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The Trip

When it's complete, the Continental Divide Trail will run 3,100 miles along the "backbone" of America, the Rockies, through five states from the Canadian border in Montana to the Mexican border in New Mexico. While much of the trail is finished, a little less than 300 miles remain to be built in Colorado. We will work on a section of the trail located about 30 miles south of Leadville, just a short distance from the ghost town of Winfield.

We will camp in a dispersed tent site in the San Isabel National Forest among the aspens, firs, and spruce. The site is centered around a meadow, with views of the surrounding mountains and the soft sounds of a nearby stream. It combines the peacefulness and beauty of the wilderness with the accessibility of drive-in camping.

The Project

We will work with staff from the U.S. Forest Service and the Continental Divide Trail Alliance to construct new trail tread and structures. The project may include clearing a new trail corridor, digging out tree roots and rocks, moving dirt and rock to create level tread, and building short rock walls and culverts. The Forest Service will provide tools and safety demonstrations for the project. The work site is a two-mile hike from camp -- it's that far because last year's crew made so much progress. Camp and work-site elevations range from 10,100 to 10,800 feet.

Itinerary

We'll meet the afternoon of Sunday, August 5th and get to know each other over a potluck dinner. Most likely we will work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday is a day off, during which trip members are free to see historic sites, climb a fourteener (14,336-foot La Plata Peak is nearby) or just relax around camp. Our campsite is only a stone's throw from the Winfield Ghost Town. On Saturday, August 11th we break camp.

Getting There

Our campsite is a three-hour drive from Denver, 30 miles southwest of Leadville and a half-mile from the Winfield ghost town. The last half-mile is very rugged, so if you are not experienced driving on rough roads, you would do well to bring a car with a high clearance.

Flights can be arranged to Denver, Colorado Springs, Vail, or Aspen. Trip members are responsible for transportation to the campsite. We encourage trip members to coordinate travel arrangements and carpool, and we facilitate that by providing each trip member's contact information. Tell Donna if you don't want your contact info released to other trip members.

Accommodations and Food

The Sierra Club staff will provide meals beginning with breakfast on our first work day and ending with lunch on the last day. On the evening you arrive, we will have a potluck dinner, so bring an entrée to share. Our chef, Alexandra, will prepare soup as an appetizer and will also prepare dessert.

We provide well-balanced, nutritious, and filling meals. Some meals will have meat, but there will always be an option for vegetarians. We have a group commissary with everyone taking turns in food preparation and after-meal cleanup. Before applying for the trip, people with food allergies and/or strong food preferences must contact the cook to see if accommodations are possible.

Trip Difficulty

This trip falls between moderately strenuous to strenuous. Trail building can be challenging, particularly at high elevations and in rocky terrain; it is important that you be in good physical condition. Since we will work at elevations above 10,000 feet, "flat-landers" are encouraged to arrive in the area a couple of days prior to the trip to acclimate.

Fire restrictions will be in place if the summer is extremely dry. Temperatures in the area range from the mid-80s during the day to nighttime lows around 40, with frequent afternoon summer thunderstorms. Temperatures in the Rockies can change quickly; snow showers, hail, and lightning are always possible.

Equipment and Clothing

The leader will send a detailed equipment list to registered participants. Essential items include: warm sleeping bag, tent, sturdy hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, two pairs of work gloves, and rainproof (not just rain-resistant) jacket and pants.

References

Websites:

• Continental Divide Trail Alliance: http://www.cdtrail.org/page.php
• www.colorado.com

Books:

• Guennel, G.K., Guide to Colorado Wildflowers.
• Higgins, Janis Lindsey, Wild at Heart, A Natural History Guide.
• Stegner, Wallace, Angle of Repose.

Maps:

• USGS Quads: Winfield / Mt. Elbert / Granite

Conservation

We try to run our service trip in accordance with Leave No Trace principles. We also believe that conservation education is an important part of any Sierra Club outing. Colorado, with all its beauty, faces its own set of environmental challenges:

• The forests of the Rocky Mountain West are being decimated by the mountain pine beetle. Approximately 70 percent of Colorado's large-diameter lodgepole pines have already been lost, and it is expected that the entire population will be gone in a few years.
• Coal burning plants in and around Colorado are fouling Colorado's air, depositing mercury into Colorado streams, and adding to global warming.
• Water quality in Colorado is severely threatened by urban expansion and perhaps even more so by mining pollution. Over the past six years, Colorado's fishable streams decreased by seven percent.

For information on these and other environmental issues in Colorado see:

• http://www.environmentcolorado.org
• http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/mountain-pine-beetle.html

Trip Price

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Staff

Leader:

Donna Kapala, an "as often as possible" retired school counselor, is proud to call Reno, Nevada, the "Great Adventure Place," her home. She loves hiking, horseback riding, and doing volunteer work on local trails, which she pursues as a dedicated and enthusiastic member of Back Country Horsemen, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, and her local Great Basin Chapter of the Sierra Club. She has hiked extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the High Sierra, and promises to add a western cowboy "flavor" to her trip. Happy trails...

E-mail: kapalaclan@charter.net

Cook:

Alexandra Soltow is a professional chef, and has been with the Sierra Club for 20 years. She is also an accomplished musician, and has been known to incite campfire circles to sing along with her rip-roaring version of "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road." (This will not be included on any of her menus.)

E-mail: pamra@verizon.com

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Carpooling
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback
• Wilderness Manners