Program areas at The Colorado Trail Foundation
Trail operations: Improve and maintain the Colorado Trail. The Colorado Trail Foundation sponsored 17 trail crews with a total of 302 volunteers. These trail crews built and refurbished hundreds of water diversions, removed trees and undergrowth, eliminated rocks impeding the trail, and constructed new trail. They also built or rebuilt turnpikes, cleared avalanche debris, and built or rebuilt 7 bridges. Adopter volunteers cleared the trail, sawed and removed hundreds of fallen trees, cleaned water diversions, repaired rockslides,and repaired, replaced, and installed signs enabling hikers and horses to stay on the trail. In all, 736 volunteers worked a total of 17,284 hours with the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and other partner organizations to protect the trail for Colorado Trail users.
Guided treks: Trekkers participated in seven week-long supported treks along the Colorado Trail for recreational and educational activity keyed to the diverse, high mountain environment.
Outreach and trail user education and assistance: Educated and aided hundreds of Colorado Trail users by responding to telephone and email requests for information. Distributed Treadlines newsletters to over 17,000 households, and distributed brochures to visitors centers, chambers of commerce, forest service offices, and sporting goods stores. Maintained and improved the CTF website, Facebook page and database to support trail crew and adopter activities, and educate trail users about the trail and Leave No Trace ethics. Provided speakers and video information on the subject of the Colorado Trail, the Colorado Trail Foundation, trail crew and educational opportunities.