September has wrapped the trails in gold, with aspen leaves shimmering and crisp mountain air adding extra magic to every mile. Volunteers have been out embracing the season—digging, clearing, and giving back while surrounded by the colors of fall. Here’s to celebrating everything we’ve accomplished together so far this season:
Number of Volunteer Events: 115 (3`0 in September) Cheers to our milestone of over 100 volunteer trail maintenance events this summer!
- Number of Volunteers: 1,295
- Volunteer Hours on Trails: 3,885.5
- Miles of Trails Covered: 122.67
- Miles of Tread Repaired: 6.13
- Miles of Corridor Cleared: 24.5
- Drainages Cleared: 577
- Closed Social Trails: 60
- Pounds of Trash Removed: 23.75
Adopt A Trail Teams
Our AAT program saw 30 events and 258 volunteers in September! Volunteers from businesses, organizations, and neighborhood groups showed up ready to keep our trails looking great. A few favorite volunteer quotes from the month:
- “Wow! Look at how many weeds we pulled!”
- “Minturn residents going rogue!”
- “When can I start working for VVMTA?” “Can you hire me now?” -VMS middle schooler
- “Ladies trail crew has changed my life.”
- “Are we getting rewarded with loppers?! That’s exciting!”
- “Another fine day on the trail.”
A huge thank you to the following AAT teams for their commitment in September:
- Sonnenalp Club on Lower West Avon Preserve
- The Cycle Effect at the Eagle Bike Park
- Minturn Residents on Cemetery Trail
- Michael Dunahay & Associates on Grouse Lake (x3)
- Alpine Bank on Half Nelson
- Walking Mountains on Nature Loop (x2)
- The Wolffe Tasting House on Our Backyard
- All Points North on Everkrisp (East)
- Wyse Family on Wyse Way
- The Club on Abrams Ridge
- Vail Recreation District on North Trail
- Latino Conservation Week at the Eagle Bike Park
- Vail Mountain School on Booth Lake
- Slifer Smith & Frampton on Two Elk (West)
- Singletree Community on Knob Hill
- Elevated Dental on Martin Creek
- Vail Fire on North Trail
- Vail Valley Partnership on Brown’s Loop
- Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy on Mini Mile
- East West Partners on North Trail
- RA Nelson on Son of Middle Creek
- ESWA on Deluge
- Howard Head Sports Medicine on Bighorn
- Partners Environmental and Rutsu on Lov Connector
VVMTA's routine volunteer crews
The Ladies Trail Crew wrapped up their season on Haymaker this month, preparing the trail for the Haymaker Classic, hosted by the Colorado High School Cycling League. For their final workday, the crew focused on resurfacing berms, raking brake bumps, removing weeds, and closing social trails. They closed out the season with one last shared meal, reflecting on their favorite trail moments and expressing gratitude. A special thanks goes to the inspirational Hailee Rustad for fostering a space of inclusion, community, and stewardship!
Wednesday Night Trail Crew continued their work this month on the EagleVail Trail Extension and concluded their season on October 1st. We can’t say thank you enough to our returning volunteers who helped us work on EagleVail, Quiver, and the Eagle Bike Park this summer over 9 separate events.
Youth Trail Stewards Highlights
This month alone, we’ve engaged over 100 students in environmental stewardship and trail work across Eagle County. Thanks to the following schools that participated in either classroom lessons and hands-on trail improvement projects:
- Berry Creek Middle School – Environmental stewardship and service learning lesson
- The Cycle Effect – Trail work day at Eagle Bike Park
- Vail Mountain School – Trail work on Booth Falls Trail
- Vail Christian High School – Trail work on Wyse Way
- Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy – Trail work on Mini Mile / Minturn Bike Park
- Battle Mountain High School – Trail work on Stone Creek Trail
Interested in our Youth Trail Stewards Program? If your school or youth organization is interested in taking part in a stewardship project, we’d love to have you join us! Trail days are a fun and meaningful way for students to connect with nature, learn about sustainability, and give back to their community. To learn more or set up a project, reach out to Natalie at natalie@vvmta.org — we’d be excited to work with you!
Volunteer Champions for September 2025
Team of the Month: Michael Dunahay & Associates
Michael Dunahay and his team put in the work this month with an ongoing invasive species removal project on Grouse Lake. He had not one, not two, but three work days in September with a goal to remove invasives to allow the return of natural flora.
This work is critical because invasive species crowd out native plants, disrupt wildlife habitat, and threaten the long-term health of our local ecosystems. By restoring balance at Grouse Lake, Michael and his team’s efforts directly support biodiversity, healthier soil and water, and a more resilient landscape for the future.
Kudos to Michael Dunahay & Associates for his dedication to stewarding our public lands!
Volunteer of the Month: Jessie Rethman
Jessie has been an incredible volunteer with VVMTA as the Adopt A Trail team leader for All Points North. She not only brings out her staff and clients for work days on Everkrisp Trail, but she also dives right in herself—whether it’s building new drains on steep switchbacks, clearing corridors, or reconstructing tread that needs some love. Jessie is always ready to tackle whatever the trail needs.
This year, she went above and beyond, putting in extra effort to maintain Everkrisp from both the EagleVail and Minturn sides. No matter where the priority projects were, Jessie showed up with a smile and a can-do attitude.
We’re grateful for her dedication and the positivity she brings to every project. Kudos to Jessie for all she contributes to our trails, our volunteers, and the wider community!
Volunteer Dog of the Month: Wiley!
Wiley was the true trail-day MVP on Two Elk, joining the Slifer Smith & Frampton crew with boundless energy and charm. Between greeting volunteers and keeping spirits light, he also made sure to take full advantage of the creek for some well-deserved water breaks. A huge thank-you to Polly for bringing Wiley out to the project—his presence was the perfect reminder that trail days are about hard work, laughter, and a little time to splash around, too.
