By Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers
Special to The Sopris Sun
Nature Note: Creative destruction
Two weeks ago, while Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and U.S. Forest Service staff were scouting Glenwood Canyon’s Grizzly Creek Trail to scope out landslide damage and necessary repairs to the trail, we found an entirely new stream! It was likely created by the collapse of a rock shelf higher up, which resulted in the rerouting of an existing subterranean spring.
The 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire burned enough vegetation that, without stabilizing roots and subject to monsoon rains and snow pressure, landslide and avalanche risk has increased significantly in the canyon. It’s always been a geologically active area, and when the landscape changes you never know what you’ll find. It’s one more reason to get out and explore our public lands!
Recent community action
As the trails dry out and plants need planting, you can be sure we’re firmly into the season of spring — and stewardship! RFOV thanks all the community members and project partners that have joined us to help construct Red Hill’s new C-Line Trail. It’s coming and will hopefully be open to the public soon.
Volunteers and land management partners have also joined RFOV for recent restoration projects at Rifle Gap State Park and trail rebuilding at Storm King Fire Memorial Trail. T hank you!
A big thanks also goes out to the businesses and school groups that have taken advantage of sunny weather to complete stewardship projects. Marble Charter School volunteered nearly 100hours this month preparing pollinator gardens on the school’s campus and restoring the historic mill site. FirstBank employees joined us in Redstone to give new life to park benches and tables with an afternoon of varnishing. And thanks to SGM Engineering employees for getting hot, sweaty and dirty trimming brush at Wulfsohn Mountain Park to mitigate the wildfire risk.
Upcoming community opportunities
There are so many ways to get outdoors with a purpose!
Join RFOV and project partners this June for family-friendly restoration projects up and down the Roaring Fork Valley (www.rfov. org). At Maroon Creek Wetlands we’ll even be offering childcare for families with young kids. We hope to see you soon!
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