Photo By Capt. Aaron Moshier | Master Sgt. Kevin Story, 310th Space Wing material management specialist, rips out a...... read more read more
Thirteen 310th Space Wing members volunteered to construct a new section of multi-use trail as part of a wildland conservation project near Fairplay, Sept. 10, 2024.
The Crooked Trout project, organized and overseen by the non-profit organization Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, will connect a series of existing trails and bypass approximately seven miles of exposed forest service road. The aim is to mitigate the impact of human traffic on the area’s wildlife and water resources. Of primary concern is the Bighorn sheep population, which has seen a 90 percent decrease in recent years.
“It was a great opportunity. This volunteer effort let us put faces to names and build comradery amongst people who may not have met each other in person, as we had people from Buckley, Peterson and Schriever (Space Force Bases) participate,” said Master Sgt. Denise Hixson, 310th Space Wing resiliency first sergeant. “Most of us are outdoors people and are out hiking and biking on the trails. With this, we got the chance to take care of and preserve the places that we love.”
According to Kaleigh Keohane, WRV trails project coordinator, the volunteers worked on one of the hardest sections of the project, with steep terrain that was up to a 40% grade. Additionally, the remote worksite, located off the crooked creek trail, required them to hike in all the shovels, picks, rakes, saws and other equipment they needed to build the new trail.
“We finished about 164 feet of trail. It doesn’t sound like a lot when you put it that way, but we moved a lot of dirt. We calculated that it was about 1,500 cubic feet,” said Keohane.
Expected to be completed in late 2026, the project will create seven miles of new trail linking the existing Beaver Creek, Crooked Creek, Trout Creek and Gold Dust trails. Parking areas and access to the new trail system will be located at the Beaver Creek, Camp Como and Boreas pass trailheads. Plans for the seasonal closure of forest service road FS699 are still being developed.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2024 10:35 |
| Story ID: | 485609 |
| Location: | FAIRPLAY, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 310th Space Wing assists in Colorado wildland conservation, by TSgt Marko Salopek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
