New Trail in Brown’s Canyon

Volunteers are needed to help construct a new trail into the Bureau of Land Management Browns Canyon Wilderness Study Area near Ruby Mountain on June 24-26, 2011.

This trail was approved in the public process Fourmile Travel Management Plan. Over a mile of new trail will be constructed in order to provide safe and sustainable access to existing designated routes beyond and to avoid private land. The new trail will be a minimally to moderately developed route that will provide appropriate access that will maintain the wilderness quality characteristics of the land in this area.

The route will provide access for hikers, walkers, photographers, campers, backpackers, fishermen, boaters, birdwatchers, horseback riders, runners, nature lovers, climbers, birders, hunters, artists, rock collectors and many other user groups. This new trail will likely become the primary route into the interior of this proposed Wilderness Area. Fishermen will gain better access to walk in fishing opportunities on over 2 miles of the Arkansas River. Pedestrians and horseback riders will be able to access over 5 miles of trails into this Wilderness Study Area. Those seeking solitude and opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation will gain access to over 20,000 acres of wild and rugged, untrammeled and undeveloped land beyond.

Construction of this route is expected to further bolster the active outdoor recreational tourism that forms the basis for Chaffee County’s economy.  A 2006 survey funded by the Chaffee County Visitors Bureau found that walking and hiking are the two most popular activities tourists participate in during their stay in Chaffee County. Forest Service visitor use monitoring surveys confirm that hiking is one of the most popular activities in Chaffee County.  Forest Service and other surveys indicate that the average hiker spends $77-$200 for each hiking outing.  Hikers contribute millions of dollars to the local economy each year and this trail will become a new draw that will get these hiking tourists to return to the county.

Meals, water, instruction, tools, entertainment and more will be provided for up to 100 volunteers on this project in order to complete this new trail segment.  No experience is necessary and there are ways that everyone can help.  Volunteers are needed for one or all three days.  Camping is available on site Thursday through Saturday nights, or volunteers can commute in via passenger car to help each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Volunteers will be building trail in open Pinyon-Juniper forest with fantastic views of granite rock outcroppings, the Arkansas River below, and the Collegiate Peaks beyond.

Participating volunteers will have an opportunity to sign up for discounted raft trips through Browns Canyon scheduled for Friday the 24th and other entertainment is being planned for the evening of June 25th.

The Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado are coordinating the project, in association with the BLM. A number of local stake holder groups have assumed stewardship roles in helping to construct this sustainable route to help preserve this area for future generations. The Buffalo Peaks Backcountry Horsemen, Collegiate Peaks Trout Unlimited, Friends of Browns Canyon Wilderness, Friends of Fourmile and the Quiet Use Coalition are all assisting with the project.  Businesses and individuals from local communities are also supporting the project with donations.

For more information or to help/contribute, phone 719-207-4130, or emailinfo@brownscanyon.org

Volunteers are asked to sign up in advance by going tohttp://www.volunteeroutdoors.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Opportunities.View&Opportunity_ID=3139