Service in the Majestic Rocky Mountains, Colorado

The Trip

We will havefour days of trail work and conservation projects and one day off to explore this iconic area.

Rocky Mountain National Park is in the ancestral lands of the Arapaho (Hinono-eino). The Arapaho were there before 1860, following buffalo and other game into the mountains during the summer and down to the plains during the winter. Estes Park (heetko’einoo’) was considered their hunting ground. After 1860, they left the area to follow the buffalo that had been driven off by the white man, and the Utes then moved into the area. After the Treaty of 1851, the Arapaho and Cheyenne shared land encompassing one-sixth of Wyoming, one-quarter of Colorado, and parts of western Kansas and Nebraska. Later, after the Treaty of 1868, the Northern Arapaho were placed with the Shoshone on the Wind River Reservation. The Northern Arapaho are a federally recognized tribe.

The Project

Our service project will be determined by the needs of the agencies that oversee the surrounding public lands. This includes the NPS staff at Rocky Mountain National Park and the USFS staff who oversee the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests that surround the park. Past service projects have included trail repair, flood damage mitigation, brushing, and erosion control. Additionally, we will spend one half-day working on trail projects for the YMCA of the Rockies.

Day 1: We will meet at 4 p.m. at the Administration Building at the YMCA, followed by a tour of our cabin, room assignments, and dinner at 6 p.m. After dinner and kitchen cleanup, we will have opening-night announcements and get acquainted before retiring for the night.

Days 2-3: Work days. We will have breakfast at 7 a.m., pack our lunches, and get ready to carpool to our work site. At our work site, the agency personnel will first demonstrate safety measures. We will take water and rest breaks as needed, as we will be working at an altitude of about 8,000 feet and will need to acclimate.

Day 4: This will be a day off to sightsee, recreate, or just rest.

Day 5: We'll continue with our work project.

Day 6: In the morning we will work a half-day with the staff at the YMCA. The afternoon is free for you to enjoy.

Day 7: Departure by 10 a.m. Breakfast will be provided, plus lunch if desired for your travel home. 

Getting There

Estes Park is 75 miles from Denver International Airport (DEN). There are several shuttle services from DEN to the YMCA Administration Building, with scheduled trips several times per day, at a cost of about $95. For current pricing and schedules, check online at http://www.estesparkshuttle.com or by phone at (970) 586-5151. Carpooling is also encouraged. The leader will provide a participant list, so it will be possible for participants to coordinate ride-sharing with each other.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our accommodation for the week will be a 20-person cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies. Our meals will be vegetarian-friendly and served family style. If you have specific food allergies or concerns, please contact the leader before signing up for the trip. Everyone is expected to pitch in with kitchen chores and general cleanup during the week. 

There are 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in the cabin. Each bedroom sleeps 2-4 persons; some have a queen bed and set of bunk beds, while other rooms have two sets of bunk beds. All linens and towels are provided by the YMCA. Roommate requests will be accommodated, if possible, but be prepared to share sleeping space with other participants.

WiFi is available but cell phone service can be spotty.

Trip Difficulty

The work projects, under the supervision of the agency staff, can be moderately strenuous. No one will be asked to work beyond his or her comfort level, and we will encourage participants to take regular water and rest breaks and enjoy the surrounding scenery. We may be doing plant removal, trail maintenance, or even painting or other preservation work.

Equipment and Clothing

Sturdy boots for work and hiking, and leather work gloves are a must. So are long-sleeved shirts and long, sturdy pants to protect from rocks, thorns, and sharp twigs. Bring a hat to shade from the sun and warm layers (starting with a warm hat and gloves) for the crisp mornings and evenings. The average high in September is in the upper 70s in the afternoon, but it usually drops below freezing at night (when we are tucked in the cabin by the fire), and wind or rain can add to the fun. This is the mountains, where conditions can change fast. September usually sees an uptick in rain, so come prepared with a waterproof jacket, pants, and boots. Once you are accepted as a participant, a full equipment list will be sent with more details. 

Work tools and instruction in their safe use will be provided by the agency staff.

Bring a camera and binoculars. A small telescope for stargazing (if anyone has one) would be a welcome addition. If you play a musical instrument, bring it so we can sing along together!

References

Books:

• Bird, Isabella, A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains. University of Oklahoma Press, 1975.
• Carothers, June E., Estes Park, Past and Present. Literary Licensing, LLC, 2013.
• Mills, Enos A., The Story of Early Estes Park. Temporal Mechanical Press, 2016.
• Sage, Rufus B., Rocky Mountain Life. Wentworth and Co., 1857.
• Young, Mary, Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years. Farcounty Press, 2014.

Website:

• National Park Service/Rocky Mountain National Park: http://www.nps.gov/romo/
• U.S. Forest Service/Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland: https://www.fs.usda.gov/arp
• YMCA of the Rockies: https://ymcarockies.org/

Conservation

Your leaders are Sierra Club volunteers with long-term dedication to the enjoyment and conservation of the outdoors. Please feel free to ask your leaders about conservation concerns, and come prepared to share conservation successes and challenges from home with the group.

The Sierra Club is focused on the conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding and participation in the goals of the Club. We will have opportunities throughout our time together to discuss resource conservation, and to learn more about the challenges of preserving and managing our nation's natural resources.

In 2014, the U.S. celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which the Sierra Club played a large role in passing. While the Act was far in the future when our outings program started in 1901, the Sierra Club was already promoting the principle behind it: "to forever set aside from human development certain special places." This is the basic principle on which the Sierra Club was founded in 1892. The Wilderness Act anniversary gave us a chance to celebrate the Sierra Club's leading role in promoting the principle, in passing the Act, and in achieving many more designated Wilderness since then. The volunteer work you do on this trip will help preserve our nation's appreciation for the wilderness.

In 2016, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of America's National Parks. In 2011, Rocky Mountain National Park was selected to participate in a climate change study in cooperation with the National Park Service, NASA, and the academic scientific community. The stated objective is: "develop and apply decision support tools that use NASA and other data to assess the vulnerability of ecosystems to climate and land-use change and evaluate management options."

Since its founding in 1892, the Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.