Today, I participated in my first project with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. The project involved trail restoration work along Clear Creek, in the foothills west of Denver, including improved access from U.S. 6 for hikers, rock climbers, fishermen and kayakers. The trail will eventually lead from Golden to Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide and connect with western slope trails on that lofty ridge; today's project was funded by Clear Creek County and the Mike O'Brien Trust.
My particular group was assigned to build a rock stairway from the road to the creekside trail. We were led by Steve Austin, a legendary member of the organization who is approaching his 300th project with VOC; though he is 89 years old, he remains an active participant and, today, taught our group a great deal about building rock stairways. During breaks in our work, we watched rafting groups negotiate the whitewater of Clear Creek and rock climbers scale the sheer granite walls of the canyon.
I was very impressed with the highly organized approach that VOC takes with its projects and thoroughly enjoyed the experience; I hope to participate in many more over the years. Others interested in joining VOC, donating funds for their projects or taking part in their important work throughout Colorado are advised to visit their website, listed under Conservation Organizations in the right column of this blog.
