The Wild Bush Whackers Give Back

We had been hiking all over Colorado this past year and decided it was time to give a little back. We signed up to do a weekend of clearing trails near Steamboat Springs at Stage Coach State Park. This seemed like a win win situation because:

1. We would get some physical activity in the outdoors.
2. We would make new friends with like-minded people.
3. We would get a chance to camp for free!

Arriving late Friday night, we set up camp, the temperature was already dipping into the 30s so we hurried our efforts and snuggled into our sleeping bags. At about midnight I awoke to hear the sound of what I first thought was children laughing but then realized it was a pack of coyotes! It also occurred to me just how cold it really was, the only part of my face exposed was my eyes and nose and I could feel it!

Early the next morning we were startled awake to what sounded like people smacking mats on the ground, I assumed this was our wake-up call (but later learned it was gunshots echoing through the mountains... hunting season.

We were working with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and they were really great. They had breakfast all ready for us which was delicious, except for the spam... never a big fan of spam. The volunteers were divided up into teams, we were assigned to clear part of a trail leading from nearby campsites to an amphitheater (that was being built by another team.)

We all picked up tools (the guys were immediately drawn to the pick axes.) Which was fine with me, yielding a pick ax is hard work. We cleared wild sage brush from the trail first, then racked out rocks and other debris and finally smoothed the trail out. (Now this sums up our work because writing the details would be rather boring, but a small track of trail took us ALL DAY.) It really gives you a great appreciation for the trails we hike on. You never really think about it until you down on your knees smoothing out dirt with your hands.

After our first full day of work we were treated to drum entertainment and a campfire with smores. Someone suggested that we name our team, I suggested "The Wild Bush Whackers" but no one was going for it.

After another chilly night, we reassembled our group (which was much smaller.) Half our group could not stay for the following day, so our smaller team combined with another and did trail maintenance on a section of trail for picnickers. We noticed a flock of birds landing on the lake by the pick-nick sites. I was amazed to realize they were pelicans! Yeah, I have no idea why pelicans would be in Colorado on a mountain lake so far from the coast (and in cold weather) but they seemed pretty content swimming around on the lake. It made me think of the people who ask if Wes and I hate now living in a land-locked state, but as I looked at the mountain scenery around me I thought, yeah, we are pretty content too.