September! We hear it every year, September is one of the favorite month son the trails. Temperatures cool down, leaves change, and life seems to slow down just a bit. We welcome the rain, start getting excited for snow, and squeeze in as much trail time as we can before trading our bikes and hiking shoes for skis and snowboards.
September was also a busy month for our crews and volunteers, who showed up and got a lot done for our trails.
Here’s what they were up to.…
Trails and Stewardship Crew
The Trails and Stewardship Crew spent more than 30 hours removing invasive tamarisk along the Colorado River to keep it from crowding out native plants and spreading downstream. Crews accessed islands and shorelines by raft, using chainsaws and herbicide treatments to cut back tamarisk near the water and tackle smaller patches before they spread.
The crew also spent time addressing an eroding and collapsing section of trail on lower Two Elk East. This part of the trail has been slowly disappearing and sliding into Two Elk Creek due to a nearby spring that constantly runs. The crew spent days finding, stacking, and building a truly impressive rock retaining wall to stop the trail from further erosion. That’s a lot of rock. Our backs hurt just looking at them!
Adopt A Trail
Adopt A Trail had another busy month with more than 800 volunteer hours logged across 30 trail work days and 23 different Adopt a Trail teams.
One stand out work day was led by Casey Wyse with a 32-person crew from Vail Christian High School on Wyse Way. Over five hours, the crew cleared 25 drainages, removed two fallen trees, repaired 350 feet of tread, cleared 50 feet of brush and overhanging limbs, and closed one social trail. The work was no small task, and one student, clearly surprised by just how physical trail work can be, asked Casey in disbelief, “You do this for fun? You don’t get paid?”
Congratulations to the AAT Team of the Month, Elevated Dental! Elevated Dental has been caring for Martin Creek since 2019, bringing together staff and clients to give back to our local trails. This year, they took their commitment to trail stewardship one step further! With the opening of their new Gypsum office, they adopted a second trail, Turniphead, which the Town of Eagle identified as a high-priority maintenance need. Two offices, two trails, and a whole lot of love for our outdoor spaces! Thank you, Elevated Dental, for your continued dedication to keeping our trails in tip top shape.
And congratulations to our Volunteer of the Month, Garrett Greiner! Garrett spent the summer serving as the Town of Eagle’s Open Space & Trails Technician, helping lead and support volunteer events throughout the season, including Adopt A Trail projects and the new Eagle D.I.R.T. Crew. With his positive attitude, enthusiasm for teaching, and passion for trail stewardship, Garrett is always a welcome face at volunteer events. We’re grateful for his hard work, leadership, and the energy he brings to our trail community. Thanks for an awesome season, Garrett!
Ladies Trail Crew
Ladies Trail Crew continued work on the EagleVail Trail. A crew of 34 women of all ages and backgrounds divided and conquered different sections of trail, accomplishing a whole lot in just 2.5 hours. Together, the crew cleared 10 drainages, repaired 200 feet of tread, and continued improving the notoriously sensitive gypsum backslope that makes up a large portion of the EagleVail Trail. Working on the gypsum backslope in particular is no easy task—the loose, powdery gypsum is notoriously tricky to work with, making for dusty conditions and requiring plenty of care to avoid further erosion. Long-time LTC and Soul Dirt participant Carli Jessup summed up the spirit of the group perfectly: “This is my favorite night of the month. There’s nothing better than getting down and dirty with your community. It’s just the best.”
Trail Ambassadors
Our Trail Ambassadors were posted at trails throughout the Valley, from Booth Lake and Deluge Lake in East Vail, all the way down to trails like Nolan Lake in Fulford.
Oftentimes, our work at the VVMTA brings us outside of the confines of the Vail Valley and deeper into Eagle County. For Trail Ambassador Alex Doone, a day at the Kokomo Pass trailhead offered several of those meaningful connections. He met a group of twelve young backpackers from Colorado Springs who were waiting for their organization to pick them up after a long few days on the trail. The conversation quickly turned to VVMTA, trail stewardship, outdoor industry work, and the importance of Leave No Trace. Later that day, while hiking the trail, Alex met a CDT thru-hiker on day 92 of her journey. Together they hiked a couple of miles, which gave them an opportunity to connect on all things trails, stewardship, accessibility, and the importance of caring for the places we recreate in. Alex shared “It was a good interaction with someone who cares deeply about trails, accessibility, and recreation.”
These interactions are a great example of how our Trail Ambassadors foster a culture of stewardship, connection and community wherever they go.
Soul Dirt
Soul Dirt continues to create opportunities for people who may not have the same access to nature to experience the joy and magic of recreating outside with communities across Eagle County. This month, Soul Dirt partnered with MOYA for a beautiful hike on Meadow Mountain, The Shaw Cancer Center for a hike on Gore Creek Trail, and Exploremos for a trail work day (The Cycle Effect came too!)
In addition, we had a downhill day with Mountain Pride at Vail Mountain, where 14 riders came together to challenge themselves with the support of community and camaraderie, surrounded by the golden leaves covering the hillside. One participant summed up the day perfectly: “Yeah, I guess the biking was great, but these leaves are so vibrant!” Sometimes, getting outside is as simple as slowing down and enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer.
Vail Oktoberfest
Prost! From singletrack to steins, September gave us plenty of reasons to celebrate at Vail Oktoberfest! VVMTA was honored to once again be the nonprofit beneficiary, raising more than $36,000 to support our work throughout the Vail Valley! Nearly 300 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to check IDs, manage sales, and pour beer, all while spreading the word about VVMTA and our mission. Thanks to their enthusiasm, generosity, and hard work, a weekend of festive fun translated into meaningful support for the trails we all love.
Help our impact grow well beyond September! This Colorado Gives Day, support VVMTA and help us continue caring for the trails that connect our community. DONATE TODAY and help us reach our goal!
