Wild Basin trail work in Rocky Mountain National Park/Rocky Mountain Conservancy.

Sweat and muscle for trail work in Rocky Mountain National Park comes, in part, in the form of Conservation Corps provided through the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.

This past spring the Conservancy sent 36 conservation corps interns out into the field in six crews for an 11-week internship as part of its Conservation Corps Program. Half of this group worked in the national park (the other half worked in the surrounding Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest) to protect landscapes against ecological damage and provide safe and sustainable recreational experiences for visitors.

This year's maintenance season proved particularly important as the severe floods in September 2013 caused heavy erosion, damage to drains, and trail braiding throughout Northern Colorado'™s public lands. By mid-summer the crews in the park had completed maintenance runs on the Cub Lake, Emerald Lake, Deer Mountain, Gem Lake, Bierstadt Lake, Finch Lake, and Ute trails.

On these trails the crews cleared downed logs and brush from the paths, improved drainage, built erosion-control structures, and erased social and braided trails. At one point all six crews worked with park staff on the Ouzel Falls Bridge Project in the Wild Basin area. After a day of retrieving the old bridge from the river, dispersing old cut logs, and preparing materials for construction, the area and the National Park Service was markedly more prepared to move along with the construction of the bridge, which will allow hikers to view the beautiful Ouzel Falls and hike to the scenic Bluebird and Ouzel Lakes.

Through this work the students earned internship credits to Colorado State University, participated in educational field classes, and gained valuable experience and networking opportunities with land management agencies.

Three Fall Hikes At Rocky Mountain:

'¢ Alberta Falls is a classic hike anytime of year, though the cooler fall weather and the brilliant fall colors make the 210-foot elevation gain less noticeable. Just six-tenths of a mile from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead (you also can reach it from the Bear Lake parking lot), the falls and the surrounding forest define Rocky Mountain beauty. For a longer, more colorful 5.6-mile roundtrip hike, head on to Mills Lake.

'¢ Take the 2.5-mile one-way hike to The Pool and your reward is a foaming pool of water where Spruce and Fern creeks spill into the Big Thompson River. Continuing on to Fern Lake turns this into a roundtrip of about 7.5 miles and rewards with a view of Fern Falls, which will be welcome if you choose a warm day to hike.

'¢ Many believe Bridal Veil Falls, which plunges 20 feet, is the prettiest waterfall in the park. The relatively level trail starts from the Cow Creek Trailhead near the historic Indian Head Ranch on the McGraw Road. You could make a longer, 15-mile, day, by looping towards the Needles, down to the Lumpy Ridge Trail Head, and back to Cow Creek Trailhead.