Rocky Mountain National Park – Almost 100 years ago, men with picks and shovels traveled into the wilderness and cut 350 miles of trails through this land that would become a national park.
This week, trail crews – with the help of a helicopter – are fixing some of those backcountry trails that have fallen into disrepair.
Park officials are waging an ongoing battle against erosion, roots, horse hooves and hiking boots.
The park has about $20 million in trail work to do – part of a backlog of $68 million in deferred maintenance in the 91-year-old preserve, park officials said.
About 40 miles of trails are in good shape, said Dave Larsen, trail supervisor, but about 50 miles are in “really bad shape.”
“Our goal is to make the trails better so they will be sustainable, last another 50 to 100 years,” Larsen said. “We’re trying to do it right, and do it once, rather than just put a Band-Aid on the problem.”
Hiking is the lifeblood of Rocky Mountain National Park. Park-commissioned surveys consistently show hiking is what draws people to the park, but some trails built in the early 20th century, including work by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, are treacherous to hike.
The paths weren’t constructed to withstand erosion and have deep ruts or have been damaged from overuse by the estimated 600,000 hikers who visit the park every year, park officials say.
Crews are focusing on popular trails with the biggest problems or those where injuries – such as broken ankles and collar bones – commonly occur.
On Monday, a heavy-lift helicopter worked at 9,000 feet, carrying a bucket filled with dirt into the backcountry.
With surgical accuracy, the pilot dipped the bucket at the end of a 150-foot line between trees where waiting crews grabbed it and poured dirt over the trail.
“When it’s built well, you just walk on it and don’t notice,” Larsen said.
Most visitors hike less than 2 miles from their car, so trails near parking lots need extra care, Larsen said.
Crews build those trails 4 feet wide and crowned for runoff. Steps should be less than 8 inches high with a gradual grade of less than 10 percent.
Logs are set to direct water off the trail.
Trail structures are built with a base of crushed rock. Sand mixed with clay is poured on top to become the firm trail.
Wooden bridges that cross creeks may look rustic but are being built with hidden, steel I-beams to help the structures withstand whatever nature can deliver.
This week’s work is fixing about 3 miles of trail in the Bear Lake corridor and has taken about three years to finish at a cost of about $300,000.
With the helicopter’s help, the job will take up to 10 days.
Without the helicopter, crews would have spent up to 250 days hauling the 200 tons of tread material up the trail on the backs of mules.
The Rocky Mountain Nature Association, a citizens group, provided about 70 percent of the money for this week’s project, said Curt Buchholtz, executive director.
Members requested their money go specifically to these areas, he said.
“We are setting these trails up for the long run,” Buchholtz said. “If we set them up correctly, they will be easy for the crews to maintain for years to come.”
Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer may be reached at 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
