July Isn’t So Dry – Monsoon Season Begins, and Trail Loraxes Grin!
Despite what can feel like relentless heat at times, summer monsoon rains finally brought much needed moisture to the Vail Valley. Fingers crossed these monsoon rains carry into the end August as we continue to battle ongoing drought, warm temperatures, and water scarcity. Animals, plants, humans—and yes, our trails—need water to thrive. Here at VVMTA, moisture makes trail work easier and more effective, allowing all of us Trail Loraxes to better care for the trails we all love. Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax famously speaks for the trees. Around here, we like to think the VVMTA speaks for the trails. And the best part? Every volunteer, partner, donor, and community member who shows up to care for these places becomes a Trail Lorax, too.
Trail and Stewardship Crew
Our Trails and Stewardship Crew (TSC) lives the life of the Lorax perhaps more than any anyone in the Vail Valley. Made up of eight hardworking, crew members who spend 40 hours a week giving the trails their all, the TSC tackles projects of all kinds across the Valley. In July, the Crew continued maintenance, on dozens of trails while making progress on digging new tread on the EagleVail Trail Extension and rerouting Creamery Gulch.
By the numbers, the TSC cleared 85 trees—63 on Two Elk East and Bowman’s Shortcut alone—cleared or built 79 drains, and repaired 1,880 feet of trail tread. Beyond routine trail work, the crew also contributed to important stewardship efforts. One project of note was the TSC’s partnership with the Eagle River Coalition and Bureau of Land Management at Bohr Flats. The crew built 33 natural debris jams, hand-driving more than 160 posts to slow water, reduce erosion, restore wetlands, and improve sage-grouse habitat. It’s a good reminder that speaking for the trails goes beyond the dirt beneath our feet. Healthy trails are connected to healthy waterways, wetlands, wildlife, and healthy ecosystems as a whole.
Adopt A Trail
The Adopt A Trail (AAT) program brings people together through shared hard work and a love for the trails. They too, are trail Loraxes–bringing our mission to life. Every workday is a chance to learn how to speak for the trails, not just with words, but with loppers, shovels, McLeods, and a willingness to get dirty, sweat, and have fun while doing it.
AAT teams worked hard throughout July, with volunteers from 17 partner organizations contributing more than 832 hours of work across 21 days. Teams tackled everything from corridor clearing and tread repair to barbed-wire fence removal, berm improvements, building or clearing drains, and trail reroutes. Their work stretched across the Valley, from School House Rock to Paulie’s Plunge to Deluge Lake, giving volunteers the opportunity to work in every kind of dirt our trails have to offer. Together, they removed more than 625 pounds of trash, cleared 17,730 feet of trail corridor, repaired 8,585 feet of tread, removed 25 trees, and created or cleared 36 drains. It’s an impressive amount of work and a testament to what can happen when a community of Loraxes shows up to give back to the trails we all enjoy.
Our July Team of the Month goes to the incredible Wyse Family! This summer, they’ve logged an amazing 171.5 volunteer hours, including a memorable 4th of July workday where the whole family showed up in matching tie-dye shirts to help build the EagleVail trail extension. The Wyse family has done more for the trails in this valley than most people will ever know. Their willingness to show up year after year, often behind the scenes, has left a lasting impact on our trail system and community. We love you, Wyse Family!
Ladies Trail Crew
Ladies Trail Crew (LTC) continues to bring the energy, positivity, laughs, and, of course, the 5-star post-work meal! In July, LTC gave some much needed TLC to the Quiver Trail in Arrowhead, a newer and steeper hiking trail built by the TSC last summer. Overgrown and in need of a good trim, the crew focused on corridor clearing and tread repair. A crew of 28 women from across the Valley repaired 500 feet of tread and clearing an impressive 5,000 feet of corridor with loppers. You couldn’t put in an better than: “Live, Laugh, Lop.” We think the Lorax would approve.
Join us for our final LTC of the year on Tuesday, September 15th, and take one last opportunity to channel your inner Lorax and pour some love into the trails as we head into (arguably) the most beautiful time of the year.
Trail Ambassadors
Our Trail Ambassadors (TAs) help promote safety and sustainability, protect the trail experience, and build awareness around Leave No Trace (LNT) principles. If anyone embodies the idea of speaking for the trails, it’s this crew. Our TAs are truly our trail Loraxes, educating and engaging with trail users on everything from the importance of leashing dogs to identifying the local flora and fauna that make our trails special.
In July, the TA team encountered nearly 1,000 trail users and had meaningful interactions with more than 700 people. These interactions ranged from handing out dog leashes and waste bags, to providing water and electrolytes to better prepare hikers. Beyond engaging with trail users, the TAs cleaned up trash, documented trail conditions (while running into trail users, too!) and helped close decommissioned trails.
Lastly, we would like to give huge congratulations to Ellen Miller, one of our amazing volunteer TAs, and our July Volunteer of the Month! If you’ve had the privilege of interacting with Ellen, chances are you have learned something, walked away with a thought to ponder, or made a new friend. Whether you have joined her on one of her wilderness hikes, learned a trail lesson from her during a Trail Ambassador shift, or worked alongside her on a trail workday, Ellen leaves an impact. She is the ultimate Trail Lorax. Her enthusiasm inspires other to be better understand, appreciate, and care for our public lands and protect our wilderness areas. Thank you, Ellen!
Eagle County Youth Corp
The Eagle County Youth Corps (ECYC) gives local high school students the opportunity to get their hands dirty while learning what it takes to care for the public lands and trail systems in their own backyard. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Eagle County Open Space, and Town of Avon, ECYC employed a crew of 14 local youth who contributed an impressive 1,100 hours of work in just one month.
And they got a lot done! The crew cleared or created 24 drainage structures, removed 16 trees, repaired 1,100 feet of trail tread, and hauled out more than 1,400 pounds of trash. They also decommissioned more than 1,800 feet of social trails.
Beyond the numbers, ECYC gives the next generation firsthand experience caring for the places they call home. The program offered an opportunity to explore future careers in sustainability and conservation while learning directly from local land managers and community partners. It also simply meant spending their summer outside, working hard, building new skills, and becoming trail Loraxes themselves.
Soul Dirt
Part of caring for trails is making sure more people have the opportunity to experience why these places are worth caring about. Soul Dirt partnered with Exploremos, Mountain Recreation, RECONNECTED, My Future Pathways, and Ellen Miller’s Wilderness Hikes for a total of 11 events in July. Throughout the month, 63 bikes were borrowed and 68 miles of trail were explored, where participants embraced discomfort and celebrated joy—a true testament to just how much trails can provide for the human spirit.
One participant summed up the impact of Soul Dirt perfectly, calling it “such a supportive environment to push myself and learn new skills! I gained a lot of confidence and learned of new trails that I can share with my kids.” That ripple effect is exactly what Soul Dirt is all about. Introducing people to new trails doesn’t just expand where they feel comfortable recreating, it deepens their connection to these places. The more connected people feel to their trails, the more likely they are to become advocates, volunteers, and, of course, Loraxes, who show up to explore, love and protect them.
Trails Forever Fundraiser
Our community showed up in a big way for VVMTA this month, helping raise more than $210,000 to fund trail projects, stewardship programs, and outdoor equity intiatives. But the impact of the fundraiser goes far beyond dollars raised. It reflects a community that cares deeply about the places where we ride, hike, run, connect, and find joy.
That spirit of giving back is woven throughout VVMTA, from staff, donors, and partners to the volunteers who have made our Adopt A Trail program such a success for over a decade. Whether it’s corridor clearing or removing old fencing, educating a fellow trail user, or choosing to support the work financially, every contribution helps us continue caring for the trails and places we all love. It turns out it takes a whole community of Loraxes to speak for the trails, and we’re incredibly grateful for ours.
Come be a lorax, too!
Summer truly feels like a celebration of all things trails here in the Vail Valley. From countless hours spent working on trails during an Adopt A Trail day to squeezing in a post-work ride, hike, or run, this season reminds us just how much these places give back to our lives and our souls. Long days with ample daylight let us recreate longer and soak up the beauty and splendor of our public lands.
But these places don’t stay special on their own. They need people who care enough to speak up, show up, and work hard. That’s what being a Lorax for the trails means to us. Whether you wield a McLeod, pick up a piece of trash, educate another trail user, donate to VVMTA, volunteer for a workday, or simply make thoughtful choices when you recreate outside, you can speak for the trails, too. The trails may not have voices of their own, but luckily, they have all of us. And around here, there’s always room for one more Trail Lorax. Check out our upcoming events for way to get involved, as there are still plenty of opportunities as we head into the fall season! Because as the Lorax famously says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
