If you rode, hiked, or ran here this summer, you probably felt the Trail Conservation Crew’s work under your feet. In June and July the Trail Conservation Crew focused on safer tread, better drainage, clear corridors, and a whole lot of teaching and mentoring. Here is what that looked like on the ground.
Salt Creek: A Trail in the Making
One of the biggest projects this summer was the ongoing work at Salt Creek, a remote trail with huge potential but years of deferred maintenance. The crew cut through dense downfall, reestablished over 4,000 feet of tread, and weed-whacked meadows so the corridor could be found again. “Salt Creek is the kind of trail that tests you,” one crew member said. “It’s rugged and wild, but every section we restore feels like opening a new chapter in its story.”
Building the Future in EagleVail and Arrowhead
Closer to town, the crew tackled projects like the EagleVail Trail Extension, which will eventually connect to Beaver Creek, and Arrowhead’s brand-new Quiver Trail, a hiking-only route intentionally designed with a natural, hand-built feel. These new miles—3.5 built or rerouted this summer—are shaping how our community moves through the valley. “When you’re building new tread by hand, you feel every rock and root. It’s slow work, but it creates a trail that really belongs to the landscape.”
Quiver (Arrowhead). Multiple days of corridor cutting, benching, grade reversals, and tread etching from Piece of Cake to Village to Village, with reinforcement planned on the steep lower section. Final tie‑ins, brushing, and clean up brought Quiver to the finish line in mid‑July and buttoned it up in August.
EagleVail Trail and Extension. Slope‑stable backslope, widened tread, trees removed, and a big push on steep off‑camber corridor. “I think that is the most sawing I have done on a steep, off‑camber slope ever,” said Mitz.
Clearing and Restoring
Sometimes the work is less glamorous but just as critical. Between June and July, the crew cleared 176 downed trees, restored 1.8 miles of eroded or unsustainable trail, and hauled out more than 1,600 pounds of trash and old debris.
Sharp Creek. New tread, a switchback, drainage structures, and decommissioned fall‑line sections to stop erosion. “That is a lot of dirt,” was the vibe from the crew.
Sharp Creek Loop and Three Sisters. Corridor repairs, cupping fixed, more drainage, and a mile of whitetop removed on Three Sisters to protect the native plant community.
North Trail. From Buffehr Creek toward the summit, hangers and hazards came out and corridor was reopened.
Grouse Creek and West Grouse Creek. Dozens of downed trees cleared and corridor brushed.
Bowmen’s Shortcut and Two Elk East and West. Logged out multiple sections including 16 trees in a single day on Bowmen’s and Two Elk East, with additional trees on Two Elk West.
Mill Creek and EV connector. Low‑stumped prior cuts, scouted hazards, and polished both sides for clean flow.
South Fork of the Piney. Tread definition across sections where the line was lost and 27 trees cleared to reopen travel.
Turquoise Lake. Last year’s turnpike was capped with mineral soil, corridor tuned, and a muddy stretch drained.
Muckey Lake. Backslope work to widen feel, one fresh downfall cut, and a new trailhead sign installed the next day.
Lost Lake near Gypsum. Logged out 19 trees, then returned to lay cairns and improve rock tread through talus and scree so hikers can stay on route. “Just getting to the worksite felt like a day,” the team joked.
Mentoring the Next Generation
This summer also marked the launch of the Eagle County Youth Corps (ECYC), where our crew mentored local high school students in trail stewardship, habitat restoration, and conservation leadership. Together they worked on real projects and got their first taste of what it means to take care of public lands. “It’s not just about moving dirt,” one crew member said. “It’s about teaching these kids that stewardship is part of the outdoor experience.”
Hunter Camp cleanup. Hiked in with ECYC, hauled trash, and packed out a nearly full 25‑pound spool of barbed wire. “It’s not the kind of thing most people notice on the trail,” a crew lead explained, “but pulling that junk out makes a big difference for wildlife and for the health of our forests.”
Homestake Road. Removed illegal fire rings and installed metal fire pits at dispersed sites in partnership with the Forest Service, while teaching ECYC how prescriptions are made on public lands.
Gypsum Creek. Built jack‑and‑rail fencing to close a decommissioned road and a social dirt bike trail, then cleaned up trash.
Homestake, Mississippi, Fancy, and Camp Hale. Decommissioned campsites too close to water, broke down fire rings, dispersed ash, built and repaired buck‑and‑rail, and replaced a damaged sign post.
Two Elk Shooting Range. Cleared a truck bed full of shell casings and trash, then sanded and repainted benches and tables to keep the site safe and usable.
The Big Picture
From Salt Creek to Arrowhead, from clearing fallen trees to teaching youth, the Trail Conservation Crew is doing the gritty work that makes trail days possible for all of us. In their words, “Some days it feels like we’re moving mountains one shovel at a time, but every swing of the tool means these trails will be here for the community tomorrow.”
Behind every great trail, there is a hardworking crew.
