • Gypsum Creek Middle School: We hosted GCMS 6th – 8th grade students for three days during their M-Term session on Mountain Biking & Sustainability. Through a lesson about advocacy, a mountain biking event, and a trail work day, we had a lot of fun with this group of trail stewards!
Cycle Effect
Exploremos
Gypsum Creek

Adopt A Trail

We’ve been hard at work this month with eight events and 47 volunteers from the following organizations. A few quotes highlight the good times that we have out there with our volunteers… “Stop, Drop, and Lop”…“I guess those tools mean we are not just going on a hike”… “Why isn’t the rogue hoe just called the Mrs. McLeod?” 

  • Howard Head Sports Medicine on EagleVail Trail 
  • Alpine Bank on Full Nelson 
  • Vail Health on Riddle 
  • Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea on West Grouse Creek 
  • Walking Mountains Science Center on The Avon Overlook 
  • RTM Engineering on BLT Jumpline 
  • Sonnenalp Club on Lower West Avon Preserve 
  • Eagle River Water and Sanitation District on Gore Creek
Howard Head
Alpine Bank
Vail Health
Vail Mountain Coffee
Walking Mountains
RMT Engineering
Sonnenalp Club
ERWS District

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