Summer is in full swing, and thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers, July has been a month to remember on the trails! From digging new tread and clearing drains to mentoring the next generation of stewards, our community showed up in force to care for the places we all cherish.
Whether it was a local team adopting a favorite trail, youth groups learning about trail sustainability, or dedicated individuals giving their all week after week, the spirit of stewardship has never been stronger. Let’s take a moment to celebrate the incredible impact we’ve made together so far this season:
- Number of Volunteer Events: 61 (23 in July)
- Number of Volunteers: 723
- Volunteer Hours on Trails: 2520
- Miles of Trails Covered: 59.27
- Miles of Tread Repaired: 4.2
- Miles of Corridor Cleared: 12.83
- Drainages Cleared: 306
- Closed Social Trails: 31
- Pounds of Trash Removed: 17.15
Adopt A Trail Teams
Our AAT program saw 23 events and 241 volunteers in July! Volunteers from businesses, organizations, and neighborhood groups showed up ready to keep our trails looking great. A few favorite volunteer quotes from the month:
- “It’s all just moon dust!”
- “Nothing like tamping baby powder!”
- “MEGA PROJECT!”
- “Call me Cindy Lopper.”
- “This one’s for Ozzy [Osbourne}!” When carefully placing a big rock in a water bar.
- “I love me some hard field work.”
- “You’ll find the rock pile up the trail. Just follow my blood, sweat, and tears.”
A huge thank you to the following AAT teams for their commitment in July:
- Michael Dunahay & Associates on Grouse Lake
- The Wolffe Tasting House on Our Backyard
- Bright Future Foundation on Saddleridge
- Howard Head Sports Medicine on Bighorn
- Sonnenalp Hotel on Cougar Ridge
- Vail Club 50 on Stag Gulch
- Vail Fire on North Trail (Trapper’s)
- Walking Mountains on Avon Overlook
- The Partners/Rutsu Team on Lov Connector
- AXIS Sports Medicine on Paulie’s Plunge
- Minturn Residents on Water Tank Trail
- All Points North on Everkrisp
- Eagle County Dept. of Human Services on Adam’s Way
- RTM Engineering on Colorow Creek
- Gravity Haus on Booth Lake
- The Club on Abram’s Ridge
Project of the Month: Salt Creek
Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado (VOC) teamed up with VVMTA to complete an overnight, 2 day project on the Salt Creek Trail. Over 30 volunteers provided critical trail maintenance to the upper 2 miles of trail redefining the tread to ensure continued recreational access in this corner of the National Forest. See full stats below:
- 0.77 miles / 4,065.6 ft of tread establishment and improvement
- 17 drainage structures installed or improved.
- 1 social trail closed
- 2 signs installed
- 31 total volunteers day one / 32 total volunteers day two
- 627.5 total volunteer hours
The Salt Creek Trail follows a combination of old roads and singletrack through a mixture of spruce, fir, aspen, and brush along Salt Creek to Dubach Meadows near the top where the views of the Sawatch Range are terrific. Consider checking out this redefined trail and see the work that the volunteers and VVMTA staff put into it!
Youth Trail Stewards: Next Generation in Action
VVMTA hosted two sessions with Mountain Rec’s “Backyard Explorer’s Camp” at the Eagle Bike Park. With a shared focus on respecting the places they explored throughout the week, this group of middle school students made trail work fun while giving back to the bike park. They spent hours removing invasive kochia from various features in the Skills Zone – and then had the chance to ride those same features on their bikes!
Walking Mountains “Trailblazers” Camp spent 3 days at Peter Estin Hut, discussing trail sustainability and exploring the surrounding area. The group of eight middle school students wrapped up their trip by partnering with VVMTA on a trail stewardship project along Brown’s Loop, where they cleared overgrown willows from the boardwalk. As active trail users, each student expressed a strong desire to give back to the trails they love.
VVMTA Volunteer Trail Crews
This month, our Wednesday Night Trail Crew and Ladies Trail Crew supported an exciting new project in Arrowhead. VVMTA staff and volunteers are constructing a hand-built, hiking-only trail from the Piece O’Cake/Tomahawk intersection to the top of the Arrowhead Bahn Lift (2.1 miles in total). We’re excited to announce the grand opening of this trail during our Friday Afternoon Club on August 22nd!
In July, these dedicated crews brought 47 volunteers and dug 1,470 feet of new trail. With a goal of connecting our community through trails, we’re grateful for both our returning and first-time volunteers who consistently show up to make a difference. Come out and join us at the next ones!
Volunteer Champions of July
Team of the Month: AXIS Sports Medicine
This crew has been with VVMTA since the beginning of our Adopt a Trail Program and has been working on Paulie’s Plunge since 2016. They were one of the first teams this summer to complete their required 6 hours of trail maintenance and always showed up with positive attitudes. Calvin, an 11-year-old, was one of the highlights at the last trail event, tackling the “mega drains” and encouraging people that tacos awaited them at the end of the evening. Kudos to the AXIS Sports Medicine crew with their dedicated 10 years on Paulie’s Plunge!
Volunteer of the Month: Erin Baumann
Erin has been nominated for VOTM three times this summer, so she’s a clear choice as this month’s volunteer champion! She is a regular volunteer at Ladies Trail Crew, supports Walking Mountain’s AAT work days on Buck Creek, and led the Walking Mountain’s “Trailblazer’s” camp to promote trail stewardship to middle schoolers. Not only does she volunteer for VVMTA, she also donates a lot of her time towards growing food and supporting The Community Market. If you see her around, give her a kudos for the massive positive impact that she makes on our community!
Make the promise: Respect the vail valley
From first-time volunteers to long-time champions, each person who lent a hand this July played a part in protecting the places we play. Your hard work ensures that trails remain safe, sustainable, and enjoyable for everyone—and we couldn’t do it without you. As we look ahead to more trail days and exciting projects like Arrowhead’s new uphill hiking trail, we invite you to stay involved, spread the word, and keep making the promise to Respect the Vail Valley.
Thank you for your continued commitment. Check out our upcoming volunteer events – we’d love to see you out on the trail!
