Kevin Shaw

We set out to repair fences on Barr trail Saturday June 7. But first we encountered this lumpy rock that had slid down the hillside, about 0.35 miles from the trail head.

It wasn’t blocking the trail but it narrowed the trail enough that we decided it should be moved. But even with 6 people and 2 rock bars, working in close quarters we couldn’t flip it back out of the way. So we had to smash it up to make it small enough so we could flip it. After we flipped it out of the way, Laura is knocking the last few parts of it off that were projecting into the trail.

The rock is now about half its original size. Then we continued to the spur trail and went to get some fence rails and posts from our storage area along Ruxton creek. The creek was still out of its banks, but clear and refreshingly cold. Everyone pitched in to pull the rails out of the bundle.

Then it was time to lug them up the trail. Here’s Alex and Maddie carrying one of the fence rails along one of the more scenic stretches of the trail.

Finally at the worksite about a mile up from the trailhead, that last picture is Mo and Laura digging a post hole. Unfortunately that rock Laura is standing on is just the exposed part of a huge rock that continued down the hillside, so we couldn’t dig a deep enough hole.

We know how to solve that problem but that will have to wait for another day. Why not sign up for next Barr Trail Post and Rail workday and find out how we do it? Better yet, help us do it! www.friendsofthepeak.org/volunteerwithus. Like I said, just another day in the office…..

There currently is no bridge #1 on the 7 Bridges trail. Please consider bypassing the first bridge by using the Buckhorn-to-Seven Bridges connector trail via the Buckhorn trailhead (There are USFS detour signs at the TH).

For reference, the Buckhorn trailhead is on the right side of Goldcamp Rd about 100′ before the Seven Bridges trailhead, just before the road passes over N Cheyenne Creek. See image below:

If you were at our November 9 get together at Sevens Gate Taproom, you got to hear Brian give a summary of our season, with pictures. BTW, all people who volunteered with us for at least one day were invited, as well as donors. If you believe you should have been invited but didn’t get an invitation, we’re sorry, and please let us know.

It was a good season with lots of solid workdays. We did most of our work on our usual favorite trails: Seven Bridges, Saint Mary’s Falls, and Barr Trail. In addition, we worked on some trails we don’t get to frequently: The McReynolds Reservoir Trail high on the south slope of Pikes Peak, in the South Slope Recreation Area, and the Ring the Peak Trail through Putney Gulch and south towards Horsethief Park.

We had several days where we had groups of volunteers from different corporations. Statistics aren’t very interesting, but the one I’ll mention is that we had 86 unique volunteers this season. We really appreciate this broad base of support.

Pictures? You want pictures? Well, here’s a few, but you’re not getting any locations. You’ll have to match the pictures with the location. It’s a contest. Not every location in the list has a picture.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Submit your entries to registration@friendsofthepeak.org    Everyone who matches them correctly gets an extra slice of watermelon at their next volunteer workday.

______ McReynolds Reservoir in the South Slope Recreation Area

______ Seven Bridges, above Undine Falls

______ Saint Mary’s Falls, at one of the sets of log stairs

______ Saint Mary’s Falls, at the path down to the creek about 1 mile from the TH

______ Barr Trail, where the 2023 boulder came tumbling through

______ Ring the Peak Trail in Putney Gulch

In January we will have our annual retreat where the board members sketch out our plans for the 2025 season. One thing we’ve been considering is whether we should purchase some [expensive] masonry tools so we can cut and shape rocks to serve a specific purpose. This will allow us to do some precision rock construction. [Think “building a medieval cathedral” which of course we will do in the off-season for practice.]

If, If, If, you’re interested in volunteering on such a rock work project, please let us know by replying to or BrianV@friendsofthepeak.org  And of course you could (but don’t have to) make a donation for masonry tools as described above.

Come out on September 7, 14 or 19 and help us remove hazards from Barr Trail before the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon! Click the volunteer button to sign up!

The first step is registration. 

Pick a date and a project that interests you. Then register for that day on our website, www.friendsofthepeak.org/volunteer . Registration is required for all our workdays. It gives us a way to keep in contact with you. It also gives the project leader an of idea how much we might accomplish on the work day, and how many tools to bring to the trail head. A few days before the workday we will send you the details of the meeting place and information about what to bring to the workday.

Age Requirements
We love workers of all ages however our children 14 and 15 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult a signed parental waiver, children 16-18 can work with a signed parental waiver.

Meeting details, logistics, and practical stuff:

Most of our workdays are on the Seven Bridges Trail (7BT), Saint Mary’s Falls Trail (SMF), and Barr Trail. On 7BT and SMF days we meet at the paved parking lot at the top of Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard where it intersects Gold Camp Road. We unlock the gate and drive through to the trail heads, saving us a 1.25 mile hike to the SMF trailhead or a 0.75 mile hike to the 7BT trailhead. When we work on Barr Trail, the city of Manitou Springs allows us to park for free while we are working. We will provide you with a dated parking pass that you will need to display on your dashboard. Sometimes parking will be in one of the parking lots downtown, and you can take the free shuttle bus to the cog railroad stop, or we might arrange a carpool. Other times we may be able to park right at the trailhead. When we work at other locations there will be different procedures.

Before we start work: introductions, instructions and a safety briefing.

Once everyone has arrived, the project leader will describe the scope of the work and the goals for the day. There will be a safety briefing that includes general outdoor safety, any specific hazards known to exist, and instructions about safe usage, carrying and storing of the tools. Then you’ll hear about what to do if there is an accident, first aid, and evacuation procedures.Then it’s time to grab the tools and hike to the worksite.

What is the work like? 

Sometimes it’s strenuous (digging with a pick mattock or steel rock bar, carrying rocks that require multiple people to lift, carrying lumber.) Other tasks are easier (replacing fence posts and rails, cutting back encroaching vegetation, building small rock walls, raking, shoveling, and tamping.) No volunteer is ever expected to do any task that they think will injure them. We take frequent water and rest breaks, and a lunch break. 

Finishing up:

We stop work, do a tool inventory, and hike back to the trailhead. We will have cold soft drinks, light snacks, and watermelon. (Watermelon is a tradition!)

Now for some pictures. 1., some of the tools; 2., instructions and safety briefing; 3., some of the places we work. 7BT, SMF, Barr.